Thomas Sankara

Born to a family of some privilege due to his father’s position in the colonial military. In his early years of education his parents wanted him to be a priest, however he followed his own path and entered into the military.

Thomas Sankara

b.1949 – 1987

Biography

Thomas Isidore Noel Sankara was born on 21st December 1949, in the the, French Colony of the Upper Volta. He was born to a family of some privilege due to his father’s position in the colonial military. In his early years of education his parents wanted him to be a priest, however he followed his own path and entered into the military. Sankara enjoyed playing the guitar, and was part of a jazz band. In August 1983, after a coup of the sitting president, Thomas Sankara was brought to power, at the modest age of 33. During that time he renamed the former French colony from the Upper Volta to Burkina Faso. Which translates from More, as “the land of upright people”. Thomas was the president of Burkina Faso for four transformative years, until his tragic assanitation by a former comrade on 15th October 1987.

Vision

Liberation of Burkina Faso (and all African Nations) from the West’s imperialist strangle-hold

Context

Before Sankara, the Upper Volta was a poor country that simply served to provide cheap labour to the richer Cote D’Ivoire. Whose profits benefitted only a small native elite and their imperialist overlords in France.

Main Achievements

Watch them in Action

Are you like them?

If you answer yes to most of the following, we are pretty sure you are!

Are you a visionary?
Are you willing to start acting on that vision today? Most activists are fighting against the system, Sankara was building his utopia.
Are you willing to give up your own privileges and benefits in pursuit of freedom for all?
Are you an advocate for marginilised groups that you yourself may not identify with?

Why we’d love coaching them

He was a risk-taker that was willing to imagine realities not yet written

“The root of the disease was political. The treatment could only be political. Of course, we encourage aid that aids us in doing away with aid. But in general, welfare and aid policies have only ended up disorganizing us, subjugating us, and robbing us of a sense of responsibility for our own economic, political, and cultural affairs. We chose to risk new paths to achieve greater well-being.”

His critical consciousness was so ahead of many of his peers in that he saw women’s liberation as inextricably linked and central to the process to achieving Burkina Faso’s liberation.

“We do not talk of women’s emancipation as an act of charity or out of a surge of human compassion. It is a basic necessity for the revolution to triumph.”

Had a complex understanding of how the current global structures in and of themselves were designed to continue to oppress his nation, and nations like his. “’Where is imperialism?” Look at your plates when you eat. These imported grains of rice, corn, and millet – that is imperialism.” “Debt is a cleverly managed reconquest of Africa. It is a reconquest that turns each one of us into a financial slave.”

If they were to be coached by the Rivers Team

How might banning the unions and free press negatively impact your vision for Burkina Faso?

How can you build space for healthy disagreement and challenge in your new Burkina?

Potential barriers to coaching them

Banned trade unions and other political parties – which meant that he limited the voices of many.

While this may have been necessary, it would have silenced alternative ideas and experiences.

Sacked thousands of teachers countrywide and replaced them with unqualified civilians.

Worked at an astonishing speed and made decisions that matched this pace – but this could mean that decisions were short sighted but could also produce new and unnecessary problems.

Questions Rivers would ask them

Were your dreams possible?

What made you brave enough to try?

Olive Morris

1952–1979

Activists Through History

Nasa Begum

1963 - 2011