Cultural Day of African Art 

UCLG Africa organized, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM Morocco), the Tangier City Council, the Regional Coordination of National Mutual Aid and the Bén o Bin association, a Cultural Day of African Art, on August 21, 2024, at the Ahmed Boukmakh Cultural Center, Tangier (Morocco). 

The Day was a celebration of African multiculturalism as a lever for living together in the city and provided an opportunity to promote the talents of Moroccan and migrant cultural self-entrepreneurs, and to create synergies between these local players, through exhibitions and performances. It was also an opportunity to reflect on the promotion of culture, the effectiveness of public policies within the territory and their impact on living together.  

Participants included young local cultural entrepreneurs, Moroccan academics and representatives of other African nationalities, including a large delegation of UCLG Africa members led by Burkina Faso’s Director General of Local Authorities, Mr. Issoufou Kongo. They were addressed at the opening conference by Mrs. Nafisa Laroussi Alami, Vice-President of the City of Tangiers, Mr. Johann Barbé, IOM Deputy Head of Mission, Dr. Najat Zarrouk, Director of Development, Knowledge Management and the UCLG Africa’s Academy of Local Governments, Mrs. Ikram Abdi, Director of the Ahmed Boukmakh Cultural Centre, and Mr. Lionel Nzamba, Project Officer at UCLG Africa. 

“This Day is a key moment to celebrate living together in the urban space that is the city of Tangier, to highlight the richness of African art and culture and their essential role in strengthening ties between peoples. We hope that this Cultural Day will be a source of inspiration for all by showing how entrepreneurship can draw on artistic heritage to build a common future,” said Mrs. Ikram Abdi, before adding that the choice of the Ahmed Boukmakh Cultural Center to host this event was no accident. “This center, inaugurated in 2016, is dedicated to the cultural blossoming of Tangier and bears the name of an exceptional and innovative pedagogue known to generations of Moroccans thanks to his textbook ‘Iqrae’, which shaped primary education in post-independence Morocco.” 

For her part, Mrs. Nafisa Laroussi Alami, Vice-President of the Tangier City Council, pointed out that Moroccan culture, as enshrined in the Constitution, as well as its deep ties with Africa, plays an important role in the unity of the continent. She also recalled that the Cultural Day of African Art coincides with the celebration of the 61st birthday of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, as well as the National Youth Day. Expressing her most sincere and respectful wishes, she shared a quote from the Sovereign at the 28th African Union Summit: “Africa can be proud of its resources, its cultural heritage, its spiritual values, and the future must carry this natural pride loud and clear”. 

IOM Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Johann Barbé, said that the organization of multicultural activities around sports, music, arts and gastronomic festivals, are among the initiatives that reflect the commitment to full integration and social cohesion on the part of the signatory states of the Global Compact for Migration, of which Morocco is a part. “The National Strategy for Immigration and Asylum (SNIA), which aims to integrate migrants into society and respect human rights, reflects Morocco’s commitment to promoting living together and strengthening social cohesion, while recognizing the positive contributions of migrants to society,” he said, before thanking the city of Tangiers for its efforts in territorializing the SNIA over the past several years. 

In her opening remarks, Dr. Najat Zarrouk, Director of Development, Knowledge Management and the African Local Governments Academy (ALGA) of UCLG Africa, explained that in the Kingdom of Morocco, the themes of culture, youth, migration and entrepreneurship are the subject of a royal vision, public policies and national strategies that are territorialized to get as close as possible to communities, involving all the forces of the nation. She also recalled that culture, youth, migration, peace and security are among UCLG Africa’s priority areas. Dr. Zarrouk concluded by praising the strong commitment of the city of Tangiers as a champion and historic city, where UCLG Africa networks were born such as the Network of Local Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), in 2011, and the Network of Young Local Elected Officials of Africa (YELO), whose board and presidency were officially constituted in 2022 in order to support each other and defend the interests of current and future generations. 

The opening was followed by a panel discussion featuring Dr. Sali Oumarou, journalist and entrepreneur, Prof. Abdelfattah Ezzine, sociologist and coordinator of the African Network Migration Development (RAMD), Ms. Oumaima El Idrissi, local councillor in Casablanca, Ms. Mounia Bouhami, doctor of law, and Mr. Dian Mamadou Diallo, entrepreneur and dentist. They addressed key themes relating to the role of young people in promoting living together through cultural entrepreneurship. Panelists discussed national policies and their local impact on the promotion of cultural entrepreneurship, as well as social cohesion, the cultural identity of territories in the face of globalization, and the emergence of artificial intelligence.  

The Cultural Day of African Art enabled the public to discover exhibitions by local cultural players from Morocco and various African countries, and to attend performances celebrating, in dance and music, African culture and the values of living together. 

The Cultural Day of African Art took place in the framework of the joint program “Making migration work for all : Improved social cohesion and fair access to services for migrants in Morocco”, financed by the United Nations Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) and implemented by United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) under the project “Multiculturality at the service of social cohesion in territories”.  This six-month project includes a series of activities aimed at improving social cohesion and facilitating intercultural dialogue among the youth and young cultural entrepreneurs of Tangiers. 

For more information, please contact: Lbensmain@uclga.org / +212641884326 – UCLG Africa Communication Department