Why We Gather: Purpose, People, Possibility

Purpose & Vision

The 2026 Africentric Education Conference brings together scholars, researchers, policy makers, educators, students, artists, and community leaders to advance transformative knowledge grounded in Ubuntu and Africentric philosophies. We centre community wellbeing, lifelong learning, and systemic change—recognizing that education, health, social systems, and culture are deeply interconnected. The conference is an affirming space for emerging and early‑career researchers to share rigorous, culturally grounded scholarship that is accountable to community.

What Makes This Conference Different

 

  • Africentric framing: We place African agency, knowledge systems, and ethics at the centre of inquiry and practice.
  • Multiple ways of knowing: Scholarly papers, practice‑based insights, workshops, panels, posters, storytelling, music, dance, spoken word, and visual/multimedia art are welcomed.
  • Interdisciplinary by design: Contributions span education, health and wellness (physical, emotional, and mental), human and social sciences, community development, and lifelong learning.
  • Community accountability: We encourage reflexive, participatory approaches that build bridges between academia and community.

 

 

Conference Tracks

  1. Centering African Agency in Education — Positioning African peoples as knowledge holders and agents of their own histories across educational, social, and health contexts.
  2. Transforming Curriculum and Pedagogy — Integrating Africentric ethics (Maat), cultural texts, oral traditions, and wellness practices across disciplines and grade levels.
  3. Building Educator Pathways and Leadership Pipelines — Advancing representation, mentorship, and leadership among Black professionals across education, health, wellness, and social systems.
  4. Creating Accountability and Data Justice Systems — Ensuring transparency and challenging systemic biases through Africentric evaluation frameworks across educational, health, wellness, and community data systems.
  5. Advancing Intergenerational and Diaspora Knowledge Exchange — Bridging generations, communities, and global African diasporas.
  6. Deepening Global Partnerships — Sustaining collaboration across continents with attention to cross‑sectoral learning in education, health, social sciences, and cultural exchange.
  7. Dialogue on Africentric International Tourism — Exploring intersections of education, culture, wellness, and tourism as vehicles of mutual learning.

Who Should Attend

 

  • Researchers & academics (including honours, master’s, doctoral, and early‑career scholars)
  • Educators & practitioners in schools, higher education, health, and community settings
  • Policy makers & system leaders across education, health, and social sectors
  • Artists, cultural practitioners, and community knowledge holders
  • Students and youth leaders invested in Africentric, community‑centred change

 

Contact

For submissions and general enquiries, please email conference2026@dbdli.ca.
Conference leadership: Sylvia Parris (Chair) · Lufuno Makhado (Co‑Chair).