The fourth Lomé meeting was held in the Togolese capital from November 22 to 26. Due to pandemic restrictions, around 50 representatives of French-speaking Christian media outlets were able to attend the event in person. Some 500 people logged on to the internet to follow the event either in part or in full. Olivia Beugre from Côte d'Ivoire gave an update on FOMECAF's activities during the closing ceremony. Echoes.
"The sustainability of our forum is only possible with the support of each and every one of you!" With these words, Olivia Beugre concluded her review at the closing ceremony of the fourth edition of the Lomé meetings, held from November 22 to 26. The editor-in-chief of Radio La Voix de l'Espérance in Abidjan welcomed the presence of some 50 journalists, presenters, and radio directors from 13 French-speaking African countries. In addition, some 500 people connected via Zoom, YouTube, or Facebook to follow the discussions, which focused on the theme of "Media and the Generation Gap."
Develop a partnership with AbR
As spokesperson for the ten leaders responsible for the Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa (FOMECAF), Olivia Beugre outlined some prospects for future joint activities. First, there will be a partnership with AbR Media, a mainly English-speaking media network that offers support to Christian radio stations across the African continent.
The woman from La Voix de l’espérance radio station also noted that Dodji Juliette Kpessou from Radio Hosanna in Porto-Novo (Benin) and Benjamin Holl from Radio Vie nouvelle in Douala (Cameroon) would take over the running of the press agency, which publishes various written and radio contributions on the FOMECAF website. They will be supported by Joseph Ykio Gnahoua and Franceline Sehi from Côte d'Ivoire.
Promoting the satellite radio station "New Life"
FOMECAF officials have also decided to promote the French-language satellite radio station Nouvelle Vie within their organization, in order to enable the resumption of broadcasts by this partner. In addition, a web radio bank will be available online with a view to resuming certain programs that may be of interest to local radio stations, which sometimes lack original content.
From a structural point of view, Olivia Beugre also noted that a transitional body would be created to better involve Africans in the organization of FOMECAF meetings and training programs.
An award presented to Abdoulaye Cissé, radio director in Timbuktu
At the end of the closing ceremony, Emmanuel Ziehli presented the François Sergy Award to Abdoulaye Cissé, director of Radio Tahanint (mercy) in Timbuktu (Mali). A pastor in the Evangelical Baptist Church of Timbuktu, Abdoulaye has distinguished himself by his courage in continuing his Christian witness in a context particularly threatened by radical Islam. In 2012, after the radio station was looted, Abdoulaye's home was also ransacked. In 2017, three young people were murdered in front of Radio Tahanint, including two of the station's presenters. In addition to his radio and pastoral activities, Abdoulaye Cissé also broadcasts Christian programs on some 40 radio stations in northern Mali, for which he is paid. (c)
Box
The Lomé meetings in brief
The "Lomé" meetings began in January 2019. They offer Christian media professionals from French-speaking Africa the opportunity to receive a week of training and to network in order to develop a dynamic of exchange between professionals from different countries.
In January 2019, Radio Réveil en Suisse, an association that produces radio programs for the entire French-speaking world, decided to mark its 70th anniversary by inviting its radio partners in Africa to a training session in Lomé. Around 100 people took part in the event and signed the Lomé Declaration of Lomé. The signatories pledged to renounce competition between evangelical and Protestant radio stations and to pool resources to improve the quality of their programs.
During the second edition of the Lomé meetings, the 170 or so participants engaged in a discussion on the theme "Let's invent integral radio! ." They also decided to create the Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa (FOMECAF) with the following founding committee members: Olivia Adiko, journalist and editor-in-chief of La Voix de l'espérance (Ivory Coast), Dr. Alphonse Teyabe, communications consultant (Cameroon), Timothée Amegan, pastor and CEO of Médiafrique (Togo), and Emmanuel Ziehli, director of Radio Réveil (Switzerland).
In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lomé 3 offered around 50 participants in person and 100 online the opportunity to reflect on "Media convergence and job versatility."
