FRE 124 the course to take

Why do I have the audacity to advice students of all majors to take this class? I have made it, believe me, it's one of the reasons I have enjoyed my degree at Daystar University.

Can anyone imagine that this is an exam? Yeah I thought so, you think I am just bluffing. I am serious, this course has no written exam, just blog posts and you have your grade.

Enough of the trivial matters. Let me explain why I chose this course. I added this course as a filler to complete my hours. I needed to graduate and I had free electives hours to cover. My late addition not withstanding, thanks to Dr. Wandia, the HOD of Languages and Performing Arts at Daystar University. I didn't know of the fun that was in store for me through the semester.

All foodies in the house, can I hear an an amen. This is the course for you. We cooked and sampled cuisine from different Francophone countries. This course even made some of us better cooks. You can just peruse the different articles on this blog written under cuisine, to get a feel of what I am saying.

This is one of the coolest class you will ever find. Can anyone tell me, when was the last time you took a selfie with your lecturer? At FRE 124, we were so free with our lecturer. Dr. Wandia Njoya took the four of us through the course just the same way she would handle a full class.

Yes that was the whole class. Where are the students to take this class? You do not know what you are missing out on.

Any student claiming to have passed through an African University should have some knowledge of African history. This class gave a wealth of knowledge on Negritude, the colonization of francophone Africa and of course Haiti. After every class, I had the desire to read more African history.
https://books.google.co.ke/books/about/The_Wretched_of_the_Earth.html?id=-XGKFJq4eccC&hl=en
Patrice Lumumba and
Léopold Senghor are part of the interesting topics of discussion.   

We were even nominated for the blog awards by BAKE. This time we did not clinch the title but who knows, maybe if you join this blog might be the next best education blog.

Finally, I am not a linguistic major. My major is Public Relations, which is why I haven't mastered my French. This course is taught in English one gets to learn french on the way as you interact with French terms. Actually regardless of your major, you need some cultural classes because the world is shrinking into a village.

All the best as you make your choice for the coming semesters. Look out for FRE 124. Remember that no pre-requisites are needed to register.

The History Of France

The history of France is undoubtedly one one of the richest and most eventful characterized by the French Revolution that took place between 1789 and 1799. The revolution is instrumental in that it triggered the global decline of theocracies and absolute monarchs, while paving way for republics and democracies. The French Revolution is therefore dubbed as one of the most important events in human history not only because it revolutionized leadership globally but also because the effects of the war spilled over to other regions spreading far and wide.



The causes of the French Revolution have remained debatable throughout the course of the evolution of history but it is mostly linked to the abuse of power by the leaders that were in power at the time of the revolution and how much they oppressed the poor peasants in the society.
Before the revolution, French government and the clergy were the people who earned the most money in the society but they did not pay taxes leaving the peasants with their meager salaries to pay taxes that would supplement the growth and development of France as well as for the upkeep of its overseas colonies. This threw France in great debt overtime and the government resorted to save the situation by the introduction of unpopular taxation schemes that only meant that the poor peasants were taxed even more.
Demands for change were therefore spearheaded by the elite society who were aware of the government scheme to continue oppressing the poor at their disposal owing to the poor harvests that the poor depended on hence the poor still needed jobs to sustain their livelihoods.

The first year saw members of the third estate taking over the government, the assault on the Bastille in July plus the passage of the declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen in August. A central event of the first stage was the abolition of feudalism as well as the old rules and privileges that were bestowed to the clergy and those in government. In September 1972, the French Republic was proclaimed following the French victory at Valmy and the subsequent execution on Louis the 16th. 
The dictatorship imposed by the Committee of Public Safety in during the reign of terror established price regulations on food and other basic amenities, abolishing slavery in French overseas colonies  and the establishment of secure borders in France protecting the country from external attacks.

  
 The French Revolution also saw the execution of popular leaders who wages a series of dictatorship rules in France. The death of Napoleon Bonaparte (pictured below) has been suspected to be foul play in that he was poisoned but initial autopsy results show that he succumbed to stomach cancer, though this condition was unknown to many.

The likes of Marie Antoinette are probably the ones who suffered death at the expense of their own creations. With the introduction of the guillotine as a form of execution for law offenders, Marie Antoinette was decapitated by the guillotines that she advocated for overtime and her head was later mounted on a pole as all others were done after execution.
(picture of a guillotine)


The end of the French Revolution marked the beginning of democracy in the country with the elite entrusted with most of the important leadership positions. 
Overtime, the country was able to regain economic stability owing to the returns they acquired from their overseas colonies as well as the input by the new system of government that ensured equal distribution of resources.
France has definitely seen a period of great turmoil but it is interesting to note that a country with such prestige and highly developed infrastructure also earned all these in an almost similar process with the African countries that were under colonial rule. 

