Joseph Ki-Zerbo
Encyclopedia
Joseph Ki-Zerbo was a Burkinabé politician and writer. He spent his youth in Toma where he grew up in a rural context inside a big family. Ki-Zerbo himself declared that his first 11 years passed in a rural context marked his personality and thoughts. He was recognized as one of Africa’s foremost thinkers. He was educated both in his home country in missionary schools at Toma, and Pabre (around 20 miles from the capital). Also, he studied at Faladie in Mali and after at Sorbonne University, which is one of the most prestigious schools in France. After getting his aggregation degree in History, he returned to Africa. Once back, he became politically active. From 1972 to 1978 he was Professor of African History at the University of Ouagadougou. But in 1983, he was forced into exile, only being able to return in 1992.

Ki-Zerbo founded his own party, the Party for Democracy and Progress/Socialist Party, which he was chairman until 2005 and represented in the Burkina Faso parliament until 2006. Ki-Zerbo was also the best known opponent of the revolutionary government of the President Thomas Sankara
Thomas Sankara
Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara was a Burkinabé military captain, Marxist revolutionary, Pan-Africanist theorist, and President of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987...

. Ki-Zerbo was socialist and an exponent of an independent development of Africa and of Unity of the continent.

Early life

Ki Zerbo was the son of Alfred Diban Ki Zerbo and Therese Folo Ki. His father was considered as the first Christian in the town. Indeed, we can understand his many attendances in catholic high school. Between 1933 and 1940, Ki-Zerbo was student in missionary schools at Torna in Pabre (about 20 mile from the capital Ouagadougou) in Burkina, and Faladie in Mali. He attended the seminary school at Koumi near to Bobo Dioulasso, the economic capital of Burkina Faso for higher teaching level. In Dakar Senegal, Ki-Zerbo taught many years and also found other subsistence jobs as many others migrate. As example, Hollenstein (2006) reported that he participated in the building of some railroads as part of the labor force while he found a job in a weekly newspaper “Afrique nouvelle” where he worked for several months. At the age of 27 Ki-Zerbo earned a scholarship to Paris. He started studying history at the Sorbonne University in 1949 and was following at the same time some political science courses at the Institute of Political Studies in [Paris]. After that, he finished brilliantly his [history] studies with an aggregation in History.

Political activities

Ki-Zerbo’s political activities started while he was still student. He was the co- founder and president of the [Upper Volta] students in France (1950–1956). He was also the President of the Christian Students Association of Africa, Caribbean Islands, and Malgache. In 1954, according to Hollenstein (2006) Ki-Zerbo released an article in the newspapers “Tam-Tam” with the remarkable title “On demande des nationalists”. (In English, “we demand nationalism”). In Paris, Ki-Zerbo met other intellectuals as the Senegalese historian Cheik Anta Diop, and the current president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade. During one of his tour in Western Africa in Mali, Ki-Zerbo met his wife Jacqueline Coulibaly. She is the daughter of a famous Malian syndicalist. After his studies, Ki-Zerbo became professor in history at [Orleans] and Paris. He taught in some public schools in 1957 in Dakar with a status of French employee and citizen.

The second half of the 1950s was a deep disruption on the African continent with the different desires to access to [independence]. Barry (2007), a reporter of Rfi reported that in 1957, he created his party, le Mouvement de Liberation Nationale (MLN), (In English, National Freedom Movement), and he informed the first Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...

 about the MLN.
The MLN aims were immediate independence for Africans, creation of a United States of Africa
United States of Africa
The United States of Africa is a proposed name for the concept of a federation of some or all of the 55 sovereign states of Africa.Former Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, who was the 2009 Chairperson of the African Union , advanced the idea of a United States of Africa at two regional African...

, and socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...

. MLN went to many other West African states to ask people to say “No” to the referendum on the creation of a Franco African community presented by the French President Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....

. From all the West African countries, only Guinea Conakry got independence and voted No to the referendum. Barry (2007) mentioned as a result in his article that Sekou Toure the current President of Guinea Conakry at this time asked Ki-Zerbo and his wife with other volunteers to come to Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...

 and replace the French teachers returned to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 because of independence.

Ki-Zerbo came back to Burkina Faso in 1960. Ki-Zerbo justified his coming back in saying “I explained to Sekou that I have to go back home to pursue the fight for independence in others territories”. After some years of teaching, Ki-Zerbo was at this time the first and most qualified high school teacher of his country. He was nominated in 1965 as academy inspector and General Director of Juvenile, Sports and Education. Then, Ki-Zerbo was professor at the University of Ouagadougou (1968 to 1973). Ki-Zerbo was the co-founder and general director (from 1967 to1979) of the African and Malagasy Council on Higher Education (CAMES) that assures an academical autonomy of Africans countries. CAMES plays a role of pioneer in the research of African alternative medicine and promote scientific relief in Africa.

