James Gondwe shares his top recommendations for International Youth Day 2022
To celebrate this year’s International Youth Day, we feature five book recommendations by James Gondwe who is the Founder and Executive Director of the Centre for Youth and Development (CYD) in Malawi. The theme for International Youth Day 2022 is Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages and the goal is to ensure that no one is left behind in working towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
James is a human rights activist whose work is focused on the rights of children, youth and women. He is a seasoned development specialist with over 10 years’ experience managing community development programs. At CYD, he is responsible for overall strategic direction, oversight management, scoping new projects and resource mobilisation. James has been named a Royal Commonwealth Queens Young Leaders Associate Fellow and a One Young World Ambassador. He has been awarded the Trust Conference Changemakers Award, participated in the African Community Networks Summit Fellowship, as well as the African Visionary Fellowship. In addition, he chairs the boards of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Synod of Livingstonia Early Childhood Development Department and Unlimited Youth Organisation.
Enjoy James’ picks!
Creating a World That Works for All
By Sharif M. Abdullah
The world is a mess. The privileged few prosper. The masses suffer. And everyone feels spiritually empty. Most people would blame capitalism, racism, or some other “”ism””. But according to Sharif M. Abdullah, the problem is not ideology. It’s exclusively our desire to stay separate from other people. In Creating a World That Works for All, Abdullah takes a look at the mess we live in and presents a way out. To restore balance to the earth and build community, he says, people must stop blaming others, embrace inclusivity, and become “”menders””. He outlines three simple tests for “”enoughness””, exchangeability, and common benefit to guide people as they transform themselves and the world.
Doughnut Economics
By Kate Raworth
In Doughnut Economics, Oxford academic Kate Raworth identifies the seven critical ways in which mainstream economics has led us astray – from selling us the myth of ‘rational economic man’ to obsessing over growth at all costs – and offers instead an alternative roadmap for bringing humanity into a sweet spot that meets the needs of all within the means of the planet. Ambitious, radical and provocative, she offers a new cutting-edge economic model fit for the challenges of the 21st century.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
By William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a remarkable true story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. It will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual’s ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him. It is based on the story of William Kamkwamba, who was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was a mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger. But William had read about windmills, and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running water. His neighbours called him crazy but William refused to let go of his dreams. With a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks; some scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves; and an armoury of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to forge an unlikely contraption and small miracle that would change the lives around him.
The Quest for Mastery
By Sam M. Intrator and Don Siegel
In The Quest for Mastery, Sam M. Intrator and Don Siegel investigate an emerging trend: the growth of out-of-school programs dedicated to helping underserved youth develop the personal qualities and capacities that will help them succeed in school, college, and beyond. Intensive programs from rowing to youth radio, from lacrosse to studio art, aim to create “communities of practice” that capture young people’s interest and support them as they strive to excel. Through richly detailed accounts, the authors describe the unconventional ways these programs have evolved and articulate the formidable challenges they face in operationalizing their aspirations. By documenting the powerful effect out-of-school programs like these can have in transforming lives, the authors show how young people can become engaged in meaningful and productive learning experiences and highlight the poignant contrast between what these students experience inside and outside of school.
Coming of Age the RITE Way
By David G. Blumenkrantz
The text raises and answers some of the most fundamental questions facing parents, schools and communities; How do we raise our children to be resilient, self-reliant, capable adults who are competent and with compassion that is manifested in civic engagement for social justice? The book sets forth guiding principles and clear methods for putting into practice a whole systems approach to youth development through rites of passage. The approach involves connecting and enhancing environments and building competencies, which promote the positive development of children and youth in their families, in their schools, among their peers in their community and with a strong connection to the natural world. It provides extensive narratives and case studies to illustrate how a framework of rites of passage is used to weave a common language throughout the community and links techniques for youth development with prevention, identification, intervention, and treatment and strengthens the fabric of community support.
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