The Lomé 1 report
The Lomé 2 report
The Lomé 3 report
Current members of the FOMECAF committee
The following individuals are members of the FOMECAF core network or committee: Olivia Adiko Beugre (Radio la Voix de l’Espérance; Abidjan), Dodji Juliette Kpessou (Radio Hosanna, Porto-Novo), Dr. Augustin Ahoga (theologian and anthropologist, Benin), Timothée Amegan (Médiafrique, Lomé), Illia Djadi (Open Doors, London), Blaise Gaïtou, director of YWAM Niger, Benjamin Holl (Radio Vie nouvelle, Douala), Etienne Kiemdé (Radio Évangile et développement, Ouagadougou), Koffi Ahonon (CICERI and Compassion, Lomé), Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho (TWR, Abidjan), Dr. Alphonse Teyabe (media consultant, Douala), and Emmanuel Ziehli (Radio Réveil France).
About:
Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa https://medias.africa/
Radio Réveil Suisse et France https://radioreveil.ch/ | https://radio-reveil.org/
AbR Medias South Africa: https://abrmedia.org/
Lomé 5: two secular actors crowned with the François Sergy Prize 2023
French-speaking AfricaThe Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa (FOMECAF) and the Radio Réveil Association are jointly awarding the 2023 François SERGY Prize to photographer Koudousse Moustapha from Benin and radio promoter Rabiou Hamadou from Niger.
On February 24, FOMECAF officials, in collaboration with the Franco-Swiss Association Radio Réveil, awarded an incentive prize to media specialists for the fourth time on the last day of the Lomé 5 seminar. This year, Koudousse Moustapha from Benin and Rabiou Hamadou from Niger won over the jury. The social impact of the former and the promotion of peace and "living together" by the latter are in line with the theme of the seminar that has just ended in Lomé, as well as the lessons taught by FOMECAF since 2019.
The François Sergy Prize honors participants in the Lomé seminars who have distinguished themselves by putting into practice the lessons learned during the five seminars organized since 2019 in the Togolese capital.
Beninese photographer receives award
Koudousse Moustapaha, a young photojournalist from Benin, runs Kovart Digital School, a photography school founded just one year ago in Porto-Novo, the capital of Benin. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in a photography course in 2017, a media activity that was already his passion. He obtained his certificate of professional qualification (CQM) in 2020. His talent was quickly spotted. Among his assignments, it is worth noting one for the Presidency of Benin, which has placed its trust in him. Koudousse Moustapaha participated in the Lomé 4 seminar and has since distinguished himself through the quality of his work. Armed with the knowledge he gained, he started "Kovart Digital School" a few weeks later, a project involved in social action. This school is located in a disadvantaged neighborhood.
A radio personality from Maradi
Rabiou Hamadou is the second recipient of the François Sergy Award. A Nigerian national, he is the promoter of Radio Nagarta in Maradi, Niger. His editorial line gives a voice to the entire social, cultural, and religious mosaic that populates this region in the east of his country, which is plagued by instability due to armed jihadist groups not far away. "I dedicate this award to all the victims of the Russian-Ukrainian war and their families," he said as he received his award. It did not escape this media sleuth that the award was presented to him exactly one year after the outbreak of war in Europe. (c)
About the François Sergy Prize
The François Sergy Prize was established in 2019. In conjunction with FOMECAF, it pays tribute to a particularly deserving media activity, in memory of journalist François Sergy, a contributor to Radio Réveil who has since passed away and who was himself of African origin. In 2019, Dodji Juliette Kpessou received the award for her series of columns "O2Vie." Jean-Luc Simbilyabo from the DRC was honored in 2020 for his contributions in Ituri (eastern Congo). In 2021, Abdoualye Cissé was honored for his work and perseverance in Timbuktu (Mali).
More information about the other recipients of the François Sergy Award:
About FOMECAF
Since 2019, the Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa (FOMECAF) has brought together the signatories of the " the Lomé Declaration ," which brings together actors from the religious media in French-speaking Africa once a year.
More information about FOMECAF.
