BEING A STUDENT IN SENEGAL, WHAT SHOULD IT BE?

BEING A STUDENT IN SENEGAL, WHAT SHOULD IT BE?

By Amadou Moctar DIALLO*

This question can be considered to be easy or stupid. But it is worth thinking about. Indeed, I was the only Senegalese student who has attended the 10th edition of the International Student Festival in Trondheim- ISFiT (Norway), “the world’s largest student festival with a thematic focus where young, promising leaders of tomorrow meet, build international networks, develop ideas for the future, learn and have fun” from February 20, to march 1, 2009 (See: ISFiT 2009 at www.isfit.org). My participation in such an event provided me with great enriching and inspiring experience. During these 10 days, I discussed, exchanged ideas with more than 450 students from more than 100 countries. They told me about their student life, their student movements and struggles, as well as their projects. From this experience, I asked myself the following question: Being a student in Senegal, what should it be?

In the past, students fought for democracy. We remember the famous students’ demonstrations at the Tienanmen in China in 1989 for freedom of speech and the famous student’s movement in May 1968 around the world seeking social justice. They did it because they were aware of the fact that they had a role to play in society.

In other part of the world, students are making positive changes. They are paying high prices for their actions for democracy, human rights and peace. They experienced oppression and are exposed to torture, discrimination and arrested in non-democratic countries. Because as Williams Betty, the 1976 laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize, noted during her speech in the Student Peace Prize ceremony at the ISFiT “freedom and peace is about hard work.” But their creed is “Involvement at any cost.” That is why these students receive the Student Peace Prize every two year from ISFiT (see: http://www.studentpeaceprize.org/), it is very motivating to see students' involvements in noble causes for social justice. They are committed in community service. In this respect, American students provide the best example. They have big students organizations devoted to community and civil engagement like the organization named Campus Compact (see:http://www.campuscompact.org) and certain universities such as University of Southern Mississippi, University of Eastern Michigan, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and Wofford College in South Carolina, among others, have offices of community service learning and some even have teaching programs for community and civic engagement (Journal USA, November 2005).

As Senegalese students, what are we doing for our society? Are we aware of our role in society? In our country, students are often painted in a bad way in media outlets using examples such as violence, strikes, confrontation with police, to name only a few. Is that what it mean to be student? Are we only able to organize or to cause violence? What should be our mission? What should be our role in the development of our country? How can we be the defenders and protectors of universal values like democracy, human rights, peace, good governance, etc. ? In my view, being a student in Senegal is also to prvide answers to these questions. Because to be a student is not only to take courses and to succeed in your studies and most of time to go on strike for material reasons (food, accommodation, scholarship).

Being a student also means being a social actor, because students must have social responsibilities. I agree with The President of ISFiT 2009, Trygve Thorson, who wrote the following: “As students we are in a unique position to change the world around us. Students are bearers of knowledge, creativity, courage, hope and strength of will. Students of today are the voices of tomorrow.” (see: ISFiT 2009, Voices of Tomorrow. Reflections of Students and Professionals on Peacebuilding, Trondheim, Tapir Akademisk Forlag, 2009)

As Senegalese students, we have all these values, but now the question is are we prepared to enhance these values for the service of our society. That is the question!

Our students’ newspaper Journal Le campus (http://www.lecampus-ugb.info) is uniquely responding to this question through its noble project involving sponsorship of the children (between 0 to 6 who are enrolled at local nurs! ery schools known as “Case des tout petits” by paying these children school fees every month, because their parents do not have the means to do it.

Why not paving the way for action? It is possible.



*Amadou Moctar DIALLO is a 2nd year Political Science Student
at Gaston Berger University of Saint Louis in Senegal
Email: amoctad1@yahoo.fr
Blog: http://www.amoctad.blogspot.com