2017 Membership Letter - Join Us or Renew!

Dear Friends of Burkina Faso,

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Friends of Burkina Faso, I would like to extend to you and your loved ones our warmest greetings and best wishes for 2017!

Mogho NaabaThe Mogho Naaba of Burkina Faso with the FBF Award For Peace, 2015  

I would also like to remind you that it is time to bring your annual membership dues up-to-date (by mail, or online) if you have not already done so. Your continued support is very important to the Friends of Burkina Faso as it allows us to sustain our volunteer-run, member-driven organization.

Please note that the FBF membership dues are now $25 per person per year. For 15 years, FBF had kept membership dues at $15 per year. But with the increase in the cost of living over time and the financial needs of the organization, the FBF Board of Directors has decided to increase the FBF membership dues in order to allow us to sustain and improve the services it offers its members.

We would also like to ask you to help us expand our membership base by encouraging others to join our organization and by spreading the word about FBF. As a 501c3 organization that has always put 100% of project contributions (raised by our Project Committee’s efforts) towards our community-driven projects, we need the consistent support of our members in order to maintain our administrative and operational expenses including but not limited to the production of our bi-annual newsletter, periodic organization of special events, our continued incorporation as a nonprofit organization in the District of Columbia, the maintenance of our website, the Annual Peace Award, and keeping you abreast of happenings in Burkina. In addition, in 2017, FBF will acquire and subscribe to necessary software to automate becoming a member and maintaining our database of members which was previously done manually.

If you have not yet renewed your membership, please do so between now and March 31, 2017, by filling out this form and mailing it back along with a check for $25 (made out to Friends of Burkina Faso) to the address indicated. Alternatively, you can go to this link where you can use PayPal to pay your dues.

FBF also offers the possibility of multi-year memberships. That allows you to pay for many years at once; this helps to streamline the process for both you and FBF. The option is listed in the membership form; please check it off if choosing this option and make your check amount to reflect your choice. *This option is not currently available electronically.

FBF also welcomes donations toward its operations and/or its many development projects (learn about them on the FBF website at http://www.friendsofburkinafaso.org/projects). Please check off the amount you’d like to donate and include it in your dues check. Please indicate if your donation is for FBF general operation funds, the Peace Award, or one of our successful projects.

When filling out the membership form, please indicate any particular skills you have that could be helpful to our organization as well as express your interest in becoming more actively involved with FBF! We are always looking for individuals with energy, ideas, time, and a spirit to leave the world a better and more connected place than we found it.

How else can I get involved?

Like us on Facebook: For those of you with Facebook profiles, visit our page: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsBurkinaFaso. Keep up to date with what we are doing and maybe to find long lost friends through our network of friends. Please ‘like’ our page today.

Help us spread the word: If you know someone from your Peace Corps days or anyone else with an interest in Burkina Faso, encourage them to become a member of Friends of Burkina Faso.

Please accept our gratitude for your renewed membership, interest, and many contributions to FBF. Best wishes for a fruitful 2017.

Sincerely,
Sali Greeley,
Membership Officer, FBF Board of Directors

FBF Receives Certificate Appreciation from Washington D.C. Burkinabe

Friends of Burkina Faso was honored by the Executive Board of the Association of Burkinabés of the Washington Area (ABURWA) with a certificate of appreciation for services and support to their community. Thank you so much for this award, ABURWA!

The ceremony took place at ABURWA's Cultural Night and Independence Celebration on Saturday, December 17th in Takoma Park, Maryland. It was a fun night with music by Burkinabé artists, a variety of Burkinabé food and drinks and a very fraternal ambiance.

See photos on our Facebook page 

If you want to learn more about ABURWA, please visit: http://www.aburwa.net/

A Tale of Two Ambassadors: Andrew Young Meets with FBF

Jimmy Kolker, the former ambassador to Burkina Faso, offered his home in D.C. to introduce Andrew Young, the recently Senate-confirmed U.S. ambassador to Burkina Faso, to members of the Friends of Burkina Faso. The reception took place on October 29. It became clear that Ambassador Young values Peace Corps.

