Ouahigouya: The municipality of R©o organised a day dedicated to the promotion of social cohesion, marked by a public conference, a community meal, and a gala match.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the meeting was held in the town hall of R©o and brought together administrative, customary and religious authorities, members of the special delegation, association leaders, community leaders, as well as many residents of the town. The event was themed "Promoting living together: contribution of joking kinship to social cohesion" and featured a conference led by the Secretary General of the Sangui© province, Antoinette Kabor©/Ou©draogo.
In her presentation, the speaker emphasized that joking relationships are an important traditional mechanism of social regulation in Burkina Faso. She explained that this cultural practice promotes tolerance, humor, and closer ties between communities, which helps in preventing and defusing conflicts. Ms. Kabor© also noted that the current security and humanitarian context is undermining social cohesion within communities and highlighted the need for increased awareness-raising initiatives to promote peace and prevent tensions. She called for the involvement of women, young people, traditional and religious leaders, and local authorities in promoting social cohesion and managing conflicts.
The president of the special delegation of the municipality of R©o, Cindy Issaka Zagr©, commended the strong mobilization of different social groups around this initiative, reflecting the municipal authorities' desire to strengthen solidarity and inclusion within the community. He emphasized the importance of living together and social cohesion in achieving local development goals.
Alex Bakon©, coordinator of the Dialogue and Peace project for the Italian NGO Progettomondo, noted that this activity is part of the organization's efforts to promote peace and conflict prevention at the community level. Progettomondo, present in Burkina Faso since 2004, implements several initiatives in development and social cohesion, notably through the "Dialogue and Peace" project funded by the European Union.
The day of social cohesion continued with a community meal offered to participants, promoting exchanges and strengthening ties between the different communities. In the evening, a gala match between the Gourounsi and Bissa communities, two groups linked by joking kinship, was held to extend the spirit of fraternity and conviviality that marked this initiative.