It is with great joy that I welcome you to the Africa Unbound Center, an educational organization working to support the development of young people to tap into their creative, innovative and entrepreneurial spirit to live a productive and fulfilling life.

Modern day living has created a critical vacuum that is leading to the gradual disintegration of the social fabric in Africa. Young people are raising themselves without the support and guidance of elders and caring communities. We have a generation of adults who are getting older without necessarily getting wiser. The wisdom embodied in older generations, which was transmitted through stories and proverbs, rituals and ceremonies, modeling “how to be” is gradually being eroded from our collective memory.

Our aim is not necessarily to go back to the “good old days,” but to recognize the resilience, wisdom, courage, genius and love of our ancestors that has made it possible for us to live the life we have now; to determine what about our traditions and heritage we need to keep alive; and to explore the realities that could be established if we combine and harmonize our ancient wisdom with the technology and knowledge that is available to us today.

This effort is embodied in our museum, a space created to be a representation of the Soul of Africa!

Rather than a collection of objects and materials, the Africa Unbound Museum offers a compelling human story – snapshots of “becoming” of the human species, in particular people of African descent – by drawing from anthropology, development theory, history, and philosophy complimented by graphics, photographs, paintings and the “vibe” we’ve established.

This one-of-a-kind museum has also created a space where we, the global community, can project into the future and explore a world in which Africa and humanity in general could be unbound. What are the qualities that we would have to develop individually and collectively? What kinds of policies would have to be implemented in governance, education, health care, environmental stewardship, etc.?

On the Africa Unbound platform, both in the physical space as well as virtually, we come together with people from all over the world to think together about what is important for our development at this time and explore the possibilities of how we can collaborate to take actions that are aligned with what we believe is important – the establishment of peace, progressive change, and joy in our individual lives as well as globally.

I hope you will enjoy visiting with us as much as I’m enjoying this creative process. I warmly invite you to join us as we embark on this adventure of a lifetime!

Rahel Kassahun, Ph.D.