Amazigh Standardization: Official Calls Moroccan Experience Local Model in Revaluation of Cultural, Language Heritage

Speaking at a conference held as part of the international symposium on “the invention of writing and the state of the narrative in African languages,” Boukous said that Morocco has been able to revitalize precarious cultures through the adoption of specific methods and approaches.

“The revitalization and revalorization of the languages and cultures of our continent is a possible undertaking if one has the political will, the strategic vision and the mastery of technological expertise,” he said.

In addition, the rector of IRCAM considered that today there is still a long way to go in this direction because “even if the efforts made by all actors involved in the enhancement of cultural and linguistic diversity are colossal, it remains that there are still today several challenges to be met,” calling at the same time to conduct research-action in this area.

Regarding the standardization of Amazigh, Boukous said that “Amazigh occupies a central place in the Kingdom and it draws its strength from the existence of a legislative environment that reinforces its important position on the national scene,” stressing that the formalization of the Amazigh language in 2011 has played an important role in its inclusion and standardization within the Kingdom.

In this sense, he highlighted the role of IRCAM in the revitalization and transmission of the Amazigh language by implementing a comprehensive approach that includes several stages, including the socialization of the family, adding that “IRCAM has also been inspired by international best practices in the field of development of the status and corpus of peripheral languages.”