HIGHLIGHT 32nd CONFERENCE OF THE FRENCH COLONIAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY:
"COLONIZATION AND CULTURE IN THE FRENCH EMPIRE"
Dakar, Senegal, May 17-20, 2006

The French Colonial Historical Society (FCHS), a learned body encouraging interest in the scholarly study of all French colonizing activity and in the history of all French colonies, is presently holding its 32nd Conference in Dakar.

The dedication and professionalism of the staff led by Abdoulaye Niang was emphasized on several occasions as well as the Center's laudable efforts to be an actor and a congenial venue for academic, intellectual, cultural and research events in Dakar and West Africa.

In several respects, the West African Research Center (Warc) has been instrumental in the successful organisation of the event and the various officers, convenors and officials including the President of the Society, Professor Duplessis (Swarthmore College), the Vice-Rector of University Cheikh Anta Diop (Ucad), the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences (Ucad) and the Chair of the Department of History (Ucad), on the occasion of the opening reception offered by the office of the President of University Cheikh Anta Diop, all unanimously thanked and praised the Center and its staff for the major contribution made toward the successful holding of the Conference.

On Thursday, May 18, the Center hosted the business meeting of the Society and offered a reception attended by participants and several Dakar-based academics, researchers and officials including the newly appointed ambassador of the United States in Senegal, Her Excellency, Janice L. Jacobs. The various officials, who took the floor on the occasion, renewed their thanks to the Center and the ambassador positively stressed the mission of the West African Research Center and stated her interest in its activities. Before leaving the Center, the ambassador signed the Warc's visitors' book and had a short session with the Director of the Center.

Warc and Aroa have also featured high in the proceedings of the Conference at the academic level. The Warc Director gave a presentation on the Senegalese poet Leopold Sedar Senghor, a francophone writer and standard bearer of black culture, and chaired a number of panels.

The Warc Director gave a presentation on the Senegalese poet Leopold Sedar Senghor

The Warc Director during a session

The Warc Director with a colleague from University Cheikh Anta Diop

Many Aroa officers including the President, Prof Ibrahima Thioub and the Secretary General, Dr Ibrahima Seck, were also among the various panellists. The Conference, which ends Friday May 19, has gathered over a hundred specialists hailing from various parts and various universities and research centers in the world including the United States, Europe and West Africa and has been attended by large audiences.