Organised in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, in the presence of political, cultural, and media figures, this ceremony was marked by testimonies in tribute to the late scholar El Mokhtar Soussi, recognised as a "pioneer of the scientific and intellectual renaissance in Morocco", who enriched Moroccan and Arab libraries with his precious works and who contributed to the dissemination of Amazigh culture.
Speaking on this occasion, the President of the Foundation, Boubker Lafqui Titouani, stressed that this prize is part of the "Memory of Fidelity" project launched by the Foundation, the objective of which is to celebrate the great figures of the rich Moroccan intellectual and cultural heritage.
Each year, the Prize will bear the name of one of these figures and will reward rigorous academic research that focuses on their works.
On behalf of the family of the scholar El Mokhtar Soussi, his son Abdelouafi expressed his gratitude for this initiative which revives the memory of his father and celebrates the researchers who have taken an interest in his legacy, taking the opportunity to announce the imminent publication of an 836-page book devoted to the works of El Mokhtar Soussi.
In addition to Mr. Lafqui Titouani, the jury for this first edition of the Prize was composed of the writer and cultural actor Ahmed Aassid, the professor and researcher Omar Halli, the writer Latifa Baka, and the university professor Kamal Hachoumy.
Welcoming the creation of this prize, Mr. Aassid indicated that it is a double recognition, both of the exceptional figure of El Mokhtar Soussi and of the scientific and academic efforts led by researchers who are working on his thought and legacy.
Mr. Aassid also noted that the scientific committee adopted three major criteria for selecting the winning work, namely academic rigour, novelty, and the presentation of aspects of the deceased's personality and thought.
This ceremony was marked by the announcement of the winner of the El Mokhtar Soussi Prize, namely the researcher and writer Mohamed Khalil, who received the trophy from the hands of the President of the Constitutional Court, Mohamed Amine Benabdellah.
Created in 2010, the Lafqui Tetouani Foundation has set itself the objective of preserving the memory and intellectual legacy of the deceased and working towards its dissemination to new generations.
The Foundation also aims to make known and honour the prominent personalities of the Kingdom, as well as to consolidate the national identity and cultural heritage.
