REPAIRING INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE ADVANCES CALL FOR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT REFORM
Story by Eugene Nyarko Jnr. | Accra | June 30, 2026
The second day of the Repairing International Development Conference, being held under the theme “Amplifying Indigenous Development Initiatives from the Global Majority”, continued on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra, with participants stressing the need to rethink global development frameworks and elevate indigenous knowledge systems.
The four-day convening, which opened on June 29 and runs through July 2, has brought together scholars, activists, and policy advocates from across Africa and beyond to deliberate on what organisers describe as “reparatory justice” and transformation of international development structures.
Ghana positioned as a continental hub
Speaking to the media, Makmid Kamara, a prominent Sierra Leonean human rights advocate and Founder and Director of Reform Initiatives, said the conference seeks to go beyond conventional decolonisation discourse to actively “repair” development systems and re-centre indigenous knowledge.
He explained that the initiative aims to challenge externally imposed development language and frameworks, arguing that many of the concepts used in development work are rooted in colonial conditioning.
According to him, the conference brings together participants from several countries across Africa and Latin America, including Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Brazil, and the United States, to collectively explore alternative approaches to development.
Makmid Kamara further noted that Ghana is playing a central role as a “hub” for reparatory justice and decolonial dialogue, adding that the country’s openness and accessibility have made it a gateway for reconnection with ancestral heritage.
He emphasised that over 150 participants are currently engaged in discussions aimed at translating ideas into practical tools and strategies for community-based development beyond the conference room.
Call to reverse global development imbalance
On her part, Dr. Liliane Umubyeyi, co-founder and Executive Director of the African Futures Lab (AfaLab), criticised what she described as structural inequalities in the global development system.
She argued that current international aid and development models often reinforce disparities, noting that significant financial flows ultimately benefit the global North rather than African and other Global Majority countries.
Dr. Umubyeyi called for a fundamental shift in the international development narrative, stressing the need to “repair” existing systems inherited from colonial and neo-colonial structures.
She further urged stakeholders to ensure that development frameworks respect the rights, cultures, and knowledge systems of African populations, and reflect more equitable global relationships.
Toward continued collaboration
Organisers say the conference forms part of a wider, ongoing series of global engagements aimed at reshaping development discourse and strengthening indigenous approaches.
Reform Initiatives, the principal host of the conference, indicated that outcomes from the discussions will be developed into practical strategies for implementation across participating regions, reinforcing transcontinental collaboration on development reform.
