Adama Samassékou (1946 – 23 February 2024) was a Malian politician. He was Minister of Education from 1993 to 2000. Samassékou also served as president of the first preparatory phase of the World Summit on the Information Society.

Adama Samassékou
Minister of Education
In office
1993–2000
Prime MinisterIbrahim Boubacar Keïta
Personal details
Born1946
Died23 February 2024
OccupationPolitician

Life and career

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Samassékou was born in 1946.[1] He studied philology and linguistics at universities in Moscow and Paris.[1] He was Malian Minister of Education from 1993 to 2000.[2] He served under Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.[3] Samassékou was spokesperson for the Government of Mali from 1997 until 2000.[2] Samassékou served between July 2002 and December 2003 as the president of the PrepCom of the Geneva phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).[citation needed][4] In role as chairperson of WSIS he introduced a non-paper in November 2003 to propose a new negotiating text.[5]

At one point, at least in 2002 and 2006, he served as president of the African Academy of Languages.[6][7] In a meeting before the African ministers of education he stressed the importance of using local languages in schools, underpinning this with evidence from school results from children in Mali.[8] From 2003, he was a member of the Haut Conseil de la Francophonie.[citation needed]

Playing an active role in community life, Samassékou was the founding president, for Mali and Africa as a whole, of the Peoples' Movement for Human Rights Education, in association with PDHRE, and beginning on 21 October 2005, president of the International Federation of ICVolunteers. In the political sphere, he was the founding chairman of ADEMA-France.[citation needed]

Samassékou was head of the linguistic department of the Institute of Human Sciences of Mali, then director of the National Library of Mali and adviser to the minister in charge of culture. He was later the president of the MAAYA World Network for Linguistic Diversity.[citation needed]

In 2008 Samassékou became president of the International Council for Philosophy and Humanistic Studies. He was affiliated with the organisation for a total of twelve years until 2020.[9] In 2010, Samassékou served as one of the commissioners of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development.[10]

Samassékou made an appearance in the 2010 documentary film Motherland.[11]

Samassékou spoke Bamanankan (English: Bambara), Songhay, Fulfulde (English: Fula; French: Peul), French, Russian and English.[citation needed] He died on 23 February 2024, at the age of 78.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Bagayoko, Adam (23 February 2024). "Décès d'Adama Samassékou : Un grand intellectuel et homme d'État s'en est allé" (in French). Mali Actu. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b Jørgensen, R.F. (2006). Human Rights in the Global Information Society. Information Revolution and Global Politics. MIT Press. p. 308. ISBN 978-0-262-10115-8. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  3. ^ Banks, A.S.; Day, A.J.; Muller, T.C. (2016). Political Handbook of the World 1998. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 588. ISBN 978-1-349-14951-3. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  4. ^ Raboy, M.; Landry, N.; Shtern, J. (2010). Digital Solidarities, Communication Policy and Multi-stakeholder Global Governance: The Legacy of the World Summit on the Information Society. Peter Lang. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-4331-0740-5. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  5. ^ Cooper, A.; Hocking, B.; Maley, W. (2008). Global Governance and Diplomacy: Worlds Apart?. Studies in Diplomacy and International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-230-22742-2. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  6. ^ Atindogbe, G.; Chibaka, F. (2016). Proceedings of the 7th World Congress of African Linguistics, Buea, 17-21 August 2012: Volume One. Langaa RPCIG. p. 45. ISBN 978-9956-764-86-0. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  7. ^ Alexander, N.; Busch, B.; Languages, E.C.M. (2007). Literacy and Linguistic Diversity in a Global Perspective: An Intercultural Exchange with African Countries. Languages for social cohesion. Council of Europe Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 978-92-871-6141-3. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  8. ^ Guimatsia, S.F. (2016). Time for Africa's Emergence?: With Focus on Cameroon. Book Venture Publishing LLC. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-944849-62-7. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  9. ^ "To the Past President Adama Samassékou: a thanks note from the Board". International Council for Philosophy and Humanistic Studies. 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024.
  10. ^ List of commissioners on Broadband Commission website: "Commissioners". Archived from the original on 14 May 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  11. ^ "FREE Film Screening: Motherland- a story of a continent and its people". blackhistorymonth.org.uk. 14 February 2008.
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