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What helps civilisations flourish — and what causes them to fall behind?

In this episode of Afri-CAN, we are joined by Johan Norberg, author of Peak Human, to explore the role of innovation in the rise of the world’s most secure and prosperous societies. Drawing on the ideas behind his work, Johan reflects on how progress happens when people are free to experiment, borrow, combine and improve ideas in ways that no planner could ever fully predict.

We also examine what happens when fear begins to overpower curiosity, and how civilisational decline can follow when societies become less open to exchange, experimentation and outside influence. The conversation looks at why imitation often comes before innovation, how cultures of optimism are built, and why openness to new ideas matters so deeply for long-term progress.

Finally, we bring the discussion to Africa today: what can the continent learn from the history of flourishing civilisations, and what kind of role models are needed to show that the impossible can, in fact, be done?

Africa, Innovation, and the Rise of Civilisations