Organised by the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, this symposium aims to provide a space to explore the links between exile, culture, and literature on a global scale, to highlight the latest developments in diasporic literature and its multiple effects on culture, identity, and language, and to identify the challenges linked to migration.
On this occasion, the Permanent Secretary of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Abdeljalil Lahjomri, observed that exile is a painful experience for some but also an opportunity for renewal for others.
"In African history as elsewhere, exile has its causes such as wars, political crises, colonisation, and the erasure of what history and geography have established," he noted in a speech read on his behalf by member of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mohammed Essaouri.
When exile is not a banishment and appears as an exploration intended to account for the grandeur of creation, or as an initiation into the enchantment of the world, it can also be a choice, that of setting out to meet other horizons, to open up to new perspectives, he continued, adding that whatever the reason, exile irremediably transforms individuals, questioning the sense of belonging and the very notion of "home".
Mr. Lahjomri also remarked that exile is an inexhaustible source of inspiration, given that writers in exile find a way to transcend the pain of departure, to give a voice to their wandering, and to recreate, through words, a place of anchorage, noting that authors of the diaspora, in particular, carry a double memory, that of their land of origin and that of the host country.
For his part, the President of Tuskegee University in the United States, Marc Brown, stressed that the theme chosen for this symposium intersects with the trajectory of the American university, which was created 16 years after the abolition of slavery in the United States by Booker T. Washington.
"Booker T. Washington, one of the most eminent African-American leaders and thinkers, firmly believed that the unity of peoples of African descent was essential to economic, social, scientific, and political progress," he added.
For his part, the President of the International Committee of African Scientists and Experts (SCISEA), Professor Grégoire Biyogo, noted that since antiquity, the question of exile has never ceased to interest literature, observing that the inspiration of exile is a multidimensional issue.
"Exile narratives tell the cruel and spontaneous story of man's separation from his homeland, his land, his first roots. It is the story of estrangement from oneself, of the rediscovery of other borders and new places," he said.
The work of this international symposium will continue on Thursday with the participation of a galaxy of academics who will offer unique visions on exile, migration, and literature.
