45 th Session of the Academy of The Kingdom of Morocco
Latin America as a horizon of thought
The beginning of the third millennium witnessed a redistribution of forces and a perceptible change in the centers of decision-making in the strategic, economic and political sectors. The remarkable emergence of the emerging countries makes it possible to reconsider the economic pre-eminence of the developed countries and to establish a new balance of power in which the Latin American countries play a preponderant role.
However, there are paradoxes in many of the development policies and cultural experiences that confront most Latin American countries as a triple challenge :
The first challenge is to go beyond the European colonial heritage and not to replicate its models. The second tends not to align itself with the strategies of the United States of America. As for the third, it aims to adopt an alternative, autonomous model specific to the countries of the region in the political, economic and cultural spheres.
For example, some Latin American countries have tried to break with the policies that led to their decline, drawing on the strategies of emerging countries. They were able to achieve performances by creating favorable conditions for economic development. The result has been the expansion of the middle classes, changes to democracy, a reduction in the poverty rate and a reorientation of emigration. Hence the integration of three countries (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina) among the Group of 20, while other countries are still experiencing debt, poverty and precariousness.
These new data are, without question, the result of an awareness initiated by thinkers who have developed original theories about modernization and modernity, while writers and artists have distinguished themselves by the authenticity of their writings, their films or their architecture. They have developed a new concept of identity taking into account the diversity of countries in this region of the world. This has allowed many of them to breathe new life into their socio-economic activities, their political system and their cultural life.
However, despite these results, it remains difficult to assess the real state of the Latin American countries and their differences because of the complexity of the events and the diversity of their experiences..
The objective of the 45th session of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco to be held from 24 to 26 April 2018 on the theme «Latin America as a horizon of thought», is precisely to address this issue. And as is traditional in this institution that promotes exchange, dialogue and diverse experiences, this session will be interdisciplinary and bring together researchers and decision makers both national and international. It will offer a broader reflection on the specifics of this region of the world with a particular look at the dynamic new relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and Latin America.