This is an archive of the Dadamac.net website, as it was in 2015, it is no longer being updated.

2015: Happy Connected New Year (and Africa-UK Connections in Practice)

Submitted by Pamela on 4 January 2015 - 11:13pm

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Connected New Year and inviting you to share it with us. Dadamac is leaping into 2015 with an event at Westminster Hub called "Africa-UK Connections in Practice" on January 10th. Afterwards we'll use the the Kabissa forum to act on whatever comes out of the January 10th event. 

The forum is open to anyone who's interested. You don't need to attend the event to join in the forum, but the event will be the launch of what we are doing, and will accelerate things.

#Dadamac 2015 - Connect, Communicate, Collaborate

An earlier working title for "Africa-UK Connections in Practice - New Approaches for 2015" was "#Dadamac 2015 - Connect, Communicate, Collaborate". This is why:

#Dadamac

#Dadamac is the twitter hashtag that we'll use for the event. The event uses example of the work Dadamac has been doing through its online connection between Africa and the UK. The name Dadamac is short for John Dada and Pamela McLean. John and I will both be at the event, and in the afternoon we'll lead a "reality check" on how far things have come in the years from 2000-2015 (and therefore what we can dare to imagine in another 15 years time, in 2030).

2015

In 2015 we're planning  to increase the scope of Dadamac Foundation. All this will more easily understood once the new Dadamac Foundation website goes live. Naturally increasing its scope means building the team and we hope to connect with some potential team members at the event.

Connect, Communicate,

The event on January 10th will bring people together to connect and communicate.

The list of participants shows a range of organisations represented, as well as people who are coming as interested individuals free of an organisational identity. The event will be a combination of tight focus from the front, and participation in groups to "harvest to wisdom in the room". People should get the chance to work in four different groups, as well as having time for informal networking, so there will be plenty of chances to connect.

At break times there will be the opportunity to connect with organisations at the exhibitor tables. These will be organisations either with some involvement in Africa, or some connection with us in the UK (to do with developing Dadamac Foundation as a charity or enabling collaboration). The exhibitors will also participate in the group sessions.

There will be a handful of people from the London region of RSA - and this will be the first chance for us to connect as founder members of the new RSA UK-Africa Network. The network was announced in the London Region Winter Newsletter  RSA will be helping me to arrange some future events and has contributed to the welcome packs and other resources for this event.I see a lot of synergy between the RSA UK-Africa Network and Dadamac Foundation during 2015. I'm already learning from Fellows about initiatives they connect with in Africa.

I hope that the RSA Fellowship may help me to connect with potential Dadamac Foundation volunteers. We need to tap into expertise and support regarding charities and governance etc as we grow Dadamac Foundation as an organisation. Given Dadamac's emphasis on using the Internet we also appreciate people who are keen on social media and will help us to communicate.

Francis Sealey, founder of GlobalNet21(GN21) is another person who is helping Dadamac Foundation to make connections. I'm able to arrange events within GN21 related to Africa. Most of the meetings have been in London, but we're now starting to do webinars through GN21. Our first was in November to celebrate Dadamac Day 2014 . Due to an admin gltich (my fault - I need more help with admin) our January event clashes with another GN21 event, so Francis can't join us, but some GN21 members are coming along.

Nikki Fishman and I are arranging the event, and thanks to our connections with Westminster Hub we have been given this great location.

Collaborate

Collaboration is built on connections and communicating with each other. Our event covers the "connect and communicate" and we're aiming for new collaborations as an outcome.

In the morning of January 10th we're looking at a "New model for international development". Given it's a Dadamac model it's natural that communication, collaboration and the Internet are at the heart of it. The afternoon is about "Future challenges and opportunities". Ideas for collaboration will start to emerge by the time the formal event draws to a close at 3.30, and for people who want to collaborate that will be just the beginning. The extended tea-break and "after-event" will lay the foundations for ongoing collaboration.

You can get involved by:

Wishing you a Happy Dadamac Connected 2015