Slave Trade in Libya Today. Implications for Canadian Foreign Policy (en anglais seulement)

 Presented by Jean-Blaise Samou, Ph.D.

**Présentation en anglais seulement**

After CNN’s reports on Nov. 13, 2017 titled “Migrants Being Sold as Slaves in Libya”, the world felt a wave of shock as many people and organizations around the globe rose spontaneously with protest and propositions for help. However, slave auctions in Libya are only the tip of the iceberg, and the worldwide emotional response may never suffice to end the Sub-Saharan migrants’ plague, which is known to have now spread in the Arab world, from Morocco to as far as Indonesia and Argentina. This lecture explores the current migrants’ tragedy in the Mediterranean from a postcolonial, transnational, and trans-historical perspective. Assistant Professor Jean-Blaise Samou addresses (a) the root causes of the North-African migrant crisis and its byproduct, the chaotic security situation in Sub-Saharan Africa; (b) its implications for Canadian foreign policy in North Africa; and (c) the rational for sustainable humanist solutions.

Jean-Blaise Samou received his Ph.D. in French at the University of Calgary, AB, with specialization in Francophone Cultures of Africa. He then taught French and Francophone studies at the University of Alberta – Augustana campus for three years before joining Ripon College where he now teaches courses in French, Francophone Studies and Global Studies. His research focuses on Postcolonial theory, Postcolonial France and the Françafrique, fictional historiographies, and the construction of national identities in Africa. His articles and book reviews have appeared in scientific journals such as @nalyses, Présence Francophone, Journal of the University of Moncton, Rhumsiki (Journal of the University of Maroua), and Canadian Journal of African Studies. He is currently working on several other projects including an article on “The Politics of Documentaries in Africa” and a volume, co-edited with Professor Lifongo Vetinde on African Cultural Production and the Rhetoric of Humanism.