Amazigh Voice, December 1995 issue
EDITORIAL


April 22, 1995 represents an historical date in the course of the struggle of the Amazigh people for the recognition of their language and culture. For the first time in the history of modern Algeria, the Amazigh dimension is recognized officially as one of the foundations of this country's identity. The outcome was the result of some 30 years of peacful revendication by innumerable activists whose sacrifice and determination paved the way to the institutionalization of Tamazight, Algeria's native language. The High Commission for Amazighity, an official body comprising several government institutions has been created. Its goals include the rehabilitation and the promotion of Tamazight and the Amazigh culture, as well as its introduction into the educational and media sectors.

Although the creation of the High Commission for Amazighity is indeed a stepping-stone to a juridical and cultural framework, the government failed to respond to the fundamental aspiration of the Amazigh people, since Tamazight is still not recognition as a national language.

Despite the seeming willingness of the government to institutionalize and rehabilitate Tamazight, its actions and attitudes continue to exhibit rhetoric and defiance. In terms of means and accomplishments, although the HCA is endowed with all the necessary resources (human, material, and financial), as stipulated in its bylaws, reality reveals a picture painted with abuse of power, disorganization, deficiencies, and misused resources. For instance, the training of the Tamazight teachers lasted only three weeks and lacked cooperation and professionalism. The Tamazight course is introduced to students [and their parents] by school officials as an elective rather than a required course. Moreover, some anti-Amazigh school officials went so far as to request permission from parents for their children to enroll in the Tamazight course. Lastly, and perhaps more compelling is the meager budget allotted for the promotion of Tamazight and the Amazigh culture. This budget is estimated to 0.1% of the budget allotted for religious affairs.

April 22, 1995 also opens the door to a new era in the Amazigh struggle: an era of creativity, production, and repossession of the Amazigh heritage. In this long and tough journey, the responsibilities of the Amazigh people towards their culture and identity are tremendous as they face ahead pressing and challenging issues that will shape the course of their future. Time is of the essence and every Amazigh should make it a duty to save and promote his/her culture and language.

Time has come for the present-day Algeria to join the world of democracy and political correctness and put an end to the injustice the Amazigh people have been subjected to. Algeria must face the Amazigh issue with openness and remedy a 30-year old repression by presenting a solution that is fair to the Amazigh people. To move forward, Algeria needs to take a broad look at all its human and cultural riches and celebrate them equally.