By Joseph Gogwim
The Cross-Cultural Dialogue Festival of the National Film Institute and the Faculty of Arts, University of Jos in conjunction with Institut Francais Nigeria, Republique Francais, Embassy of France, Nigeria, Alliance Francais Nigeria, and Campus France organised a conference under the theme: ‘Humiliation in International Relations: A Pathology of Contemporary International System’.
Prof. Bertrand Dadie, one the most renowned French specialist in international relations, spoke on the theme of the conference which is based on the theme of his book ‘The time of the humiliated’ (2014) where he said ‘Humiliation is a powerful tool and the feeling felt by the weak’.
He said there is much violence that is fought by people due to the various humiliations that they are subjected to in the world.
‘We should be taught that all human beings in the world are unique and they should be treated as such’.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, who was represented in the conference by the University Liberian, Dr. Stephen Akintunde, acknowledged the effort of the French Ambassador and said humiliation as it affects human beings should be a thesis that should further be looked into’ he says.
Unijos Echo equally gathered that the conference also featured screenings and a roundtable where Atta Babajide and Sarah Reng Ochekpe spoke on the topic ‘How humiliation can lead to resistance’. They encouraged that the powerful countries of the world should be objective by calling a spade a spade not to hide under some diplomacies and allow some fundamentalist to humiliate other people of the world.
The conference also featured a public film screening of the movie Fe’licite at the Film Institute Jos, by the award-winning French-Senegalese filmmaker, Alain Gomis. Fe’licite which has a dominant theme is the ongoing ‘battle’ between tradition and modernity.
The film acted in Lingala, a Bantu language used by over 8 million people as a lingua franca in northern parts of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) and with English subtitles is centred on the on a women named Fe’licite, a nightclub singer in Kinshasa who battled between her tradition and modern life.
The conference which climaxed at the Multipurpose Auditorium (MPA) –had the Vice Chancellor presenting an award of excellence to the guest speaker of the event, Prof. Bertrand Badie.
Unijos Echo acknowledged great personalities in attendance at the conference which are: Dr. Arnud Doman (Director, Institute of France in Nigeria also representing the French Ambassador to Nigeria) and leader of this delegation to Jos, Prof. Bertrand Badie, Saranne Comel (Programme Officer in promoting French higher education, French Embassy-Nigeria).
Others present were the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Tor Iorapuu, the Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof. C. Abinmuku, Director, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Prof. Tanko Ishaya, among so many dignitaries.
Photo Credit: Joseph Gogwim
