Peacebuilding in Burkina Faso: Media professionals, bloggers and web activists equipped

With the aim of contributing to the building of a peaceful Burkina Faso, E-Tisserands, in partnership with Oxfam Burkina and Build Up, organised a training session on the theme « Social networks, media and peacebuilding in Burkina Faso ».

The November 2020 elections are fast approaching. At this crucial juncture for the future of the Burkinabè people, social media and the press play a vital role. Hence the importance of this training session to awaken their social responsibilities.

Media professionals, bloggers, and online activists will learn about their place in the peacebuilding process in the « Land of Upright Men. » Through this intensive 48-hour training, these stakeholders will be equipped to understand that they are essential players in this endeavor.

Flooded by young people in an era of widespread adoption of new information and communication technologies, social media platforms have become the preferred tools for all forms of information, disinformation, and propaganda. « Social media has become an indispensable communication tool, » stated Professor Serge Théophile Balima.

“The election is just a temporary event.”

According to him, traditional media have lost their dominant position with consumers to ICTs. He therefore urged people not to underestimate the power of social media in the “volatile context” of Burkina Faso. He did not, however, rule out the “great capacity” of ICTs to cause harm.

Returning to the topic of the role of media and social networks, Dr. Zacharia Tiemtoré, one of the panelists, emphasized the need to adopt ethical and responsible behaviors. For him, “the election is just a temporary event. Life goes on, Burkina Faso remains.” He therefore stressed the urgent need to move towards a reasonable use of social media.

Returning to the topic of the role of media and social networks, Dr. Zacharia Tiemtoré, one of the panelists, emphasized the need to adopt ethical and responsible behaviors. For him, “the election is just a temporary event. Life goes on, Burkina Faso remains.” He therefore says there is an urgent need to move towards a reasonable use of social networks.

He also advocates promoting peaceful behavior. To achieve this, it will be necessary to combat misinformation and help people distinguish between good and bad information. The ideal for these panelists is to maintain lasting peace because, as they say, « peace is not a permanent achievement but an ongoing struggle. »

Ultimately, the organizers of the training hope to see improvements in online posts and interactions. This is intended to combat hate speech, racism, and other inappropriate content on various platforms. The training will take place from October 23 to 24, 2020, in Ouagadougou.

Basile SAMA

Burkina 24