The events are under the patronage of M Gérard Kango Ouédraogo

Mr Gérard Kango Ouédraogo is a politician and Burkinabe diplomat born on 19^th September 1925 at Ouahigouya. He is the founder of the MRV (Movement de regroupement voltaïque) and the RDA (Rassemblement Démocratique Africain), he was first MP of Upper Volta under the fourth Republic, and then had a seat in the National Assembly of the fifth Republic. Mr Ouédraogo was ambassador to Great Britain for the newly independent Upper Volta State from 1969-1966. He subsequently continued to play a major role in the political history of his country, especially by sitting in the National Assembly for the Ouahigouya constituency and by being one of the backbones of the UNDV/RDA (Union démocratique voltaïque, membre du Rassemblement démocratique africain). He was Prime Minister of Upper Volta from 1971-1974, under the Presidency of d'Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana. As President of the National Assembly during Saye Zerbo's coup d’Etat on the 25^th November 1980, he was imprisoned on several occasions under the dictatorship of , Saye Zerbo, Thomas Sankara and Blaise Compaoré. Since the relaxing of the regime headed by the later President in the early 1990s, he has been elected Member of Parliament on two occasions under the fourth Republic, before resigning on the 27^th May. Soon after the RDA nominated him  as honorary life President .

Launching day

Private Reception under the high patronage of Senator  Mayor  Gerard Collomb

Town hall (on invitation only)

Tierno Monénembo Book Dedication

2008 Renaudot Prize winner for his novel «  Le Roi de Kahel »

2pm : Inversalis, librairie des mémoires à Lyon

13 rue Cavenne - 69 007 Lyon

5pm  Librairie Passages

11 Rue de Brest - 69002 Lyon

Institute for Political Studies’ Symposium on the following theme : “ Africa’s economic situation, 50 years after it’s independence : what is left of the independence tcha- tcha  euphoria  and what are the prospects for the future”

Participants :

Prof. Noel Magloire NDOBA :Doctor in Economics , former dean of Brazzaville(Congo) University’s economics department, member of a research network on « Petrol and  Development » within the framework of a United Nations Programme.

Dr. Yves Ekoué AMAÏZO, Ph.D., MBA. International Consultant, International Business and Project Management.

Habib OUANE, Doctor in Economics, Former UNCTAD, Director, in charge of Africa and the Developing Countries

Institut d'Etudes Politiques (I.E.P) DE LYON

14, avenue Berthelot

69365 Lyon Cedex 07

Exhibition-Conference « Winning back the Environment and Quality of life in the Sahel » Organised by the Association of the people from Niger and Friends of the people from Niger in  Rhone Alps Auvergne (ANAN)

Speaker : Serge VALET   Sahel Soil and Water Engineering consultant

Château du Sans Souci, 36 avenue Lacassagne - 69003 Lyon

 Afro-Pop Concert with the Morris Band

Le Métronome

22 bis, rue René Leynaud 69001 Lyon

Symposium organised by Cosim (Collectif des Organisations de Solidarité Internationale issues des Migrations) « Migrations, dialogue between cultures and connected development : Glances at the post-independence period ».

UPIL (Université Professionnelle Internationale de Lyon)

47, rue Sergent Meichel-Berthet - 69009 Lyon

Within the framework of The African child’s day

Debate and Conference "The other side of African Football: Smuggling of young players"

Organised by «  Mouvement International des Femmes pour la Réhabilitation des Valeurs (MIFERVAL)

Mairie du 9e arrondissement de Lyon

6 place du Marché - 69009 Lyon

Conference by Prof. Elikia M'Bokolo Historian, Study Director of EHSS and the producer of a radio programme on Radio France International called « L’Afrique Mémoires d’un continent»

Conference Theme :A retrospective look at de-colonisation, assessment of the 50 years of independence, independence gained and to be regained”

Mairie du 8e arrondissement de Lyon

12 Avenue Jean Mermoz - 69008 Lyon

Homage to the  Tirailleurs on call of  18^th  June

 Balmont Ascent Ceremony in memory of the 25^th  regiment Tirailleurs Senegalese African combatants shot on the 19^th June 1940

