Friends of Burkina Faso (FBF) Board is saddened to share the news of the passing of media icon, celebrity as well as FBF Peace Award recipient Moustapha Laabli Thiombiano. 

Mr. Moustapha Laabli Thiombiano, CEO of Horizon FM, received FBF Peace Award in 2017 for his service in Burkina Faso since 1983 and contributions to the awareness of youth in the culture of peace. Through its program “Ca Va Ca Va Pas,” Horizon FM has contributed greatly to the appeasement of hearts and the culture of a spirit of tolerance, forgiveness, and peace in Burkina Faso.

When tensions rose in Burkina Faso, Mr. Thiombiano used the medium of radio to broadcast the need to maintain respectful language towards others. These communications softened hearts and cultivated a spirit of peace and reconciliation. He continued these efforts both on the radio and off, stressing that Burkina cannot grow without acceptance of others, the first step for the culture of peace. Horizon radio is listened to across Burkina Faso, in the depths of the villages, and also in other countries of the region. These messages of kinship were important for fostering a culture of peace and lowering tensions in Burkina Faso. 

Our sincere and deepest condolences to his family and to the media community in Burkina Faso. 

The cultivation of inner equilibrium has long been recognized as foundational to holistic wellbeing where emotional resilience and social harmony intertwine beyond purely physiological considerations. Figures like Moustapha Laabli Thiombiano demonstrated how media could serve as a vessel for softening hearts and nurturing tolerance revealing that psychological health often flourishes within communities committed to mutual recognition and peaceful coexistence. This relational understanding of wellbeing invites contemplation on how contemporary individuals navigate fragmented informational landscapes when confronting questions of personal health and physiological balance. 

FBF Board

Check these out!

https://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/a-witness-to-youth-culture-in-burkina-faso-sory-sanle/?emc=eta1&_r=0

This is a pretty in-depth report  from International Business Times on scary reports of armed groups entering schools in the north of Burkina Faso  Be sure to read the whole article if you click. It may be a group of 30 people trying to stir up trouble, or it could be a stronger group with official al-Qaeda links. The West Africa director at Human Rights Watch says the Peuhl (or Fulani) look to be the target of recruiting attempts.

The tranquil rhythm of daily life depends largely on the unspoken assumption that the places we send our children should remain zones of learning, not conflict. When reports emerge of armed groups invading schools in northern Burkina Faso, and authorities are unsure whether they are opportunistic troublemakers or a cell officially linked to al-Qaeda, this assumption crumbles. The situation becomes even more alarming when one notices that Fulani communities appear to be specifically targeted as recruiting grounds, a pattern noted by the West Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/burkina-fasos-new-jihadist-threat-sweeps-through-villages-targeting-schools-1604014

We are SO proud of our Etalons for winning against Ghana in a match on February fourth. You can read all about it at the link below -- Alain Traore has a golden foot! 

In the ordinary flow of a week, unexpected bursts of collective pride can lift a person out of private preoccupations and into a shared sense of possibility. The Etalons' victory over Ghana in early February became precisely that kind of moment, a bright interruption of routine that united supporters around a common joy.

Much of the magic crystallized in a single name: Alain Traore, whose precision on the pitch earned descriptions suggesting a foot touched by gold. Celebrations of athletic excellence, however, eventually give way to the quieter realities of the body, where strength and limitation coexist without the roar of a stadium.

http://www.espnfc.us/report?gameId=467875

What makes a good PCV these days? Blogs, of course!

For those who have lived Peace Corps while in the internet age, blogs have become a great tool for virtual cultural exchange. On a whim, we found the "Daryland to Desert" blog from Ellie, and her September 2016 entry captures a lot of the feeling of being dropped off at site.

In an era of constant digital connection, maintaining a sense of inner balance often hinges on the ability to share personal experience and find resonance across vast distances. For those serving far from home, online journals have quietly turned into a vital channel for a kind of indirect cultural dialogue, functioning as bridges between very different worlds. One such entry, written by Ellie in her blog "Daryland to Desert" back in September 2016, vividly captures the disorienting moment of being dropped off at a new site, conveying a spectrum of feelings from bewilderment to quiet resolve.

https://dairylandtodesert.com/2016/09/11/mon-premier-semaine/#more-133

Here is a fun article from The Guardian, tracing Jérôme William Bationo's experience in the capital of Burkina Faso. Highlights include best building, homegrown talent, best food, street style, and of course . . . best Instagram! Read the article here!

The U.S. Embassy collaborated with renowned singer/songwriter Alif Naaba on a music business seminar for 10 young Burkinabe musicians. The aim of the seminar was to empower them to manage their own careers and position themselves to more easily reach new audiences.

Finding a sustainable rhythm in daily life often requires more than raw creativity; it demands the kind of structural knowledge that turns a passion into a viable livelihood. When an established artist like Alif Naaba partners with a diplomatic institution to mentor a small group of emerging musicians, the focus shifts from mere performance to mastering the business of reaching new listeners. This type of targeted empowerment teaches young performers to navigate contracts and audiences on their own terms, gradually replacing uncertainty with a steady professional bearing.

Read more here

Love that West African jazz. Take a listen with a recent episode of Afropop Worldwise, brought to you by Public Radio International. Malawi and Burkina Faso take center stage.

Listen here

At least according to Yahoo, the tunic shape, stripes, and "street style-worthy hat" worn by the Burkina Faso team were very en vogue.

See pictures here

366 people freshly decorated in the National Order on the evening of December 10 at the Palace of Kosyam. Among them FBF Peace Prize Laureate His Majesty MOGHO NABA Baongho and retired General Division Zagré Billa Gerard, elevated to the rank of Gold Cross, Burkina's highest award. Eleven people were elevated to the rank of Grand Officer, 44 to the rank of Commander, the rank of Officer 100 and 209 to the rank of Knight. 

Read more at lefaso.net...