Fellows Attend the Atlantic Institute’s Inaugural Global Senior Fellows Convening

Fellows from the seven Atlantic Institute programmes, spanning five continents and 61 countries, descended upon Oxford University for the inaugural global Senior Fellow convening. Rhodes House was filled with a passion the builders most likely never anticipated: that of revolutionary humanity, unapologetic Blackness and resilient peace-making. The opening ceremony, filled with song and sounds from different parts of the world, made clear that humanity can indeed overcome barriers of its own making to become greater than the sum of its parts. From the unsugarcoated confrontation of white supremacy and racial inequity, to the call to remain ‘maladjusted to a sick society’ and a look into the future of activism in the world of artificial intelligence, the convening programme was robust and engaging. And at the end of the conversations, reflections and learnings: we danced with all inhibitions cast aside, to music familiar and new; we danced, and an authentic coming-together and sincere fellowship blossomed. In the end, a global network has been created, and what began as a vision a few years ago has translated into a promising reality with the potential to profoundly impact the world.

—Tori Bungane, Senior Fellows Coordinator