Organized by the Laafi Bala association, the 12th Rakiré Festival for Peace and Development was held from October 2 to 5, 2024 in Gourcy, noted the AIB.This edition of the Rakiré Festival, which offered several activities, showcased the joking relationship between Yarsés and blacksmiths.It was under the theme "Building social peace through young people and women" that the Festival held its 12th edition in Gourcy, after several years of lethargy linked to the unfavorable security context in the region.This edition, which highlighted the joking relationship between the Yarsés and the blacksmiths, saw several activities, including an intercommunity dialogue, a women's cycling race, a football match, a radio show, intercommunity visits and the signing of a book on the Napoussoum ceremony of Gourcy.For the coordinator of the Laafi Bala association, Issifou Bissiri, the Rakiré Festival for peace and development was usually held in the days preceding the Napoussoum of the chief of Gourcy, Naaba Baongho.It s aim, according to him, is to promote endogenous cultural values, and by extension, peace and social cohesion, without which no development is possible."By featuring the blacksmiths and the Yarsés, who have a long-standing joking relationship, we wanted to remind young people how these communities were able to live and continue to live in symbiosis based on Rakiré (joking relationship)," he said.His statement was supported by Ousséni Ouédraogo and El hadj Mady Mandé, representing respectively the blacksmiths and the Yarsés, who, through testimonies, gave examples of serious community crises which could be avoided or resolved thanks to joking relationships.They also made a commitment, on behalf of their communities, to preserve and transmit this cultural value to the younger generation.According to Mr. Bissiri, this edition was able to be held thanks to the support of the association "Let's Aid Africa Together", through the project "Women and Civic Engagement in Peace and Social Cohesion", represented by the project manager Sayouba Badini."This activity has achieved its objective, which has been able to mobilize communities around this endogenous cultural value that is Rakiré," noted Mr. Badini.It is therefore no surprise that the majority of the activities took place in front of the royal court of Gourcy, a sanctuary by essence of the cultural values ??of Zondoma.Source: Burkina Information Agency
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