Desmond Tutu develops new African leadership in Al Jazeera series

A fresh generation of African leaders will be featured on new Al Jazeera English series Tutu’s Children. The four special documentaries will follow the exploits of participants in the leadership programme Desmond Tutu leads, which attempts to build a new network of African leaders who are together committed to tackling their countries’ most stubborn problems.

Viewers will witness the legendary archbishop pass the baton of moral leadership to these emerging leaders who are drawn from across Africa.

Once they pledge themselves to Tutu’s mission, the participants are put through group tasks designed to bring out their true colours – from conducting a choir to cooking under pressure.

They are provoked to re-examine their opinions in debates on the most controversial ‘African’ issues – racial hierarchy, corruption, privilege, and Western democracy. This experiment also pushes them out of their comfort zones emotionally, culturally and intellectually.

With exclusive access, the series follows Tutu’s class of 2012, focusing in particular detail on the lives of five very different participants, as together they are coached to become a ‘moral task force’ for Africa.

The young leaders are followed in their home cities as well as during the coaching, with filming in Tunis, Cape Town, Kigali, Johannesburg, Oxford and London over a period of seven months. Tutu’s fellowship is run in conjunction with Oxford University.

Al Jazeera director of programmes Paul Eedle said, “Tutu’s Children offers a rare chance to witness a turning point in the lives of those who may one day change the course of Africa’s history. The travails of our fantastic onscreen characters will entertain and will also give our viewers a strong glimpse into the big issues affecting Africa.”

This series will begin on January 10th 2013, and transmit for four weeks at the following times WAT:

Thursday: 9pm
Friday: 1pm
Saturday: 2am
Sunday: 7am
Monday: 9pm
Tuesday: 1pm
Wednesday: 2am
Thursday: 7am