| Photo by Jane Scherr |
Pierre Sané Interview: Conversations with History; Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley
| Photo by Jane Scherr |
Page 1 of 6
Mr. Sané, welcome to Berkeley.
Thank you very much for the invitation.
Where were you born?
I was born in Senegal, which is in West Africa, 50 years ago. Senegal is a former French colony. It is a part of Africa that has been occupied for 300 years by the French and which became independent in 1960. And it also famous, I suppose, in the United States because that is where Gorée Island is, which was the major point of departure for the slaves during the slave trade.
And did that historical fact enter your consciousness at a young age?
Yes, certainly. Many schools in Senegal or in Dakar sent the pupils to visit Gorée Island and to visit the slave museum. So it is not just through the history book that we come across this part of the history of the continent, but by being physically exposed to this period of history through the buildings, through the museum, the pictures, and the exhibit made by those who are in charge of the museum.
Were you educated in Senegal?
I was educated in Senegal [through] high school, and then after that I went to university in France. I did also graduate courses in London, at the London School of Economics. And I also took doctoral courses in Carlton University in Canada.
What books most influenced you as you were growing up, getting educated?
Textbooks. I attended high school in France and therefore French writers influenced me most, writers like Victor Hugo or Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Balzac. Writers like Emile Zola or Frantz Fanon. Also the early history of African independence and the war in Algeria.
What about mentors as a young person? Anyone in particular stand out as influencing you toward the path that you finally took in human rights work?
Probably two persons. One is my mother. My mother is a teacher; she was one of the first teachers in colonial Senegal and very early on she was involved in the women's movement at the African level. And her struggle was to ensure that as the African countries were moving towards liberation and independence, that that be accompanied as well by the liberation of the African women. And the second one was my uncle, who was very involved in politics in Senegal and who, at a very early age, was using us to stamp the cards of the party or to prepare the posters for his meetings, although we were not attending those meetings. I've been witness many times of him being arrested by the Senegalese government, sent to jail on several occasions. But even though in Senegalese politics many political parties after independence joined the government, he has always been in opposition. He has always insisted that democracy has more to do with the strength of the opposition than with consensus on policies.
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