March 29 Mali update – Antioch Education Abroad
Posted on Thursday, March 29th, 2012
On Tuesday March 27, Senou International Airport reopened, and the curfew was lifted. The CNRDRE has adopted a transitional national constitution guaranteeing human rights, affirming a return to multi-party democracy in the shortest delay, and assuring that no members of the military will run for election. The National Assembly has issued a statement condemning the coup and demanding power be restored to a civilian government as soon as possible. For more on last week’s coup read AEA’s update of March 22, here.
We are monitoring the situation closely, through a variety of international news sources, (including the BBC), social media, and regular communication with the Peace Corps, the American Embassy in Bamako, and Study Abroad offices in other universities and colleges that run programs in Mali. We also monitor the updates issued by the State Department on a daily basis, and are in regular contact with our staff in Bamako. From our ongoing communications with all of these sources, we are guardedly optimistic that the situation is stabilizing. We anticipate running the program as scheduled this fall, in Mali. We have, nonetheless, taken steps to address the uncertainty, and, as always, the safety of our students is our top priority.
In the event that we are not able to operate the program in Mali this fall, we have a contingency plan to relocate to the Republic of Guinea, Mali’s neighbor to the southwest. The essence of the Arts and Culture in Mali program lies in Mande cultural aesthetics, history, language and customs. The Mande Cultural Area is shared between Guinea and Mali. Much of Malian folkloric dance and music is rooted in Mande traditions. The Sunjata epic, recounting the founding of the Mande Empire in 13th century West Africa, is as integral to Guinean identity as it is to Malian. Guinea (also known as Guinea Conakry) is also a former French colony, and shares the French language and a colonial history very similar to Mali.
We have a strong network of artists, artisans, dancers, and musicians that will ensure that the Arts Apprenticeship course will be equally successful in Guinea. In fact, faculty Program Director Nick Hockin has done extensive research in Guinea in 2007-08, and our main guest lecturer and language teacher, Sekou Camara, was born in Guinea, and has already agreed to join us there in the event we need to relocate. All of our current courses scheduled for the Arts and Culture in Mali program would be taught in Guinea, including French language, with the exception that Malinké would be taught instead of Bamanankan; both are mutually intelligible branches of the Mande family of languages spoken widely in Mali and Guinea.
Guinea is a country recently emerged from years of single party rule. Alpha Condé was elected president in 2010, and multi-party legislative elections are due in the summer of 2012. The Peace Corps has been operating in Guinea since 1963, and currently has 31 volunteers in the country. As the State Department stated, there was some political unrest surrounding the call for elections in 2011, but Guinea has remained stable since. We anticipate democratic elections this summer, and are confident in the stability of the country.
We are taking all the steps necessary to ensure that our students enjoy a safe and secure study abroad experience in West Africa this fall. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
