WAKA Project: A First Edition Focused on Intercultural Cooperation and Popular Education

From August 7 to 14, 2025, the URUNANI Africa Network organized the first edition of the WAKA Project in Benin, in partnership with ITECO and Louvain Coopération. 

The word WAKA, which means “come” in the Mooré language of Burkina Faso, symbolizes an invitation to dialogue, encounter, and co-creation between African and European actors involved in popular education, Global Citizenship Education (ECSI/ECMS), and international cooperation. 

This first edition brought together participants from Benin, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo for a collective experience held across several Beninese cities, including Cotonou, Comé, Ouidah, and Grand-Popo. 

Through training sessions, participatory workshops, field visits, and intercultural exchanges, participants reflected together on the challenges of Global Citizenship and Solidarity Education (ECSI/ECMS), the deconstruction of North-South power relations, and the recognition of local knowledge and community-based practices. 

The project also provided an opportunity to discover several initiatives led by member organizations of the network in Benin, particularly community-based actions supporting youth engagement, local development, and active citizenship in rural areas. These encounters highlighted the importance of local dynamics and the key role played by civil society organizations in driving social transformation. 

Discussions also addressed major themes such as South-South cooperation, the decolonization of educational practices, power relations within contemporary societies, governance systems in Africa, and the development of more inclusive and locally grounded ECSI models. 

Beyond the learning activities, the initiative was marked by strong moments of cultural sharing that encouraged mutual understanding, strengthened human connections, and fostered a collective spirit among participants from different countries. 

This first edition of WAKA helped strengthen the capacities of network members, promote local initiatives, and consolidate partnerships between African and European actors committed to building more equitable and sustainable forms of international cooperation. 

The URUNANI Africa Network warmly thanks its partners ITECO and Louvain Coopération for their trust and continuous support throughout this initiative, which paves the way for future editions in other countries within the network.