BruceWhiteNairobi
OICD Director, Bruce White, outlines the EMIC method for countering identity based violence

In a project initiated by the OICD in partnership with the Imagine Africa Institute (IAI), the directors of both organizations were invited to speak to a diverse audience of participants at a Nairobi conference coordinated by UNESCO.

The project is aimed at countering identity-based violence in Kenya and the region using the OICD’s unique EMIC (Engagement Method for Identities in Conflict) methodology.

Following IAI president Pierre Sane’s address on the importance of countering divisive ethnic and political identity manipulation in Kenya and Africa more broadly, OICD Executive Director, Prof. Bruce White, gave an extended presentation on how social cohesion is critical to achieve in order to give a population the chance for positive social and economic growth.

During the presentation, Prof. White outlined the EMIC method, summarizing its ability to work to promote the positive identity factors of a given cultural group while mitigating against and countering the negative. The talk met with positive and interested feedback from the participants.

The OICD and IAI continue to pursue partnerships in Kenya and the region and promote their complementary approaches to helping to achieve a systematic countering of identity-based violence and promoting social cohesion.

WhiteSane
OICD Director, Bruce White and IAI President Pierre Sane