In his previous post as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Mali, he worked with volunteers who had joined the Peace Corps Encore program, noting the enduring impact they were having on the lives and communities of host-country nationals. Ambassador Young asked each of us in attendance what advice we could give him. One RPCV stated that flexibility is important because well-laid plans promoting development in villages may not always work as planned.  In other words, expect the unexpected! Another noted that much success and cohesion in Burkina can be attributed to the lack of ethnic and religious tension which is so prevalent in many other countries. He and other Burkinabe at the reception called on the Ambassador to do what he could to further reinforce this unique and positive attribute in the Burkinabe society.

What would YOU have recommended to the new Ambassador? Tell us on our Facebook page.

Picture of FBF and Ambassador Andrew Young

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture of FBF and Ambassador Andrew Young

Award for Peace 2016 | Prix de la Pais 2016

English | Francais
Contact: fbfpeaceprize@gmail.com

FBF Honors Ambassador Mushingi with 2016 Award for Peace

Ambassador Mushingi

Washington, D.C. – Friends of Burkina Faso (FBF) is honored to present its second annual Award for Peace to the Honorable Tulinabo S. Mushingi, Ambassador of the United States to Burkina Faso. Nominated by several sources, Ambassador Mushingi has played an important part in maintaining peace in Burkina Faso throughout the tumultuous events of the past two years.

“Ambassador Mushingi is widely recognized and admired for his clear—and reciprocated—love for the people of Burkina Faso,” said FBF President Michael Lavoie. “Since 2013 he has advocated for development throughout the country and has proactively sought out promising synergies with the United States.

“The Ambassador has provided calm and steadfast support for peace,” continued Lavoie, “during the political upheaval in 2014, through the attempted coup d’état of September 2015, through the peaceful election of the new democratically elected government in late 2015, and at present as that government addresses today’s challenges. In recognition of that exceptional service to peace and development, FBF is honored to present him with the 2016 Award for Peace.”

Ambassador Mushingi began his tenure in Burkina Faso in 2013, quickly demonstrating his joy of interacting with the Burkinabe people. Throughout his time in Burkina, Ambassador Mushingi has made it clear that he is the ambassador to Burkina Faso, not just Ouagadougou. The “American Road Show” has brought the Ambassador and his entourage to every corner of Burkina Faso, visiting schools, women’s groups, rural villages, and towns across the country.

His engagement with the public and his readiness to speak out during the events of 2014 and 2015 earned Ambassador Mushingi a nickname in the local Moore language—Sidpawalmdé, or “the truth shouldn’t be whispered.” As one wrote in nominating the Ambassador for this award, he was “never deterred from telling the truth to the Burkinabe leaders when necessary.”

In another letter supporting his nomination, the Ambassador’s youth outreach initiatives were well noted. “He has always been a reliable and responsible person in his work for democracy and peace in Burkina Faso,” she wrote, “in particular, in his interactions with the young Burkinabe, especially those in rural areas.”

For his exceptional candor, energy, and openness to the public, Ambassador Mushingi will be awarded a statue designed and crafted by Issouf Sebgo of the Tigoung Nonma artisan group. In addition, the Ambassador will designate a nonprofit organization to receive a donation of $2,000 in his name. Award ceremony details will be announced at a later date.

About FBF’s Award for Peace

The Friends of Burkina Faso Award for Peace is given once a year to an individual who has made a substantial contribution in a powerful and innovative way to the development of Burkina Faso or to the growth of cross-cultural understanding in the service of peace. A nominee must be a Burkinabe, a returned Peace Corps volunteer, or a person holding extraordinarily close ties to the country of Burkina Faso. The award recognizes the contribution of individuals at all levels so as to offer them support and motivation and to raise up powerful examples of good works to uplift and inspire others.