The Lomé 5 meetings: an assessment with Illia Djadi and Emmanuel Ziehli
Ebène MediaEncouraging journalists, presenters, and technicians working for Christian radio stations in French-speaking Africa is the aim of the Lomé meetings. From February 20 to 24, Emmanuel Ziehli, director of Radio R, traveled to Lomé to take part in the fifth edition of this seminar. The theme was: "Media: tools for peace in a world in conflict." A review of this event can be found in "Un R d'Actu" on RADIO R.
On Tuesday, March 7, Emmanuel Ziehli, director of Radio R, and Illia Djadi, analyst for the NGO Open Doors, reviewed the fifth edition of the Lomé meetings organized by FOMECAF (Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa).
This year, these networking and continuing education meetings, aimed in particular at journalists, presenters, and directors of religious radio stations in French-speaking Africa, addressed the theme: "Media: tools for peace in a world in conflict."
Illia Djadi was the keynote speaker. He encouraged the 70 or so participants to use radio as a tool to promote coexistence and give everyone a voice on Christian radio stations, including representatives of the Muslim community. (c)
Listen to the program "Un R d'Actu" with Illia Djadi (Open Doors), Emmanuel Ziehli (Radio Réveil), Abdoulaye Cissé (Mali), and Alphonse Teyabé (Cameroon).
LOME 5: MEDIA AS TOOLS FOR PEACE IN A WORLD IN CONFLICT
Christian media in French-speaking Africa, Médias EbèneMore than 70 Christian media professionals from French-speaking Africa will gather at the OCDI in Lomé from February 20 to 24, 2023, with the aim of strengthening their capacities and exchanging ideas within the framework of the Forum des Medias Chrétiens d'Afrique Francophone (FOMECAF). Illia Djadi, journalist and human rights defender, will be the keynote speaker at this fifth edition, which will focus on the theme "Media: Tools for Peace in a World in Conflict." Under the patronage of the Ministry of Communication and Media, its minister, Professor Akodah Ayewouadan, will be the guest of honor at the opening ceremony.
FOMECAF is meeting for the fifth time in the Togolese capital. More than 70 participants from nearly 15 countries are expected to attend this important gathering of Christian media from French-speaking Africa. In addition, after two editions organized despite the Covid pandemic
, this edition marks the return of four practical workshops led by distinguished international guests: Joël Pelet, Director of Canal Alpha television in Switzerland; Christian Gaspoz, Director of Radios Ébène Développement in Paris; Denis Steffen, radio consultant and member of the board of directors of Radio Réveil, and Pierre-Yves Mutrux, project manager for the international organization Galcom in Canada. The Swiss association Radio Réveil is co-organizing the event for the last time and is represented by its president, Emmanuel Ziehli. This edition marks the end of a transition process, with the future now belonging exclusively to African leaders.
Illia DJADI, keynote speaker for this edition
In a world shaken by repeated conflicts that disrupt the economy and life in nations, Illia DJADI, drawing on his experience as an analyst, will provide his peers with insights into the issue of conflict on the continent and the tools needed to intervene in the context of peacekeeping.
He will find the best words to help the journalists participating in this meeting understand how to be "tools of peace" when peace is threatened in their coverage area. Throughout his presentation, he will return to the issues of conflict in Africa and around the world; radio and social media as possible weapons of mass destruction; and what could be the
contribution of the media in conflict prevention...
Appointed keynote speaker, Illia DJADI is responsible for issues of religious freedom and belief in Sub-Saharan Africa on behalf of the international NGO Open Doors. Illia is an expert in this field and speaks in the media and at international forums to raise awareness about the rise of religious extremism in Africa and the dangers threatening "living together" on the continent. Originally from Niger, he lives in London, where he has been actively involved in the development of FOMECAF for several years.
Lomé 5 in plenary sessions and workshops
Lomé is once again in plenary-workshop format. The plenary sessions, which will be held every morning, will be moments of great edification with experienced speakers who are well-equipped on the subject. Accustomed to seminars and fully involved in establishing media convergence in Africa, the various leaders will, one after the other over five days, develop topics that will help equip participants to become true actors in easing tensions on the continent.
