THE VIEW FROM FEZ: International Festival of the Amazigh Culture

The International Festival of the Amazigh Culture

13th Edition

Merinides Hotel, Fès

International Festival of Amazigh Culture in Fez July 14-16

Douzi, Senhaji and Tiskat sing love and brotherhood

From 14 to 16 July, the city of Fez will host the thirteenth edition of the International Festival of Culture Amazigh under the theme "Amazighity and cultural diversity confronting extremism". Numerous Moroccan and European artists will take part in this edition, including Abdelhafid Douzi, the star of classical Amazigh song Hadda Ouakki, Moroccan singer Ibtissam Tiskat, Saïd Senhaji, Aïcha Tachinouite, Hassan El Berkanai, Italian artist Laura Conti, in addition to the star of Flamenco dance Monica Arrabal and other musical and artistic activities.

The forum will provide an opportunity for experts, researchers and civil society actors to discuss current issues related to peace, dialogue and cultural diversity and its role in addressing all forms of extremism, and in the consolidation of democracy, coexistence, tolerance and the culture of solidarity.

At the same time, the festival will organize workshops on storytelling, painting, as well as poetry readings and art exhibitions, and book and carpet exhibits.

During the opening ceremony of the festival, which will take place on Friday 14 July afternoon, a vibrant tribute will be paid to Mr. Mohamed Kabbaj Founding President of the Fez-Sais Association and the Spirit of Fez Foundation, and a tribute will be paid to the thinker Ahmed El Khamlichi, director of Dar Al Hadith Al Hassania, and to the eminent Belgian-Moroccan writer Issa Aït Belize, in recognition of their many praiseworthy contributions to social and cultural development of Morocco. In the evening in Bab Makina, three concerts will be held, including that of Aicha Tachinouite, the Catalan group Monica Arrabal and Said Senhaji.

Many writers, thinkers, and researchers will participate in this great cultural event, namely Jean-Marie Simon, France, Saad Eddine Ibrahim of Egypt, Alfonso de Toro of Germany, Roberto Tonini of Italy, Hubert Haddad of France, Nizar Abdelkader (Lebanon), Michael Willis (Great Britain), Johan Goud (Netherlands), Ahmed Assid, Abdelkader Benali, Mohammed Taifi, Mohammed Nedali (Morocco) and many more!

All in all, this thirteenth edition of the Fez Festival of Amazigh culture will be rich and varied, and a good opportunity for all the young people and the inhabitants of the Fes-Meknes region, to enjoy the highlights of the Festival: debates and music concerts in the heart of the medina of Fez, an imperial and marvellous historical city.

Programme of the Forum

Amazighity and Cultural Diversity Confronting Extremisms

Friday, July 14

17:00: Arrival of participants

17:30: Opening of the Forum and the Festival

Opening remarks

19:00 Tribute to the Honourable: Mohammed Kabbaj, Ahmed El Khamlichi, and

Issa Ait Belize

18: 30 Keynote 1: «The Weaving of languages" (in French)

Hubert Haddad (Writer)

19:20 Reception and a Tour of Expositions

Saturday, July 15

Morning

9:00 – 9:30

Room 1

Keynote 2: Criticism of Extreme Reason

Maati Kabbal (Institute of The Arab World, Paris)

Moderator: Fatima Sadiqi

9 :30 – 10 :30

Room 1

First Session: Insights on Some Apects of the Amazigh Culture in North Africa

Moderator: Issa Aït Belize

Speakers:

Jilali Saib (Mohamed V University, Rabat)

Meryam Demnati (Amazigh Observatory of Rights and Freedoms, Rabat)

Madina Touré (Nouakchot University, Mauritania)

Slimane Douih (Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez)

10:30 – 11:00 Debate

11:00 – 11:30

Keynote 3: Enemies, Allies or Competitors? Islamist-Amazigh Movement Relations in Morocco and Algeria

Michael J. Willis (Oxford University, United Kingdom)

Moderator: Moha Ennaji

11 : 30 – 11 : 50 Coffee break

Room 1

11 : 50 – 12 :50

Second Session : Reflections on the Theories of Cultural Studies and

Globalization

Moderator: Alfonso de Toro

Speakers :

Mohamed Taifi (University of Virginia, USA)

Issa Aït Belize (Moroccan-Belgian Writer, Brussels)

Bouthaina Ben Kridis (University of Carthage, Tunisia)

Alberto Tonini (University of Florence, Italie)

12: 50 – 13: 15 Debate

15:30 – 16:15

Room 1

Third Session: Literature, Art and Cohabitation

Moderator: Mohamed Fousshi

Speakers :

Enza Palamara (François Rabelais University, Tours, France)

Ali Fertahi (Moulay Slimane University, Béni-Mellal)

Juliane Tauchnitz (University of Leipzig, Germany)

16:15 –16 :45 Debate

16 :45 – 17 :15

Keynote 4: Alfonso de Toro (University of Leipzig,

Germany)

Culture as a Weapon against Extremism

Moderator : Jilali Saib

17:15 – 18:05 Coffee break

18 :05- 19 :35

Room 2

Parallel Session: Painting Workshop on "Fighting Extremism"
Hosted by Khadija Madani Alaoui and Tarek Sadki (University of Fez)

18 :05 - 18:50

Room 1

Fourth Session: Multiculturalism, Multilingualism and Extremism

Moderator: Juliane Tauchnitz

Speakers:

Nizar Abdelkader (Lebanon)

Fatima Sadiqi (International Institute for Langues and Cultures, Fez)

Belkacem Boumedini (Mustapha STAMBOULI University, Mascara, Algeria)

Nebia Dadoua Hadria (CRASC. Oran, Algeria)

18:50 -19:20 Debate

Sunday, July 16th

9 :00 – 12 :00

Room 2

Parallel Session: Story-telling Workshop on "Fighting Extremism"
Facilitated by: Jean-Marie Simon (Stories lighter, France and Mohammed El Alami, University of Fez)

Room 1

9 :00 – 10 :00

Fifth Session: Amazigh, Religion and Democracy

Moderator: Meryam Demnati

Speakers:

Johan Goud (University of Utrecht, Holland)

Yahya Belaskri (France)

Moha Ennaji (International Institute for Langues and Cultures, Fez)

10 :00 – 10:30 Debate

10 :30 - 11 :00

Keynote 5: Equality values in Amazigh Culture

Ahmed Assid (Amazigh Observatory of Rights and Freedoms, Rabat)