People & Lifestyle
2020 Francophonie Festival 14th – 21st March 2020
The Francophone Embassies in Ghana cordially invite you to the opening ceremony of the 2020 Francophonie Festival to be held at Alliance Française of Accra on Saturday 14th of March, in the presence of H.E Shirley BOTCHWEY, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr. Saidou Alpha KANE, Director of the West African Regional Office of the International Organisation of Francophonie (IOF), as well as the Francophone Ambassadors in Ghana.
The International Day of la Francophonie is celebrated on the 20th of March every year all over the world. However, 2020 is a special year as it marks the 50th anniversary of Francophonie. The event has been certified by the OIF in the framework of that anniversary, along with many events in the world.
This year, the week will be opened by a Beninese music band, the Bénin International Musical – BIM. A musical project initiated by Radio France, the French radio public network, it aims at raising awareness about Beninese music and valorising the voodoo culture. After a tour in North America with, notably, a show in the internationally renowned Carnegie Hall in New York, BIM has chosen Accra to start its African tour.
As every year, the Francophone Embassies in Ghana together with Alliance Française organise various events during this entire week. Francophonie, with its cultural and linguistic diversity, will be celebrated in a joyful atmosphere: concert, film screenings, job application workshops, competition in French, meet-up with an author, and children’s performance.
Ghana has, since 2006, had the status of associate member within the IOF. The Francophone community in Ghana commends the tremendous efforts of the country to improve regional integration through the development of the French language. That engagement has been put on paper through the signature of the linguistic Pact between Ghana and the IOF on May 15th, 2018. The latter counts, among its priorities, the reinforcement of the status of French in the educational system, the media and public area, with the aim of becoming a permanent member of the IOF.
The Francophonie Festival in Ghana therefore represents a unique opportunity to meet francophone persons and develop partnerships with the francophone communities. Out of the 88-member states of the IOF, 22 of them have a diplomatic representation in Ghana. These are Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Canada, Czech Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, France, Gabon, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Lebanon, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Switzerland, and Togo.
The term “Francophonie” refers to all the states and governments worldwide who share the French language. The International Organization of La Francophonie represents one of the biggest linguistic zones in the world. Its mission is to embody the active solidarity among its 88-member states and governments (54 full members, 7 associates and 27 observers), which together represent over one- third of the United Nations’ member states and account for a population of over 890 million people, including 300 million French speakers.
IOF organises political activities alongside the four main objectives which it has been assigned:
To promote the French language, cultural and linguistic diversity,
To promote peace, democracy and human rights
To support education, training, higher education institutions and research To foster cooperation in favour of sustainable development.
The organisation has its headquarters in Paris, France, with regional offices all over the world, including the West African Regional Office (BRAO) in Lomé, Togo.
SATURDAY 14 MARCH
Les “Matinales de l’Association des Parents d’Elèves”
10:00 am – 1:00 pm, Lycée Français d’Accra.
Opening ceremony – BIM – Bénin International Musical (Bénin)
Alliance Française d’Accra. VIP cocktail: 6:30 pm Concert: 7:30 pm
SUNDAY 15 MARCH
Movie “Rock the Casbah”, Laïla Marrakchi (Morocco)
2:30 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.
Movie “L’Or vert”, Sergio Ghizzardi (Belgium)
6:30 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.
MONDAY 16 MARCH
Movie “Aya de Yopougon”, Marguerite Abouet et Clément Oubrerie (Ivory Coast)
6:30 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.
TUESDAY 17 MARCH
La Grande Dictée
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm, University of Ghana, Legon- LECIAD Examination Hall / CCB Auditorium, KNUST. –
registration needed
Movie “Le Mystère Henri Pick”, Rémi Bezançon (France)
6:30 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.
WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH
Flag-raising of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie 9:00 am, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration,
Meet-up with the author Gauz’ (Ivory Coast)
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm, University of Ghana, Conference room, Maison Française. Movie “Bounty”, Shyaka Kagamé (Switzerland)
6:00 pm, French Department, University of Cape Coast.
Movie “Hochelaga, Terre des Âmes”, François Girard (Canada)
6:30 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.
THURSDAY 19 MARCH
Meet-up with the author Gauz’ (Ivory Coast)
10:00 am – 12:15 pm, Lycée Français d’Accra.
Professional Day
2:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.– registration needed Movie “Andalousie, mon amour”, Mohamed Nadif (Morocco)
6:00 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.
Movie “Ghadi”, Amin Dora, preceded by short movies (Lebanon)
8:00 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.
FRIDAY 20 MARCH
Finale of the contest “Vive la Francophonie – Lady Julia”
10:00 am, KNUST.
Movie “La Miséricorde de la Jungle”, Joël Karekezi (Rwanda)
6:30 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.
SATURDAY 21 MARCH
Fête de la Francophonie
10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.
Awards ceremony “CompuGhana” Concours des collèges et des lycées, organised by the CREF
(Centres Régionaux pour l’Enseignement du Français). 3:00 pm Awards ceremony “CompuGhana” of the Grande Dictée
Lottery (sponsored by Royal Air Maroc which offers two flights to Marocco)
Children show “Welcome to Abrakadabraka”, Segun Ola Creation company
5:30 pm, Alliance Française d’Accra.
Not to mention activities in Kumasi.
For more information: culture.ifg@gmail.com / scac.accra-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr