 In collaboration with the Théâtre du Renouveau Amazigh (TNA) and the Amazigh Cultural Association at Ottawa-Hull (ACAOH), the Amazigh Cultural Association in America (ACAA) presents "Tidak n Nna Fa" at The Westminster Arts Center on the Bloomfield College campus (corner of Franklin & Freemont Streets in Bloomfield, NJ on April 18, 2010 at 4:00 PM Nna Fadma , an old kabyl woman, has a doctor’s visit. However, particular circumstances turn the physician into a confident, Nna Fa unwinds a thread of a whole life made up of a lot of love and self-abnegation but also frustration and revolt. She speaks her mind on issues that relate to the social life in Kabylia and people’s lives in general but women’s lives in particular. Come enjoy a one-time presentation of this first play in Tamazight in the USA. Let yourselves be transported by the language of Nna Fa to the heart of Kabylia but also in a journey to your hearts as her sons and daughters. Tickets: (ACAA & ACAOH Members/ Non-Members) Before March 1st: $30/ $40 After March 1st: $35/$45 At the door: $40/$50 To order tickets, please visit our "Events Tickets" page or send a check or money order to ACAA PO Box 1702 Bayonne, NJ 07002 Please note that SEATING IS LIMITED. Therefore you are advised to buy your tickets early. For more information call (908) 442-8572 or send an e-mail to acaa2010@gmail.com To download the event flyer, click on the file icon below (Adobe Acrobat required) 
As per ACAA bylaws, an annual meeting open to all members in good standing is to be held at the end of the year. Please join us for the ACAA annual meeting to take place on Sunday January 31st at 9 am. For those who can physically attend pls sign up so I can have an idea of the room capacity. The meeting location is Days Inn 1260 US Hwy 22 East, Bridgewater NJ 08807 www.bridgewaterdaysinn.com Tel : 908 526 9500 Fax: 908 526 2538 Please let us know if you need help with directions. Refreshments, coffee and cookies will be served. For for those who cannot attend, please join us via skype if possible. Use the name Dr Aomar Benslimane to connect. Agenda: - Introductory Remarks by Aomar - Membership Report by Aomar/Akli Gana - Financial Report by Rabah Seffal - Update on Current and Ongoing Projects (All board members) - Website Update (Hsen) - Amazigh Voice (Arezki) - Miscellaneous Items - Concluding Remarks We hope that you can join us and we look forward hearing from you Yennayer - Amazigh New Year in New Jersey 01/11/2010
Yennayer * Yennayer * Yennayer * YennayerTamaziɣt Tiddukla tadelsant tamaziɣt deg Marikan ad tegg tameɣra n Yennayer di teɣremt n Bridgewater di New Jersey as n 23 seg Yennayer n irumyen. Imaziɣen ak d imdukal nnsen ak ttwaɛrḍen ɣer temklilit-a n lferḥ d usirem. S tmeɣra n Yennayer ara nessaram aseggas-a d-iteddun d aseggas ara irefden taɛkemt f tmurt n imaziɣen. Ama di tmurt n Leqbayel ama anida niḍen imaziɣen maza-itel ttnaɣen akken ad ddren d imaziɣen. Ihi nekni dagi ilaq a d-nemlilet ak akken a nemyaɛqal d atmaten, akken a d-nessemlil tarwa nneɣ, akken ad asen-nesselmed d acuten, akken taftilt i s-d-nelḥa abrid nneɣ, a tt-refden, u nekni ad asen-negg afud akken ad bedden, acku d niti i d azekka, d nitni i asirem nneɣ. Eddut akessar-a akken a d-tessesem ifayluten n Yennayer, afaylu n tuččit ara d-ittwaheggin, ak d wamek ara tizmiren a d-tasem ɣer Bridgewater. Ihi aseggas ameggaz. nessaram a ken-nemlil di Bridgewater, NJ. English ACAA is pleased to announce the celebration of Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year 2960. This will take place on the 23rd of January in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Please download the attached flier, menu and directions. Also, please make sure you reserve your spot. We would like to know how many people will be coming so that everyone will be served. Come and join us to this yearly joyful event and share with us some very soecial moments. Moments during which we are together to celebrate and wish the best for the new year. We hope it will be a good year for our battered community. We are a community that is pushed hard these days. Let's come together to give each other strength and also teach our little ones about our culture. It is our way to pass the torch to them. We wish them the best, after all they are our future. Come and join us. We wish you a very happy new year. Aseggas ameggaz!