Insight on Burkina Faso

BURKINA FASO

History
Burkina Faso was originally inhabited by the Bobo, Lobi and Gurunsi with the Mossi and Gurma migrating into the region later on. The land of the Mossi became a French protectorate in 1879 and became a separate colony in 1919 called the Upper Volta that was later partitioned among Niger, the Sudan and Cote d'Ivoire. Upper Volta later became independent on August 4th 1984  where they later changed the name to Burkina Faso meaning "the country of honorable people". 

 Back in 1984, Marxist and Burkinabe Military Captain  Thomas Sankara assumed power. He was a charismatic leader  who mobilized the masses to launch a massive development movement. 

Thomas Sankara believed in equality among all people and therefore ensured the equitable distribution of natural as well as man made resources. He believed in the policy of earning what you worked for which was seen as he still earned the salary of a Captain while he was the President of Burkina Faso. 

His children were also treated the same way as any other ordinary Burkinabe children attending public schools with their father, the President, taking them to school on a bicycle!

The measures taken by Thomas Sankara were met with growing resistance and resistance despite his initial popularity. Tension began to surface in the implementation of the revolutionary movement that eventually led to the assassination of Sankara in a coup which brought Blaise Compaore into power.  

 On Christmas day of 1985, Burkina Faso fought in a five-day war with Mali that saw the death of over 100 people in dispute over the mineral rich Agacher strip. The conflict ended after meditation by the then president of Cote d'Ivoire but the Christmas war is largely remembered in Burkina Faso today.

Language 

Burkina Faso is a multilingual country with an estimated 69 languages spoken all over the country. The official language is French which was introduced in the country during the colonial period. French is the principle language of administrative, political and judicial institutions, public service and the press. 

Education for the deaf in Burkina Faso uses American Sign Language though there is also an indigenous urban sign language in Ougadougou. 

Music

  

    The music of Burkina Faso includes folklore music of the over 60 different ethnic groups. Burkinabe traditional music has continued to thrive and musical output remains quite diverse. Popular music is mostly in French: Burkina Faso is yet to produce Pan-African success in terms of music. 

The national anthem of Burkina Faso "Une Seule Nuit" was written by Thomas Sankara .

The national Museum of Music in Ougadougou began collecting musical instruments like the balafon drums seen above in 1998 to preserve the rich history of Burkinabe music. 

The Semaine Nationale de la Culture, held every two years from 1983 is a musical festival that has helped produce popular music stars like Koudbi Koala. 

Popular traditional groups in Burkina Faso balafon bands,kora, percussion ensembles and others who use use elements relevant to Burkinabe music. 

The Kora, similar to the Nyatiti in Kenya is also one popular music instrument common in Burkina Faso. It initially featured seven strings until the Gambian griot Madi Woulendi increased the number twenty-one.

Fashion

 

 Masks occupy an important position in the religious life of Burkina Faso. The use of masks in initiation ceremonies and funerals is quite typical in Burkina Faso. Masks appear at burials to observe on behalf of the ancestors that proper burial procedures are carried out. 

Masks attend to honor the deceased and to verify that the spirit of the deceased has been received well into the spirit world. Without a proper funeral the spirit remains near the home haunting its descendants. 

Festivals

 

Bwaba dancing masks

The Bwa wooden masks represent different characters related to the myths of their families and clans.

The Bwa masks are chromatic white, red and black as predominant colors. 

The days of the dance, everybody sweeps their compounds then put on their best outfits awaiting the ceremony. 

Festima Festival

Great mask festival attended by around 40 villages each of them represented by their own chosen group of masks. 

This festival attracts tourists from as far as the capital Ougadougou. At that point the festival turns into a collective moment of socialization. This event also features story-tellers that are in competition to reveal their own talent.

Dancing masks in March and April where masks invoke the rain

Every year when it comes to the rainy season, villagers in Burkina Faso rely on the masks to get good rains. The masks are entrusted to act as intermediaries able to communicate directly with the gods. 

FESPACO (Festival of the African Cinema)

One of the most important festivities revealing the African cinema. It happens every two years in Ougadougou. This is a good time to travel to Burkina Faso if you are interested in cinematography as you will get the chance to meet other African as well as international movie enthusiasts. 

The festival was created in 1969 and it is celebrated every two years with the 24th edition being in 2015. 

   

"Let them eat cake"

I found the events of the French Revolution the most interesting when learning about the history of France in class. The revolution is an important part of French history and it would be impossible to understand current political, social and economic structures in France without it.

