COMMEMORATIVE DAYS OF THE BIRTHDAY OF PRESIDENT FÉLIX HOUPHOUËT-BOIGNY: Study day on Félix Houphouët-Boigny

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Thursday, October 17, 2019 marked the beginning of the commemoration of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny’s birth day with a study day that was furnished by two panels on the themes: “Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the man of culture” and “Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the pan-Africanist”. This opportunity enabled many young students from the political and administrative capital, as well as the populations in their political and socio-professional diversity, to revisit the actions carried out by the “Apostle of Peace”.

The Secretary General of the FHB Foundation, in turn, said that in addition to the celebration of the 114th anniversary of the birth of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, his institution was celebrating two major events in 2019. Namely the thirtieth anniversaries of the Congress on Peace in the Minds of Men held in Yamoussoukro which gave birth to the concept of culture of peace and the creation of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny-UNESCO Prize for Peace Research which this year distinguished the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy AHMED ALI before he received the Nobel Peace Prize 2019.

Ms Anne LEMAISTRE, representative of the UNESCO Office in Abidjan, for her part, wished that the year 2020 be proclaimed “the year of the culture of peace” in Côte d’Ivoire.

Professor Robert NIAMKEY KOFFI, President of the Scientific Committee of this day indicated that the exemplary life of Houphouët-Boigny appears as a symbol. For, the immense works of the “father of the Ivorian nation” are landmarks for Côte d’Ivoire. Addressing the themes of the day, the academic told his audience that Félix Houphouët-Boigny was both a man of culture but also a pan-Africanist, contrary to the image of Epinal that we wanted to stick to him, calling him a gravedigger of African unity, one of the artisans of the balkanization of African states. For him, this is essentially erroneous. He also pointed out the extent of the knowledge of the modern world, of the ancient history of this great statesman.

A total of eleven (11) communications were delivered during this scientific day by academics.

It should be noted that the Chief Executive Secretary of the PDCI-GDR, Professor Maurice KAKOU GUIKAHUÉ enhanced with his presence the opening of this study day.

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Training Workshop of the Network of Women’s Associations of the Yamoussoukro District on the Culture of Peace and Social Cohesion

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Training workshop of the Network of Women’s Associations of the Yamoussoukro District on the Culture of Peace and Social Cohesion organized by the FHB Foundation with the financial support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 15 and 16 August 2019 in Yamoussoukro.

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National Symposium of Religious Leaders, Kings and Traditional Leaders for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence in Côte d’Ivoire

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National Symposium of Religious Leaders, Kings and Traditional Leaders for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence in Côte d’Ivoire on the theme: “Contribution of religious leaders, kings and traditional leaders in the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire: What synergy for the promotion of the culture of peace and non-violence?”organized by the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Foundation for Peace Research with the financial support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Yamoussoukro on 13 and 14 August 2019.

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Apollo 11: Message from President Félix Houphouët-Boigny

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Message of good will from President Félix Houphouët-Boigny on the occasion of the first steps on the Moon of astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969, 50 years ago.

In 2018, James R. Hansen recounts in the preface to a reissue of First Man – The First Man on the Moon, an interview he had in 2009 with Neil Armstrong, during which he was quoted the three messages that most impressed him:

  • Félix Houphouët-Boigny for Côte d’Ivoire;
  • Baudouin for Belgium;
  • José Joaquín Trejos Fernández for Costa Rica.

Message:

I am very thankful for NASA’s kind attention in offering me the
services of the first human messenger to set foot on the Moon and
carry the words of the Ivory Coast.

I would hope that when this passenger from the sky leaves
man’s imprint on lunar soil, he will feel how proud we are to
belong to the generation which has accomplished this feat.

I hope also that he would tell the Moon how beautiful it is
when it illuminates the nights of the Ivory Coast.

I especially wish that he would turn towards our planet
Earth and cry out how insignificant the problems which torture
men are, when viewed from up there.

May his word, descending from the sky, find in the Cosmos
the force and light which will permit him to convince humanity
of the beauty of progress in brotherhood and peace.