About Friends of Burkina Faso

Friends of Burkina Faso (FBF) was formed in 1987. In 2001, FBF began supporting community-based development projects in Burkina Faso, beginning with the Lambs Support Girls’ Education project. This effort was founded and administered by Association NEEED, a Burkinabe nongovernmental organization in the northern city of Ouahigouya. Since then, FBF has supported a wide variety of community-based projects whose focuses include:

  • Programs for girls’ education, health awareness, reading, and computer literacy
  • Construction of schools, a village pharmacy, and a rainwater catchment basin
  • Community libraries
  • Agricultural projects
  • Artisans living with disabilities.

FBF works closely with community leaders in planning projects, with the aim of empowering and strengthening local institutional capacity. The group welcomes any members interested in or connected to Burkina Faso and wanting to advance the growth, development, and promotion of peace in Burkina Faso while expanding awareness of Burkina Faso in the United States.

To learn more, please visit the Friends of Burkina Faso website (http:// www.friendsofburkinafaso.org/) or like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FriendsBurkinaFaso).

Anglais | French
Contact: fbfpeaceprize@gmail.com

Les Amis du Burkina Faso décerne le Prix de la Paix 2016 à Son Excellence Monsieur Tulinabo S. Mushingi, Ambassadeur des Etats-Unis au Burkina Faso

Washington, D.C. – L’association Les Amis du Burkina Faso (FBF) a l'honneur de présenter son deuxième prix annuel pour la paix à l'honorable Tulinabo S. Mushingi, Ambassadeur des Etats-Unis au Burkina Faso. Nominé par plusieurs personnes, l'Ambassadeur Mushingi a joué un rôle important dans le maintien de la paix au Burkina Faso au cours des événements tumultueux de ces deux dernières années. Son amour pour le peuple burkinabé est clair et réciproque. Ses efforts pour encourager la paix pendant les périodes difficiles sont bien documentés.

« Ambassadeur Mushingi est reconnu et admiré pour son engagement de proximité et son amour réciproque pour le peuple du Burkina Faso » a déclaré le président de FBF, Michael Lavoie. « Depuis 2013, il a plaidé en faveur du développement dans le pays et a recherché d’une manière proactive des synergies prometteuses avec les États-Unis.

« L’ambassadeur a apporté un soutien calme et ferme en faveur de la paix » a poursuivi Lavoie, « aussi bien pendant les bouleversements politiques de 2014, au couirs de la tentative de coup d'état en septembre 2015 qu’au cours de l’élection pacifique du nouveau gouvernement démocratiquement élu à la fin de 2015, et aussi à ce moment même pendant que ce gouvernement fait face aux défis actuels. En reconnaissance de ce service exceptionnel pour la paix et le développement, FBF est honorée de lui présenter son Prix de la Paix 2016. »

L’Ambassadeur Mushingi a commencé son mandat au Burkina Faso en 2013 et a, très vite, manifesté son désir détablir des rapports avec le peuple burkinabé. Tout au long de son mandat au Burkina, l'Ambassadeur Mushingi a confirmé qu'il est l'ambassadeur au Burkina Faso, pas seulement à Ouagadougou. Le « American Road Show » a conduit l'ambassadeur et son entourage à tous les coins du Burkina Faso, dont des visites à des écoles, des groupes de femmes, dans les villes et les villages à travers le pays.

Son engagement auprès du public et son empressement à parler franchement au cours des événements socio-politiques de 2014 et 2015 ont valu à l’Ambassadeur Mushingi un surnom dans la langue Moore, Sidpawalmdé, qui se traduit par « la vérité ne doit pas être chuchotée. ». Comme l’a dit quelqu’un dans sa lettre de soutien à la nomination de l'ambassadeur à ce prix, « [l'ambassadeur n’a jamais été] dissuadé de dire la vérité aux dirigeants burkinabés lorsque cela était nécessaire. »

Dans une autre lettre à l'appui de sa nomination, les initiatives de proximité avec la jeunesse initiée par l’ambassadeur ont été mentionnées. « [l'Ambassadeur Mushingi] a toujours été une personne fiable et responsable dans son travail en faveur de la démocratie et la paix au Burkina Faso surtout dans ses rapports avec les jeunes Burkinabés, en particulier ceux dans les zones rurales. »