Tamesmunt tamettit tadelsant Tilelli Association Socioculturelle Tilelli Maison de Jeunes, Goulmima (Maroc) BP 69, Goulmima Email: tilelli.org@gmail.com PRESS RELEASE The Meknes Court of Appeals handed down sentences of 10 years in prison and fnes of 50,000 Dhs on November 25, 2009 to each of the two detainees OUADOCH Amazigh Hamid and Mustapha OUSAÏA. Although these Amazigh activists are innocent of the crime they were charged with, despite the absence of concrete evidence of their guilt and despite the evidence in favor of their innocence, the Makhzenian "justice" wanted to make of them common law prisoners at all costs. The Sociocultural Association Tilelli, while commending the courage and strength of these two political prisoners, firmly denounces these judgments as false and repressive Makhzenian policy against the Amazigh people. Convinced that union is the only way to pressure the Makhzen to release the Amazigh cause prisoners, the Tilelli association calls on all actors of the Amazigh Cultural Movement to avoid any form of segregation or tribalism that the Arabist regime is trying to introduce into the ranks of the young Amazigh activists. Tilelli also appeals to all the independent Amazigh associations, human rights organizations and anyone who strives for justice to offer a helping hand both morally and materially to the prisoners and their families. Finally, Tilelli reaffirms its commitment to the peaceful and civil struggle to recover the legitimate rights of the Amazigh people. Issued at Tizi-n-Imnayen (Goulmima) on December 12, 2009. For the Executive Committee Ali NAADI President  Tiddukla tadelsant tamaziɣt deg Marikan tessaram-awen aseggas amaynu ifulkin. Wid iqerben ɣer Boston, tettwaɛrḍem ɣer imensi n Yennayer. Tekkit ɛef tewlaft agi akken ad teɣrem d acu d-tenna Tiddukla. Tekkit ɣef ubuṭun "Buy Now" swadda agi ma tram a d-taɣem atiki ($15/amdan) ɣer tmeɣra agi n Boston. Tameɣra n Yennayer a d-tili deg kra n imeḍqan deg Marikan. Uɣalet-ed ɣer wesmel nneɣ ma yella tettnadim isallen ɣef tmeɣriwin agi. Isallen yellan a ten-id-nerr dagi. The Amazigh Cultural Association in America wishes you a very happy new year. ACAA invites you to join it at the celebration of Yennayer in Boston. Please click on the "Buy Now" button below to purchase a ticket ($15/person). Other celebrations will take place in other places all around the country. Information will be posted as soon as it becomes available. Sorry, the event ticket sale is closed. If still plan to attend, you may still purchase a ticket at the door the day of the event. Masinisa Lwennas, Amedyaz Ameẓyan 11/29/2009
