Le Bénin partage près de 2000 km (cumulés) de frontières avec le Nigeria, le Togo, le Niger et le Burkina Faso. Des dynamiques transfrontalières, particulièrement importantes, viennent souligner à la fois, l’impertinence des frontières-barrières coloniales hâtivement tracées, mais aussi des modèles d’intégration régionale en Afrique de l’Ouest. Aux confins des États limitrophes, des territoires transfrontaliers économiquement, ethniquement et culturellement homogènes relativisent le concept de frontière-ligne, sans toutefois faire disparaître les différences d’ordre institutionnel, administratif et politique. Ces territoires «flottants», caractérisés par un syndrome de l’«entre-deux», disposent d’extraordinaires potentiels d’intégration qui pourraient être davantage exploités dans un contexte administratif décentralisé. La question est celle des stratégies et modalités d’intégration régionale en Afrique de l’Ouest. L’absence de volonté politique ne peut suffire à expliquer la vacuité des processus d’intégration. Cette thèse offre des perspectives de définition d’une matrice nouvelle en relations internationales et en politique publique, complémentaire des approches classiques d’analyse des mécanismes d’intégration régionale en Afrique de l’Ouest. Le grand défi consistant à trouver des formules permettant aux communautés et identités qui transcendent les frontières nationales de s’épanouir dans une logique bottom up, sans que le fait ethnique ou les dynamiques locales autonomes ne soient considérées comme remettant en cause la souveraineté des États et leurs prérogatives. L’unité culturelle profonde de la région est un atout fondamental de l’action publique. Car, ce n’est qu’enraciné dans sa culture et son histoire que l’Africain peut se réinventer une patrie qui libère des frontières nationales. D’où la pertinence de la coopération transfrontalière, une tentative d’endogénéisation des mécanismes d’intégration, une tentative pour mettre le développement local au service de l’intégration régionale. Elle devrait consacrer une seconde évolution stratégique de la CEDEAO. Créée le 28 mai 1975 à Lagos, la CEDEAO entendait rompre avec la balkanisation coloniale et doter la région d’un espace économique et social intégré. L’organisation prit dès 1990, une tournure ouvertement politique avec une flambée des conflits internes et ses interventions de maintien de la paix. La promotion de la coopération transfrontalière devrait donner à la CEDEAO, un second souffle. / Benin shares nearly 2000 km of borders with Nigeria, Togo, Niger and Burkina Faso. Cross- border dynamics, which are particulary important, highlight both the irrelevance of hastily- drawn colonial boundaries-barriers and of models of regional integration in West Africa. On the borders of neighbour states, economically, ethnically and culturally homogenous cross- border territories relativize the concept of border-line, without, however, eliminating institutional, administrative and political differences. These “floating” territories, characterized by an “in between” syndrome, have extraordinary potential for integration that could be feth implemented more in a decentralized administrative context. The question is that of strategies and modalities of regional integration in West Africa. The absence of political will cannot suffice to explain the emptiness of integration processes. This dissertation offers perspectives for defining a new matrix in international relations and public policies, in addition to traditional approaches to analyzing regional integration mechanisms in West Africa. The great challenge is to find ways for communities and identities that transcend national borders to flourish in a bottom-up logic, without ethnic fact or autonomous local dynamics being seen as challenging the sovereignty of states and their prerogatives. The deep cultural unity of the region is a fundamental asset for public action. Because it is only rooted in its culture and its history, the African can reinvent for himself a homeland free from national borders. Hence the relevance of cross-border cooperation, an attempt to endogenise integration mechanisms, an attempt to put local development at the service of regional integration. It should characterize a second strategic development of ECOWAS. Created on 28 May 1975 in Lagos, ECOWAS intended to break with colonial balkanization and to provide the region with an integrated economic and social area. As early as 1990, the organization took an overtly political turn with soaring internal conflicts and its peacekeeping interventions. Cross-border cooperation, which is a new concept in West Africa, should give ECOWAS a second hope.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Culture is considered a key concept for Geography, that is, fundamental to explain the relationship that man establishes with landscaping and his influence on spatial materiality. This research seeks to analyze the ethnic diversity through their cultural codes embodied in the city of Santa Maria-RS, identifying the different temporalities and spatialities expressed in the landscape. The specific objectives were to: (a) understand the insertion of various ethnicities in Santa Maria considering their temporalities, (b) identify the city landscape and its cultural codes structuring symbolic forms, (c) analyze the current spatiality that refer to the set of expressions of distinct ethnic groups present in Santa Maria. The relevance of the research can be justified by the importance of studies regarding the cultural theme, demonstrating the possibilities of materialization of cultures embedded