Faouzi Skali, the founder and Director General of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, has been granted France's highest award. In a ceremony in Paris on Thursday 1 May Dr Skali was created a Chevalier (Knight) de la Legion d'Honneur by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius
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| Faouzi Skali - photo Suzanna Clarke |
The award recognises Dr Skali's pioneering work as a standard bearer for cultural diversity, religious pluralism and spiritual and humanitarian values. He founded the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in 1994 – after he was horrified by the implications of the First Gulf War.
“I felt I had to do something to focus on peace and understanding between nations and religions”, he says, “music is a universal language for people all over the world”
The festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year from 13-21 June.
Dr Skali was invited to join the European Commission's Groupe de Sages (group of wise people) and in May 2011 King Mohammed VI appointed him to the Moroccan government's Audio Visual Communications Committee.
In 2002 Dr Skali inaugurated the forum Giving Soul to Globalisation which happens during the Sacred Music Festival and in 2007 he founded The Sufi Culture Festival, which takes place as an annual event in Fes.
There are five classes in the Legion of Honour – Chevalier is the highest. To qualify at least 20 years of public service is needed, together with “eminent merits”. The eminent merits citation requires “the flawless performance of one's trade as well as doing more than ordinarily expected, such as being creative and contributing to the growth of others.”
The View from Fez congratulates Faouzi Skali on the much deserved award.
For further information www.fesfestival.com
www.festivalculturesoufie.com
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