 Adlis-a n tmedyazt tamaziɣt (s taqbaylit) yeffeɣ-ed deg useggas 2008. Masinisa Lwennas yuzen-aɣ-d yiwet n trumalt n wedlis-is. Nesnemmir-it aṭas u nessaram-as tazmert tameqqrant akken ad ikemmel abrid n tira d usefru. Hatta wacu d-ittwuran f umedyaz ameẓyan (asebter aneggaru n wedlis): Amedyaz Masinisa Lwennas d yiwen ilemẓi ilulen ass n 06 Yulyu 1985 deg At Meḥmud di taddart n tewrirt Musa Waɛmer. Ilemẓi-agi ad yli seg wid i umi qqaren "tettuneft-asen" imi tamedyazt tezdeɣ-it, yettidir yis-s. Yesɛa acḥal d asefru deg wallaɣ-is. Ɣer tira, akken kan yerra lewhi-s imi d wagi i d ammud n isefra amezwaru i d-yeffɣen. Ad t-id-ḍefren wiyaḍ.  " Tamzwarut ilaq a d-nini belli tira n tmaziɣt n wedlis-a gerrzent. ḍefrent ilugan n tira akken ilaq. D ayen waqila iɛedda zzman nni deg yal wa ittaru akken ibɣa. Isefra n Masinia serrḥen, uran s teqbaylit isehlen. Maca ufiɣ belli amedyaz ameẓyan yettader-ed isem n Ṛebbi, ad as-tiniḍ d awessar. Aya ur nezmir ara a d-nini ma yella ikka-d seg laɛwayed n leqbayel (am isefra n at zik) neɣ seg wakken amedyaz d win iḍefren abrid n Ṛebbi ak d tineslemt. D amedya yenna deg usefru "Tamɛict nneɣ": Newwi lmektub d aɛwin Ṣṣber d lkuraj di sin Nɣil iṭij ad aɣ-yecreq Dawit-aɣ ay at ddin Nɣant-aɣ tismin Lebɣeḍ la d-iḥemmeq At lbaṭel i ɣ-d-yezzin Ur nettagad mi ara ɣ-awin S wawal n Ṛebbi a d-nenteq Ayen i yi-ɛeǧben deg wedlis-a, ɣas akka ittwadder-d degs Ṛebbi aṭas, d akken isefra n Masinisa d isefra n lḥif n imeẓyanen n tmurt n leqbayel. Am Masinisa Lwennas n At-Meḥmud, am Masinisa Germaḥ d waytm-as yeɣlin di tefsut taberkant (2001) anida ilemẓyen n tmurt n leqbayel kkren-d, neɣ a d-iniɣ ggelfaɛnt seg lḥir n tmuḥqqranit d lmizirya. Deg usefru "Imeɛdar" yenna-yas: Aqli-yi am win yessaramen Ad sɛuɣ iḍarren Ula d nekk ɛyiɣ di lemrar Di ṣṣifa cubaɣ all medden Lameɛna kkawen ifadden Zzher-iw dima yenṭer D lmut kan i ɣ-d-iṣaḥen A nesteɛfu d ayen Axir akka wala kter neɣ akken i s-yenna deg usefru i wumi isemma: "Cubaɣ-k ay iṭirelli" Cubaɣ tamɛict iṭirelli Si ṭṭlam ur d-yettefeɣ Ddunit teɛkes fell-i A tafat ur am-zmireɣ Xas ruḥ eǧǧ-iyi Tannumi tesɛeb a tt-kseɣ Maca deg tama nniḍen ilaq a d-nini dagi beli issewhem-aɣ yisem n wedlis-a "Laṣel mebla izerfan" acku adlis yewwi-d aṭas ɣef tlufa n tudert ak d tayri. Ulac aṭas n wawl ɛef izerfan neɣ laṣel. Haten-a yismawen n isefra n Mas Masinisa Lwennas:
ACAA awards a yearly grant to Numydia Radio 11/08/2009
 S unecreḥ i tera Tiddukla tadelsant tamaziɣt deg Marikan ad tefk tallalt n $1000 i useggas i Radyu Numydia n Columbus Ohio. Radyu Numydia d radyu n tmaziɣt tamezwarut di Marikan. Tessenker-itt-id Sunya Laǧaǧ d imdukal-is. Tiddukla tesnemmir-iten aṭas ɣef usemlili agi d-semlalayen imaziɣen yellan d iɣriben yellan di yal tama di Marikan d umaḍal s lekmal-is. Tiddukla ACAA taɛreḍ imaziɣen yellan di Marikan a d-fken tameẓẓuɣt i Numydia ama akken a d-slen i isallen, ama d aẓawan (tizlatin) neɣ d tidewwiniyin... Ddut ɣer usmel n Numydia teslem i yedles nnwen! English As