A Celebration of Peace in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Hosted by The BARKA Foundation

On Peace Day, 2008 in Ouagadougou, the capitol of Burkina Faso, the BARKA Burkina Consortium will be officially unveiled in an internationally televised concert event. The Consortium is a group of NGO's, government and UN agencies, faith-based organizations, schools, youth groups, activists, philanthropists and civic leaders working together to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Burkina Faso by 2015.

According to UNESCO, Burkina is the 3rd poorest country on the planet and has the highest illiteracy rate. Save the Children recently ranked Burkina Faso last in overall health and development status of mothers. The United Nations which tracks progress of MDGs reports that satisfying the Goals in Burkina Faso by the target date of 2015 will only be possible if changes are made.

The Consortium's ambitious mandate is a response to those needed changes. Together we hope to establish a culture of peace within Burkina Faso and to ultimately provide a template for achieving MDGs in innovative and integral ways that can be replicated worldwide. This endeavor is only made possible through the resources, guidance, network and support of the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI).

Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) works to expand awareness of and participation in International Day of Peace, September 21. This includes promoting Peace Day to many segments of society, such as NGO's, religious organizations, businesses, professionals, educational institutions and media outlets. This work is often done in conjunction with the United Nations and other NGO's.

Another way of increasing awareness of Peace Day is by making sure it is included in calendars. CPI works with calendar publishers worldwide to add Peace Day to their calendars, starting in 2009.