The Founder and Director of Reform Initiatives, Makmid Kamara, has called for a fundamental transformation of the global development architecture, urging a system that is more inclusive, equitable and responsive to the needs and aspirations of Africa and the Global South.

Speaking at the opening of the Repairing International Development Conference in Accra, Mr. Kamara said reforming the global development system must extend beyond efforts to decolonise development.
He proposed a "Six Rs Framework" to drive the transformation of international development: reconnection, re-education, repair, rebuilding, reimagining, and resistance.

He urged governments, development partners and civil society organisations to adopt more inclusive approaches that place local voices at the centre of development efforts.

Chairperson of the Pawanka Fund, Dr. Myrna Cunningham, called for a reassessment of existing development models in Africa, stressing the need for stronger collaboration between Indigenous communities and development institutions to promote culturally appropriate and sustainable development.

She said the conference offered a valuable opportunity for participants to share experiences, deepen partnerships, and develop practical strategies for reforming the international development system.

Executive Chair of the Southern Africa Political Economy Series (SAPES) Trust, Prof. Ibbo Mandaza, condemned the recent attacks on Africans living in South Africa, calling for greater unity and solidarity across the continent.

The inaugural Repairing International Development (RID) Conference 2026 convened Indigenous communities, development practitioners, academics, researchers, policymakers and global leaders from across Africa, Asia, Latin America and other parts of the Global Majority in Accra, Ghana, from 29 June to 2 July 2026.

Hosted by Reform Initiatives, Deep South Solidarity Fund, African Futures Lab, and PAWANKA Fund, the four-day conference was held under the theme "Amplifying Indigenous Development Initiatives from the Global Majority."

The gathering challenged conventional thinking about who shapes development knowledge, whose voices are recognised, and how international development cooperation can be redesigned to prioritise equity, justice and community-led action.

It served as a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, research and innovation, enabling participants to reflect collectively on the future of international development.

Through keynote addresses, panel discussions, research presentations and strategic engagements, participants explored practical pathways towards development systems that are more inclusive, accountable and rooted in reparatory justice.

The conference also elevated the discourse on reparations within international development, advancing conversations on historical responsibility, structural inequalities and the need to move beyond aid-based models towards approaches centred on justice, repair and long-term transformation.

Participants further examined how reparatory justice can help reshape international development and foster more equitable systems of global cooperation that empower communities to lead their own development.