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The 5th Edition of the Organization Leadership and Development Network (OLDN) International Organization Development and Change and Doctoral Consortium will be held in Gaborone, Botswana on August 29-30, 2024. This follows the successful 4th Edition that was held in Harare, Zimbabwe last year.
“OLDN conferences are a convening of national, regional, and international practitioners and scholars in the multi-disciplinary field of organization development”, Dr. Justine Chinoperekweyi, a renowned international organization development practitioner said.
“Our 2023 Edition in Harare was a huge success. We convened consultants who are leading successful transformation work across Africa, Asia, and the USA. It attracted practitioners from the USA, Botswana, South Africa, Eswatini, Nigeria, and India. In line with the Meet In Zim campaign, we used the convening to brand Zimbabwe and we are grateful the Honorable Minister of Skills Audit and Development graced the occasion and welcomed the delegates to Zimbabwe.” he added.
Governments across the globe are promoting their countries for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions. The major cities in Zimbabwe have the opportunity to attract international meetings as OLDN International conferences and forums. Promoting Zimbabwe as a meetings and conferences destination is critical in rebranding Zimbabwe. Chinoperekweyi said, “Urban councils need to rethink their development plans to manifest a new leadership and governance consciousness, in line with Zimbabwe Vision 2030.”
Dr. Chinoperekweyi added that there are numerous conferences and knowledge-exchange forums in Zimbabwe. Most of these are held in Victoria Falls, Nyanga, and Kariba. Conference designers and promoters should expand their marketing techniques to lure international delegates. This is critical in enhanced knowledge transfer and in rebranding Zimbabwe.
“As an international organization, registered in Zimbabwe, OLDN will be hosting the 2024 Edition in Botswana and the 2025 Edition in Miami or Dominica. The Botswana government has a robust MICE Strategy and its National Mindset Transformation Initiative attracted us to Gaborone. We will be using the Botswana example to demonstrate the richness of organization development mindsets”, he said.
He added that, in Botswana, OLDN is expecting a convening of over 200 delegates from at least 10 countries. The theme of the 2024 Edition is ‘Whole System Mindset and Heartset Transformation: Insights and Interventions for Sustainable Development’. Individual, organizational, and societal transformation should be premised on interventions that foster integration rather than disconnection.
Some of the delegates from Zimbabwe who will be part of co-creating the preferred future through organization development include Lucy Mary Marowa (CEO, National Blood Services Zimbabwe), Timothy Chizuzu (Chairperson, Mashonaland West Zimbabwe Mining Federation), Paul Nyausaru (HR & OD Practitioner). Dr. Justine Chinoperekweyi, who is the President of the OLDN said “our Zimbabwean delegation will be around 30 delegates, with significant stories of leading transformational change and development. We are also expecting the Botswana government officials to attend.”
He added that, “OLDN has the doctoral consortium to amplify the significance of research or evidence-based practice in whole system transformation. We are happy to be having confirmed doctoral students from Benedictine University (USA), South Africa, and Namibia. We are expecting to have doctoral students from Zimbabwean universities joining the consortium.”