Lebanese Embassy, Net 36 Vista host Francophone Voices 2024

A massive turnout characterized the Lebanese Embassy, Net 36 Vista Francophone Voices event at Alliance Française Airport in Accra on Friday night, April 19, 2024.

The celebration featured young singers, writers, poets, and videomakers, leaving the well-attended audience in awe. It shone a spotlight on emerging talents in singing, literature, and videography from the Francophone community.

The colourful and keenly contested event attracted a large number of attendees from the Diplomatic Corps, foreign company CEOs, top officials from the Lebanese community, with Bernice Marie Wilma Ntsame Bitegue emerging as the overall winner. For her efforts, she received a trophy, a citation, and a round-trip all-expenses-paid vacation trip to Beirut.

She expressed satisfaction with her feat, attributing it to hard work, and commended the organizers—the Lebanese Embassy in Ghana and Net 36 Vista, a top-notch property management and investment company.

The Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana and President of the Francophone Ambassadors Group, Maher Kheir, said, "Today's event, entitled 'Francophone Voices,' is part of a series of events organized in the name of the Francophonie festival. Its uniqueness lies in its essence: it reflects the excitement and artistic and cultural plurality of the Francophonie. During this evening, we will present four categories that reflect this artistic emulation: videos, news, songs, and poetry."

He added, "We gather today to celebrate the richness and diversity of the Francophonie, a bond that unites peoples from all continents through language, as well as shared culture and values. Over the next few hours, we will have the opportunity to explore together the various facets of the Francophonie, to revisit French song classics for the pleasure of our ears, to welcome new artists, and to strengthen the bonds that unite us as members of this great Francophone family."

"This event symbolizes our commitment to this Francophonie that we particularly cherish at the Lebanese embassy, but also as Lebanese people. Since our childhood, in small classes, we have cultivated this love for the Francophonie through literature, music, history lessons, and Francophone cinema. But more importantly, it is within the heart of the Francophonie that a set of values resides. Among these noble values that are dear to us, solidarity, respect for cultural diversity, freedom of expression, the defense of human rights, and the promotion of peace make sense in a coherent whole called Francophonie. Franco-Lebanese relations, anchored in a shared history and cultural background, are nurtured by deep mutual affection. Lebanon's commitment, but also and above all that of the Lebanese people, to respect and protect these values in difficult times of our history, perfectly illustrates what the Francophonie represents."

"Today, for an event organized in the name of the Francophonie, in Ghana, by the Lebanese embassy, several embassies are present, and you too are certainly the result of plural cultures. Isn't this a symbol of the promotion of cultural diversity to which the Francophonie is attached? Therefore, as we celebrate this Francophonie that unites us, let us remember that our differences are as many riches to preserve and celebrate, and that these differences do not make the preservation and promotion of the Francophonie contradictory. Ladies and gentlemen, dear Francophone friends, before concluding, I would like to express my deep gratitude to all those who have made this event possible. I would like to thank each of you for shining the light on the Francophonie. Together, let us raise our voices in the name of the Francophonie and the defense of the values it embodies."

The CEO of Net 36 Vista, Dr. Ben BNA Yartey, pledged his outfit's continued support for Embassies in the country, foreign and local CEOs, as well as the event, saying, "We consider this as first of all a privilege and our Corporate Social Responsibility. We will continue to support Embassies in Ghana."

The partnership between the Lebanese Embassy and Net 36 Vista aims to foster cultural exchange, promote linguistic diversity, and encourage the growth of young talent within the Francophone community in Ghana. It’s an opportunity for attendees to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Francophone arts and culture while also discovering the next generation of creative visionaries.

The event was sponsored by Verna Purified Water, Compu Ghana, SDTM Ghana Limited, Max Mart, Sub Box Restaurant and Cafe, Telefonika, H & M Manufacturing Ltd, Middle East Airlines (Air Liban), McBerry, TWI, Everpack, Forewin Ghana Limited, Pomona, Samir Engineering and Trading Co. Ltd, Babel Restaurant, Finicia Construction Works Limited, Lele, Oriental Bakers, Tushe Jewelry, Power Genix Ltd, MaxPro AutoParts, Fairway, Le Magellan, Frankies, and Pinocchio (Gelato Italiano).