Bernard Arcens

Bernard Arcens (born 1896 or 1897) was a Senegalese merchant, community leader, and humanitarian administrator. He was the chair of the Casamance Regional Committee of the Senegal Red Cross, and the winner of the 1968 Nansen Refugee Award.

Early life

Arcens was born in the Casamance Regional,[1] in 1896 or 1897.[2]

Career

Arcens was the president of the Ziguinchor chamber of commerce and a merchant in 1914.[3] He tried to persuade French colonialists to let Ziguinchor's residents grow rice, as per their needs and wishes, but was pressured by the French to comply with their demands that Senegalese people grew peanuts to satisfy France's domestic needs.[3]

In 1963, Arcens was chair of the Casamance Regional Committee of the Senegal Red Cross, and also the president of the Senegal Diocesan Catholic Aid.[4][5] When refugees from Portuguese Guinea started arriving in Casamance, Arcens lead the Red Cross' relief efforts.[2] For his work supporting refugees, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan awarded Arcens the Nansen Refugee Award on October the 10th 1968.[6][7]

Personal life

Arcens became blind in 1937 at the age of 40 years, although it did not stop his work.[2]

He spoke the French and the Casamance Kriul language.[8]

See also

References
  1. ATTRIBUTION DE LA MEDAILLE NANSEN, International Association, Brussels, 21st edition 1969 p149https://cdn.cocodoc.com/cocodoc-form-pdf/pdf/297458962--INTERNATIONAL-ASSOCIATIONS-1969-3-21e-ANNEE-MARS-ditorial-21st-YEAR-MARCH-ASSOCIATIONS-INTERNATIONALES-sommaire-contents-EDITORIAL-uia-.pdf
  2. Chartrand, P., Chartrand, R., Holborn, L. W. (1975). Refugees, a Problem of Our Time: The Work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 1951-1972. United States: Scarecrow Press. p1425
  3. Trincaz, Pierre Xavier (1984). Colonisation et Régionalisme Ziguinchor en Casamance (PDF). pp. 101, 132.
  4. "Discours prononcé par le Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, Haut Commissaire des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés et Président du Comité de la Médaille Nansen, à l'occasion de la remise de la Médaille Nansen pour 1968 à M. Bernard Arcens, le 10 octobre 1968". UNHCR (in French). Retrieved 2022-08-11.
  5. Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 24th General Assembly, 1969.
  6. "AWARD OF THE NANSEN MEDAL TO A MEMBER OF THE RED CROSS" (PDF). ICRC: 595. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. S. Steinberg, J. Paxton (28 December 2016). The Statesman's Year-Book 1969-70. Springer. p. 9. ISBN 9780230270985.
  8. AFRICAN LANGUAGE INFLUENCES IN CREOLES LEXICALLY BASED ON PORTUGUESE, ENGLISH AND FRENCH, with Special Reference to Casamance Kriul, Gambian Krio and St. Lucian Patwa, Morgan Dalphinis, 1980, https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/28601/1/10672760.pdf
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