West African water projects and the good life

Dr Ochieng is a writer, critic and assistant professor in Communication. His teaching and research engagements are animated by the search for justice, wisdom, ethics and beauty. His areas of expertise include rhetorical theory and criticism; the rhetoric of philosophy and the philosophy of rhetoric; political theory and practice; and aesthetic praxis.

It was an honour to listen to - but also be listened by- Dr Ochieng, who certainly inspired the colleagues of Waternet to bring West African philosophy to the dykes and dams of Amsterdam. The red thread between all the wonderful presenters was that people are central to our projects and partnerships.

The friendships, diversity, colours and creativity are what bring our Water Operators' Partnerships to life, and also what is remembered most by our colleagues who participate in them. This directly echoed the opening keynote from Dr Ochieng on the good life and Obuntu philosophy, which puts community at the centre of society- I am because we are.

The digital goody bag for this session included:

• Omedi Ochieng’s article (You are leaving this website): What West African Philosophy Can Teach You About the Good Life, Acknowledging how we constantly change each other can help us imagine better futures. Further reading: Barry Hallen, A Short History of African Philosophy.
• West African Spotify Playlist (You are leaving this website) (this is by no means an exhaustive list, it is just the beginning!).
• Various recipes (You are leaving this website) to discover and give you a flavour of the Sub-Saharan region.
• Presentation slides and the three videos from Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso, see below.