As part of the Aga Khan Museum’s outreach education programme associated with “Caravans of Gold” -- its current exhibition in Toronto, Canada -- over 150 students from the Lycée Ba Aminata Diallo and the Lycée Alfred Garçon in Bamako, Mali were present for a live feed that connected them with the Museum in Toronto. The exhibition curator, Dr. Michael Chagnon, led the session. The central question posed to the students was, “What role has Mali played in world history since the Middle Ages?”

The audience was able to visit (virtually) with various objects that were rich in history, including major loans from the Ahmed Baba Institute for Higher Education and Islamic Research, the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage, the Bamako Institute of Human Sciences and the National Museum (all in Mali), as well as Ministry of Culture and Communication and the Bank Al-Maghrib Museum in Morocco and the National Commission of Museums and Monuments in Nigeria.

During the session, the Malian students asked many questions about the role played by their ancestors in the universal transactions and common history of West Africa, North Africa, the Middle East and Europe from the 8th to 16th centuries. After the session, many students expressed pride in their history.

Also present were the Director of the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research, staff of the Musée National du Mali and the Parc National du Mali, as well as AKDN staff. The event took place at the Parc National Du Mali in collaboration with the Musée National du Mali.