CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
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Mauritania |
SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Historic, revolutionary and avant-garde, in the opinion of the Mauritanian authorities, their initiative to promote books and reading is a psychological as well as a human and political «leap forward»
The so-called «knowledge for all» operation was launched with an awareness and fundraising campaign from all quarters throughout the country. Governors, local dignitaries, community and religious associations, prefects, mayors and members of civil society everywhere were made responsible for explaining the initiative to the people, so that everyone could take part. «This movement embraced the whole country. In every wilaya (region), with the support of the local authorities, employees returning from their holidays during the summer threw themselves enthusiastically into the awareness campaign for «knowledge for all». Debates, conferences and meetings followed. Even before any funds were raised and the planned libraries were established, the initiatives came together and took shape», observes M’Bareck Ould M’Beyrouck from the government daily Horizons.
It all began with the Cabinet meeting on 24 January 2002. On that day, the Cabinet approved the draft corrected budget for the year 2002, intended to create a fund for promoting books and reading. The government therefore decided to implement a gradual reduction in administrative expenses (apart from the salaries and budgets in rural communities) to 3%. The total funding came to 1,093,455,127 ouguiyas (1000 ouguiyas = 3.92 US$). The National Assembly approved this draft on the 31st January 2002. It should be noted that the same percentage was deducted from the State’s budget for the year 2003 totalling 121,245,000,000 ouguiyas.
The President’s appeal
Six months later, on 27 June 2002, President Ould Taya launched his appeal to start the campaign from the town of Aleg, about 400 Km from Nouakchott. «The best long-term investment is in people and in the development of their ability and aptitudes. It is this that inspired us to establish the “knowledge for all” campaign with additional measures particularly involving promotion of books and reading, as well as the tools needed to acquire knowledge and for the emancipation of the individual and of society. I am calling on all citizens to take part in this campaign to promote books and reading, and to make their contribution by providing places for reading, books or financial resources, or by helping with the teaching and education of citizens.»
This movement is actually part of an enormous modernisation programme that Mauritania has been pursuing for more than ten years. This programme involves expanding availability of new information and communication technology, and bringing knowledge to the people by a radical change in attitude, which is often considered as one of the obstacles to the development of the country. «This ambition cannot be achieved without giving priority to the sources of knowledge and in particular to books. It is therefore impossible to imagine a cultural renaissance that is not based on the book, the essential component of cultural progress», explains the Interior Minister, Lemrabott Ould Sidi Mahmoud, whose department is responsible for managing the project. In addition to its economic effects, the Mauritanian authorities therefore expected this initiative to encourage the civic awareness and to inspire the development of a mentality based on scientific understanding and technical knowledge.
How will it be coordinated?
A ministerial commission has been formed, chaired by the Prime Minister, to coordinate the work. Its primary aim is to define the various cultural and scientific aspects affecting development which will be used as a basis for the libraries. Sector commissions, consisting of more than 60 national experts, have been established to cover the following topics: agriculture, animal husbandry, environment, fishing, health, construction, Internet use and communications.
As for management of fundraising campaign, begun in August, a national commission, as well as regional commissions chaired by local authorities, and including the mayors, have been established to oversee progress. For awareness and national mobilisation, satellite dishes will be installed in all areas where the libraries will be opened. Around 1,000 communities have already been identified for these libraries.
Internet caravans will also be organised to bring the books to places without libraries. Mauritania actually has a national strategy for new technology. The main lines of this strategy are: the development of access for all to information technology, development of human resources, modernisation of the administration using computers, and a presence for Mauritania on the Web.
In order to obtain books «under the best possible conditions and by the most appropriate means», a canvassing programme for books in different countries has also been carried out. The Minister of the Interior has already received the first batches, from some Arab countries.
General mobilisation and fears
Under the terms of a partnership agreement, signed at the beginning of October 2002 by the Minister of the Interior and Telecommunications, and the Commissioner for Human Rights and the Fight against Poverty, 300 unemployed graduates were recruited to manage the community libraries, known as «Maisons du Livre». According to the Ministry of the Interior, this agreement between the initiative for promoting reading and books, emphasises the strategic framework for the fight against poverty. The reduction in poverty is another priority for the Mauritanian government which has undertaken to reduce it from 46.3% to 12% before 2015.
In response to the government’s appeal, the Mauritanian Confederation of Employers (CNEM) undertook to build and equip 53 libraries. A partnership agreement signed at the end of August between the Minister of the Interior and the CNEM, states that «the CNEM undertakes to fund the building and equipment of 53 libraries in the regional capitals and main towns of the moughataa (departments) of the country». The total contribution from Mauritanian employers came to 1.6 billion ouguiyas. Also within the context of mobilisation, the Interior Minister organised a two-day «Telethon» in October on national television. This raised more than 300 million ouguiyas across the country.
This mobilisation is certainly widespread but many observers have questioned the durability of the national enthusiasm to acquire knowledge. «These are admirable gestures, but they are only speculative and do not involve any commitment of principle. There is involvement, following the example of others, making a tremendous show in order to be noticed», according to the independent press, and the murmurs of the Opposition. For Hindou Mint Aïnina, editor-in-chief of Calame, this campaign has more slogans and congratulations than commitment of principle. «The key word of this new age seems to be rewarding incompetence, the vital principle of a system with no principles, the enemy of true knowledge and intelligence, whether those who applaud or praise the “knowledge for all” slogan like it or not», she writes.
In the meantime, maybe we should ask if the country of one million poets is on the verge of becoming the country of two and a half million readers.