Conference on the New Silk Roads

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On Saturday, June 15, 2019, a conference was held at the headquarters of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Foundation for Peace Research in Yamoussoukro on the theme: “The New Silk Roads, Opportunities for Africa: The Case of Côte d’Ivoire”. This conference, organized by the Association pour la Sauvegarde et la Promotion de la Pensée d’El Hadj-Boubacar Gamby Sakho (ASPP-BGS) in partnership with the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Foundation for Peace Research, brought together about four hundred students, mainly from the Institut National Polytechnique Houphouët-Boigny de Yamoussoukro. The objectives were: to improve China’s knowledge and visibility in Côte d’Ivoire, to present the Chinese development model, with particular emphasis on the crucial role played by the “Silk Road”; to lay the foundations for the bilateral partnership between Côte d’Ivoire and China, between Chinese and Ivorian industrialists, between Chinese and Ivorian researchers and to raise the impact of Chinese culture on the harmonious development of Côte d’Ivoire.

The series of speeches began with that of Professor Jean-Noël LOUCOU, Secretary General of the FHB Foundation. He expressed his institution’s pleasure in hosting this meeting and the great personalities. He did not fail to greet the ASPP-BGS association by highlighting the qualities of the one whose name it bears, the Confucius Institute which helps to promote the Chinese language and culture and the eminent speakers.

As for Mr Boubacar FOFANA, President of the ASPP-BGS Association, he thanked the personalities present and all the audience before indicating the values embodied by the one whose name the association bears, namely the rapprochement between men, cultures and civilizations.
The series of speeches ended with that of Mr Liu YUNSHENG, Director of the Confucius Institute, whose speech focused on the theme: “Equity is a thought of sustainable development for the objective of living together”.

Two conferences were given on the following themes: “Presentation of the new Silk Roads: opportunities for Africa, the case of Côte d’Ivoire” and “Africa and the new Silk Roads: cultural and strategic approach”.

The first lecture was given by Mr. Sébastien PÉRIMONY of the Schiller Institute. The speaker first presented the purpose of the project, which is to put an end to centuries of conflict, war and colonialism. The aim is to put an end to a conception of the economy that favours the strongest and move on to a world of mutual development, co-development and dialogue between cultures. He then described the history of the New Silk Roads Project.

The second lecture was delivered by Mr Pierre FAYARD, Professor Emeritus at the University of Poitiers. The speaker developed the theme: “Africa and the new silk routes: a cultural and strategic approach” around culture, the economy and the strategy of conquest. He concluded by justifying the project for the new Silk Roads with the strategic argument that only those who see far can win.

After the series of questions to the speakers by the audience, the conference ended with a visit to an image exhibition presented by the Confucius Institute.

11th Edition of the Abidjan International Book Fair

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The 11th edition of the Abidjan International Book Fair (SILA 2019) was held from May 15 to 19, 2019 at the Palais de la Culture in Treichville. This edition, which had as its theme: “the book, my daily companion”, was an opportunity to bring all social strata closer to the question of the book. SILA remains a platform for interaction between book professionals from all walks of life, a time for capacity building and sharing experiences. Workshops, round tables and book signings of literary works have been organized for this purpose. The writer Véronique TADJO was the guest of honour of SILA 2019.

The Félix Houphouët-Boigny Foundation Editions (FHB Editions) did not remain on the sidelines of this great event by promoting its literary products. At the stand of the FHB Foundation publishing house, authors signed their books published in 2018, notably Professor Jean-Noël LOUCOU for “Speeches and Messages by Félix Houphouët-Boigny”, Doctor René-Pierre ANOUMA for “Côte d’Ivoire, Naissance et Devenir d’une nation”, Mrs Sophie BOATING for the comic strip “Félix Houphouët-Boigny”, Professor Amani N’GORAN for “Le Psychodrame Œdipien, Enjeu psychodynamique pour le jeu de Football” and Mr Jérôme Kouakou YA for “Hommage Publics à Félix Houphouët-Boigny”.

The Sila 2019 Grand Prize went to Mr. Hermann GAUDE, with his novel “Comrade Papa”.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Mr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, Winner of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Prize for the peace research 2019

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Mr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, is the winner of the 2019 edition of the UNESCO Félix Houphouët-Boigny Prize for the peace research.
He was appointed on April 29, 2019 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris by the new jury of this prize consisting of:
– Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of Liberia, Nobel Peace Laureate, and Chair of the Jury (Liberia),
– Mr. Forest Whitaker, actor, director and producer, Founder of the NGO Peace and Develop Initiative, Special Envoy of UNESCO (United States of America),
– His Excellency Mr. François Hollande, former President of the French Republic, former laureate of the Houphouët-Boigny Prize, Vice-President of the Jury (France),
– S.A.S Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, Princess of Jordan, UNESCO Special Envoy for Science for Peace (Kingdom of Jordan),
– Mr. Michel Camdessus, former director of the International Monetary Fund (France).
– Professor Muhammad Yunus, economist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (Bangladesh).