Journalist and emblematic figure of the citizens' movement Y'en a marre founded in 2011, Fadel Barro is known for the relentlessness which his peers and himself showed during the fight against political manipulation and the abuse of power manifested by the former regime of President Abdoulaye Wade at the end of his second mandate. Through an awareness program throughout the Senegalese territory, the members of the movement have spared no effort to raise awareness of the role of each citizen in this struggle.
One of the major concepts that they popularized was the New Type of Senegalese (NTS) of which Barro speaks as follows: “We said NTS! ... Starting with ourselves, breaking with our lax and fatalistic habits to tend towards an ideal of active citizenship capable of taking charge and fully assuming its role and responsibilities in the emergence of a new Senegal. ”
Given the impact this coronavirus has had on the public despite efforts to protect and fight against its spread, it becomes urgent to reflect on the future of citizenship after this crisis. Notwithstanding the duty of management of the pandemic by our public authorities, one wonders what would be the role of the citizen in such a situation? Is the ideal of citizenship that Fadel referred to above today built in a collective effort to eradicate this virus? Moving towards the day after the crisis, can we still aspire to new types of Senegalese?
Fadel Barro holds a Diploma of Specialized Studies in Journalism and Political Communication. He gained eight years of journalism experience becoming a consultant in communication and transformative leadership. He is a founding member of the Y’en a marre movement, of which he is the director and one of the main architects. Barro is also the coordinator of the Platform for the Protection of Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAF).