The first pillar is ethical, which relates to dislodging corruption by institutionalising the principle of fairness and ethical stewardship. Corruption is the improper use of status and entrusted office, and power and resources. Political improprieties relate to ignoring constitutional provisions, power abuse, extreme partisanship and corrupt networks of relationships. Economic improprieties concern resource embezzlement, bribery, tax evasion etc. Social improprieties concern patronage or clientelism, nepotism, and cronyism. Ecclesial improprieties concern patronage, unhealthy networks of relationships, abusing trust, self-aggrandisement, and self-enrichment through false spiritual claims and promises.

The Political Pillar concerns challenging policies and practices that promote the ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality by putting the interests of a particular ethnic group before that of others. In so doing, this pillar concerns nurturing common humanity and promoting ethno-cosmopolitan patriotism towards the common good. Ethnicity is a reality Africans cannot go beyond. Ethnicity is to do with the socio-cultural norms, customs and traditions that connect people within a particular group to each other. But a strong appeal to common identity based on a shared past or culture leads to strong ethnic groupings that are characterised by strong boundary markers and operate within a culture of exclusion or ‘us’ versus ‘them’. We call this ethnocentrism or the politics of identity.

The Religious Pillar takes into account the fact that Africa’s socio-economic and political plight is closely interwoven with religion. Religion can be a force for good but religious extremism can turn religion into a force for evil. Religious extremism depends on a radicalised form of religious identity and a purist interpretation of religious texts, beliefs and practices, and sectarian groups with impermeable boundaries and intolerance to religious freedom. It exists in any religion and poses a threat to Africa’s stability and is an obstacle to the continent’s transformation. SOPHOS AFRICA will seek to contribute to the promotion of freedom of religion, the definition of the role of religion in the public space and efforts to overcome misinformation that leads to extremism and violence. It will also challenge ideas and practices that fuse religious and ethnic or national identities, which result in religious (and also political) extremism. It seeks to achieve this goal through four things.

The Economic Pillar concerns value driven and ethically orientated poverty alleviation schemes modelled on interdependence with special focus on women and young people. Poverty is the state of someone whose resources cannot meet basic needs. In Africa almost half a billion people live below the global poverty line. That is, 70% of the world’s poorest population lives in Africa. SOPHOS AFRICA seeks to enhance an understanding of poverty not only as material, but also as intellectual, ethical, relational and spiritual need. In so doing, it strives to contribute to efforts that help change mindsets and advance societal values within life, work, wealth-creation, and relationships

The Academic Pillar concerns a critical and thorough understanding of social, cultural, political, religious, moral and economic realities of a given society through conducting problem-solving research projects. SOPHOS AFRICA seeks to establish a research Think Tank made up of academics and professionals in order to gather, analyse and generate data, evidence and ideas. The Think Tank will commission research activities into various thematic areas towards gaining a comprehensive understanding of a particular issue. While the research activities will focus mainly on areas related to our strategic pillars, namely corruption, ethnocentrism, religious extremism, and poverty, in the long term other thematic issues will be included in the research.