Oslo 13.12.10

1. Generating Knowledge through the Visual Media: Establishing Visual Anthropology at the University of Bamako, Mali Oslo 13.12.10

2. The University of Bamako • A young university, established in 1996 • FLASH – Faculty of Social Sciences, Languages and Arts • Department of Social Sciences • About 17 500 students • The importance of international university collaboration

3. Previous collaboration between Visual Cultural Studies (VCS) and FLASH • The Peace Corps project (2000 – 2003) • A first attempt to establish Visual Anthropology at UoBamako • Two students from the UoBamako recruited at the Master’s at VCS • Former Dean at FLASH serving his sabbatical year at VCS in Tromsø (2006)

4. Images with a Capital ”I” - Developing Visual Literacy in Cross-Cultural Communication(2006-2010) • Main objective: …. to make use of culture/aesthetics and creativity to develop new languages which allow local populations’ access to and influence on regional and national instances in the partners’ countries.

5. Sub-goals: • Establish a sustainable teaching programme in visual anthropology at the University of Bamako. • Contribute to the enhancement of audio-visual literacy by the development of theories and methodologies in the humanities and social sciences. • To enhance the recognition of the importance of reciprocal dependency in the educational institutions in the North and the South.

6. First period 2006 – 2008 • Visual anthropology courses established as part of the regular curriculum at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels at the UoBamako • 20 Bachelor’s, and from these • 6 Master’s graduated • 6 started their Master’s studies

7. Dissemination seminar in Bamako with film screenings • One student from the UoBamako graduated from the Master’s at Visual Cultural Studies (UoTromsø) and was recruited as part of the regular staff at UoBamako

10. Second period 2009 – 2010 • Improved integration of the VA courses with the other courses in Anthropology at UoB • 6 Master’s graduated • 16 Bachelor’s, and from these • 6 Master’s completed their fieldwork • Dissemination seminar with film screenings • One student from UoBamako recruited at the Master’s at Visual Cultural Studies (UoTromsø)

11. Binding collaboration with institutions with competence on still-photography (Promofem) and film (CNCM) in Bamako • Teachers reqruited from these institutions • Practice stays for graduates

12. Other achievements • Exchange of teachers with UoMaroua in Cameroon • Reduced involvement in the regular teaching from the VCS staff • Collaboration with The Norwegian Church Aid

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17. Bachelor’s level - Educational approach • Photography, anthropological theory and ethnographic methodology • Photo based mini-fieldwork projects in small scale settings • The visual material as a catalyst for an continuously evolving project dialogue

18. The divination project – Various steps • Development of the project in class • First field visit – significant aspects of the ritual • 10 photos presented in class

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21. Classroom discussions • A backward traditionalist or ….? • The complex approach of methodological relativism • Second field visit -Back to the diviner, enriched with the comments from classroom discussions • What counts as knowledge in different settings • Classroom discussions

22. Third field visit –the life history of the diviner • Not a vanishing tradition, but ongoing aspects of modernization in the Malian society • Classroom discussions • Paper written for the exam • With photos, important findings and discussion of methodological issues

23. Master’s level – Educational approach • The video camera as a tool of investigation • The development of an observational sensitivity which give access to lived life • Patience, presence and hopefully also the avoidance of reifications • Film and written theses – complementary knowledge

24. Ali’s Dream, by S. Sagara (2008) • Among the films made by the first group of students. • Common research theme: Urbanization processes in Bamako • Ali, a young immigrant in Bamako coming from Dogon land • New understanding of seemingly well known phenomena

25. Main achievements – Images with a capital ”I” • A teaching programme in VA established at UoB • Three cohorts of Master’s students enrolled • South-South collaboration developed between the UoBamako and the UoMaroua • Collaboration with filmmaking institutions in Bamako established • Facilities - Library, editing suites, camera/sound equipment

26. Some employment possibilities established for the graduates after practice stays • Participation at the film festival at Njamina • “Echag – The Well” by S. Diallo received the student film award at the Moscow international festival and conference of Visual Anthropology in 2010

27. Important steps toward sustainability • One regular VA position established at UoB • Collaboration with CNCM financed by UoB • Classroom and office facilities given by UoB

28. Obstacles • Difficult to finance Ph.D candidates who can take the academic responsibility for the VA program at UoBamako • The cooperaton is financed till the end of 2010 - some support still needed in 2011

29. Visions for the future • Visual anthropology in Tromsø, Bamako and Maroua • Mutual exchange of teachers and students + research collaboration …… on our way to accomplish these aims