From Yesterday's Upper Volta to Today's Burkina Faso: A Century Of Cultural Heritage

This seminar discusses activities undertaken to conserve and promote the cultural policy and heritage of Burkina Faso. This is available through e-patrimoines, an e-learning training program launched by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication (Directorate General of Cultural Heritage – Department of European and International Affairs). It was undertaken in partnership with the University Agency of the Francophonie (AUF) and the World Digital Francophone University (UNFM).

Among the presenters for the first round table discussion were Madame Viviane Zouré and Gaëlle Beaujean. The second round of discussions were led by Stéphane Richemond, Béatrice Olive, and Dani Kouyate. The closing remarks were made by Patrice Kouraogo, cultural advisor to the Presidency of the Republic of Faso, and Francis Simonis, president of the Friends of the National Archives of Overseas.

Some of the topics discussed were:

• Cultural policy and heritage promotion in Burkina Faso
• Upper Volta through colonial postcards
• Suns, or the Mandingo dimension of Burkinabè culture
• Masks from Burkina Faso in the collections of quai Branly