Legal and constitutional status of Amazigh language in Morocco

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Legal and constitutional status of Amazigh
language in Morocco North Africa
PFII/2008/EGM1/9
International Expert Group Meeting on indigenous
languages
HASSAN ID BALKASSM UNPFII member expert 8 10
January 2008, United NationsNew York, New York
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Structure of the presentation

• Back round
• Amazigh movement claims
• Negotiations and recognition
• Integration of Amazigh language in Educational
  System
• Integration of Amazigh language in the medias
• Promotion of Amazigh language in the society
• Challenges
• Recommendations

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Back round

• Amazigh languages in North Africa
• 33 centuries of existence and history
• Assimilating policy 1956-61
• Exclusion of Amazigh languages
• Emergency of Amazigh movement 1967-80
• Reorganization of cultural resistance (ago)
• National, regional and international Amazigh
  network 1980-1991-1993

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Amazigh movements claims

• AGADIR Charter Claims (1991) and Amazigh
  Manifest (2000)
• Legal and constitutional recognition
• Democratization of linguistic policy
• Linguistic and cultural rights
• Integration of Amazigh languages in the
  educational system
• Integration of Amazigh language in the medias
• Establishment of institute for Amazigh language

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Negotiations and recognition

• Legal and constitutional recognition
• Establishment of High Commissariat for Tamazight
  on 1993 and legal and constitutional recognition
  on1996 in Algeria.
• Legal and collective recognition 2001(July) and
  the establishment of Royal Institute for Amazigh
  Culture in Morocco on 2001 (October)
• Partnership convention for Integration of Amazigh
  languages in education system 2003-2004
• Partnership convention for Integration of Amazigh
  language in the medias
• Partnership conventions with other institutions

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Integration of Amazigh language in Educational
system

• New Linguistic policy for Amazigh language in
  Morocco and Algeria
• Adoption of TIFINNAGH (Amazigh writing) and
  standardization in M /Latin and Arabic in Algeria
• Amazigh language for all Moroccan children and
  for all levels progressively since 2003-2004/in
  some regions in Algeria
• Didactics materials in Amazigh language
• Training programs for teachers
• New dynamic with mother language in schools

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Integration of Amazigh language in Educational
system

• Tamazight is a national responsibility
• Amazigh language for all Moroccan children and
  for all levels progressively since 2003
• Didactics materials in Amazigh language
• Training programs for teachers
• New dynamic for mother language in schools

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Integration of Amazigh language in the Media

• New Linguistic policy for Amazigh language in the
  Media
• Partnership between IRCAM and Minster of
  Communication on 2004 objective 30 of programs
  in public channels in Amazigh language one
  Amazigh channel
• Convention for a Public Amazigh Channel on 2008
• More time for programs in Amazigh Radio Channel
• Programs in Amazigh language in private channel
  on the Basis of Cahiers des Charges (License)
  under the High Authority of HACA
• Possibility for Amazigh films to be funded.

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Promotion Of Amazigh language in partnership
with NGO

• New dynamic for Amazigh language in local,
  regional and national spaces
• Establishment of fund a partnership with
  Amazigh language for all Moroccan children and
  for all levels progressively since 2003-2004/in
  some regions in Algeria
• Didactics materials in Amazigh language
• Training programs for teachers
• New dynamic with mother language in schools

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Realizations

• Educational System
• Ancestral writing system TIFINNAGH has become the
  official Graphic System recognized by the
  ISO-Unicode on June 2004
• Progressive standardization of Amazigh language
• Didactic materials elaborated for five levels of
  the primary
• Elaboration of conceptions and programs of
  training
• Sessions of training for teachers every year
  since 2003
• 2006-2007sences announced by Educational mini
• teachers9469
• Classes10641
• Students298872

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Challenges

• Absence of Constitutional recognition
• Human resources insufficient
• Education budget is not enough
• Absence of the professional training for
  teachers
• Assimilating policy resistance
• Absence of Amazigh language in universities and
  Medias
• Need for Amazigh language to be official.

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Recommendations for Governments and United Nations

• Constitutional recognition of IPS languages
• Law to use Indigenous peoples languages in the
  Medias
• Laws to integrate IPS languages in Education
  system
• IPS languages in all levels
• Establishment of National Institution for
  standardization of IPS languages
• Training institute for teachers
• Departments for Indigenous peoples languages in
  the universities.
• Establishment of Indigenous peoples TV channels
• Quota for IPS languages in pubic channels
• Convention to protect IPS languages, identities
  and rights

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Recommendations for the world Conference for the
protection of linguistic diversity an Indigenous
peoples languages

• Objective the Conference adoption of a
  declaration and program for action to promote and
  to protect IPS languages.
• Main Areas in the Agenda of the World Conference
  on linguistic diversity
• Constitutional and juridical status of IPS
  languages in the world.
• Elements for formulation of democratic policy to
  promote IPs languages.
• Teaching IPS languages.
• IPS languages in the medias Medias
• Date of the world Conference September 2010
• Where? AGADIR. Morocco. if Morocco accept the
  King may attend to open the World Conference or
  send a his representative)