Pour sa franchise exceptionnelle, son énergie et son ouverture envers le public Burkinabé, il sera décerné à Son Excellence Tulinabo S. Mushingi, Ambassadeur des Etats-Unis au Burkina Faso, une statue conçue et sculptée par Issouf Sebgo du groupe artisanal Tigoung Nonma. En outre, l'Ambassadeur Mushingi désignera une organisation à but non lucratif pour recevoir un don de 2000 $US à son nom. Les détails relatifs à la cérémonie de remise du prix seront annoncés ultérieurement

A propos du Prix de la Paix des Amis du Burkina Faso

Le Prix de la Paix des Amis du Burkina Faso est présenté une fois par an à une personne qui, de par ses actions, a contribué de manière significative et innovatrice au développement du Burkina Faso et /ou à la promotion t de l’entente multiculturelle pour la préservation de la paix. Pour être nominé pour le Prix de la Paix une personne doit être de nationalité Burkinabé, un ancien volontaire du Corps de la Paix ou encore une personne qui maintient des liens exceptionnellement solides avec le Burkina Faso. Le Prix de la Paix des Amis du Burkina Faso est une reconnaissance de la contribution apportée par toute personne à la promotion de la paix afin ’encourager et de motiver les bénéficiaires et de là, encourager et promouvoir des exemples d’actions qui élèvent et servent d’inspiration pour d’autres.

A propos de L’Association les Amis du Burkina Faso (Friends of Burkina Faso)

L’association les Amis du Burkina Faso a été créée en 1987. En 2001, FBF a commencé à financer des projets communautaires de développement au Burkina. . Le premier projet financé par FBF a été le « Lambs Support Girls’ Education », un projet initié et géré par l’association NEEED, une ONG Burkinabé basée dans la ville de Ouahigouya. Par la suite, FBF a soutenu 28 projets communautaires parmi lesquels :

  • le programme d’éducation des filles,
  • le programme de sensibilisation en matière de santé,
  • le programme de lecture et d’introduction à l’informatique;
  • la construction d’écoles, d’une pharmacie villageoise, d'un bassin de retenue d’eau pluviale,
  • la mise en place de bibliothèques ;
  • les programmes agricoles,
  • un projet de soutien aux artisans physiquement handicapés.

Dans la planification des projets, FBF travaille en étroite collaboration avec les responsables communautaires afin d’autonomiser et de renforcer les capacités institutionnelles locales.

Les Amis du Burkina Faso invitent toutes personnes ayant un intérêt pour le Burkina Faso et désireuse de contribuer à son développement et à la promotion de la paix en son sein tout en le faisant connaître davantage du public américain, à bien vouloir se joindre à nous.

Pour plus d'informations, veuillez t visiter notre le site web (http://www.friendsofburkinafaso.org) ou notre page Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FriendsBurkinaFaso)

FBF Award for Peace Committee is selecting the winner

Thank you to everyone who helped to spread the word about the Second Annual FBF Award for Peace! Our committee is now at work deciding which application shows the story of an individual who embodies the ideal of peace that we see in Burkina Faso. 

Criteria to qualify

A person who is responsible for significantly advancing peace in Burkina Faso and/or the world; and/or responsible for significantly advancing one or more of the Peace Corps’ three goals: helping meet development needs; helping to promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served; and helping to promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. Additional criteria include: promotion of religious and cultural acceptance; promotion of peaceful leadership; and promotion of cooperation and unity among different political actors and views.

FBF Elects its New Board of Directors

Please join us in welcoming Aaron, Faissal, Kati, Kristen, Leslie, Mike, Sali, Suzanne, and Tom! The newest FBF Board of Directors features a mix of old and new Officers who are already bringing different conversations and activities into the open. We're excited to see where the new group takes us, and we'll be sure to keep you involved along the way!

See the Board of Director biographies and photos