© Hegel Goutier
Jean-Jacques Nyenimigabo: a much-loved Minister of Culture
Jean-Jacques Nyenimigabo: a much-loved Minister of Culture
Culture is an important part of the Millennium Development Goals, and all the more so in Burundi, where for example "good values" are promoted through "peace songs", and culture has played a major role after all the horrors. This is what the Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Jean-Jacques Nyenimigabo, declared in his interview with the Courier.
Peace. Burundi is placing emphasis on culture in the national reconciliation process. At the end of the year, a festival of culture is held in which all the provinces are represented through dances, songs and other cultural manifestations, which helps them to get to know each other better. The culture of the Batwa tribe, for example, is quite different from the others, and the festival allows them to show themselves to best advantage and to feel part of the nation.
The economy
In the last few years, the Minister stresses, Burundi has made great progress in the field of cinema, and he cites the quality of the film "Gito the Ungrateful", by Léonce Ngabo, as evidence of this. Other projects are being filmed at the moment, and a film festival has been set up: Festicab, the cinema and audiovisual festival of Burundi. The government is making major efforts to provide support for these projects, which also enjoy the backing of other sponsors, such as the French, German, Belgian and American embassies. The music industry is also developing in parallel, and to avoid the spread of pirating, the Minister of Culture has decided to work with professionals in the field to set up an artists’ copyright office to protect this and other rights. A law has already been passed to this effect.
The Ministry of Culture has worked together with the Artists’ Forum and with producers, and also in conjunction with the Ministries of Justice and Security. Checks are carried out regularly in stores and studios, and the cooperation between Nyenimigabo and the artists has been very successful. Even those artists who criticize the government insist that the minister is on their side, because he shows his concern for their successes, interests and well-being. He is truly a well-loved minister, but of course one swallow does not make a summer.