The return of practical workshops in the afternoons will also bring added value to participants. Four workshops are offered to participants, including "Sound in the Studio" by Pierre-Yves Mutrux, "Filmed Radio" by Joël Pelet, and "FM Transmitter" by Christian Gaspot.
Internet broadcasting and leadership
The plenary sessions and workshops of Lomé 5 will be broadcast live and then recorded on FOMECAF's various channels, particularly Facebook and YouTube.
The leaders of FOMECAF will work on issues concerning the new direction to be taken by the organization. These five meetings are one of the major activities of Lomé 5 (c).
About FOMECAF
FOMECAF was founded in Lomé in 2019 on the sidelines of media training seminars.
It brings together around 50 religious media actors in French-speaking Africa.
Its leadership consists of:
1. Dr. Abdoualye Sangho, Trans World Radio (TWR), Ivory Coast
2. Dr. Etienne Kiemdé, Radio Évangile et Développement, Burkina Faso
3. Illia Djadi, Open Doors London
4. Olivia Beugre, Radio la Voix de l’Espérance, Ivory Coast
5. Juliette Kpessou, Radio Hosanna, Benin
6. Rev. Timothée Amegan, Mediaafrique media training, Togo
7. Dr. Alphonse Teyabé, media consultant, Cameroon
8. Benjamin Holl, Radio Vie Nouvelle, Cameroon
9. Dr. Augustin Ahoga, theologian and sociologist, Benin
10. Blaise Gaïtou, National Director of JEM, Niger
11. Koffi Ahonon, National Director of Compassion, Togo
12. Mawuena Abotschi, Permanent Secretary in Lomé, Togo
The names in bold make up the executive committee. Two international players are joining us for the last time this year:
13. Emmanuel Ziehli, President of Radio Réveil, France
14. Henriette Saindon, Secretary of Africa by Radio, South Africa
Download the press release
FOMECAF enters into partnership with AbR and launches news agency
French-speaking Africa, Ebène MediaThe fourth Lomé meeting was held in the Togolese capital from November 22 to 26. Due to pandemic restrictions, around 50 representatives of French-speaking Christian media outlets were able to attend the event in person. Some 500 people logged on to the internet to follow the event either in part or in full. Olivia Beugre from Côte d'Ivoire gave an update on FOMECAF's activities during the closing ceremony. Echoes.
"The sustainability of our forum is only possible with the support of each and every one of you!" With these words, Olivia Beugre concluded her review at the closing ceremony of the fourth edition of the Lomé meetings, held from November 22 to 26. The editor-in-chief of Radio La Voix de l'Espérance in Abidjan welcomed the presence of some 50 journalists, presenters, and radio directors from 13 French-speaking African countries. In addition, some 500 people connected via Zoom, YouTube, or Facebook to follow the discussions, which focused on the theme of "Media and the Generation Gap."
Develop a partnership with AbR
As spokesperson for the ten leaders responsible for the Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa (FOMECAF), Olivia Beugre outlined some prospects for future joint activities. First, there will be a partnership with AbR Media, a mainly English-speaking media network that offers support to Christian radio stations across the African continent.
The woman from La Voix de l’espérance radio station also noted that Dodji Juliette Kpessou from Radio Hosanna in Porto-Novo (Benin) and Benjamin Holl from Radio Vie nouvelle in Douala (Cameroon) would take over the running of the press agency, which publishes various written and radio contributions on the FOMECAF website. They will be supported by Joseph Ykio Gnahoua and Franceline Sehi from Côte d'Ivoire.
Promoting the satellite radio station "New Life"
FOMECAF officials have also decided to promote the French-language satellite radio station Nouvelle Vie within their organization, in order to enable the resumption of broadcasts by this partner. In addition, a web radio bank will be available online with a view to resuming certain programs that may be of interest to local radio stations, which sometimes lack original content.
From a structural point of view, Olivia Beugre also noted that a transitional body would be created to better involve Africans in the organization of FOMECAF meetings and training programs.
