Timbuktu Educational Foundation, Inc.
(TEF) is a non-profit, non-political, educational institution founded
for the sole purpose of preserving, restoring, and disseminating
the important intellectual contributions of the early African scholars
from the famous Timbuktu Universities of Mali, West Africa. The
manuscripts of Timbuktu cover diverse subjects such as mathematics,
chemistry, physics, optics, astronomy, medicine, Islamic sciences,
history, geography, the tradition of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, government
legislation and treatise, jurisprudence, and much more. The manuscripts
of Timbuktu are a living testimony of the highly advanced and refined
civilization in Sub-Saharan Africa. Even before the European Renaissance,
Timbuktu flourished as the greatest academic and commercial center
in Africa. Great empires such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai were proofs
of the talents, creativity, and ingenuity of the African people.
The University of Timbuktu produced both Black African scholars
and leaders of the highest rank, character, and nobility.
Currently, there are approximately 700,000 manuscripts in Timbuktu
and its surrounding areas that are on the verge of being lost if
appropriate action is not taken. With the passing of the years,
more of these documents become brittle and unreadable; these fragile
manuscripts if handled without care -- disintegrate when touched.
In the case of those volumes belonging to private family collections,
the books are sold to tourists who are unaware of their historical
and cultural significance.
The mission of TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION is to resurrect to
its' rightful place the contributions of these scholars in the annals
of world history, thus correcting many misconceptions and long-accepted
distorted views about Africa and its' people. TEF is appointed and
mandated by the government of Mali and the official authorities
of the city of Timbuktu as the Agent and Legal Caretaker of the
manuscripts of Timbuktu.
TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION was first conceived in 1999 when
one of the founding members of the organization visited the Masjid
of Jingaray Ber where he met the Imam (Religious Leader) who showed
him a few of the manuscripts and explained to him the deplorable
conditions of the thousands of volumes of books in and around the
city. The Imam further added that although many "interested"
and "concerned" individuals have offered to help in the
preservation and restoration of these important intellectual and
historical legacies. However, none have successfully pursued this
imperative mission to its' fruition. Our founding member indeed
saw the actual condition of the decaying manuscripts and he took
many photographs to substantiate the testimony. Upon his return
to the United States, he approached the other founding member to
help establish this much needed organization.
In the year 2000, TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION was established
in the United States. The following year, some of the founding members
traveled to Timbuktu, Mali to do field research and assess the condition
of the 700,000 volumes of books in the three major University sites
and its' vicinity. At this time, TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
was granted sole guardianship by the government of Mali and officials
from the city of Timbuktu. A counsel and advisory committee was
also established which consists of government officials, scholars,
religious leaders of the different Masajids, and the families in
possession of the private manuscript collections. The members of
the counsel and advisory committee are working jointly with TIMBUKTU
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION to facilitate the implementation and execution
of the objectives of the organization. They will ensure that the
work of the conservation is successful. Offices in Timbuktu and
Bamako, the capital of Mali, were provided for TEF's operations
in the African continent.
The late African scholar, Waziri of Sokoto, Junayd ibn Muhammad
al-Bukhari once said,
"Knowledge is universal and eternal but it has a social and
cultural stamp. It also has a purpose and a commitment to a particular
worldview. It therefore cannot be neutral".
Perhaps this point can be best restated by a searing poem that the
same Waziri Junayd had composed more than 500 years ago in his book
Nayl 'l-Arab Fi Istifsaa'i 'n-Nasab:
"Whoever does not inform his children of his grandfathers,
then has destroyed his child, marred his descendants, and injured
his offspring the day he dies. Whoever does not make use of his
ancestry, Then he has muddled his reason Whoever is not concerned
with his descent, Then he has lost his mind. Whoever neglects his
origin, Then his stupidity has become critical Whoever does not
cause his ancestry to be abundant, Then his incompetence has become
great., Whoever does not increase his place of descent, Then he
has abolished his honor."
MUSA BALA BALDE'
GOALS & OBJECTIVES:
· RESTORE, PRESERVE, TRANSLATE, AND PUBLISH THE MANUSCRIPTS
OF TIMBUKTU
· RESTORE THE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS WHICH HOUSE THE UNIVERSITY
OF TIMBUKTU
· REOPEN THE UNIVERSITY OF TIMBUKTU WITH ITS CLASSICAL METHODS
OF TEACHING
· OPEN A BRANCH OF THE UNIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES UTILIZING
THE SAME CLASSICAL METHODS OF TEACHING
· PROMOTE TOURISM, EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES BETWEEN
AMERICANS, EUROPEANS, OTHERS AND THE PEOPLE OF MALI, IN GENERAL,
AND TIMBUKTU-GAO-DJENNÉ IN PARTICULAR.
