Meryam Demnati's guest appearances

Meryam Demnati

Why Morocco

Alice Morrison

Imad Dahmani

Lahbib El Moumni

Hendrik Beikirch

Richard Hamilton

Moulay Idriss

Dana Elemara

Sarah Kchirid

Shiraz Ksaiba

Hassan Hajjaj

David Packer

Willem Smit

Lauren Keith

Cris Martinus

Helen Ranger

OwlTail

With a new year and a new decade upon us, I sat down with Meryam Demnati, an Amazigh activitist, to chat about a little-known New Year celebrated in here in Morocco – Yennayer – the Amazigh New Year for the latest episode of Why Morocco. Celebrated on 12 January by the native peoples of North Africa, Yennayer marks the shift from extreme cold and milder temperatures and is celebrated by Amazigh (sometimes referred to as Berbers) communities not only in Morocco, but throughout North Africa. Interestingly though, January 1 and the Islamic New Year are observed here in Morocco with official bank holidays, but Yennayer is not. As an activist, Meryam also talks about the status of the Amazigh language and Tifinagh alphabet in Morocco, recognition of the Amazigh culture, and the causes the Amazigh movement has and continues to work on since post-independence in Morocco. To support Why Morocco, please consider buying me a coffee nouss nouss. For more Morocco ideas and advise, follow me on Instagram at @mandyinmorocco. My other projects include:  Tasting Marrakech food and cultural tours in Marrakech tasting-marrakech.com Travel and public relations consulting Freelance writing for print and digital  mandyinmorocco.com/freelance-writing/

With a new year and a new decade upon us, I sat down with Meryam Demnati, an Amazigh activitist, to chat about a little-known New Year celebrated in here in Morocco – Yennayer – the Amazigh New Year for the latest episode of Why Morocco. Celebrated on 12 January by the native peoples of North Africa, Yennayer marks the shift from extreme cold and milder temperatures and is celebrated by Amazigh (sometimes referred to as Berbers) communities not only in Morocco, but throughout North Africa. Interestingly though, January 1 and the Islamic New Year are observed here in Morocco with official bank holidays, but Yennayer is not. As an activist, Meryam also talks about the status of the Amazigh language and Tifinagh alphabet in Morocco, recognition of the Amazigh culture, and the causes the Amazigh movement has and continues to work on since post-independence in Morocco. To support Why Morocco, please consider buying me a <a href="https://ko-fi.com/mandyinmorocco" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">coffee nouss nouss</a>. For more Morocco ideas and advise, follow me on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mandyinmorocco/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@mandyinmorocco</a>. My other projects include: <ul> <li>Tasting Marrakech food and cultural tours in Marrakech <a href="http://tasting-marrakech.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">tasting-marrakech.com</a></li> <li>Travel and public relations consulting</li> <li>Freelance writing for print and digital  <a href="https://mandyinmorocco.com/freelance-writing/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">mandyinmorocco.com/freelance-writing/</a></li></ul>

Why Morocco 029 – Meryam Demnati on Amazigh culture in Morocco