Last posting before travel to Burkina...

I leave Wed. morning. Will look forward to seeing all students in Ouagadougou next week. When you land in Ouagadougou airport, look for someone with a sign with your name on it. You can make calls at kiosks just out the door of the baggage claim area- call Elisee at 78 01 17 52 or me at 76 40 89 23. It is often that case that a bag might be missing. Never fear! They often come on the next flight. But be sure to have the airline representative fill out a form, and leave them with the numbers above to contact. Be sure to get their contact info- cell phone!

National politics in Burkina Faso

More on local politics in Burkina Faso- from an interview with Etienne Traoré, Prof at Univeristy of Ouagadougou...

Les propositions de Salif Diallo synthétisent les arguments de l’opposition sur le sujet. Il y a juste ajouté son grain de sel. Pour convaincre le peuple de la véracité de ce qu’il dit, il aurait fallu que Salif Diallo fasse son autocritique. C’est lui qui a assis les bases de ce régime dans sa composante civile. Il a contribué obstinément à détruire toute forme d’opposition. C’est aussi lui, le spécialiste qui provoquait les scissions au sein des partis de l’opposition. C’est lui qui a assis les bases de ce régime, si aujourd’hui il reconnait qu’il y a un échec, il devrait aussi accepter de faire sa propre autocritique. D’autre part, vu que ses propositions n’ont pas rencontré l’assentiment de ses camarades de parti, il aurait dû démissionner du parti et créer son propre parti. Il ne l’a pas fait. Il n’est donc pas allé au bout de son raisonnement. Enfin, Blaise Compaoré est le principal responsable de tout ce que Salif Diallo dénonce. C’est lui le chef de ce système, le véritable responsable du parti. Dans sa logique, Salif Diallo aurait dû demander sa démission. Là encore, il ne l’a pas fait. Cela étant, de façon globale, on ne peut pas donner une réponse à l’échec de ce régime en appelant à une cinquième république. Il aurait fallu appeler les acteurs de la classe politique, ceux du Congrès pour la démocratie et le progrès (CDP) à changer leurs mœurs politiques.

Que pensez-vous qu’on puisse changer en passant à une autre république? Ce sont les mêmes acteurs qui vont animer cette nouvelle république, avec leurs mêmes mœurs politiques qui n’auraient pas changés. Les textes actuels sont bons, c’est l’application et les hommes qui posent problème. Je ne vois pas la nécessité de changer de régime. On change de régime lorsqu’il y a une crise des institutions, or, il n’y a pas de crise d’institutions au Burkina Faso. Aujourd’hui, les pouvoirs législatif, exécutif, judiciaire et les institutions sont monopolisées par le régime en place. Avec la Constitution consensuelle de 1991, les propositions du Collège de sages suite à l’assassinat de Norbert Zongo et les différentes revendications de l’opposition, le jeu politique devait être clair au Burkina Faso. Là où je suis d’accord avec Salif Diallo, c’est le constat d’échec. La seule alternative pour un débat démocratique franc dans notre pays, est que l’opposition utilise les échecs du régime pour en faire des succès politiques. Il faut que l’opposition s’organise. Tous les acquis démocratiques dans notre pays l’ont été à la faveur de mouvements populaires.

Read the article here...

Dogon tour

Our tour operator for Dogon Country has the following...

Here is the itinerary I suggest for you:

Day1 (23-11-09) Ouaga-Dogon country.
Depart from Ouaga early in the morning after breakfast, drive trough
Ouhigouya,Koro,Bankass, and arrive to Kani Kanikomolè for lunch,
arrange the luggage and visit Kanikolè, in the afernoon trek to Tely 3
km visit Tely on the escarpement, the most picturesque dogon villags -
a lot to see and experience about dogon culture, tradition, and
architectural, met with the local chef then overnight after dinner on
the rooftop under stars.

Day2 (24-11-09) Teli-And-Yabatalou-Begnemato.10 km
Depart from Tely early after breakfast, a stop in Andé to experience
the indigo dyeing, the wood sculptures, and the mud-cloth making
cooperative, and visit the old town. Then walk to Yabatalou for lunch,
sieste in the afternoon trek up to Begnemato for overnight- this is
one of the prettiest cliff villages visit, dinner and have a cultural
exchange for volunteers, then overnight on the rooftop.

Day3 (25-11-09) Begnemato-Dourou-Nombori.14 km
Depart early in the morning after breakfast, trek on the cliffs to
Dourou, visit the guina where the oldest member of the community
leave, the Togouna where the local decisions are discussed, get lunch
at Dourou siesta, in the afternoon trek down the cliff with the
beautiful panorama on the plains, get to Nombori and visit the Tellem
tombs and learn about the mythology and special culture of the dogon
animist traditions. Then overnight on the rooftop.

Day4 (26-11-09 Nombori-Komokani-Terely 9km
Depart from Nombori early in the morning, walk to Komokani stop for
visit, then continue to Terely for lunch siesta, in the afternoon Mali
Experience Tours will provide a mask dancing ceremony which will be
very special in your memories, then go to the school yard and
volunteers are welcome to plant trees which will be provided by Mali
Experience Tours. Eat dinner and overnight on the rooftop.

