Chair's Briefing Notes · Movement 3 · Afrikan Spirituality
African Spirituality in Africa
Chaired by Andrea King, Barbadian Cultural Practitioner, Founder & Director of Culture & Arts for Love & Living (CALL) & Member, Barbados Task Force on Reparations
Topic Summary
This roundtable brings together practitioners and scholars to take stock of the current state of African spirituality on the continent. Discussion will centre on the preservation and transmission of tradition, state recognition and religious freedom, the relationship between indigenous and Abrahamic faiths, and the bridges being built with the diaspora.
Speakers (alphabetical)
Andrea King
Chair
Barbadian Cultural Practitioner, Founder & Director of Culture & Arts for Love & Living (CALL) & Member, Barbados Task Force on Reparations
Ikaivla Awudi Kamberi
Presenter
Barbadian Doctor of Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine · Founder, Meridian Natural Health · Dagara, Korku, Vudoun Priest & Kontomble Diviner
Ikaivla Awudi Kamberi, also known by his Eurocentric name Michael Springer, is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, with more than 25 years of clinical experience. He is the Founder and Clinical Director of Meridian Natural Health, where his work brings together clinical practice, traditional healing knowledge and a holistic understanding of health and well-being. Ikaivla is a Dagara Bagri Initiate and Priest (Mwenuo Shrine, Burkina Faso), Korku Initiate and Priest (TradoAfrikan Faith Centre, Afife Yakadome, Ketu North, Volta Region, Ghana), Vudoun Dan Initiate and Priest within the Mami and Papi traditions (Torgbe Shrine, Volta Region, Ghana), and a Kontomble Diviner (Recluse – Erou, Diebougou, Burkina Faso).
Nana Yaw Wi Asamoah Boadi
Presenter
Ghanaian Traditionalist Scholar, Research Associate, Institute for Indigenous Intelligence & Member, National Association of Traditionalists and Ancestral Venerators (NATAV)
Nana Yaw Wi Asamoah Boadi is a Ghanaian traditionalist scholar and Research Associate at the Institute for Indigenous Intelligence, based at the Nile Valley Multiversity in the Bono East Region of Ghana. A member of the National Association of Traditionalists and Ancestral Venerators (NATAV), his work centres on African indigenous spirituality, the philosophy and cosmology of the Abosom and Suman traditions, and the interface between African metaphysics and modern systems of knowledge. He has written extensively on the epistemic value of African traditional shrines and spiritual mediums, advocating for legal and cultural recognition of indigenous religious practices in Ghana.
Omar Jammeh
Presenter
Gambian Member of Parliament, Janjanbureh Constituency · Community-Based Tourism Advocate & Youth Leader
Omar Jammeh is a Gambian community leader, sustainable tourism advocate, and elected Member of Parliament for the Janjanbureh Constituency since 2022. A champion of community-based tourism and youth empowerment, he serves as Director of Janjanbureh Uniting Sustainable Tourism and Community Training (JustAct Gambia) and Coordinator of International Friends of Nature. He has held leadership roles including Regional Youth Chairperson of the Central River Region and Board Member of the National Youth Council and the Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce.
Tebogo Buntu
Presenter
South African Afrikan-Centred Community Educator, Director of eBukhosini Solutions & Founder of KANDAKA – Women's Initiative
Tebogo Buntu is a community educator and healing practitioner deeply grounded in African-centered knowledge systems. As Director of eBukhosini Solutions, she designs and leads transformative programs focused on identity, ancestral healing, and holistic living. She is also the visionary founder of KANDAKA – Women's Initiative, where she guides Afrikan women through womb healing, ancestral consciousness, and feminine restoration.
Suggested Questions
- What does the current landscape look like for the free and open practice of African spirituality in your country, and what has shifted in the past decade?
- How are these traditions being transmitted to younger generations, and what is working or failing?
- What role should the state play in recognising and protecting African traditional religions, and where has state action helped or hindered?
- How do practitioners navigate the relationship between African spirituality and the dominant Abrahamic faiths in your communities?
- What exchanges or solidarities currently exist between continental practitioners and the diaspora, and what more is needed?
- Where do you see the greatest threats to these traditions, and what practical interventions would make the most difference?
Centre for Hybrid Studies · Global Freedom Festival 2026