IBBY-Yamada 2006: Rwanda

The workshop Enrichment of Cultural Development, Encouraging Literacy by Bringing Children’s Books to the Classroom took place 26 to 30 June, 2006, in Kigali, Rwanda

The above theme was the subject of a groundbreaking workshop run as a joint activity by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), the UNESCO International Fund for the Promotion of Culture (IFPC), and Rwanda’s children’s book publishing house Editions Bakame.

The workshop aimed at promoting the use of locally published children’s books in the classroom and of reading in local languages and the mother tongue. It took place in three languages: Kinyarwanda, English and French and participants from Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda attended.

The presentations are available in English and partly in French.

Opening speech by Peter Schneck, IBBY President 2002-2006

What is children’s literature? A non-didactic approach by María Candelaria Posada (Colombia)

Learning to read in one’s own language by Carole Bloch (South Africa)

The importance of literacy and books in children’s development Intellectual, affective and social dimensions by Denise von Stockar (Switzerland)

[French version: L'importance de la littérature dans le développement de l'enfant]

From oral tradition and traditional stories to written and new stories by Dominique Mwankumi (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

[French version De la tradition orale et histoires traditionelles aux histoires écrites et nouvelles]

Publishing in African languages using Editions Bakame as a model by Agnes Gyr-Ukunda (Rwanda)

[French version: Publier et éditer en langues africaines à l'exemple des Editions Bakame]

How do publishers meet teachers’ needs by Eva Ledi Barongo (Uganda)

School libraries and reading promotion by Peter Gyr (Switzerland)

[French version:Bilbliothèques scolaires et la promotion de la lecture]

Workshop Summary [French version: Résumé]

Closing Speech by Peter Schneck