in the local space. In this regard, some questioning is relevant, such as, how did the cultures evolve via descendence in a multi-cultural space? Whether their descendants managed to keep their habits, or were there changes or even abandoning of some cultural codes? How did these cultures materialize in forementioned city? Did some ethnic groups redefine their cultural codes? These were questions that mediated the discussions held along the work. Methodologically the research was structured in stages. In the initial stage, there was the operationalization of the basic concepts of investigative theme, as well as the definition of the dialectical method. This choice is justified by the understanding of reality as a dynamic and ongoing process transformation. Once the theoretical-methodological matrices were defined, the second step consisted on surveying data from secondary sources. At the same time, we attempted to rescue photographs that materialize the contribution of immigrants to the spatial organization of Santa Maria. The third phase was related to field work, in order to observe in situ the materiality of cultures in Santa Maria. The fieldwork sought to highlight the cultural aspects present in the landscape, i.e., those which contain the "cultural mark", expressed through codes of ethnicities present. Accordingly, the selection of cultures to be studied had as a criterion their importance for the spatial organization and the historical and economic relevance to the genesis and evolution of Santa Maria. Thus, combining the concepts and the data collected on-site observation, we sought to understand and analyze the integration of different ethnic groups in the local context, considering the cultural perspective, as well as to understand their contribution to the spatial organization, rescuing the temporalities inherent cultural evolution of the city in question. / A cultura é considerada um conceito chave para a Geografia, ou seja, fundamental para explicar a relação que o homem estabelece com a paisagem e sua influência na materialidade do espaço. A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo geral analisar a diversidade étnica, através de seus códigos culturais materializados no município de Santa Maria-RS, identificando as distintas temporalidades e espacialidades expressas na paisagem. Os objetivos específicos buscaram: (a) compreender a inserção de diversas etnias em Santa Maria considerando suas temporalidades; (b) identificar na paisagem do município os códigos culturais e suas formas simbólicas estruturantes; (c) analisar as espacialidades atuais que remetem ao conjunto de expressões das distintas etnias presentes em Santa Maria. A relevância da pesquisa justifica-se pela importância dos estudos referentes à temática cultural, demonstrando às possibilidades de materialização das culturas inseridas no espaço local. Neste sentido, alguns questionamentos fazem-se pertinentes, ou seja, indaga-se como evoluíram as diferentes culturas via descendência em um espaço multicultural? Se os seus descendentes conseguiram manter seus hábitos, se houveram transformações ou até o abandono de alguns códigos culturais? Como essas culturas materializaram-se no espaço santa-mariense? Se alguns grupos étnicos ressignificaram seus códigos culturais? Essas foram questões que mediaram as reflexões realizadas ao longo do trabalho. Metodologicamente a pesquisa foi estruturada em etapas. Na fase inicial, realizou-se a operacionalização dos conceitos básicos da temática investigativa, bem como, a definição pelo método dialético. Tal opção se justifica pelo entendimento da realidade como um processo em permanente dinâmica e transformação. Definidas as matrizes teórico-metodológicas, a segunda etapa, se constituiu em levantamentos de dados em fontes secundárias. Paralelamente, buscou-se resgatar fotografias que materializem a contribuição dos imigrantes para a organização espacial de Santa Maria. A terceira fase esteve relacionada ao trabalho de campo, com intuito de observar in loco a materialidade das culturas no espaço santa-mariense. O trabalho de campo procurou evidenciar os aspectos culturais, presentes na paisagem, ou seja, aqueles que contêm a marca cultural , expressas através dos códigos das etnias presentes. Nesse sentido, a seleção das culturas, a serem estudadas tiveram como critério a sua importância para a organização espacial e a relevância histórica e econômica das mesmas para a gênese e evolução de Santa Maria. Nesta perspectiva, aliando os conceitos aos dados coletados e a observação in loco, procurou-se compreender e analisar a inserção das distintas etnias no contexto local, considerando a perspectiva cultural, bem como, entender a sua contribuição para a organização espacial, resgatando as temporalidades inerentes a evolução cultural santa-mariense.

This Thesis project investigates the user-centered interaction design approach that support a better communication among students and encourages children to feel empathy between each other. Furthermore, this study explores the topic of playful gamified interaction by avoinding cultural ethnicity disparities and promote an open-minded educational atmosphere. By developing the concept named ClassHood, this strategy aims to facilitate the role of the teachers to educate pupils about cultural ethnicity issues and to help youngsters develop the ability to not discriminate in the classroom. The development of a classroom engaged game, will influence students to have an introspection of themselves, including having not only the knowledge of their cultural heritage but from the others around them.