Socrates in Cameroon

Nalova Lyonga

Description

Bernard Nsokika Fonlon, 1924-1986, rose from humble origins to become one of Cameroon�s most famous sons. He was a scholar, a poet, a politician, a philosopher, a man of action and a man of courage. He was never too busy to see someone who was troubled, never too tired to take up the case of the oppressed or the downtrodden. He was a man who could communicate, with style, in half a dozen world languages but who could also use Pidgin English if it meant putting his listeners at ease. He was a man who moved in opulent circles but who collected for himself not money but the hearts of those who got to know him. It is easy to use superlatives of someone like Bernard Fonlon, easy to make him sound like a sage or a saint; it is less easy to describe the humour and the courtesy and the gentleness that irradiated all that he said and did. This book describes briefly the life and times of a man whose story incorporates the history of a young nation and whose autobiography, The Pathfinder, has all the excitement of an adventure novel. We could use a lot of words and still not get to the heart of the matter because ordinary words are for ordinary men and Bernard Fonlon was unique. To those who knew him, no introduction is necessary; to those who did not know him, no short introduction is enough. Bernard Fonlon did not leave a worldly legacy to his family and friends and country. He left much more. He left ideas that can never be buried and ideals that will challenge new generations.

Sujets

• Autobiography
• Biography

Informations

• Publié par: Langaa RPCIG
• Date de parution: 01 novembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• EAN13: 9789956579495
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Socrates in Cameroon

Socrates in Cameroon

Edited by Nalova Lyonga

The Life and Works of Bernard Nsokika Fonlon Edited by Nalova Lyonga

SOCRATES IN CAMEROON The Life and Works of Bernard Nsokika Fonlon Edited by NALOVA LYONGA

Langaa Research & Publishing CIG Mankon, Bamenda

Publisher: LangaaRPCIG Langaa Research & Publishing Common Initiative Group P.O. Box 902 Mankon Bamenda North West Region Cameroon [e-mail] www.langaa-rpcig.net Distributed outside N. America by African Books Collective [e-mail] www.africanbookcollective.com Distributed in N. America by Michigan State University Press [e-mail] www.msupress.msu.edu

ISBN: 9956-578-08-8 ©Nalova Lyonga 2010 First published 1989 by Tortoise Books

DISCLAIMER All views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Langaa RPCIG.

Table of Content Bernard Nsokika Fonlon, 1924-1986 Acknowledgement Introduction NALOVA LYONGA The Formative Years of Dr Bernard Nsokika Fonlon DANIEL NONI LANTUM The Philosophical and Spiritual Dimensions of the Life of Bernard Fonlon ARCHBISHOP PAUL VERDZEKOV Reflections on the Educational Writings of Bernard Fonlon LEKE I. TAMBO Bernard Fonlon and the Black Diaspora EDWARD O. AKO Bernard Fonlon and Ireland LORETO TODD Bernard Fonlon and Nso Tradition SHEYPHILIPNSAIANDDANIELNONILANTUM Socrates in Cameroon: An Interview with Bernard Fonlon RICHARD BJORNSON

iii

v

xiii

xv

1

27

53

67

77

93

109

Upon a Rock or Upon Sand? BERNARD FONLON Hommage au Docteur Fonlon JEAN DEJEUX Tribute to Doctor Fonlon ETHNA BYRNE COSTIGAN Avis Concernant Docteur Fonlon W. McCAUSLAND STEWART Bernard Fonlon, Magister Magnus Fere Caelestis: Citation of Respect KEVIN MBAYU Reflections in the Churchyard at Kumbo Cathedral VICTOR ANOMAH NGU

iv

133

153

155

157

159

165

BERNARD NSOKIKA FONLON 1924-1986 EDUCATION Early education 1931-39: Primary School 1942-45 Secondary School 1942-45: Secondary School: Christ the King College, Onitsha, Nigeria 1948-53: Philosophy and Theology Bigard Memorial Senior Seminary, Enugu, Nigeria University Studies 1954-61: The National University of Ireland, Cork: Studied under Professor E. Byrne Costigan, Drs O’Flaherty, Servais, Forgatton The Sorbonne, Paris: Studied under Professor Georges Balandier Oxford University: Studied under Professor Halls QUALIFICATIONS 1939: Primary School Leaving Certificate 1945 Senior Cambridge Grade One 1946: The Nigerian Teacher’s Higher Elementary Certificate 1957: B.A. Honours, NUl Cork (2.1, Latin and French) 1959: M.A., NUl Cork (First, Thesis:Flaubert Ecrivain, a study of Flaubert’s style,written in French)

v

1960: Diploma in Education, Oxford University 1961: Ph.D., NUl Cork (Thesis:La Poesie et le Reveil del’ Homme Noir,an investigation into Negro African protest literature in English and in French (including North America, the Caribbean, Africa and Madagascar). This was the first Ph.D. thesis in this field and was written in French under the auspices of Professor W. McCausland Stewart (Bristol), D Green (Oxford) and Professor E. Byrne Costigan (NUl Cork). This Ph.D was the first doctorate awarded to a Cameroonian. 1986: D.Litt.(honoris causa),University of Guelph Canada TEACHING CAREER 1940-41: Pupil teacher, Kumbo. Four of his pupils became prominent scholars Paul Verdzekov, S.T.L., Ph.D., D.D. (Gregorian University, Rome), Archbishop of Bamenda Christian Tumi, S.T.L., Ph.D. (Fribourg University, Switzerland), Clement Nze, Ph.D. (University of Munster, West Germany), Omar Sendze, M.Sc. (London University), Chartered Engineer, 1946-47: St Joseph’s College, Sasse. His former students include numerous B.A.sand M.A.s, one ambassador and several diplomats and senior civil servants. 1954: Christ the King College, Onitsha, Nigeria. 1960: Chippenham Grammar School, Wiltshire, England 1971: Associate Professor in the University of Yaounde vi

POSTS HELD 1961: Assistant Secretary to the Prime Minister of the Southern Cameroons 1961-64: Charge de Mission (Presidential Aide) at the Presidency, Yaounde, Cameroon 1964-68: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister 1968-70: Minister of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications 1970-71: Minister of Public Health and social Welfare 1962- Founder and Director ofAbbia, thebilingual Cameroon Cultural Review HONOURS Academic Nigeria: Patron of the Philosophical Fraternity of the University of Nigeria USA: Member of the National Geographic society th USSR: Awarded the Pushkin Medal in Moscow on the 170 anniversary of the birth of the celebrated Russo-African writer Political Canada: The Canadian Medal vii

Vatican: A Papal Medal The Medal of the Concilium Oecumencium Vatican 1 and 2 France: The Medal Trois Siec1es de cartographie Francais USA: Medal of the African-american dialogues OAU: Medal Issued to the participants of the First Congress of the OAU, 1963 Cameroon: Chevalier de I’Ordre de la Valeur, Officier de l’Ordre de la Valeur West Germany: Grosses Verdienstkreuz, Das Grosses Verdienstkreuz mit Stem und Schulterband Tunisia: The Order of the Tunisian Star Nigeria: The C.O.N. for Distinguished Public Service India: The Jawaharlal Nehru Medal Africa: Medale de Vermeil d ‘Union Africaine et Malgache des Postes et Telecommunications Nso: Chieftaincy title, Shufai-wu-Ntu-Ndzev, conferred by the Fon of Nso PUBLICATIONS Cultural and Philosophical Inaugural article, (Abbia1): lays down principles of the roles viii