TUZAFRIKA

Our Approach

To theorise, disseminate and apply the Way of We. Tuzafrika does not want a thought that merely exists in books. The institute sets out and argues the doctrine of We-ism, confronts it with its critics, then translates it into verifiable methods — in governance, mediation and co-development — in service of the peoples of the Great Lakes and beyond.

Our Mission

To train citizens capable of transforming their communities through the thought of the We. Through research, training and field support, Tuzafrika equips those — Companions of the Way, Living Landmarks — who choose to practise Useful-Existence within their own sphere of influence, whether they act as a Circle, as Ambassadors or as Builders.

Our Vision

To bring about a Civilisation of We, where cooperation becomes stronger than individualism. Neither the isolation of the « I » nor the uniformity of the « All »: a third way that reconciles the singularity of the person with the demands of a shared destiny.

Our Three Pillars

• Useful-Existence — not the mere fact of relationship, but its ethical orientation: turning the bond towards care, recognition, responsibility and mutual elevation. Usefulness cannot be proclaimed: it can never be defined solely by the one who claims to serve.
• The Knot of Destinies — our paths are bound together. Neighbouring peoples are not sealed entities but strands of the same rope: the security and prosperity of some are inseparable from those of others.
• Awakened Service — acting with clarity, without paternalism, through four disciplines: Active and Useful Presence, the Weaving Word, Preventive Mediation and the Economy of Elevated Sharing.

The presumption of dignity. No one loses their human dignity or their belonging to the We because their contribution is, for a time, weak, invisible or deferred. No institution — Tuzafrika included — decides the human worth of a person.

A doctrine that accepts contradiction

A doctrine that publishes only its answers remains a movement; only one that publishes its unresolved objections rises to the rank of thought. This is why Tuzafrika entrusts contradiction to a Scientific Council, an external body distinct from the College of Founders, whose written mandate carries three obligations:

• to gather the objections addressed to the doctrine, whatever their origin;
• to publish, without prior authorisation from the founder or the College, those that remain unresolved;
• to assess periodically the conditions under which the doctrine would be refuted, and to make that assessment public, whether favourable or not.

In the same spirit, the Companions' Charter does not merely bind: its ten principles are matched by five guarantees the Way owes to each Companion — the right to contradict, freedom of contribution, grounded disobedience, withdrawal without dishonour, and the right to limits and to rest. Discover the Scientific Council →

How to read our organisation

Three sets structure Tuzafrika. They do not overlap: each answers a different question.

• The doctrine — what we think. Three pillars, four disciplines, and a Charter of ten principles and five guarantees. Read the Manifesto →
• The fields of work — what we study. Five areas: social cohesion, peace and mediation, governance, human security, regional relations. See the series « The Torn Fabric » →
• The areas of action — what we do. Twelve areas set out in Article 6 of our Statutes, detailed below.

Our twelve areas of action

TUZAFRIKA is an association under Belgian law whose social object, defined in Article 6 of its statutes, covers a broad operational field. These twelve areas designate our ways of acting — to be distinguished from the five fields of work above, which designate the subjects the Institute studies.

• Advocacy and monitoring — defending human dignity, fundamental freedoms and human rights defenders.
• Civic education — training in global citizenship, gender equality and intercultural dialogue.
• Mediation — community dialogue, reconciliation and transitional justice.
• Development — community resilience and economic empowerment of vulnerable populations.
• Communication — multilingual platforms and combating disinformation.
• Cooperation — international partnerships and citizen diplomacy between Africa and Europe.
• Environment and the ecology of the bond — shared management of cross-border ecosystems, notably the Great Lakes.
• Research and memory — interdisciplinary research and archiving of wounded memories.
• Human security and connectivity — mutual security and support for migration flows.
• Diaspora and transnational networks — mobilising African diasporas as a force for co-development.
• Digital governance — collaborative digital tools and data protection as common goods.
• Well-being of field actors — peer support and prevention of burnout among engaged Companions.

See the full detail of our social object in the Statutes →

See how each of these twelve areas translates into activities and indicators →