Day5 (27-11-09) Terely-Amani-Irely-Neni.14km
Depart from Terely early in the morning walk to Amani, with a stop and
visit at the sacred crocodile pool, then continue to Irely and visit
Irely a rupestre painting on the wall, all about tradition and
history. Lunch and siesta; in the afternoon walk to Neni for overnight
on the rooftop.

Day6 (28-11-09) Neni-Banani-Sangha-Bandiagara.50km
Depart from Neni early in the morning trek to Banani,visite, and trek
up to Sangha, visit the Hogon the animist religious leader and the
oldest member who is related with the community fetish. Eat lunch,
then drive with minibus to Bandiagra check in at the Hotel Lafalaise,
room with A/C or fan availble, siesta, in the afternoon drive to
Songho to visit the grotto which is one of the hightlights in dogon
country, where the rock paitings are displayed, in the places where
they have circumcision ceremony every 3 years for the young boys
initiation then drive back to Bandiagara for overnight.

Day7 (29-11-09) Bandiagara-Ouaga.
Depart from Bandiagara early in the morning, drive to Ougadougou and
get there around 3 or 4 pm.

So please tell us your suggestion about this iteneraries or if you
have a special village where you want to see for any reason then we
will be able to design the program to suit your wishes, then we can
send you the complete program and price.
If you want some references please see the letter below from one of
our clients who did their tour with us. You can also contact another
American tourist who also sponsors children for my dogon education
project, her email is sylvia_h@comcast.net and another tourist who
recently took their tour with Mali Experience Tours, his email is
yonifriedman@gmail

Many thanks,
Mikael Djiguiba
Mali Experience Tours

masks dancing in Bobo-Dioulasso

A meal at Chez Zion in Bobo-Dioulasso... you will probably stay there in October!

Hermann Yameogo discusses political situation in Burkina

Yameogo is son of first president, and a ferocious opponent (though with slim popular support, apparently) of President Blaise Compaore. He responds directly to this latter issue of why he seems to not have much support...

INTERVIEW - Hermann YAMEOGO - Burkina Faso
Uploaded by AFRICA24. - Watch the latest news videos.

Nice introductory video on karite in Burkina

Excerpt from Proust and the Squid

Proust and the Squid

The Story and Science of the Reading Brain

By Maryanne Wolf

We were never born to read. Human beings invented reading only a few thousand years ago. And with this invention, we rearranged the very organization of our brain, which in turn expanded the ways we were able to think, which altered the intellectual evolution of our species. Reading is one of the single most remarkable inventions in history; the ability to record history is one of its consequences. Our ancestors' invention could come about only because of the human brain's extraordinary ability to make new connections among its existing structures, a process made possible by the brain's ability to be shaped by experience. This plasticity at the heart of the brain's design forms the basis for much of who we are, and who we might become.

This book tells the story of the reading brain, in the context of our unfolding intellectual evolution. That story is changing before our eyes and under the tips of our fingers. The next few decades will witness transformations in our ability to communicate, as we recruit new connections in the brain that will propel our intellectual development in new and different ways. Knowing what reading demands of our brain and knowing how it contributes to our capacity to think, to feel, to infer, and to understand other human beings is especially important today as we make the transition from a reading brain to an increasingly digital one. By coming to understand how reading evolved historically, how it is acquired by a child, and how it restructured its biological underpinnings in the brain, we can shed new light on our wondrous complexity as a literate species. This places in sharp relief what may happen next in the evolution of human intelligence, and the choices we might face in shaping that future.

Who controls African Literature

FAVL friend Chelby Daigle send us this editorial by Tolu Ogunlesi:

LAGOS: The literary world is once again shining a spotlight on Africa. There are new prizes: the South Africa-based PEN Studzinski Literary Award for short stories, and the Penguin Prize for African Writing, a pan-African prize covering both fiction and non-fiction genres. There’s a new book series, the “Penguin African Writers Series,” which will include not only new books from emerging writers, but also classics taken over from the defunct Heinemann African Writers Series. And next year South Africa will be featured as the “Market Focus country” at the 2010 London Book Fair and African writing will be showcased at the Gothenburg Book Fair.

The African ‘Greats’–Ngugi, Soyinka, Gordimer, Okot p’Bitek– have given way to a new roster of names — Chimamanda Adichie, Chris Abani, Helon Habila, Binyavanga Wainaina, Sefi Atta, Monica Arac de Nyeko, Chika Unigwe, Brian Chikwava — who have become the new faces of contemporary African writing.

This explosion of literary talent and publishing opportunities might be likened to a similar one that accompanied the heady post-independence days of the 1960s. But in spite of all the inspiring and exciting happenings of recent years, there still remain nagging questions regarding who exactly are the proper ‘gatekeepers’ of African literary tradition and production.

Read the fill article "Who Controls African Literature" here.

Why read when you can twitter?

A hilarious (to me) posting from ugandan insomniac on "what if" Museveni were twittering...

Had a rough nite. Mbwenu journalists are giving me grief 4 ordering the arrest of errant policemen in Nateete. They say it’s an attempt @ cheap popularity. As if!

Youtube soap opera from Burkina Faso