São Paulo – From November 5th to 7th, Brasília is hosting the international seminar The spirit of revolution: Algeria (1954-2014). The event will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Algerian war of independence, which lasted from 1954 to 1962.
The lectures will be held at the University of Brasília covering politics, literature and relations between the North African country and Brazil. On the 5th, Djamel Bennaoum, the Algerian ambassador in Brasília, will deliver an inaugural lecture on The governing principles of Algerian revolution and diplomacy.
“The Algerian revolution ushered in Africa’s decolonization process. Many of our friendly countries in Africa became independent afterwards, including Portuguese-speaking African countries such as Angola and Mozambique. The principle of popular self-determination and independence is the principal legacy of the Algerian revolution,” said Bennaoum.
The seminar counts on support from the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations. On the opening day, Paulo Cordeiro de Andrade Pinto, the Ministry’s Political undersecretary general for the Middle East and Africa, will discuss Brazil-Algeria relations.
The seminar will also address the thinking of Frantz Omar Fanon. Born in Martinique, Fanon was a psychiatrist of French and African descent. Deeply involved in the struggle for independence in Algeria, he was also an influential 20th century scholar in decolonization and the psychopathology of colonization.
“His work is known worldwide. He stood for the Algerian people. His thinking greatly contributed to the international community’s recognition of the rights of Algerians and others to freedom and independence,” said Bennaoum about Fanon’s work.
The seminar will also feature professors from the University of Brasília and other Brazilian universities, plus the Algerian psychoanalyst and writer Alice Cherki. She worked with Fanon and is the author of the book Frantz Fanon: A Portrait.
In addition to the seminar, the program includes an exhibition of roughly 50 photos of the war and screenings of four films on the subject: The Battle of Algiers, Yellow House, Masquerades and The Square.
The seminar’s full program is available at http://migre.me/msbT0 (in Portuguese).
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