an active advocate of the Amazigh culture, Numydia Radio (Columbus, Ohio) has been offering a great platform for communication and public service by keeping all Imazighen connected throughout the world with their Amazigh cultural heritage by bringing them the latests news and songs, organizing interviews and promoting the Amazigh culture through Internet radio. The board of directors of ACAA is happy to present Numydia Radio with a yearly grant of $1000. This modest monetary contribution is a token of ACAA's appreciation for all the great services Sonia and her staff at Radionumydia have been providing to our community. ACAA is committed to helping RadioNumydia and other social/cultural initiatives geared towards the same goals of providing a public service to our people through the promotion of the Amazigh culture.  Tiẓrigin Acab suffeɣent-ed yiwen n wedlis isem-is "La Ruche de Kabylie" i d-tura Bahya Amellal. Adlis-a yettawi-d ɣef umezruy n tmurt n Leqbayl di tallit n yemrabḍen irumyen d-yessbedden iɣerbazen imezwura di tmurt. Tekkit ɣef tewlaft agi afella akken ad teɣrem awzil d-yuran deg uzagur n wedlis. English Version The Achab Editions just released this new book. Please click on the picture above to read the back cover summary. Prefaced by Karima Direche, the book discusses a part of the history of Kabylia that saw the establishment of the Peres Blancs* schools. * Jesuit missionaries. Achab Editions - Tiẓrigin Achab 09/13/2009
 English Version Follows Tiẓrigin Acab, tiẓrigin timaynutin i d-yeldi Dr Remḍan Acab, ameɣnas n tmaziɣt, amusnaw n tusnakt d tensilsit, ssufeɣent-ed sin yedlisen yakan. Tifutuyin n usebtar amezwaru seg yedlisen-a ttbanent-ed ɣer tama tazelmaṭ d swadda. Yiwen wedlis sɣur Abdelaziz Berkai, wagi d amawal n tesnilsit (neɣ tasnawalt akken s-qqaren kra) tamaziɣt-tafrensist-taglizzit, ma d wayeḍ d sɣur Nabile Fares d tadyant n win ulemẓi aqbayli d-ikkren di lgirra ger Lezzayer d Fransa. Attan ihi tamaziɣt ad taf amḍiq wayeḍ deg i tezmer ad tedder u ad teǧǧuǧeg. Tajmilt n Remḍan Acab. Tanemmirt, u nessaram afud d tudert taɣezzfant i teẓrigin-a timaynutin. Ma tram ad teɣrem d acu d-yuran deg uzagur n wedlis (asebter aneggaru) eddut ukessar-a akken a d-tsersem tifutuyin nnsen. English A new Editor "Editions Achab" has just been established in Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria to publish books in Tamazight or more generally to serve the Amazigh community. Two books have just been released by these editions that were set up by Dr. Ramdane Achab. Dr. Achab is a mathematician, a linguist and a long time Amazigh activist. For more information on the subject of these books, please click on the files below to access the back cover of each of the books. We welcome these new Editions and wish them a lot of success.  
