“Rencontres de Fès” Colloquium 2005
June 4-8, 2005 - Overview
For five days a remarkable group of participants met beneath the spreading branches of the oak tree of Fès. The tree offered both constant inspiration (a metaphor of ancient life, of unity of roots and branches) even as it suggested challenging questions (how to link nature and humankind). It sheltered the birds which sang throughout and gave some respite from the heat of the June sun of Fès.
This fifth anniversary of the colloquium took a bold venture to a new stage. Conceived initially as a quite modest event at the periphery of the Fès Festival of World Sacred Music, the Colloquium has moved to a central position, an integral part of what stands at the same time as a celebration of different cultures and a model of what a diverse multicultural world can look like. The Colloquium is a global forum that offers rare hope as it pursues its probing, creative, and doggedly honest dialogue about difficult issues. Its participants are remarkably diverse, with politicians and scientists, artists, poets and scholars, media and business leaders, and many more. Some 120 people participated, from all the continents, with a loyal and engaged audience that at times numbered several hundred people. The vision for this colloquium is ambitious, unusual and daring – its aim is no less than to build new kinds of understanding on urgent world problems and to translate ideals and insights into practical forms, for Morocco, for Europe, for the Middle East, and for the world.
The theme of the 2005 Fès Festival was “Paths of Hope”, and the Colloquium built on that metaphor and vision as it looked towards inspiration and solutions for the future. The Colloquium agenda also linked organically to discussions in earlier years, notably in its focus on communication, whether through the media or education, and on personal and community roles in the process of change, whether towards more balanced and just societies or towards peace.
Under the chairmanship of Mohammed Kabbaj, and led by Faouzi Skali, the 2005 Colloquium also brought together different partners. The European Commission supported the first segment of the Colloquium, and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture the third day. The World Bank, for the third year, was a central partner. Many others, notably the Fès city and region and the Moroccan government, also lent their support. Of special note is the “Spirit of Fès” network, a core group of individuals who form a web of counsel and engagement, many over the colloquium’s five year lifespan. A devoted group of volunteers who believe deeply in the vision and mission of both Festival and colloquium, their support, from Morocco, Europe, the United States, and Asia, gives continuing life and energy to this Forum.
The voices at the Fès Colloquium were remarkable both for the individuals concerned and for the unusual blend of perspectives and experience. All brought extraordinary witness and challenging ideas that inspire us to remember, reflect, and pursue. Of special note was the personal message and challenge of HRH the Prince of Wales, the incisive, honest and challenging insights of Rajmohan Gandhi, the passionate engagement of Leila Chahid and of the Wali of Fès, and the living symbols of peace given by the side by side testimony and action of Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bokhari and Eliyahu McLean from Jerusalem.
The Colloquium met each morning for five days, and its form varied from presentations by the invited participants to panel dialogue and exchange with the Colloquium audience. Each day, one or more afternoon workshops continued the dialogue with a focus on its action implications. A summary of the discussions follows (based on daily summaries by Katherine Marshall, co-moderator). These summaries are an aid to memory but also a challenge to continuing reflection, dialogue and action. Action proposals from the workshops also will serve as a goad and a guide to future action. Two important traditions of this colloquium set it apart from a classic intellectual exchange: the first is the practice of musical introductions, binding the event to the music festival and giving life to the challenge of multicultural exchange; the second is its focus on symbols and metaphors that many use to bring personal and artistic insights extending beyond words and ideas to the heart and soul.
The Colloquium agenda was constructed around the specific, urgent and very practical challenges today that face pluralistic, multicultural societies in our era of globalization. Underlying all themes and days was a concern with tracing paths towards more just and balanced societies and towards peace, respect, and care for humanity.
Identity was the first topic explored, with three central challenges: fighting against exclusion and stigmatization of groups and individuals, finding ways to balance individual freedom and identity in the face of the unifying and sometimes homogenizing forces of globalization, and looking to models that deepen personal and group identity in tandem with genuine respect and understanding for others. This challenge is (as it always has been) the essence of democracy; but today the challenges for democratic institutions are far broader and deeper than ever before. In our fast-moving world where national and community boundaries seem to melt and blend, ancient wisdom and experience is needed but so also are new visions, leadership and creative energy. The challenges of linking periphery and center, individual and community, past and future are alive equally for Europe, for global institutions, for Morocco, for Fès and for the Middle East
How do we achieve this creative balance, among cultures, traditions, history and modernity, ideals and realities, individuals and communities? The 2005 Colloquium focused on three central topics: education, cultural heritage, and memory. It also returned often to the multi partner core of its participants: whether media, formal education, the living arts, business and enterprise. What are the roles of each, and what are the synergies among them?
Painful memories perpetuate conflict and fear and stand as obstacles to peace and viable societies. The Colloquium, looking always towards the “paths of hope”, explored examples of inspiration with special reference to Fès, Morocco and the Middle East.
The daily summaries offer a glimpse of the richness of exchange and ideas and proposals for action. A few themes were woven throughout the discussions. The honesty and openness of the discussions was both a remarkable inspiration and a model: without honesty, to one’s self and in dialogue, resolution and progress are impossible. The role of women needs to be far more central in all dialogue and action, and this imperative calls for some new paradigms, new criteria for listening and engagement. Participation and breadth is a challenge exemplified in the Colloquium itself: extending both messages and hearing beyond the circle of the engaged, the center, to those who are involved was a constant reminder. Young people need to be much more central in the dialogue. Spiritual perspectives, dimensions and voices need to be more vividly portrayed and more actively engaged. And the Colloquium was reminded often of urgency and stakes of this agenda: the metaphor of the hourglass was often evoked, as time passes with the steady passage of sand.
