DAKAR – The Madibarist Youth Movement, in partnership with TrustAfrica, hosted a civic conference dedicated to preserving Nelson Mandela’s legacy and promoting the philosophy of Ubuntu on 23 July 2026 at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar.

Held under the moral patronage of Professor Gnaka Lagoké, the event’s keynote speaker, the conference brought together academics, student movements, and civil society actors around a shared objective: transforming the memory of Africa’s great Pan-African leaders into a source of inspiration and action for today’s youth.

Representing TrustAfrica at the opening ceremony, Sanzhie Bokally Thierry recalled Frantz Fanon’s famous call from The Wretched of the Earth (1961): “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.” The quotation set the tone for the discussions, encouraging participants to move beyond commemorating Nelson Mandela and instead draw practical inspiration from his struggle and enduring values.

Ubuntu as a Compass for Civic Leadership

At the heart of the discussions was the philosophy of Ubuntu (“I am because we are”), presented not as an abstract moral ideal, but as a practical framework for governance, solidarity, and social transformation. Speakers emphasized that young people’s commitment to learning, hard work, ethical conduct, and community service remains essential to addressing the challenges of uncertainty, social fragmentation, and governance facing the continent.

The conference concluded with a strong appeal to students and emerging leaders to become the “Mandelas of their generation” by embodying the values of responsibility, integrity, justice, and shared leadership that defined the life and legacy of South Africa’s iconic statesman.