African Queens Summit · Oxford · August 17–18, 2026
Leading in a World of Multiple Crises & Opportunities
Over two afternoons at the African Queens Summit at Oxford University, queens and princesses—along with kings, princes, humanitarians, scholars, and other leaders from across the African Continent and Diaspora—worked through climate change, biodiversity loss, and AI disruption. The focus was not on three separate crises to survive, but on one interconnected opportunity to lead. Here's what we covered, who spoke, and where the conversation goes next.
Why This, Why Now
Africa has contributed less than 1% of historical global emissions—yet 17 of the 20 nations most vulnerable to climate impacts are on the continent. Biodiversity loss compounds the pressure: sub-Saharan Africa has lost roughly a quarter of its biodiversity since the pre-industrial era. And a third force is moving just as fast—AI is reshaping economies before most governance systems have caught up.
While our world faces overlapping crises, we refuse to be defined by them. Instead, this workshop focuses on their mirror image—a landscape of multiple opportunities. We empower leaders to identify and navigate transformative pathways through today's complexities.
What We Covered
Day One moved through three deep-dive conversations — climate, biodiversity, and AI — each paired with live breakout dialogue where attendees brought their own expertise and questions into the room.
Day Two opened with a recap and group discussion, followed by a taster of Lead From Wholeness: The River Journey™ — an experiential leadership session that gave every attendee an experience of leading from wholeness amid compounding crises & opportunities.
Who Spoke
Convened by HRM Queen Aruk II
The African Queens Summit was conceived and convened by HRM Queen Aruk II, whose vision brought this community together at Oxford.
Recordings & Speaker Decks
Every session was recorded, and every speaker's deck is available directly below whether you were in the room, joining us for the first time, or sharing this with someone who couldn't attend.
See Where This Leads
Our time in Oxford wasn't spent in abstract conversation.
We grappled with deeply existential issues—multiple crises and opportunities—and leaned into transformative action. Click below for eight initiatives already at work on climate, biodiversity, and AI—see which ones you're called to lead.
This workshop was designed and facilitated end-to-end by One Thriving Planet. If your organization, network, or gathering would benefit from a similar experience, we'd welcome the conversation.