Equality and mutual respect key for international partnerships — Ambassador
Heijden-Samura highlighted that development partners should remain open to criticism, listen to local concerns and adjust their approaches where required.
The Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda, Angella Samura, speaks during the Reshape the Mindset workshop in Nakawa, Kampala, on November 11, 2026. Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu.
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Cooperation between Uganda and international partners should be a two-way relationship rather than one in which external actors dictate priorities, says Angèle van der Heijden-Samura, the Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda.
During the Debunking Notions conference held at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Kampala, Heijden-Samura highlighted that development partners should remain open to criticism, listen to local concerns and adjust their approaches where required.
“If we have international conferences where we discuss Uganda's development, how often do we include Ugandan voices? And if we do, is it just the ministers or just the high-level politicians on board, or do we include young people and the common man?” she posed to her attentive audience.
During the November 11th meeting, stakeholders challenged stereotypes, questioning outdated assumptions with an aim of reshaping perspectives about Uganda, Africa and international partnerships.
The co-founder of Debunking Notion, Marc Broere, speaks during the Reshape the Mindset workshop in Nakawa, Kampala, on November 11, 2026. Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu.
Cissy Nalumansi, the Co-Founder of Debunking Notion, noted that the country’s education system needs reform, with greater emphasis on African history, culture, and heritage, warning that Western-centred curricula have contributed to an identity crisis.
Film writer and director Cissy Nalumansi speaks during the Reshape the Mindset workshop in Nakawa, Kampala, on November 11, 2026. Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu.
“From the time you join school, they make you romanticise Europe and the rest of the world. These ideas have formed us right from early childhood and are now part and parcel of us. We need to have some dignity and pride for ourselves.”
She remarked that for African states to realise equal partnerships with international partners, they must begin to recognise their own value, embrace their heritage and develop confidence in their identity.