Résonances Africaines - No 5 - June 2006

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EDITORIAL

Africa. Everybody has their own vision about this continent and an opinion about its situation. But what does it rely upon? Very often Africa suffers from two stereotyped images, one positive, one negative, both simplistic, but confinig it in some Western fantasy.

On the one hand, a bombastic and naive image, focusing on a vision of African society and culture - reduced to tradition, almost to folklore - too often emphasized by Europeans dreaming of authenticity, nostalgic of a past of which Africa, perceived as an entity and in a unicity and refusal of progress erasing both its diversities and dynamism, would be the last vestige.

On the other hand, a pessimistic image, fed by the media with a great many sordid pictures and shock speeches: concentrating on conflicts, above all if they are "ethnic", if they generate massacres of civilians, reinforcing our prejudices regarding the brutality of the "other one", or when we choose to forget our own history…; dealing with poverty, shown under its most spectacular aspects and as little guilty-making as possible for Westerners; let’s mention famines supposedly due to natural disasters, while they are before all the consequence of political choices.

Faced with these caricatured and pessimistic visions, Résonances Africaines offers another discourse and another image, feeding on the initiatives and struggles in which African civil societies are committed. Without denying the huge challenges this continent has to cope with, let’s not ignore that one of the most vital ones is the urgent necessity for us to change our vision, if we want to be efficient beside Africans in their struggle for peace, democracy and the respect of human rights.

Frères des Hommes

PARTICIPATING [citizen involvement]

Malian peasants are ruling the roost
At the end of June 2006, the Mali National Assembly will adopt the new Loi d’Orientation Agricole, (LOA: Agricultural Orientation Law). “It’s a major event in the history of agricultural development”, claims Ibrahim Coulibaly, the president of the Coordination nationale des organisations paysannes (CNOP: National Coordination of Peasant Associations).

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DEMONSTRATING [public activism]

South-Africans still mobilized against apartheid
May 2006, the 30th: inhabitants of Phongola and NGO-activists, such as Church land program and KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council, demonstrate in the streets of this small South-African rural town in the northeast of Kwa-Zulu Natal. The five white defendants have just been acquitted in the Solomon Mbuyisa case, yet the victim's supporters have no intention of giving in. They clearly intend to follow with their action and remain mobilized to lodge an appeal.

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South-African national campaign against the eviction of landless peasants
Stop to evictions! Because for far too long, no reply has been given to their claims on agrarian issues, the farm workers from the Impendle municipality and the South-African movement of landless peasants have decided to act.

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TRAINING [knowledge for action]

Congolese women (DRC) are ready for the electoral campaign!
On next July 30th, the Democratic Republic of Congo will live a historic event: for the first time in 40 years, the population is going to vote! In expectation of these presidential and legislative elections, the whole team of the Association pour la Promotion de l'Entreprenariat Féminin, (APEF - Association for the Promotion of Female Entrepreneurship) regularly organizes trainings to inform South Kivu women about their rights and responsibilities in terms of citizen participation, as well as to reinforce their role in political decision-making.

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COOPERATING [sharing resources]

Organizations from Ivory Coast are building peace
On next June 30th and July 1st, various Ivory Coast networks will meet to share their initiatives in favor of a sustainable return to peace and to bring to completion their mobilization programme to prepare the October 2006 elections. These networks represent various parts of society: NGOs, movements of young people, women organizations, Human Rights associations, trade unions, etc.

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INFORMING [exchanging ideas]

Radio Afia encourages local initiatives in Senegal
Every Monday as early as 3pm, Radio Afia listeners turn on their radio to listening to "Xerenu Jiggen" programme! Today, the guests are unemployed women.They have been given opportunity to share with the listeners: their experience concerning the launching of their activity (making handcrafted dolls), the difficulties they met and their current needs.

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TESTIMONY [culture and solidarity]

Rwanda, theatre of reconciliation
Between next July 28th and August 28th, Odile Gakire Katese, a Rwandan writer, will present Des Espoirs (Hopes) through her country. This show, which mixes theatre and dance, testifies of man's ability to rebuild himself even after a trauma, such as the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

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PORTRAIT [a meeting with ...]

Benoît Ouoba, a “literate” from Burkina Faso
In 1989, Benoît Ouoba, a linguist from Burkina Faso, created the Association Tin Tua as a means of developing literacy- activities meant for the rural population of the Gulmu region, East of the country. Interview.

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