While electoral periods are often times of high tension on the continent, the international NGO Love Our Africa (ANA) is working to transform these deadlines into real democratic celebrations. The organization places the preservation of human life and social stability above any political ambition. It is in this dynamic that the Electoral Fair Play Award was created in 2011, a pioneering honorary distinction designed as a real shield against post-election violence.
The central objective of this initiative is the uncompromising promotion of peace, civic-mindedness and tolerance. By rewarding political actors, candidates or heads of state capable of displaying remarkable greatness of mind; In particular through the peaceful recognition of the ballot box and the defeat accepted with dignity, the NGO ANA disarms passions and prevents bloody clashes. The award reminds leaders that the greatest victory remains the preservation of national unity and civil harmony.
The history of this distinction is marked by key political figures on the continent. Former Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro became the first-ever laureate honored by the NGO ANA for his commitment to democratic principles. Subsequently, the former president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, was also distinguished by this award (at the time called the Guillaume Kigbafori Soro Prize for Electoral Fair Play) in recognition of his multiple mediations and his contribution to sub-regional stability.
Through this prestigious award, the NGO ANA demonstrates that bold citizen diplomacy can shape political consciousness in Africa. By erecting restraint and a sense of the State as cardinal virtues, the structure confirms its essential role in the construction of a pacified, mature Africa resolutely turned towards progress.
TheHatLady