Social and political ideas

Ki-Zerbo exposed his social and political ideas in many released books on history and culture. He wrote a pedagogic manual called “Le Monde Africain Noir” in English “Black African World” that was released in 1963. In 1972, Ki-Zerbo released a famous book “Histoire de l’Afrique Noir” in English “History of Black Africa” that became the reference book in African history. Holentein (2006) described that in his book, Ki-Zerbo refuted the common belief of Africa as a black continent without culture and history. He proved the contrary in saying that Africa had reached an upper level of political, social and cultural development before slavery and colonization. Written only few years after independence, Ki-Zerbo’s book represented the hope of many Africans of a brighter future in liberty and auto determination.

Sitchet (2003), a reporter of Africulture, argued that from 1972 to 1978 Ki-Zerbo was executive member of the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 foundation (United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization). From 1976 to 2001, Ki Zerbo was also the President of African Historian Association and moreover a Professor at the University of Ouagadougou
University of Ouagadougou
Founded in 1974, the University of Ouagadougou is located in the area of Zogona in Ouagadougou. But in 1995 a second campus for professional education known as University Polytechnique of Bobo was opened in the city of Bobo Dioulasso and a third campus for teacher training in Koudougou in 1996...

. His conviction on education led him to found in 1980, Centre for African Development Studies (CEDA) that has this goal “on ne developpe pas, on se developpe”. (In English, we don’t develop, we develop ourselves). Holenstein (2006) insisted that on the basis of a critic on the relation north-south imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...

, Ki-Zerbo forecast an endogenous development that will take seriously the ecological and social skills, and the African cultural identity. His endogenous development
Human development (humanity)
Human development in the scope of humanity, specifically international development, is an international and economic development paradigm that is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. People are the real wealth of nations...

 is a practice that lets native farmers use their own ideas and traditions alongside new technology. It incorporates the ideas and knowledge of indigenous cultures rather than disregarding them.

Political fights

After scientific researches and teaching, Ki-Zerbo continued with his political activities. Under the Burkinabe
Burkinabe
Burkinabé may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Burkina Faso, a nation in West Africa* A person from Burkina Faso, or of Burkinabé descent. For information about the Burkinabé people, see:** Demographics of Burkina Faso** Culture of Burkina Faso...

 President Maurice Yameogo
Maurice Yaméogo
Maurice Yaméogo was the first President of the Republic of Upper Volta, now called Burkina Faso. He proclaimed the independence of the country on August 5, 1960 and also tried to create a union between Cote d'Ivoire and Upper-Volta...

’s regime (1960-1966), the creation of any political party was forbidden. So, Holenstein (2006) explained in this article on the interview about Ki-Zerbo’s book “A quand l’Afrique”. Ki Zerbo got his members in the syndical teachers’ class and villagers. The syndical and MLN played a big role in popular movement organization on 3 January 1966 that brought down the President Maurice Yameogo. General Secretary of the MLN, Ki-Zerbo went to the 1970s legislative elections and he got 6th rank.

In February the Burkina Faso Parliament is ruined because of a military Coup. In October the banning is cancelled. Many new parties arose like “Union Progressiste Voltaique (UPV) under the control of Ki Zerbo that replaced MLN. UPV was still in opposition to the government party (Union Democratique Voltaique- [Rassemblement Democratique Africain (UDV-RDA).]

Exile

In 1983, a group of young officers took the power by a military coup under the control of the Captain Thomas Sankara. A new stage started for Upper Volta
Republic of Upper Volta
The Republic of Upper Volta was established on December 11, 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Before attaining autonomy it had been French Upper Volta and part of the French Union. On August 5, 1960 it attained full independence from France.Thomas Sankara came to power...

 which became Burkina Faso “Land of integrity people”. Under the power of the new government, Ki-Zerbo was obliged to go into exile. Then, in 1985 he was finally arrested with his family for two years of detention and became free only after another military coup organized by the current President of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaore
Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré has been the President of Burkina Faso since 1987 following a coup d'état that ousted then-President Thomas Sankara. In 2011, a mutiny by soldiers over unpaid housing allowances forced him to flee the capital for his hometown...

. Even in exile, he created some research center like the Research Centre for Endogenous Development (CRDE) and taught at Cheick Anta Diop University at Dakar and never came back until 1987. His library rich of eleven thousands books in his hometown Burkina Faso has been burned while he was still in exile. He came back and tried to rebuild everything in getting a place in parliament.

Awards

Ki-Zerbo knowledge and devotion to Africa have garnered him global recognition. In 1997 he was honoured with the Right Livelihood Award
Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award, also referred to as the "Alternative Nobel Prize", is a prestigious international award to honour those "working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the world today". The prize was established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, and is...

 for his researches on the development. This prize is deserved to those who tried to find credible solutions to the protection of the environment and nature. Also for people who helped the development of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...

 and peace. In 2000, Ki-Zerbo also received the Al\-Gadafi international prize for human rights. In 2001, Ki-Zerbo got the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...

 in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

.
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