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RESTORE, PRESERVE, TRANSLATE, AND PUBLISH THE MANUSCRIPTS OF TIMBUKTU
The present state of the manuscripts, their brittle condition --
pages disintegrate easily like ashes. They are worn-out from constant
and improper handling and exposure to weather, insects and piracy.
All of these factors lend testimony to the desperate and critical
need to restore and preserve these works immediately. In order,
to initiate the process of this preservation and restoration of
some 700,000 volumes of manuscripts in the three major universities
of Timbuktu (Jingere Ber, Sankore and Sidi Yayha), Ahmed Baba Center,
and the surrounding private family collections, TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION (TEF) will:
· hire under contract basis professional archivists, curators,
museum and archive technicians and conservationists who are experts
in the field. They will appraise, analyze, describe , arrange, catalogue,
restore, preserve, exhibit, maintain, and store the manuscripts
that can be used by researchers, or for exhibition, publication,
and other educational programs deemed useful by or with the approval
of the governing board of TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION.
· train qualified Malians to work alongside the above contracted
experts to do the actual conservation work.
· catalogue and classify the thousands of existing manuscripts
according to:
1) library site, subject, author, title
2) subject, author, title
3) author, title
4) title, author
An archive of the above information would be stored on computer
and microfilm storing systems. According to an article in Joint
Task Force on Text and Image, April 1992 (Preserving The Intellectual
Text): "the most promising strategy for saving the intellectual
and artistic content of endangered volumes is to transform or convert
it to a different medium -- by copying it to film or digital electronic
form."
· Upon completion of the cataloging process, TEF will utilize
the expertise of universities and research institutions for the
purpose of disseminating the above manuscripts and make them readily
accessible for use by other scholars; researchers, students and
those interested in the intellectual and cultural history of Africa
during the fourteenth century. This will be accomplished by:
1. reproducing the original manuscripts into the original Arabic
text
2. translating the manuscripts into other languages (i.e., English,
French, German, Japanese, Swahili, etc.)
As custodian and caretaker of the manuscripts, TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION is to ensure and protect the manuscripts from leaving
the city of TIMBUKTU, maintain control of how these rare manuscripts
are being used by other organizations and individuals and make sure
that the authentic and accurate reporting of the content of the
manuscripts is done without distortion or selective deletion. Under
the auspices of TEF, the reproduced and translated works will be
marketed to African-Americans (Muslim and non-Muslim), American
Islamic Studies departments, African Studies departments, Middle
Eastern Studies departments, Masajids and Islamic centers, Islamic
book stores, Afro-Centric book stores, Middle Eastern universities
and libraries, African universities and libraries and to countries
in the African continent (Muslim and non-Muslim).
2. RESTORE THE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS WHICH HOUSE THE UNIVERSITY OF
TIMBUKTU
The three main sites comprising the University of Timbuktu (Sankore,
Jingere Ber and Sidi Yahya) are over 700 years old. They have been
classified by UNESCO as "ancient historical mud-made architectural
monuments" and are under constant threat of destruction and
decay. The Imam (Religious Leader) of Jingere Ber succinctly expressed
the condition of these historical monuments:
"these...are built with mud, not concrete and it is by the
mercy of Allah (God) that we are still benefiting from them. It
will be a great historic shame if we loose them after we inherited
them in good condition and it is our responsibility to maintain
them and preserve them for the coming generations. We cannot bear
the pain of telling our brothers and visitors from America that
the University of Timbuktu (pointing to the adobe construction fallen
into disrepair) used to be in the rubbles over there..."
TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION in collaboration with the government
and people of Mali will ensure that constant repair and maintenance
of these buildings be undertaken as part of the overall conservation
work. These magnificent edifices, characteristic of sub-Saharan
buildings, are on the verge of crumbling and collapsing, seasonal
rains cause heavy damage and worsen the structural condition of
these edifices. Parts of these antiquities are either melting away
and/or decaying with the passing of time. The presence of termites
and humid temperatures contribute to the weakening of the structural
foundations. Rotten structural beams, ceiling, roofs, walls, stairways
and minarets add to their deteriorating condition. Many of the buildings
must be patched up and reinforced after each heavy downpour, thunderstorm
and flooding. With the desertification process, buildings are sinking
under the advancing sands of the desert. The restoration of these
monuments requires engineering and architectural expertise.
TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION will therefore hire a qualified
construction engineering firm and architects who will conduct extensive
feasibility studies on the actual structures of the University's
buildings with the objective of coming up with a proposal on how
the restoration and preservation can be accomplished without altering
the originality of these antiquities.