 For Immediate Release Civil Registrars Refuse to Record Newborns Whose Names Are ‘Not Moroccan’ (Washington, DC, September 3, 2009) – Morocco should stop interfering with the right of its citizens to give Amazigh names to their children, Human Rights Watch said today. Numerous Moroccans living in cities and villages around the kingdom and abroad who chose Amazigh first names for their newborns have been refused when they applied at local civil registrars to record those names. Human Rights Watch wrote a letter to the interior minister, Chekib Benmoussa on June 16, 2009 detailing five such cases and soliciting an explanation. There was no response. “Morocco has taken steps to recognize Amazigh cultural rights,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “It now needs to extend that recognition to the right of parents to choose the name of their child.” Morocco’s Law on the Civil Registry stipulates that a first name must have “a Moroccan character.” Local administrators apparently interpret that requirement to mean names that are Arabic-Islamic, even though the Amazigh people are native to Morocco. The law gives parents the right to appeal a refusal in court and to the High Commission of the Civil Registry. Over the years, the commission has ruled on dozens of Amazigh, European, and other non-Arabic-Islamic names, accepting some and rejecting others. The five cases documented in the Human Rights Watch letter, involving both residents of Morocco and émigrés living abroad, resulted ultimately in victories for the parents. But they succeeded only after bureaucratic delays and lengthy appeals, sometimes enduring hostile or humiliating questions from Moroccan civil servants and the insecurity of having a newborn who, for months, had no legal identity. “We are happy that these parents prevailed, but no couple should have to fight their government, at this special time in their life, to be able to name their baby,” Whitson said. On August 26, a first instance court in Tahla (province of Taza) court approved an Amazigh name in a sixth case, allowing Abdallah Bouchnaoui and Jamila Aarrach, to name their five-month-old daughter “Tiziri,” which means “moon” in Tamazight, the Amazigh language. The victory came only after the couple, who live in the commune of Zerarda in the Middle Atlas, had endured months of uncertainty. For a seventh couple, the uncertainty continues. On March 11, Rachid Mabrouky went to the civil registry in the Saâda district of Marrakesh to register his two-day-old daughter as “Gaïa.” Mabrouky told Human Rights Watch that the official on duty refused to accept the name, contending that it was “not Moroccan.” Mabrouky went to the civil registry at the city’s prefecture, only to be told the same thing. When he explained that the name “Gaïa” was Amazigh and therefore Moroccan, the agent on duty persisted in his refusal, exclaiming, “You Amazigh are all fanatics,” Mabrouky said. Mabrouky and his wife, Lucile Zerroust, who is French, filed a case in administrative court, where the case is still pending. “Gaïa” is the name of an ancient Berber prince. Parents of an infant who is not recorded by the civil registrar may face obstacles when applying for a passport for the child, reimbursement by state medical insurance, or other services. Parents who persist in demanding that the government record Amazigh names tend to be Amazighs who are politically active. They say that for every couple like themselves, there are others who avoid giving their children Amazigh names, fearing a humiliating refusal from local officials followed by administrative problems. The Amazigh are the indigenous people of North Africa and are overwhelmingly Muslim. Today, the two largest Amazigh populations are in Morocco and Algeria, where some are actively engaged in seeking cultural, linguistic, and political rights. In 2001, King Mohammed VI of Morocco created a Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture and began a program to teach the Tamazight language in schools. Several Moroccans who are Amazigh told Human Rights Watch that when civil registry agents are presented with uncommon first names, they consult lists prepared periodically by the High Commission of the Civil Registry. These lists include dozens of non-Arab-Islamic names, each one marked “accepted” or “refused.” Human Rights Watch has copies of some of these lists. According to the law, the commission is composed of representatives of the interior and justice ministries and the kingdom’s official historian. International jurisprudence supports the freedom to choose one’s name. The United Nations’ Human Rights Committee ruled in the 1994 case of Coeriel et al v. Netherlands, “Article 17 [of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights] provides, inter alia, that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence. The Committee considers that the notion of privacy refers to the sphere of a person’s life in which he or she can freely express his or her identity.... [This] includes the protection against arbitrary or unlawful interference with the right to choose and change one’s own name.” “Unless a first name is patently offensive or objectionable or harmful to the interests of the child, authorities have no business curbing the right of parents to make this very personal choice – especially not when the curb amounts to a form of ethnic discrimination,” said Whitson. Human Rights Watch’s letter to Minister of Interior Benmoussa, seeking information about the cases involving the naming of five Amazigh children – Ayyur Adam, Massine, Sifaw, Tara, and Tin-Ass – is online at: http://www.hrw.org/node/85427 (English); http://www.hrw.org/node/85429 (Arabic). For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Morocco and Western Sahara, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/en/middle-eastn-africa/morocco/western-sahara For more information, please contact: In Washington, DC, Eric Goldstein (English, French): +1-917-519-4736 (mobile) In Washington, DC, Abderrahim Sabir (Arabic, French, English): +1-202-612-4342; or +1-202-701-7654 (mobile) |  MenuAll Download the keyboard and fonts necessary to write or visualize Tamazight on your Windows computer 
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