Laudato Voices | Integration of Technology and Innovation in African Values and Traditions | January 29, 2026
Africa’s cultural heritage, rooted in communal life, respect for nature, intergenerational wisdom, and spirituality, provides a strong foundation for addressing the continent’s rapid technological growth, largely driven by young people. The central challenge in Uganda is not about whether to accept technology, but how to thoughtfully integrate technology and innovation in ways that preserve and enhance African values and traditions. The Laudato Youth Initiative (LYI) exemplifies how to achieve this balance by promoting ecological justice, youth leadership, and responsible innovation, opposing the throw-away culture, and drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ as well as the legacy of the Uganda Martyrs, especially St. Adolf Mukasa Ludigo.
African Values and Traditions as a Foundation for Innovation
Our Traditional African societies emphasize Communalism (Ubuntu): “I am because we are.”, Harmony with nature – land, water, and forests are sacred in relatable action-driven responses, Respect for elders and ancestral wisdom in storytelling, Stewardship and sustainability rather than exploitation. These values align closely with the principles of integral ecology promoted by the Laudato Youth Initiative, which views social, environmental, and technological systems as interconnected. Technology, therefore, should serve the community and protect creation, not undermine them.
Technology as a Tool, Not a Replacement, for Tradition
When guided by African values, we view technology as an enabler rather than a threat. Examples include: Digital storytelling and archiving to preserve indigenous languages, oral histories, and cultural practices; mobile technology supporting community farming, traditional medicine knowledge, and cooperative trade; and renewable energy innovations reflecting traditional respect for the environment. The Laudato Youth Initiative empowers young people in school through Laudato Si clubs to use digital tools responsibly. You see us use social media, mobile apps, and data platforms to raise awareness of climate change, cultural preservation, and social justice while remaining grounded in local realities and faith values.
Values and Faith versus Technology
This year, we shall officially launch the “WWW.EMPIISA ENUNGI.COM”. In fulfilment of Bishop Charles Martin Wamika’s desire to see young people using technology for the good by launching the www.empiisaenungi.com, a website that aims to implement his last open-air message to young people during the 2023 Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations at Namugongo on June 3rd 2023, when Jinja Diocese animated the Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations, at the Namugongo Catholic Shrine. The Diocese of Jinja was selected by the Uganda Episcopal Conference to lead the 2023 event under the theme “Lord increase our faith,” and Bishop Charles Martin Wamika was the main celebrant. In his homily, he directly addressed young people, saying,…..
“The youth of today, you seem more affected by modern life: smartphone- internet, empiisa enungi (good manners) seem to have been thrown overboard. The majority of the Uganda Martyrs were youth like you. When you grow old, how about creating a website? “WWW.EMPIISA ENUNGI.COM”. Dear pilgrims, look around and take note when you get back home, what is it that you will share about the Martyrs? May the Lord increase your faith so that you get whatever you asked for today.
Through our Laudato Si club at Holy Cross Lake View in Jinja. We now want to embrace this call by forming young people in the wise use of technology and in an education that promotes morals, integrating technology and innovation into faith, values, and traditions. This program will be officially launched on the July 11th, 2026 Laudato Si Green Festival at Holy Cross Lake View S.S.S, Jinja.
The Role of the Laudato Youth Initiative
The Laudato Youth Initiative operates at the intersection of faith, culture, ecology, and innovation. Its contributions include: innovative approaches to climate action engrained in our motto (United for Climate Action, promoting integral ecology, Youth-led advocacy using digital platforms to promote environmental justice in African communities, Eco-innovation projects rooted in local knowledge, such as sustainable agriculture and waste management, Climate Education and formation that blend modern scientific knowledge with ethical and cultural reflection, forming Laudato Si Clubs in schools, parishes, dioceses, universities and communities to implement the above, among others.
By empowering young people, LYI demonstrates that innovation does not require abandoning African identity. Instead, it calls for creative fidelity, remaining faithful to tradition while responding creatively to modern challenges. That’s what it means when we say our work focuses on advancing the African interpretation of Laudato Si.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Despite the benefits, technological integration presents challenges we are trying to address: cultural erosion through uncritical adoption of other cultures, digital inequality between urban and rural communities, and Environmental harm from electronic waste and extractive industries. A recent documentary titled “A Fast Tech Story,” on “e-waste,” explores the environmental and social impact of our digital consumption habits, highlighting firsthand the consequences of e-waste while emphasizing innovative local solutions and repair initiatives aiming for a circular economy. Follow the full story by Jérémy De Masi, Félix Seger
The Laudato Youth Initiative responds by advocating for the ethical use of technologies, including AI, emphasizing human dignity and the involvement of both girls and boys in environmental care, the poor in communities etc.. principles that resonate with the church’s call in Laudato Si and African moral philosophy.
In conclusion, the deliberate integration of technology and innovation with African values and traditions is both possible and essential to sustainable development. This approach, modeled by the Laudato Youth Initiative, shows that when innovation is guided by culture, ethics, and spirituality, it enables young Africans to shape a future that is technologically advanced, ecologically just, and authentically African. The throw-away culture in which we buy, use, and discard is destroying us, and Pope Francis strongly condemned it in Laudato Si, which accounts for the increased pollution and toxic effects on our lives and the environment.