3. REOPEN THE UNIVERSITY OF TIMBUKTU WITH ITS CLASSICAL METHODS
OF TEACHING
Today, the classical teaching method employed during the height
of Timbuktu's intellectual renaissance continues to be utilized
by the remaining scholars of the University of Timbuktu. This traditional
style of teaching is in danger of being lost if steps are not undertaken
to preserve the knowledge of its methodology. The University of
Timbuktu offers to its students the following curriculum prior to
graduation:
· Primary Degree
· Secondary Degree
· Superior Degree
· Circle of Knowledge or Law-making Body: this is the origin
or primary source of the manuscripts of Timbuktu.
In 1464 the Songhay Emperor, Sonni Ali Ber (1464-1492), took over
Timbuktu from the Tuareg leader Akil. During his reign he created
the “SAN HOU”; in the Songhay language that means: “La
Maison des Savants.” (Reference: Adam Ba Konaré (1977),
Sonni Ali Ber, page 91 for more information).
So, in English “ la maison des savants” means: the
House of the Savants, that is, the house of the experienced or wise
people who know, the makers of law and knowledge, etc. Thus, Sonni
Ali Ber organized a group of wise people and asked them for their
advice. However, they could not go beyond his rules and regulations
as far as the Empire was concerned. Thus, they became the “jurisconsultes”
(in French this means: “Jury” ). So Sonni Ali Ber initiated
the “Circle of Knowledge.”
The history of the University of Timbuktu, its curriculum, the four
degrees or levels of acquiring /achieving knowledge, methods of
traditional and/or classical teaching, the many disciplines taught,
workshops that teach students trade and/or leadership programs,
as well as the acquisition of Islamic noble character through tassawuf
(purification of the soul) -- are all recorded in the manuscripts
and archives of the University of Timbuktu. TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION will revitalize the reputation of this once flourishing
intellectual mecca by implementing the same mode of education through:
An Exchange Program -- to be established in conjunction with selected
accredited universities in the United States, as well as universities
in Africa and other interested countries. Students will earn credit
toward fulfillment of requirements for their specific majors. In
addition, TEF will make available an exchange program for African
students wishing to do advance studies to complete their courses
in the U.S.
· A Visiting Scholars Program -- to provide university professors,
teachers, and researchers with an opportunity to experience a different
and unique way of learning. An open avenue for exchange of ideas
between the scholars of Timbuktu and their guests will also be one
of the highlights of this program.
· Cultural Exchange Program -- to provide interested individuals
or groups who are not pursuing a specific educational degree with
an opportunity to expose themselves to ...
4. OPEN A BRANCH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TIMBUKTU IN THE UNITED STATES
TO FACILITATE ACCESSIBILITY AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORKS OF THE
SCHOLARS OF TIMBUKTU
· TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION will establish a University
of Timbuktu in the United States with the same objective of disseminating
the classical method of teaching utilized by the scholars of Timbuktu
and its famous university. The course work will strictly adhere
to the guidelines used by its counterpart in the African continent.
Once again, agreement and collaboration among selected accredited
colleges and universities in the United States will be established.
For those individuals who are curious and simply want to sample
the classical and traditional learning style from the great learning
center of West Africa, classes will be made available on that basis.
· A site within one of the major cities in the United States
will be used for the location of the University of Timbuktu; it
will house a museum, library and dormitories and will be constructed
as a prototype model of the ancient, classical architecture of Timbuktu's
great universities. In this manner, TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
will introduce to the American landscape an exemplification of the
uniqueness and beauty of African architecture. The presence of such
structure would also testify to the positive contribution of civilized
Africa to the development of world civilization.
5. PROMOTE TOURISM, EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES BETWEEN AMERICANS,
EUROPEANS, AND OTHERS WITH THE PEOPLE OF MALI, IN GENERAL, AND TIMBUKTU-GAO-DJENNÉ
IN PARTICULAR.
· Promoting tourism will assure TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION's
sustainability in terms of generating income; in addition, it will
boost Mali's economy by providing a source of livelihood for its
people. The main objective of tourism will be to foster understanding
and cultural exchange between diverse populations of peoples and
bring about unity through the celebration of the differences and
similarities among them. In conjunction with the Republic of Mali,
TEF will sponsor trips for individuals as well as groups, who will
have the opportunity to visit African scholars, local museums, other
historical sites as well as visit with the very hospitable and friendly
families of Timbuktu.
· TIMBUKTU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION will host an annual International
conference, which will be held at a designated site in Mali. Notable
African scholars both traditional and academic, as well as middle
eastern and western scholars will lecture in diverse topics such
as the historical contribution of early African scholars, African
Civilization, and the important contributions of modern-day African
scholars. With this vision, TEF will aspire to draw visitors from
all over the world. |
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Library of Mohammed Bagayago |