An award presented to Abdoulaye Cissé, radio director in Timbuktu
At the end of the closing ceremony, Emmanuel Ziehli presented the François Sergy Award to Abdoulaye Cissé, director of Radio Tahanint (mercy) in Timbuktu (Mali). A pastor in the Evangelical Baptist Church of Timbuktu, Abdoulaye has distinguished himself by his courage in continuing his Christian witness in a context particularly threatened by radical Islam. In 2012, after the radio station was looted, Abdoulaye's home was also ransacked. In 2017, three young people were murdered in front of Radio Tahanint, including two of the station's presenters. In addition to his radio and pastoral activities, Abdoulaye Cissé also broadcasts Christian programs on some 40 radio stations in northern Mali, for which he is paid. (c)
Box
The Lomé meetings in brief
The "Lomé" meetings began in January 2019. They offer Christian media professionals from French-speaking Africa the opportunity to receive a week of training and to network in order to develop a dynamic of exchange between professionals from different countries.
In January 2019, Radio Réveil en Suisse, an association that produces radio programs for the entire French-speaking world, decided to mark its 70th anniversary by inviting its radio partners in Africa to a training session in Lomé. Around 100 people took part in the event and signed the Lomé Declaration of Lomé. The signatories pledged to renounce competition between evangelical and Protestant radio stations and to pool resources to improve the quality of their programs.
During the second edition of the Lomé meetings, the 170 or so participants engaged in a discussion on the theme "Let's invent integral radio! ." They also decided to create the Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa (FOMECAF) with the following founding committee members: Olivia Adiko, journalist and editor-in-chief of La Voix de l'espérance (Ivory Coast), Dr. Alphonse Teyabe, communications consultant (Cameroon), Timothée Amegan, pastor and CEO of Médiafrique (Togo), and Emmanuel Ziehli, director of Radio Réveil (Switzerland).
In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lomé 3 offered around 50 participants in person and 100 online the opportunity to reflect on "Media convergence and job versatility."
The Lomé 1 report
The Lomé 2 report
The Lomé 3 report
Current members of the FOMECAF committee
The following individuals are members of the FOMECAF core network or committee: Olivia Adiko Beugre (Radio la Voix de l’Espérance; Abidjan), Dodji Juliette Kpessou (Radio Hosanna, Porto-Novo), Dr. Augustin Ahoga (theologian and anthropologist, Benin), Timothée Amegan (Médiafrique, Lomé), Illia Djadi (Open Doors, London), Blaise Gaïtou, director of YWAM Niger, Benjamin Holl (Radio Vie nouvelle, Douala), Etienne Kiemdé (Radio Évangile et développement, Ouagadougou), Koffi Ahonon (CICERI and Compassion, Lomé), Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho (TWR, Abidjan), Dr. Alphonse Teyabe (media consultant, Douala), and Emmanuel Ziehli (Radio Réveil France).
About:
Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa https://medias.africa/
Radio Réveil Suisse et France https://radioreveil.ch/ | https://radio-reveil.org/
AbR Medias South Africa: https://abrmedia.org/
This year's François Sergy Prize goes to Abdoulaye Cissé, radio director in Timbuktu.
Christian media in French-speaking Africa, Médias Ebène"I dedicate this award to all those who lost their lives because of their faith!" Abdoulaye Cissé is the director of Radio Tahanint in Timbuktu, Mali. A pastor and businessman at heart, he received the François Sergy Award on Friday, November 26, in Lomé, Togo, during the closing ceremony of the fourth training week for Christian media professionals in French-speaking Africa. Deeply moved, the 55-year-old man, dressed in a traditional yellow boubou, added that he was also dedicating this award to his mentor, Abdoulaye Sangho, Trans World Radio's international director for West and Central Africa, one of the main speakers at Lomé 4, who was present that day.
French-speaking Africa: from November 22 to 26, Lomé 4 will focus on the theme "Youth and the Media."
