William Gendron
Sahel Research Group
I began attending the Sahel Research Group's seminars in October 2021. Since then, I've learned a lot about the West African Sahel. I've been able to meet professionals and academics who are focused on the region. Recently, with the group's MINERVA grant, I've been assisting with a literature review to understand Sahelians' perspectives and response to climate change.
Highlighted Seminars / Symposiums
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Jihadism, Conflict, and Governance in the Sahel
From this symposium, I learned about ongoing research on the conflicts within the Sahel. I gained a better understanding of the social and political forces in West Africa that contribute to Jihadism / Extremism. A highlight of the event was the final two speakers, Mamadou Togola and Abdoul Azizou Garba Brimaka, who presented on social media and foreign military interventions in the region.
Narratives of / on Tuareg and Fulani
The symposium was really interesting as I got to meet people from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger, Ivory Coast, and Mali. I was able to gain a better understanding of the social forces at play in West African politics and the huge influence of social media.
Dr. François-Xavier Lalèyê, pastoralism and farmer-herder conflict in the Sahel
Dr. Lalèyê is a Senegalese veterinarian with experience with pastoralists in Senegal and the Sahel region. It was really informative hearing someone's personal experiences and the way that veterinarians are having to act as mediators in the midst of tensions between farmers and herders. During the presentation, he included a video of when he was examining the injuries on a goat and you could hear / see all the village residents gathered around. I thought this was really interesting to see. Through the event, I was able to learn more about how disputes between farmers and herders are handled within villages in Senegal. Overall, I was able to gain a better understanding of the culture and hierarchy within rural Senegal.