Projection of a documentary film  "Le Tata, paysage de pierres" of Patrice Robin and Evelyne Berruezo, followed by a debate on the theme: " The impact of the African soldiers participation in the two world wars on the process of independence "

Speaker Philippe Lavodrama, political scientist , historian

Little Africa at Ninkasi Kao

Africa will be showcased  with paintings, choreographs, singing, dancing, tales, culinary discoveries

Ninkasi Kao

254 Rue Marcel Mérieux

69007 Lyon

Music Festival: Discover all the African sounds with a variety of scenes(world music, typical African music, several DJs traditional music and dancing) 

Quartier de la Guillotière

Lyon 7^e

Intercultural Workshops

- Become aware of the representations and images that  French people have about Africa and Africans

- Assess the fixed , variable and changing  outlook of French people about Africa  and Africans during colonisation and up to today after 50 years of independence (what has changed ? what has not changed ?)

- Dismantle representations by viewing them objectively and providing rich information and conditions for humane and mutual co-operation

Lyon Campus

 25, rue Jaboulay - 69007 Lyon

Contact : Ya Mutuale-Balume (0616419012), Michaël Johnson (0660746798)

Mass organised by The  MICAL(Lyon African Catholic Mission )

Eglise Saint Bonaventure

Place des Cordeliers – 69002 Lyon

Meeting with African writers living in Lyon

Jean Chrios Moukala :"Le Congo-Brazzaville à l’aube du XXIe siècle ;plaidoyer pour l’avenir. Ed. L’Harmattan, 2005" et "Pour une approche endogène du développement au Congo-Brazzaville ; des hommes et des institutions. Ed. L’Harmattan, 2009". 

Joséphine Zibi :  "L’ingénierie sociale du développement  À l’école de l’eau". Ed. L’Harmattan, Année 2010.

Pascal François Djoumessi :  "Djoumessi Mathias 1900-1966.   Un chef traditionnel nationaliste, acteur de la décolonisation et de l'indépendance du Cameroun". Ed. L’Harmattan. Année : 2010

Inversalis, librairie des mémoires à Lyon

13 rue Cavenne - 69 007 Lyon

Dialogues on Humanity

2pm – 4pm :Africa – Europe intercultural Workshop. Our self-image and the image of others of us. - Description :What do you  imagine about Africa ? What are your feelings ? A participative and interactive approach «  putting the wrongs into words» who is sapping and confusing  Franco-European relations ? in order to develop an objective critique about our representations and to engage in a learning process about  the others as they really are and not as we see and imagine them. 

Conducted by Ya Mutuale-Balume, Sociologist and Anthropologist.

4pm à 6pm: Talking time, agoras : Africa yesterday, today and tomorrow . Denial or history, denial of cultures, denial of religions, denial of humanity. Talks by

Madame Adame Ba Konaré, historian, Mali (subject to confirmation ), Prof. Oscar Bimwenyi-Kweshi, Philosopher and Theologian, R.DC.

Parc de la Tête d'Or

Lyon 6e

Chasselay Commemoration

As usual every year, the Présence Africaine Friends organise a memorial day at the Tata Chasselay cemetery (69)

It must be remembered that from the19^th to 20^th June 1940, at Chasselay, the Senegalese colonial troops of the French army, at 1 against 100 delayed the entrance of German troops into Lyon, which was declared  « Open city » on the 18^th June 1940.

On the 20^th June 1940, at the end of a second battle at Château du Plantin, the prisoners (about 70), were divided into two groups, On the one hand white French soldiers and on the other hand black Senegalese. After a two-kilometre walk, the French soldiers, lying in the meadows witnessed the massacre of the Senegalese soldiers some by machine guns and others crushed by military tanks of the SS Totenkopf division. The French soldiers were imprisoned in Lyon. The Chasselay inhabitants, horrified by this massacre, buried the bodies of the Senegalese soldiers in a cemetery, inaugurated on the 8^th November 1942. Every year an official ceremony is held at Chasselay, in the presence of Senegalese and French representatives

Nécropole nationale de Chasselay

D100

Chasselay (Rhône)

All these events will be showcased in  African cultural décor :  music, exhibitions, projections,  and food tasting and divers workshops ….