Ghaki Jalloul: 'Everybody has the obligation to repect the other'

Ghaki Jalloul is the vice director of the organization for Berber (Tamazight) culture in Tunesia. The World Social Forum (WSF) was important for him because it was the first time the Tamazight people from the Canary Islands to Egypt could meet in one single event. 





What are the objectives of your organization?

First of all we want to defend the identity of the Tamazight people. We believe in a world of solidarity. We want that others respect our the differences of our culture. We want to preserve our language and our architectural patrimony. We also want to claim our rights as they are written in the charter of the indigenous people of 3/09/2005. We want that the social exclusion stops. This year started good for us with the first time that we could organize festivities for our New Year on the 13 of January.

Why was the WSF in Tunis so important?

Because it was the first time we could meet for the first time. A lot of our activist only knew each other from facebook. Here we could exchange our experiences face to face and march together for the recognition of our people.

What are the results of the Tamazight encounter?

We are going to work more closely on the language, research and also on the claim of constitutional rights of the Tamazight people focussing on the case of Morocco.

Do you want a single Tamazight country?

No, we want more auto determination, only a cultural recognition of our people and free circulation between different countries for the Berbers. Now this is difficult because the border between Morocco and Algeria is for example closed. Like now at the WSF some Tamazigh activist from Algeria couldn't access the forum because we can't circulate freely.

Did the Tunisian government make it difficult for the Tamazight to meet?

There were some incidents, for example our organization payed for a stand but when we got here it was not possible to give us this stand. While other people who inscribed their organization later did not have these problems. I think this wasn't a mistake but a deliberately!

Did the Jasmine Revolution change something for the Tamazight?

No, we still have a lot of problems with the Tunisian government. 

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