The Colloquium and “Spirit of Fès” will move forward along several “paths of hope”. Most immediate is the call for action for more coherent and dynamic action to revitalize the historic city of Fès. Partners were challenged to come together in support. The remarkable formula of drawing inspiration from the cultural energy and audience of music festivals to build new forms of dialogue is leading to “Spirit of Fès” events inspired by the Colloquium in other cities, countries and continents. The bold concept of “intercultural diplomacy” offers a path forward and is taking form as an Institute that will give ongoing life to dialogue, mediation, and engagement over the years ahead. And the Fès Forum will meet again from June 3-7, 2006.
“Rencontres de Fès” Colloquium 2005
Summary of June 4: Identity and Democracy
The Fes Colloquium, with the overarching theme of “Giving Soul to Globalization,” came to order with the call of Said Hafid, with a song of praise and worship. This was the fifth meeting of the Colloquium, as an integral part of the Fes Festival, brought together by the powerful symbolism of different cultures in their rich diversity, working for global harmony. Music brought the group together, and Hafid’s powerful voice immediately summoned the group to reflect but also to act. Later in the morning Rajwant Singh brought the first Sikh voice to the Festival with Sikh prayers centered on the unity of mankind, and man’s inseparable links to nature.
Mohammed Kabbaj in his formal welcome (read in his absence by Faouzi Skali) immediately situated the meeting in the context of global events: the 2000 Millennium Declaration at the United Nations which heralded the 21st Century, the urgent current efforts to take stock of progress since then, and the coming meeting of the Group of 8 in Scotland. Morocco’s commitment to put human development at the center and to multiculturalism lies behind the vision of the Fes Festival, which reflects a profound conviction that cultural development, uniting disciplines, nations and perspectives, is what makes development successful. In underlining his hope that action would guide the Colloquium, he signaled two new initiatives linked to the Colloquium: the creation of the Spirit of Fes Foundation centered on the city of Fes and planned creation of an Institute of Intercultural Diplomacy. Mr. Kabbaj paid tribute to the partners who supported the Colloquium, notably the European Commission, co-organizer of the first two days.
Action and change were also woven through the opening call of Faouzi Skali, as this is the purpose in bringing together in Fes men and women from different cultures, disciplines and religions. The theme of the first day turns on the complex questions that arise in today’s globalized world from the realities and ideals of both identities and democracies. Differences and coherence, common quest or different paths, ideals or rules and norms: these are among the challenges we face. A scan of headlines is a constant reminder of the realities of the issues, whether reporting debates on national language in Afghanistan, violent ethnic conflicts, debates on symbols of religion in schools, or second generation assimilation of migrant cultures. The message of Fes is that culture is a vital part of international relations and thus both of development and diplomacy, conflict and peace – this is the fundamental challenge of our age. Cultural discrimination (beyond economic and political) operates at every level, global, national and community and thus action towards harmony in diversity must also take place at these different levels. The Spirit of Fes takes up this challenge, both in Fes and through the many related events, in Spain, Italy, France, and the United States.
HRH Prince Charles, long a patron of the Fes Festival, was present here in spirit, through a videotaped message which called the Fes Festival a beacon of hope for North Africa and beyond. He paid tribute to King Hassan II as a visionary leader and to the Moroccan people, for their legendary religious tolerance and respect for all people in the society. His message was that the more we understand, the more we can help build harmony. Music touches hearts across all creeds and cultures and can bind, inspire and heal. It can enhance tolerance and respect. Islam, Christianity and Judaism belong to a common culture, with common characteristics of compassion and harmony. Cultural and spiritual dialogue, he said, are preconditions of political dialogue. Now is the time to heed this call.
In introducing HRH, Sir Nicholas Pearson highlighted this message of the importance of intercultural and interfaith dialogue – the great religious traditions are needed today more than ever before that that the great traditions can talk to and learn from each other – they can help build a real and shared understanding in the spiritual unity of mankind. The Tenemos Academy he heads (and of which Prince Charles is patron) is founded on the conviction that a globalizing world cannot survive without building on the deep wisdom of what our forefathers knew as sacred.
Prince Charles evoked, from his Islamic garden in England, the powerful unifying symbol of the Fes Colloquium, the Baatha oak tree. The deep roots and spreading branches of the oak has inspired earlier reflections on the many attributes of this tree and the Wali of Fes reported on the creation of an Association to preserve this powerful link between past and present. The tree, he said, is some150 years, bridging 19th and 21st centuries, a living symbol of unity.
Nikolaus van der Pas moderated the panel discussion. His introduction focused on the European Community as a metaphor for intercultural harmony and the importance of intercultural dialogue. This bold experiment has shown how much can be achieved by bringing different cultures and traditions together, how complex are the practical challenges, and how many questions still remain. He stressed the central importance in all ventures to bring people together – it is culture that makes life worth living, and cultural dialogue through action brings change. It underscores that without linking economic and social, technical and human, society cannot succeed. Yet tensions between institutional constraints and human values are real. Distances between peoples can seem vast, indifference can be a powerful enemy and fuel hostility. The Colloquium can examine how our institutions are seen by others, going beyond the circles of the convinced, bringing living culture into the circles of decision and action.