02-07-2025
Amina Bouayach Hails Amazigh Toumliline Village as a Model Space for Cultural Dialogue
Rabat – The Mohammed VI Foundation for the Promotion of Social Works in Education and Training hosted yesterday a screening of the documentary 'The Accepted… Guests of Toumliline.'
Organized by the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) in collaboration with the Memory for the Future Foundation, the film focuses on the historical and cultural significance of the small Amazigh village of Toumliline .
Located near the city of Azrou in Morocco's Middle Atlas Mountains, Toumliline — meaning 'White Stones' in Amazigh — the town became a hub for non-institutional, cross-cultural, and interfaith dialogue in 1952.
From 1956 to 1966, the Toumliline Monastery hosted the International Meeting of Toumliline, welcoming participants from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, as well as from diverse religions and philosophical traditions.
Several important national figures attended the screening, which featured opening remarks contextualizing both the film and the legacy of Toumliline.
Amina Bouayach , President of the National Council for Human Rights, shared her reflections on these unique gatherings, describing them as 'a source of inspiration for how to build a non-institutional model of cultural dialogue.'
'Toumliline, which we wish to share with the National Council for Human Rights, was a space for discussion and dialogue, where diverse ideas, cultures, and civilizations came together,' said Bouayach . 'It allowed for open, and sometimes contradictory or opposing, conversations. Yet, it contributed to the construction of a collective memory, not only for Moroccans but also for the international community.'
Bouayach went on to highlight the importance of these exchanges, stating: 'These dialogues and cultural interactions helped establish what I personally call the 'universal memory of peoples' and the shared desire to live based on common ground, moving away from the forces that divide society.'
She concluded by affirming the continuing relevance of Toumliline's spirit: 'Today, we believe the Council is in urgent need of spaces like Toumliline, both within the Kingdom of Morocco and globally.'
The documentary serves not only as a historical account but also as a call to reflect on how spaces of tolerance, coexistence, and active citizenship can shape collective and universal memories. Tags: Amina BouayachCNDHToumliline
