In the Blue Room of the Palais des Congrès, the Benin Youth Parliament (PJB) organized the very first celebration of International Youth Day (IYD) from September 4 to 5, 2026. Held under the patronage of the President of the National Assembly (AN), Professor Joseph Fifamin Djogbénou, the event’s theme was “Youth and Vision Benin 2060 Alafia: Building Tomorrow’s Benin Today.” Far from being a mere ceremonial gathering, the event is part of an effort to promote the human capital represented by Benin’s youth. As a result, parliamentarians, representatives from UNICEF and the World Bank, government officials, leaders of youth organizations, and young people from various regions of the country attended the event.

In Togo, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has just launched the Project to Promote Agroecological Innovations in West Africa (PIA-AO). This regional initiative, with a budget of 20 million euros—more than 13 billion CFA francs—was launched in Lomé on Friday, September 4. It aims to accelerate the adoption of agricultural practices adapted to the region’s climatic and environmental constraints.

The sister city relationship between Monteux and the Polish town of Niemcza began in 2009, and since then, the ties have continued to grow stronger. Recently, a delegation was welcomed at City Hall in the presence of several Monteux elected officials and leaders of the twinning committee, led by Chairwoman Chantal Olivi.

The National Center for Educational Technology, in coordination with the Tunis 2 Regional Education Office, is organizing open house events focused on digital twinning for teachers.

The gender pay gap in Switzerland “has continued to narrow gradually,” the FSO announced on Monday. The disparities vary widely by industry.

On the last weekend of August, members of the Saint-Maxire (Deux-Sèvres) sister city committee took part in the patron saint festivities in Saint-Pandelon, in the Landes region. Amid the festivities and traditions, a lasting friendship was forged.

The second edition of “Diplomatic Day,” organized on Thursday, August 27, in Casablanca by the Association For Morocco, highlighted relations between Morocco and Brazil. The event, held at the “Al Adarissa” Youth Platform in Sidi Maârouf, was attended by Brazil’s ambassador to Morocco, Alexandre Guido Lopes Parola. Discussions centered on the prospects for developing the bilateral partnership and the role of parallel diplomacy in bringing the two peoples closer together.

Half of the proceeds from the Mega-Lotto drawing held on September 19 will be donated to Pompiers Missions Humanitaires. This partnership is part of a long-standing relationship.

In 2026, it was the turn of the Germans from the Triefenstein-Valdallière sister city committee to visit France. The Germans and the French spent three eventful days together, enjoying museum visits, social gatherings, food tastings, and an excursion to the Cotentin Peninsula (Manche).

The 2026 edition of the “Carrefour de l’évaluation” was held August 25–26 in Madingou, the capital of the Bouenza Department. This workshop aimed to build the capacity of local stakeholders in the monitoring and evaluation of development policies, programs, and projects.

No people can build their future without facing their history head-on. This is the very essence of the commemoration of the International Day for the Remembrance of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Abolition (JISTNA), celebrated on Sunday, August 23, 2026, in the historic city of Ouidah. Political and administrative officials, representatives of the diplomatic and consular corps, members of royal families, cultural figures, delegations from countries with African-descendant populations, academic researchers, and historians gathered there united by a common purpose: to honor the memory of the past, to pass on its legacy, and to reconnect with it.

Thirty-one residents of Plomelin returned a few days ago from their trip to Germany. They were welcomed by the residents of Betziesdorf, a neighborhood of Kirchhain in Germany, to mark the 60th anniversary of the town’s twinning with the village in Finistère.

The Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), represented by its Rector, Prof. Slim Khalbous, and the AUF Regional Director for the Americas, Antoine Rauzy, participated in the 36th anniversary celebration of Bernardo O’Higgins University (UBO). The event was held from August 19 to 21, 2026, in Santiago, Chile.

Sometimes all it takes is a simple cell phone to break down barriers that were once thought insurmountable. In the markets, neighborhood restaurants, kiosks, and fruit stands of Ouagadougou, a quiet revolution is underway. It makes no noise, but it is profoundly transforming the daily lives of thousands of women. This revolution is called financial inclusion. For a long time, running a business meant keeping the day’s takings in a scrap of fabric or a flimsy wallet, scrambling for change, crossing town to pay a supplier, or even turning down a sale because of a lack of change. Today, a simple Orange Money payment is all it takes to secure income, pay a business partner remotely, or grow a business without ever leaving one’s shop. Beyond the technology, a new form of economic freedom is gradually taking hold.

The Kong Social Center has established monitoring committees in the towns of Konieré, Mapina, Sidana, and Digakoro to strengthen efforts to prevent and combat gender-based violence (GBV).

Bringing together the children of Villette-lès-Dole and those of Thukima (Nepal) through a four-year linguistic and cultural exchange: that’s the daring challenge of a trip planned for 2030.

Ourika Municipality (Al Haouz Province) - Located in the Ourika Valley, 38 km from Marrakech, “Café 38 Concept” is a striking example of the National Initiative for Human Development’s (INDH) ongoing commitment to women’s economic empowerment.

On Saturday, the “Green Sédhiou” association, in partnership with the NGO Solthis and the Climate Resilience through Agroecology and Clean Energy program, presented women’s groups in the Moricounda neighborhood of the municipality of Sédhiou (in the south) with a set of equipment designed to support the fight against climate change.

The National Council of Employers of Togo (CNP-Togo), with support from the Mastercard Foundation, is launching an initiative offering 500 12-month internship contracts as part of the “TALENT2AFRICA – Mastercard Foundation” program. The program aims to help young people enter the workforce and is intended to serve as a new tool for addressing the private sector’s skills needs.

From August 21 to 22, the Univ 2.0 association organized a training workshop in Brazzaville on the topic “Artificial Intelligence, Research, and Scientific Production,” under the patronage of the president of Marien-Ngouabi University, Prof. Parisse Akouango.