French-speaking Africa, Ebène MediaPress release
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, FOMECAF officials have decided to organize a fourth edition of the Lomé meetings from November 22 to 26, 2021. They will focus on the theme "Youth and Media" and will welcome Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho, Director of TWR Africa, as their main guest. The event will be broadcast publicly on the web, but the number of participants attending in person will be limited to around 50.
The fourth annual meeting of Christian media professionals from French-speaking Africa will take place from November 22 to 26, 2021, in Lomé. The theme will be "Youth and Media." "We are seeing a generational divide in the French-speaking Christian world of Africa," explains Pastor Etienne Kiemdé, director of Radio Évangile Développement in Burkina Faso. An older generation no longer speaks the language, music, and means of communication of young people, 63% of whom are under 24 in West Africa!(1)" For many Christian leaders, the risk of failing to pass on the faith is now very high. "It is time to reach out to young Africans, and it is up to radio to set an example," adds Pastor Etienne Kiemdé.
Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho as keynote speaker
The keynote speaker was unanimously chosen to be Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho, director of TWR Africa, a recognized and influential specialist in the African Christian radio landscape. Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho, originally from Mali, lives and works in Côte d'Ivoire. He is the author of several books. He is also a Commander of the National Order for his contribution to the development of faith in Côte d'Ivoire.
Number of speakers recorded on video
Lomé 4 will be similar to Lomé 3. Fifty (50) carefully selected individuals will be invited to attend plenary meetings and workshops in person. These meetings will be broadcast live and recorded on the various social media channels of FOMECAF (Forum des médias chrétiens d’Afrique francophone), particularly Facebook and YouTube. For the record, around 100 people took these training courses online in 2020.
The afternoons will provide an opportunity for FOMECAF leaders to continue laying the foundations for the forum's activities and to devise a program for 2022.
Most of the speakers will be recorded on video. They will thus continue to enrich the radio/press training video library launched in 2020 by the previous edition of the Lomé meetings (2).
Despite the difficult health situation
The decision to organize Lomé 4 was made by FOMECAF leaders who met via videoconference on Friday, July 30. They assessed the health situation in West and Central Africa as well as in Europe. For the time being, travel remains very complicated and particularly expensive due to the pandemic. Despite this, the FOMECAF leadership confirmed that Lomé 4 would go ahead and reasonably postponed the organization of the national event "FOMECAF Benin" until spring 2022. The leaders of FOMECAF have given CICERI Lomé and Radio Réveil France, specifically Mr. Koffi Ahonon and Mr. Emmanuel Ziehli, the mandate to organize the event. (c)
The FOMECAF website (Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa): https://medias.africa/
More information:
Africa: Pastor Étienne Kiemdé, Director of Radio Évangile Développement in Burkina Faso. Tel. + 226 70 38 81 83. Email: ekiem1[at]gmail.com. Website: https://medias.africa/
Europe: ÉEmmanuel Ziehli, Director of Radio Réveil France. Tel. +33 06 52 02 89 42. Email: emmanuel.ziehli[at]radioreveil.ch. Website: https://radio-reveil.org/
Notes:
1 See: https://www.populationpyramid.net/sources
2 See: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkEVvei_tLkEfTaJn31DTsQ/playlists
Box
The Lomé meetings in brief
The "Lomé" meetings began in January 2019. They offer Christian media professionals from French-speaking Africa the opportunity to receive a week of training and to network in order to develop a dynamic of exchange between professionals from different countries.
In January 2019, Radio Réveil en Suisse, an association that produces radio programs for the entire French-speaking world, decided to mark its 70th anniversary by inviting its radio partners in Africa to a training session in Lomé. Around 100 people took part in the event and signed the Declaration. of Lomé. The signatories pledged to renounce competition between evangelical and Protestant radio stations and to pool resources to improve the quality of their programs.
During the second edition of the Lomé meetings, the 170 or so participants engaged in a discussion on the theme "Let's invent integral radio!" ." They also decided to create the Forum of Christian Media in French-speaking Africa (FOMECAF) with the following founding committee members: Olivia Adiko, journalist and editor-in-chief of La Voix de l'espérance (Ivory Coast), Dr. Alphonse Teyabe, communications consultant (Cameroon), Timothée Amegan, pastor and CEO of Médiafrique (Togo), and Emmanuel Ziehli, director of Radio Réveil (Switzerland).
