Xazulula South Africa

The ongoing Xazulula Project—a collaboration between INSPIRE and the Center for Mental Wellness and Leadership (CMWL), supported by RESOLVE, a U.S.-based nonprofit focused on sustainable solutions for environmental and social challenges, was advanced in two Resource Exchange Summits, held in Sierra Leone and South Africa. The project, named after the isiXhosa word meaning “Resolve,” focuses on trauma-informed leadership in community development within South Africa’s renewable energy sector.

Trauma-informed governance at the Summit in South Africa:
This 6-day gathering in the Eastern Cape Province focused on various topics shaping the direction of natural resources and renewable energy governance and leadership through trauma-informed approaches.

With over 50 participants in attendance hailing from different parts of the world, including countries such as Canada, USA, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Guyana, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, the summit provided a platform for the diverse group to connect, share experiences and exchange best practices that they can apply in the development of their own communities.

Key takeaways included lessons from the earlier project/ summit in Sierra Leone around how community leaders and chiefs are working in conjunction with extractive industry players to accelerate community development initiatives and natural resource conservation.

Indigenous People of Guyana shared insights on how they use their natural resources to leverage for community benefit and how they have been tapping into carbon markets to support community livelihoods. Speakers from South Africa delved into how communities are faced with different kinds of traumas caused by historical factors such as forced displacement of people. These traumas can affect how communities react to and perceive development efforts presented to them. This was a strong showcase of why practitioners and leaders working in natural resources/ extractive and renewable energy industries should implement their work through a trauma informed lens.