WARC / CROA

ASPHG

UCAD, Départements d'Histoire et de Géographie

"From Ethnicity to Statehood : when Geography is determined by History" Version Française

"I would like to thank Professor Paul Pélissier, our lecturer today, who has certainly helped me better understand the ethnic issue and do away with the rather unfavorable preconceived ideas and prejudices I have always harbored whenever ethnicity was involved"
It is with these words that the moderator of the lecture, Professor Ibrahima Thioub, Chair of the Department of History, University Cheikh Anta Diop and President of the "Asociation de Recherche Ouest Africaine" (AROA) closed this scientifically and academically edifying event.
Indeed, Professor Paul Pélissier, rising up to expectations from the large audience, approached the issue under discussion from a very original perspective. According to him, inspite of all the negative perceptions spread all over, ethnic groups can be the founding stones and the cement of african nations-states. He expertly demonstrated that ethnic groups involve values, practices, usages and know-how which should definitely be taken into account and appropriated by African States in their development efforts.

Professor Paul Pélissier

Part of the audience

Also, Professor Pelissier documented the complexity of ethnic groups and various processes leading to their formation. According to him, some african ethnic groups such as the "Bete" in Côte d'Ivoire, only date back to the colonial period.
This outstanding and seminal lecture, jointly organized by the Senegalese Association of Geography and History Teachers, the Departments of History and Geography of University Cheikh Anta Diop and the West African Research Center (WARC) was held in the Conference Hall UCAD II of University Cheikh Anta Diop and was attended by over one thousand (1.000) people including academics, researchers, students and decision-makers. Among the officials and honorable guests in attendance there were several highly distinguished personalities in the fields of education, research and culture in Senegal. They included M. Assane Seck, retired Professor in the Department of Geography, UCAD and former Minister of Culture of Senegal, M. Amadou Mahtar Mbow, a retired geography and history teacher, former Minister of Education of Senegal and former Director General of the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO - Paris).

WORKS OF PROFESSOR PAUL PELLISIER ON AFRICA

· Arrived in Dakar, at IFAN in 1950

· Posted to "The Institute of High Studies" in 1952 - 1953

· Appointed faculty in 1957 (contributed to the creation of the Faculty of Arts and of the University of Dakar).

From 1951 to 1961 research on Senegalese Peasant-farmers (954 p.)

Work completed in 1966 (Doctoral Dissertation, Thèse d'Etat)
In 1961 - 1962 mission in Benin "Les Pays du Bas-Ouémé une région témoin du Dahomey méridional"

· Professor at the University of Caen
· Professor at the Faculty of Arts in Social Sciences of Paris Nanterre
· " Campagnes Africaines en devenir" (Editions Arguments) (Collection of a dozen Studies spread out from 1963 - 1995), preceded by short developments (328 P.)

· Directed the first Editions of the Atlas of Senegal (Jeune Afrique).
· Co-directed the National Atlas of Senegal.

· Chaired the Technical Committee of geography of ORSTOM 1972 - 1982.
· Teaching and Research Missions at the Universities of Abidjan, Ouagadougou, Lome, Cotonou, Yaounde, Brazzaville, Tananarive from 1967 to 1987.

· Director of many dissertations on Africa

Ousmane Sène
WARC Director