In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lomé 3 offered around 50 participants in person and around 100 online the opportunity to reflect on "Media convergence and job versatility."
The Lomé 1 report: https//bit.ly/lome-1
The Lomé 2 report: https://bit.ly/lome-deux
The Lomé 3 report: https://bit.ly/Lome3
Box
Members of the FOMECAF committee
The following individuals are members of the FOMECAF core network or steering committee: Olivia Adiko Beugre(Radio la Voix de l’Espérance, Abidjan), Timothée Amegan(Médiafrique, Lomé), Etienne Kiemdé(Radio Évangile et développement, Ouagadougou), Koffi Ahonon(CICERI and Compassion Togo, Lomé), Dr.Abdoulaye Sangho(TWR, Abidjan), Dr. Alphonse Teyabe(media consultant, Yaoundé), and Emmanuel Ziehli(Radio Réveil France).
Tribute to Alain Normand, 1939–2021
Ebène MediaRadio personality, pastor, evangelist, film producer, musician, writer...AlainNormandpassed away on June 29, 2021, at the age of 82.
Alainwas born on May 21, 1939, in the French city of Cannes, four years after his brother Guy and four months before the start of World War II. His father was called up for military service. A prisoner of war, he returned ill from a German camp and died a few months after the end of the war.
Alainregularly accompanied his mother to an evangelical church and, at the age of twelve, he decided to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. A year later, he moved to Geneva because his mother remarried a Swiss man.
In Geneva,Alaindiscovers a new evangelical church. He obtains a Federal Certificate of Competence (FCC) in administration, discovers the guitar, and wins a championship in a junior team at Servette Football Club.
In 1958,Alainbegan theological training in England at the International Bible Training Institute. At the end of his training, he was summoned to the French Consulate in London to perform his military service in the French army. Because he was a conscientious objector, he was recruited as a paratrooper-nurse, without weapons. Trained in parachuting and nursing, he went to Algeria, which was at war, and mainly cared for soldiers. This period gave him the opportunity to experience many human and spiritual adventures. He meditated particularly on these words of Jesus: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9).
After being demobilized,Alainleft for Frankfurt. He wanted to learn German, but also to learn to love Germans in the name of Christ. There, he worked in an American bank, attended an evangelical church, and continued to study the guitar. Upon returning to Geneva, he decided to commit himself more radically to the service of God. A friend from his church said to him, "Radio Réveil in Lugano is looking for an employee. You're really cut out for it!"
Read his full biography written by Claude-Alain Baehler and published on July 4, 2021, on lafree.info.
Listen to these four short stories produced by Alain Normand, taken from the archives of the Cassette Service.
FOMECAF two online meetings in May
French-speaking AfricaLomé, May 21, 2021,
With the aim of strengthening ties between members and continuing the training courses initiated in Lomé, FOMECAF is organizing two online meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 25 and 26, 2021.
On the agenda:
Tuesday, May 25, 2:00 p.m. GMT:
The principles of effective communication
Freely inspired by Valérie Geller's bestseller "Puissance radio" (Radio Power). Some of the points that will be covered:
Speaker: Denis Stephen, Director of Stephanas Conseils in Lyon
Denis entered the world of radio as co-founder of Radio Certitude in 1982 (now Phare FM Grenoble), so it's fair to say he's no novice.
After two years of audiovisual training at the University of Grenoble, he moved to Paris and was elected secretary and then president of the FRTC (Federation of Christian Radio and Television Stations). He was also a member of the board of directors of the CNRA (National Confederation of Community Radio Stations). Denis Stephen currently advises radio stations on their applications to the CSA (Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel, the French broadcasting authority) and is developing a training course entitled "Create and manage a Christian radio station," the first two lessons of which are available online.
