Supporting freedom of expression and the media: DW Akademie opens new office in Burkina Faso

DW Akademie's newly opened office in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso was established in cooperation with our partner organization Fasocheck. Numerous representatives from politics, media and media development cooperation attended the opening, including Dr. Andreas Pfaffernoschke, Germany's Ambassador to Burkina Faso, and Carsten von Nahmen, Managing Director of DW Akademie. Representatives from DW Akademie's partner organizations in Burkina Faso were present, such as EducommunicAfrik, Réseau d'Initiatives de Journalistes (RIJ), Centre National de Presse Norbert Zongo and four community radio stations.

Since launching its activities in Burkina Faso in 2015 – originally from a converted garage belonging to the Hanns Seidel Foundation – DW Akademie has continued to expand its activities there and, together with partner organizations, has coordinated numerous projects and workshops on media development. The goals have been to "give disadvantaged population groups a voice, initiate innovative dialog formats, network project sponsors and enhance mutual understanding," said DW Akademie Program Director, Carine Debrabandère.

New office signals ongoing success

DW Akademie has been registered as a non-governmental organization under Burkinabe law since 2020. For DW Akademie and its partner organizations, the new office signals ongoing success and appreciation of work on the ground.

Carsten von Nahmen, Managing Director, DW Akademie (left) and Boureima Salouka, Project Manager Burkina Faso, DW Akademie at the opening in Ouagadougou

For the past seven years, Burkina Faso has been rocked by terrorist attacks. More than 1.5 million people have been internally displaced, posing new challenges to society every day. DW Akademie's work in Burkina Faso – and since 2018 in the neighboring countries of Mali and Niger – is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Its projects have focused on developing innovative dialogue formats and the fight against misinformation and disinformation. "DW Akademie's presence in the crisis-ridden Sahel is crucial, especially given the current situation. With our local partner organization Fasocheck, for example, we continually take a stand against disinformation and 'fake news' in the region," said von Nahmen. DW Akademie's projects in Burkina Faso are also dedicated to promoting media literacy. Since 2022, partner organizations have increasingly worked with internally displaced persons.

DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle's center for international media development, journalism training and knowledge transfer. Our projects strengthen the human right to freedom of expression and unhindered access to information. DW Akademie empowers people worldwide to make independent decisions based on reliable facts and constructive dialogue.