Feudal Oppression

This was one of the greatest triggers of the French revolution. Feudalism involved a relationship between a lord (nobleman) and a vassal (common citizen). The lord who owns the land, would allow the vassal to use the land to live on along with protection and in return the vassal would offer a service to the lord. Feudalism fueled oppression of common citizens by lords as the vassals were under the lord's orders.

A vassal bows to his lord

Unfair Taxation

The French social structure was divided into three Estates: the first being the nobles, the second the clergy and the third the commoners. During the reign of King Louis the sixteenth, commoners were levied heavy taxes so as to cater for the needs of the nobility and clergy. The nobles lived lavish lives and it was these taxes that sustained their lifestyle. The Roman catholic church that formed the clergy owned vast amounts of land and did not pay any taxes. This situation angered the poor commoner who was struggling to ensure that the royals' courts were well maintained yet they could barely afford food. King Louis the sixteenth realized this taxation problem and appointed a new finance minister, Charles Alexandre de Calonne who convened an assembly of high-ranking nobles and suggested that the nobles and clergymen should be taxed. This law was not approved by the nobility and clergy.

Lavish life of the French Monarch

The Estates-General

A convention of all the Estates in 1789 took place. It was called upon by King Louis the sixteenth so as to come up with a tax solution. The third estate suggested double representation in the convention so as to balance out with the clergy and nobles. This suggestion was not approved and this led to the breaking away of the Third estate from the Estate-General. This led to the proclaiming of a National assembly by the Third estate and the binding of these revolutionaries through the Tennis Court Oath.

The Tennis Court Oath

Storming of the Bastille and the Great Fear

The National Assembly greatly influenced the common citizens and instilled a revolutionary spirit in them. On 14th July 1789, citizens of Paris stormed into the Bastille prison in pursuit of weapons and ammunition and killed the governor and his guards. Today 14th July is celebrated in France as Bastille Day to commemorate the beginning of the French revolution.

Storming of the Bastille

The Great Fear occurred as a result of the beginning of the revolution. It was a period of general unrest whereby rural farmers attacked nobles due to rumors of starving the peasant population in the regions. This led to the abolition of feudalism as the nobles feared the peasant revolution.

Peasants attacking noble manors

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)

In French, Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen, was a document that stated that the rights of man are universal and are valid at all times in every place. This was established to bring an end to years of class-based oppression and to introduce the idea of all people being equal before the law.

Declaration of the Rights of Man
 

Capture of the Royal family

The Women's March on Versailles, is a significant historical moment in France. Peasant women marched to the royal palace in Versailles with weapons angered at the high prices and scarcity of bread. The royal family was captured and forced to move to the Tuileries palace in Paris. This signified the end of the King's independence and marked the shift of power from the monarch to the people.

Women's march on Versailles

 

Rifts in the National Assembly and Execution of the Royal family

There grew a division between the radical and moderate members of the National Assembly. The moderate members (Girondins) were in favor of retaining the monarchy while the radical members (Jacobins) wanted France to be rid of the royal family. The trial of King Louis the sixteenth and the September massacares greatly increased the rift between the two parties.

Girondins and Jacobins

 Neighouring European governments were against the overthrowing of the monarch as they feared the revolutionary spirit would spread to their countries. These government threatened to go to war with France and several battles were fought to trump the revolution. King Louis the sixteenth was suspected to be an ally of these invasions and thus he was charged with treason and guillotined in 1793. His spouse, Queen Marie Antoinette, who is attributed to the phrase "Let them eat cake" when she was told that peasants had no bread, was also guillotined the same year.

Execution of King Louis the sixteenth

 The Reign of Terror

 This is a period that lasted approximately 12 months and it was marked by thousands of executions of counter-revolutionaries. This period began when Maximilien Robespierre, a Jacobian, took control of the National Assembly after citizens overthrew the Girondins due to unsuccessful battles with neighbouring European countries. Robespierre was paranoid about counterrevolutionary influences and took extreme measures by killing those he suspected were against the revolution. The Thermidorian reaction led to the arrest and execution of Robespierre bringing an end to the radical phase of the French revolution.

Guillotine execution

 

The Directory

After the ousting of Robespierre, a period of governmental restructuring took place and this led to the formation of the French constitution of 1795 which created the Directory and France's first bicameral legislature. The Directory was formed to control executive responsibilities and appointments. The Directory habitually disregarded the terms of the constitution and in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte,      an army general  led a coup to overthrow the Directory and install the Consulate instead.

Napoleonic era

Napoleon Bonaparte was a popular army general who led French armies successfully to wars with invaders. After abolishing the Directory, he took the helm in 1804 as Emperor of France thus
bringing an end to the revolution.

Coronation of Emperor Napoleon the first

 The French revolution has greatly impacted the world as it has been an inspiration for other global struggles to fight against oppression and the establishment of a government for the people by the people.