On the World Arabic Language Day, celebrated this year under the theme “Arabic, the language of poetry and art”, the French Institute of Tunisia (IFT) is organising a week (18-23 December) to celebrate this language in Tunis, Sousse and Sfax.
The programme will include guided tours, “dardacha” (free discussions), workshops, film screenings, tributes, debates, readings, games and activities for children, etc.
The week-long celebration of the Arabic language, which for centuries has inspired creativity through poetry and art, coincides with the school holidays. It will be an opportunity to discover the Arab and Islamic heritage of the medinas of Tunis and Sfax, learn Arabic calligraphy, play the first 100% Tunisian general knowledge game “Harissa” with family and friends, discover the bilingual French-Arabic colletions of children’s literature and the Arabic translations of a selection of authors.
The programme also includes the opportunity to listen to “hkeyet Am Taher” (Uncle Taher’s stories), to follow t
he adventures of Kenza, Lahlouha and Sami as they unravel the mystery of “La bague de Didon”, a film by Mohamed Khalil Bahri, to take part in “dardachet” between learners of Arabic, French and other languages, and to attend the bilingual Arabic-French performance of “Stabat Mater Furiosa”, a play by Jean-Pierre Siméon.
A tribute will also be paid to André Miquel, the translator of the Arabian Nights who died last December, with the screening of Mohamed Nacer Khemir’s never-before-seen film “Pourquoi les 1001 Nuits” (Why the 1001 Nights).
This year’s commemoration coincides with the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of Arabic as one of the six official languages of the United Nations, according to UNESCO. To pay tribute to the poetic and artistic brilliance of the Arabic language, UNESCO will bring together researchers, academics, young people and heads of international institutions.
The 2023 edition of the World Arabic Language Day highlights the importance of language in reconnecting for constructive d
ialogue, shaping perceptions and cultivating understanding in the current global landscape marked by uncertainties and turbulence.
‘The event will serve as a solid platform to deepen discussions on the influence of the Arabic language in shaping knowledge, societal transformations through poetry, and its impact on the arts, while promoting cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.”
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse