Speaking
Anna gives lectures and interactive presentations related to her philosophy and experience of intercultural community engagement. She can speak on her own, or in collaboration with Malian and Ecuadorian colleagues and partners. Below are some examples of past talks. There are many possibilities.
A Relational Approach to Community Development: Experiences in Ecuador and Mali
How did a young woman from Ohio end up in partnership with communities in Ecuador and Mali, and how did those collaborations develop into a unique form of intercultural engagement? Anna Taft will share the journey that led to creation of a transnational nonprofit organization and lessons learned along the way that shaped its unique approach to supporting communities in achieving their goals through relationships based on mutual respect and responsibility. She will also share some advice for young people interested in engaging in global work.
Between Development and Disengagement
International development has often failed to reach its objectives and sometimes even caused harm to the communities it is supposed to benefit. Aware of these problems, some North Americans choose to disengage from transnational work. But the reality is that we cannot avoid
participating in global networks that affect people in many countries, and there are vast inequalities in access to resources that need to be addressed. By starting with a first person perspective, taking the relational morality that emerges from face to face encounters as a guide,
and prioritizing interaction and discussion over making a predetermined product, we can avoid the dangers of dominant forms of development and generate positive change as communities improve on their own terms, gain sources of pride, and strengthen some aspects of their cultures while choosing to change others. Through experiences with intercultural collaboration, people often enhance and experience their effectiveness, grow in awareness of themselves, each other, and the human condition, and form friendships. Learn how the experiences of one organization
illuminate a path between traditional forms of development and disengagement, opening a world of positive possibilities.
Applying Ethical Insights to Transnational Collaboration
How do Hannah Arendt’s three modes of human activity relate to international development? How can Emmanuel Levinas’ relational moral obligations be applied to collaboration with rural communities in the Global South? Hear from the founder of a transnational NGO that has reached more than 100,000 people in Mali and Ecuador about how these and other
philosophical insights can guide true partnership that is both ethical and effective. Taft will share a unique tapestry of ideas from philosophers such as Hannah Arendt, Emmanuel Levinas, Paul Ricoeur, and Akeel Bilgrami; analysis from anthropologists; her deep personal experience leading an organization focused on transnational collaboration; and testimony from Malian and Ecuadorian community members who have engaged with this organization. The pattern that emerges offers hope in the possibilities of meaningful human interaction despite its inevitable messiness. While attempts to remake human societies into a desired image tend to fail, live
encounters among people can bring about unexpectedly positive change.
Transforming Gender Norms: Opening Small Spaces for Big Change in Rural Mali
This talk is inspired by a Women’s Literacy, Leadership, and Enterprise program generated through a transnational collaboration between local grassroots communities and The Tandana Foundation, a Dayton-based non-profit organization. This program asks us to consider promoting
changes in gender dynamics in a way that avoids the dangers inherent in approaching human affairs as if they could be made, as mainstream development has so often done. It embodies an alternative approach that allows the opportunities of action–expressiveness, the remedy of
forgiveness, allowance of the unexpected, inclusiveness, flourishing of human relationships, and emergence of meaning—to enable genuine and durable changes. This form of transnational collaboration offers an example of educational, economic, civic, and cultural engagement that
supports locally-led transformations that increase inclusion and expand opportunities for women.
Transnational Collaboration and Indigenous Cultures
Anna Taft, author of Climbing Together: Relational Morality and Meaningful Action in Intercultural Community Engagement and Founding Director of The Tandana Foundation, will share experiences and insights from 18 years of collaboration with Kichwa Otavalo communities in Ecuador and Dogon communities in Mali. In these two very different contexts, The Tandana
Foundation has supported many local initiatives, including indigenous language books and educational programs, a Kichwa Otavalo cooking school, and more. One of the most important initiatives it supports in Mali is also promoting a significant cultural change regarding gender roles and women & participation in public decision-making processes. Through this presentation, consider the complexities of transnational support for indigenous cultural promotion and change efforts. When and how is it appropriate for an outside organization to support these kinds of
initiatives?
Decolonizing Transnational Collaboration
Many well-intentioned partnerships between organizations in the Global North and communities in the Global South risk reproducing colonial patterns, reinforcing global hierarchies instead of dismantling them. This presentation explores how such collaborations can be transformed through mutual respect, shared learning, and dialogue that empowers local leadership and centers marginalized voices. Drawing on the Kichwa concept of randi-randi, or reciprocal giving, it reimagines partnership as a process of mutual exchange in which everyone is both giver and receiver. The presentation also considers how attention to internal hierarchies within communities can prevent external actors from amplifying local inequalities. Examples such as a women’s literacy and leadership program in rural Mali—where dialogue and collaboration have helped end early marriage and promote fairer economic relations—illustrate how decolonized approaches can foster meaningful, locally driven change. Through these stories, participants are invited to envision a model of global partnership grounded in humility, reciprocity, and shared transformation.
– Midge Kirk, Adult Programs Coordinator, Mancos Public Library
"First of all I want to offer a heartfelt thank you for the program the other evening. It was the most artfully presented, informative, and inspirational presentation I have attended in a very long time. Your work is so important and your grasp on communication, respect, and human behavior is amazing. People are still talking about it.”
