Europe must practice “Afro-mimicry”

Biomimicry is a set of techniques that enable companies to draw inspiration from Nature to increase their performance, i.e. their “know-how”

Afro-mimicry goes further: it is about drawing inspiration from Africa to raise our consciousness and improve our “savoir-être” (way of being in the world)

In an excellent article (in French) published in Afrimag, Soha Benchekroun — an engineer and researcher in sustainable development — identifies and explains 4 great qualities of Africa that Europe sorely lacks to regenerate itself:

• Generosity
• Frugality
• Ingenuity
• Non-duality

I invite you to read this great article by Soha Benchekroun to discover how Africa truly “embodies” (and not just “speaks” in world forums!) these 4 great qualities which Europe could draw inspiration from to stem its economic decline and revitalize its societies.

Exactly 15 years ago — in August 2008 — I decided to leave Silicon Valley to join Jaideep Prabhu at Cambridge Judge Business School to launch the Center for India & Global Business

The vocation of this pioneering center is to study and promote how India is an inspiration for the West in terms of new models of innovation and leadership — such as frugal innovation and conscious and wise leadership.

I had accepted this position at Cambridge because I had firmly believed for 30 years that India was not just an emerging “market” but an emerging “SOURCE” of disruptive innovation in the field of management.

Likewise, the West must change its condescending view of Africa as a passive “recipient” of its aid and see Africa as a vital SOURCE of its own regeneration.

To put it bluntly:

“We must stop seeing Africa as a BASKET CASE and view it as a rich BASKET filled with inspiring CASE (studies) on social and economic innovations”

In particular, Europe must learn to humbly “receive” the millennia-old wisdom of Africa to revitalize its declining economy and aging societies.

It’s time we all practice AFRO-MIMICRY !