Of Theseus & Of Sankofa

A quick recap for any non-Classics lovers. Theseus, a divine hero and King of Athens, sailed to Crete with a group of young Athenians to defeat the Minotaur (mythical creature - part man, part bull) and to end the practice of human sacrifice. After his victory, he and the survivors returned to Athens on the same ship. The Athenians preserved this ship and annually sailed the same route in honor of Theseus’s triumph. Plutarch, a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, wrote about the paradox of the Ship of Theseus in Parallel Lives, posing an important question about change and identity. If parts of the ship had to be replaced every year so the voyage could be recreated, was it still in fact Theseus’ ship? The question is about how we define ourselves and how our past is always in conversation with our present.  As Program Architect at AAI, I design and co-create programs across all four of AAI’s impact pillars, ensuring they deliver maximum impact.  My mission is to ensure that AAI, an institution over 70 years old, always draws from our history to help build a more sustainable and equitable world.  

Last month, I travelled with AAI’s President and CEO, Kofi Appenteng, to Port Harcourt, Nigeria.  Our goal for the trip was simple - to visit our friends at The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and to explore ways to continue to support their important work. AAI’s history with PIND is a unique one that began 15 years ago. At the time, the Ford Foundation’s office in West Africa was eager to develop relationships with the private sector to bring more resources to their grantees and the communities that they serve. The Chevron Corporation was also eager to bring additional expertise to their corporate philanthropy and to deepen the ties to the communities where they worked. Kofi and Mamadou Beye, Vice Chair of AAI’s Board of Directors, realized that an organization like AAI was uniquely suited as a trusted partner to bring together two extremely different organizations to make progress on an issue that they were both committed to - economic growth in the Niger Delta.  PIND, a Nigerian non-profit that works to support peace and economic growth in the Niger Delta, was established with funding from Chevron in 2010. AAI, Chevron, and the Ford Foundation all envisioned a more sustainable and equitable future characterized by peace and shared prosperity in the Niger Delta. Years later, PIND is proud to count both Ford and Chevron as partners and funders, and the results speak for themselves.  

What Kofi and I saw in Port Harcourt was a remarkable testament to the power of trust, collaboration, and outcomes-oriented partnerships. The challenges in the Niger Delta are complex and constantly evolving. As a result, PIND’s programming is nuanced, sophisticated, agile, and adaptive.  Their programs range from agriculture and construction to digital marketing and ethical hacking. We listened to graduates of their programs excitedly tell us about the success of their new ventures. The program offered not only training but also support and community. I was deeply struck and impressed not only with the facilitators, teachers, and graduates themselves, but also with the deep humility with which PIND develops its programs. The assiduous practicality of the programming prizes material impact over soaring rhetoric.  A ship that cannot sail becomes a sculpture.  

At AAI, when we talk about economic sovereignty, PIND is an excellent demonstration of what we mean. There is an old story about Africa that characterizes Africa as a place of isolated mystery. One in which Africa is a supporting character in global history - a recipient of innovation, but never a creator of innovation. It is, in fact, a boring story because it is not true. The truth is simple - Africa has played a key role in shaping the modern world and will continue to do so. African economic sovereignty looks like leaders (of nations and communities) charting their own course for their own people on their own terms. We work with our partners, like PIND, to identify concrete opportunities to catalyze greater economic sovereignty because we believe interdependence is an impact force multiplier.  

When I first pondered the parable of the ships of Theseus, I was immediately drawn to the concept of Sankofa. Sankofa, a word in Twi, translates to "go back and get it." It is embodied in an Adinkra symbol, a visual language that conveys proverbs and philosophies. The symbol depicts a bird with its head turned backward but feet pointing forward, symbolically retrieving an egg resting on its back. Sankofa symbolizes taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present to build a better world.  

AAI is now more than 70 years old. Each decade of our organization has been a making and an unmaking, as we seek to build a more sustainable and equitable world. In many ways, we have sailed the same corridors, but our ship is a bit different each time.  However, guided by our legendary founders, we understand that our connection to our past gives meaning and strength to our future.

- Felicia Appenteng, AAI Program Architect