EDU Africa: Zimbabwe - African Democracy, World View & Culture

While looking through the lens of faith, this experiential program enables students to understand culture and democracy in the Sub Saharan Africa region. It examines the common trends from pre-colonial times through to the modern day. Though the Zimbabwean situation will be the primary point of reference, other countries are also explored, with a deep look into how worldview impacts on the politics of African nations and how individuals within those nations respond to matters of faith. This program incorporates discussion times and lectures with embassy dignitaries, church leaders, anthropologists, missionaries, justice advocates and leaders of humanitarian organizations. In a context in which many experience systemic corruption and injustice, students will have the opportunity to spend time with those fighting for the rights of the voiceless.

The program is strongly designed around practical engagement with many field experiences in order to help students compare the theoretical aspects of the program with reality. Students are equipped with:
• Insight into African history, traditions and culture
• A comprehension of the differences between individualistic cultures (predominantly western) and collectivist cultures (animistic in this context) and how they interact with worldviews based on faith
• A basic knowledge of the key problems and questions around which African politics revolves
• The fundamental conceptual, theoretical and analytical tools used in considering national social contexts
• An understanding of the role and work of the church, diplomatic missions and non-profit organizations in affecting change in African countries
• An understanding of how democracy and justice outwork themselves within an African context