The link to the training session will be shared in the FOMECAF WhatsApp group on Tuesday morning, May 25. If you are not a member of FOMECAF but would still like to participate in this training session, please leave your contact details here https://medias.africa/contact/ A valid email address + a phone number = a guaranteed response.
Wednesday, May 26, 2:00 p.m. GMT:
Full radio coverage: it's your turn to speak!
In January 2019, around 100 radio stations and media outlets in Lomé 1 realized their desire to work together http://bit.ly/lome-1 without competing with each other. On this occasion, they signed the Lomé Declaration http://bit.ly/DeclarationLome arguing in particular that "Christian radio programs in French-speaking Africa should be more concerned with the concrete needs of the population. The Gospel should be proclaimed in a holistic manner, in the image of Jesus Christ, who touched his contemporaries by responding to the needs of the body, soul, and spirit." That same year, these actors came together around the concept of "holistic radio" http://bit.ly/lome-deux . It is now May 2021, so what's new? During this online seminar, you will have the opportunity to share your experiences with "integral radio."
Host: Etienne Kiemdé, CEO of Radio Évangile et Développement in Ouagadougou
The debate was moderated by Pastor Etienne Kiemdé, CEO of Radio Évangile et Développement, which has eight stations based in Burkina Faso. http://red-burkina.org . He is a key figure in the Lomé seminars, a member of the FOMECAF working group, and probably, more than 20 years ago, the inventor of the concept of development adapted to radio broadcasting. At 58, this father is also a pastor, trained in Denmark, France, and England. Upon his return to the African continent, he embraced the radio ministry as a matter of urgency. Before FOMECAF, he was behind several attempts to network French-speaking Christian radio stations in Africa.
For more information: https://radio-reveil.org
The link to the training session will be shared in the FOMECAF WhatsApp group on Tuesday morning, May 25. If you are not a member of FOMECAF but would still like to participate in this training session, please leave your contact details here https://medias.africa/contact/ A valid email address + a phone number = a guaranteed response.
FREE COLLEGE and Radio R on August 21: "Developing your skills to preach on the radio"
Christian media in French-speaking AfricaRadio R and FREE COLLEGE are offering a day of training in radio preaching with radio professionals on Saturday, August 21. Since the start of semi-lockdown in Switzerland in March 2020, Radio R, which broadcasts on DAB+, has opened its airwaves on Sundays to preachers, pastors, and church members so that they can deliver their sermons. This experiment has continued since then and has found its audience.
Think about a radio communication style
To reflect on how to speak on the radio and improve speakers' performances, Radio R and FREE COLLEGE are offering a one-day training course to explore a style of communication suited to radio, improve the quality of speakers' expression, and provide a supportive space for listening to one's own or others' presentations in order to improve.
A day hosted by radio professionals
This day, which will feature radio professionals such as Christine Reymond, Daniele Zagara, and Serge Carrel, is open to anyone interested in preaching on Radio R or who simply wants to improve their preaching skills. (c)
Download the flyer
The day's program (Coming soon)
"Developing your skills for preaching on the radio," a day of reflection co-organized by Radio R in Yverdon-les-Bains and the FREE COLLEGE on Saturday, August 21, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Radio R, Galilée 15, Y-Parc, 1400 Yverdon-les-Bains. Price: voluntary donation. Registration required: freecollege@lafree.ch or on the web. lafree.ch/free-college/journees
Religious extremism in Africa: Augustin Ahoga believes that "Africans must be re-evangelized."
French-speaking AfricaThe issue of religious extremism is a hot topic in Africa, which is under serious threat from jihadism. This raises questions about the role of Christians in such a context. For Augustin Ahoga, a pastor and teacher in Benin, the rise of religious extremism is linked to Christians abandoning African cultural values. Christians are developing a fear that prevents them from approaching jihadists with a different perspective. In order to reach these people, whose lives are generally stigmatized, Christians need training and to enter into authentic discipleship following Jesus of Nazareth.
Augustin Ahoga was one of the speakers at Lomé 3, a gathering of media professionals from French-speaking Africa organized by FOMECAF and Radio Réveil last November.
Read the rest of the interview on the website lafree.info