Ending Our 40th On A High Note

On Saturday April 9th, just as our 40th anniversary festivities were coming to a close, we had the opportunity to meet over 40 returned Moroccan alumni of US exchange programs. These professionals are at all stages of their careers, some are students, some teach and many others work in the private sector or in other areas of Moroccan civil society. They were involved in a variety of projects while in the U.S. and they shared with us some of their aspirations for the future.

Participants introducing themselves.
Participants introducing themselves.

Our day began with professor Dale Eickelman of Dartmouth College, who gave a talk titled “New Directions: The Tangier American Legation since 1976”. He spoke about TALIM’s transformation from its inception as a non-profit organization to its work today. The Legation and TALIM are opening up to more community involvement through events and programs. Professor Eickelman unveiled our latest initiative during his talk. The “Legation Scholars” program, developed by TALIM and local partners, aims to provide high school students from the Old Medina of Tangier with English language training and baccalaureate support so that they may pursue higher-level studies in the STEM fields. Many of the Moroccan U.S. alumni present at the talk expressed interest in becoming involved in these kinds of programs, through mentorships and other types of collaboration.  

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TALIM 40th Anniversary Conference

The 40th Anniversary Conference held today at TALIM reviewed the history of the Tangier Legation as a diplomatic presence, then as a museum, and finally as the multifunctional research, educational, and cultural center it is today.

The day began with opening remarks by Director John Davison, and President Dale Eickelman. Presentations on the first panel included “The First Daughter of the Legation” by Anna Reidy, New York University; “The Perdicaris Affair” by Jeremy Gunn, Professor at Université Internationale de Rabat ; and “Twilight of the International Zone” by Gerald Loftus, Former TALIM Director.

After a coffee break on the terrace,

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Upcoming Events at TALIM

Tuesday, February 23 at Thursday, at 4:00 p.m.: Talk by Vincent Hoyer : “La Vie Passionnante de l’Astronome Galileo Galilei”

Vincent Hoyer, a retired teacher from Tangier’s Ecole Berchet, will speak in French about the astronomer Galileo. Tanger Accueil is sponsoring M. Hoyer’s lecture.

garywardandbandFebruary 25th at 7:30 p.m.: Gary Ward Band Concert: A History of Popular Music in the UK and the US.

Starting pre-20th century, folk songs were regularly sung all over the US and UK. These songs were adapted in many ways to fit the music of other genres which were emerging around the turn of the 20th Century, eg. jazz, blues, gospel, followed by the big bands of the 20s-40s, and leading into rhythm and blues, rock and roll. This was followed by the mass explosion of new musical genres which emerged in the 1960s right through to the current day. The show will explore each musical genre through the decades using electric guitar, electric bass and a drum set. The Tangier American Language Center is sponsoring the concert. Free admission

IMG_6963Tuesday, March 1, 11 a.m. (note time change from previous announcement): Lecture and Book Signing by Thione Niang.

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Recently in Tangier – Message from the Director

Dear TALIM Board Members, Fellows and Friends

December 12 - Holiday market benefitting Tangier nonprofits
The Legation’s Christmas Tree is live and is the same as the one used last year

On behalf of all of us in Tangier, I would like to dispense a bit with protocol and write all of you directly to wish all of your and your families a very happy holiday season. This year the holiday stars have aligned, with Hanukkah, Christmas and the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday all falling in December. Here are two photos of a yesterday’s Hanukkah celebration in Tangier at the former Jewish Casino, and of our own Marché de Noël that we hosted Saturday at the Legation along with 14 other Tangier NGO’s and charitable organizations.

We are extremely grateful for your friendship and for your support to the Legation, both for your generous contributions and especially for the time that so many of you give to help us. We hope to welcome many of you back to Tangier next April for our 40th anniversary celebrations.

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CFP-Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present

contentpages_topAnnual Conference 2016
Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present

May 14-15, 2016 at the Legation

Submissions Deadline January 10, 2016

CALL FOR PAPERS: (Spanish-pdf) (Arabic-pdf) (English-pdf)

Map_of_Morocco_and_Iberia_(1783)We are seeking participants for the 2016 AIMS Annual Conference Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present. This interdisciplinary conference will take place in Tangier, Morocco, on 14 and 15 May 2016. The aim of the conference is to reconceptualize the relations between North Africa and the Iberian peninsula during the modern era (18th-21st century). Despite the significance of this geographical nexus centered on the Strait of Gibraltar, contemporary scholarship on this pivotal topic is underdeveloped and deficient, creating absences where there should be narratives of engagement and connectivity. Some of the questions we shall be asking are: What are the various aspects of this shared relationship, what are the sources of its specificity, and how has it shaped ideas and events in the western Mediterranean historically and today? Our objective is to deploy an array of methodologies to elucidate new ways of thinking about the region as a crossroads of human activity.

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Events in November-December

Here is TALIM’s Calendar of Events for November and December (in English and Arabic). All events are in English unless otherwise indicated. هنا هو التقويم تاليم من النشاطات في نوفمبر تشرين الثاني وكانون الأول (باللغتين العربية والإنجليزية). جميع الأحداث باللغة الإنجليزية ما لم يذكر خلاف ذلك Consult and subscribe to our Events Calendar


2016 AIMS Conference “Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present”

All of us at TALIM are very excited to host next year’s AIMS conference May 14-15, 2016. The theme, “Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present” is perfect for Tangier! Please see attached announcement and details about participation. http://aimsnorthafrica.org/AC/ac.cfm


Showcasing US Embassy Support for the Restoration of Ksar Sghir

Defenders of historical preservation in Morocco were honored to attend ceremonies last week showcasing US Embassy support to restore the archaeological site at Ksar Sghir, a fortress that was built under the Marinid Sultan Abou Youssef Yacoub in the 13th century. We urge you to visit the site and its wonderful new museum.

Below are are the texts and photographs from a Facebook post from the Embassy of the United States in Rabat about the event, first in Arabic, then in English.

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Invitation to Youmein Festival

Tanger Evénements Ouvert au Public Our first event open to the public will be at the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM), on August 26th at 12pm! Please join us for a roundtable panel and discussion on the themes of Al Barzakh and Les Limbes, moderated by George Bajalia (Artistic Director, Borderline Theater … Read more Invitation to Youmein Festival