A story of hope

Stijn Vercruysse has written a book entitled The Century of Africa. The Continent of the Future, New Opportunities and Major Challenges. (Stijn is a journalist at the Belgian public broadcaster VRT.) Some books change something in a person. That’s what I experienced with this book. I didn’t really have a clear picture of Africa, I’ve only ever been to South Africa, but there I sometimes felt as though I were in the Netherlands. The way Stijn tells his story has made me suddenly feel much more empathy for the continent. After all, it’s a continent whose inhabitants essentially have exactly the same needs as I do.

Cover The Continent of the Future, New Opportunities and Major Challenges, Stijn Vercruysse

It’s also a great example of how science can be shared in an inspiring way. You can tell a story from so many different perspectives. But Stijn tells his story in such a way that it really sticks. It gives you hope and makes you want to take action.

What is your story?

I call myself a ‘video maker for scientists’, but I also have a personal project, Planet Next Level (which I’d love to spend more time on). After all, we have so much knowledge, and if we want, we can move mountains. So we have every ability to take our society to the Next Level. Maybe it’s only a question of connecting the dots. Many dots, for sure. But I think Stijn’s book is connecting at least a few of them.