INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM IN DAKHLA ON "SAHARAN HISTORY, MEMORY AND HERITAGE: RESEARCH, PRESERVATION AND MUSEALIZATION"

Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the (Moroccan) National Human Rights Council (CNDH) organizes, on 16-17 December 2011 in Dakhla, an international symposium on "Saharan History, Memory and Heritage: research, preservation and musealization."

The symposium is organized in line with the follow-up of the implementation of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations related to archive, history and memory. It aims to develop an inventory on historical research on the Atlantic Sahara and to explore new research paths, covering issues related to history, memory and tangible and intangible heritage of the region.

This international gathering is held in partnership with the Agency for Promotion and Economic and Social Development of the Southern Provinces of the Kingdom, the Region and Wilaya of Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in Rabat (University of Mohammed V-Agdal) and the Moroccan national phosphates company (OCP). It will be attended by some thirty historians, sociologists, anthropologists, university professors and experts from Morocco and nine foreign countries (France, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, USA, Qatar, Senegal, Mauritania and Niger).

Several points are scheduled for discussion, mainly the following: inventory on historical research on the Sahara, colonial archives (Spain - France), immediate history, oral history, tangible and intangible heritage of the Sahara, heritage: methods and processes of identification, inventory and preservation of memory, heritage and national and international cultural policies and musealization process of intangible heritage.

On the sidelines of this symposium, tribute will be given to Mr. Pierre Bonte, Research Director at the National Center for Scientific Research in France (CNRS) and member of the College de France’s Laboratory of Social Anthropology in Paris. He is a specialist in Baydan and Tuareg societies. He has several publications, including "L’Emirat de l’Adrar mauritanien : Harîm, compétition et protection dans une société tribale saharienne" (2008) (The Emirate of Mauritanian Adrar: Harim, Competition and Protection in a Tribal Saharan Society), "La montagne de fer. La SNIM. Une société minière du Sahara mauritanien à l’heure de la mondialisation" (2001) (The Iron Mountain. SNIM, A Mining Company in Mauritanian Sahara at the Time of Globalization) and "Epouser au plus proche. Inceste, prohibitions et stratégies matrimoniales autour de la Méditerrnée" (1994) (Marriage between Relatives. Incest, Prohibitions and Matrimonial Strategies around the Mediterranean).

CNDH organized on 15-July 16, 2011 an international symposium in Al-Hoceima on "Cultural Heritage of the Rif: What museography?" and held meeting with civil society actors in Nador on "Museum of the Rif: role of civil society", on September 16, 2011.

Summary

Activity: International symposium on "History, Memory and Saharan Heritage: research, preservation and musealization"

Date: 16-17 December 2011

Venue: Headquarters of the Wilaya of Dakhla

Contact: CNDH Communication department (+212 537732913)