Abuja: The city of Koudougou is currently hosting a significant training session aimed at equipping cultural actors with skills for collecting archives and artifacts related to President Thomas Isidore No«l Sankara and the Democratic and Popular Revolution (RDP). Scheduled from July 27 to 29, 2026, this session seeks to strengthen community involvement in preserving national history.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the event is organized under the auspices of the Ministry in charge of Culture and focuses on bringing memory research closer to local communities. Baba Barro, the Regional Director of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism for Nando, welcomed participants and encouraged them to explore the historical and cultural attractions of the region, emphasizing the local commitment to the initiative's success.
The Secretary General of the Ministry of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism (MCCAT), B¨tamou Fid¨le Aymar Tamini, officially opened the workshops, highlighting the importance of decentralizing the collection process to involve local actors. The initiative, part of Component 2 of the Thomas Sankara Memorial Infrastructure Construction Project (PCIM-INTS), aims to preserve collective memory and pass on values of sovereignty, integrity, social justice, and endogenous development to future generations.
Comrade Tamini underlined that the memorial's ambition extends beyond building physical infrastructure; it seeks to establish a dynamic space for research, education, and cultural outreach rooted in authentic documentary heritage. While previous campaigns have collected over 3,100 items, the success of future efforts relies on the active participation of local stakeholders who possess strong listening skills and a deep sense of community engagement.
Over the course of three days, participants will be trained in archival principles, collection, preservation, and document processing techniques to contribute to the future digital library of the Memorial. As local liaisons, their role will be to inspire voluntary donations, raise public awareness, and identify archive holders within their communities.
The Secretary General of MCCAT urged participants to approach their tasks with rigor and diligence, concluding with the quote: "You can kill a man, but you cannot kill his ideas." This session marks a crucial step towards establishing a national network dedicated to preserving national memory and cultural development.