Immigration, ethnicity and national identity : Maghrebis' socio-political mobilisation and discourse in the inter-war period and during the 1970s in France

It has often been argued that post-colonial immigration in France has posed new challenges to the so-called French Republican model of integration. Indeed, French popular, and to a large extent political and media, discourses have presented postcolonial migrants (especially Maghrebis) and their children as constituting a population which is more difficult to integrate than previous, mainly European, migrants. At the core of this widely held belief lies the idea that Maghrebi immigration is a relatively recent phenomenon, and that their cultural, religious traditions and social practices (which are often described in vague and reifying terms) are irreconcilably different from those of the French, thereby ignoring the long and complex historical links that have tied France to North Africa since the colonial era. Equally, the lack of political representation of Maghrebis in France is not so much attributed to the discrimination to which North Africans are subjected as to their lack of political tradition. This thesis aims to challenge these two widely held beliefs by carrying out a detailed analysis of the discourse and mobilisation processes of two important political movements which developed within North African immigration in France in the twentieth century. The first one, the Etoile nord-africaine (ENA), later to become the Parti du peuple algerien (PPA), developed during the inter-war period and became the strongest voice of Algerian nationalism during those years. The second one, the Mouvement des travailleurs arabes (MTA), which was created in the early 1970s in France, saw itself as an Arab nationalist movement which fought for the liberation of the Arab people and against racism within France and beyond. Many academic studies posit the development of the ENA/PPA within the wider framework of colonial liberation movements and as a phenomenon which is linked with the history of Algeria. And further Maghrebi political movements such as the MTA, which have emerged in the post-colonial period, are somehow viewed as rooted in the social history of immigration in France. This thesis challenges this dichotomy and shows that, in spite of their specificities and different socio-historical contexts, these two Maghrebi political movements which developed during the colonial and post colonial eras form part of a consistent political tradition established by the Maghrebi diaspora in France. This study also focuses on the central question of identity and examines the complex social, historical and political processes which shaped Maghrebis' sense of national and ethnic identity during these two periods. Both movements' discourses and actions are analysed through a large corpus of archival documents and publications produced by the ENA/PPA and the MTA on the one hand, and secondary sources pertaining to these two organisations on the other. The primary documents which are examined in detail include newspapers, tracts, reports from militants, personal correspondence, minutes of meetings, posters, as well as police and government reports. This thesis shows that both the ENA/PPA and the MTA viewed Maghrebi national identity as rooted in Arabness. However, their sense of identity was informed by different markers and shaped their political agenda in different ways. On the one hand, the ENA/PPA's sense of ethnic identity marked a nationalist discourse rooted in history and religion which aimed to challenge France's oppressive colonial rule, and establish a modern nation-state within the confines of the colonial territory. On the other hand, the MTA's sense of ethno-national identity was informed by North Africans' anticolonial struggle, by the Palestinian Revolution and by a strong sense of class belonging. Its nationalism encompassed the Arab World and transcended the boundaries of nation-states which had failed to defeat imperialism and its corollary, racism. In spite of these differences, this analysis shows that Maghrebi immigrants, who have been present in France since the early twentieth century, have developed a consistent and original political tradition and discourse in France

Le discours du Mouvement des travailleurs arabes (MTA) dans les années 1970 en France. Mobilisation et mémoire du combat anticolonial

Issu de la mobilisation pro-palestinienne (Septembre noir), le MTA s'est engagé contre les violences subies en France par les immigrés. Se référant notamment au combat anticolonialiste lié à la guerre d'Algérie, il articule un discours antiraciste et prône une lutte des classes aux accents pluriethniques, dans le but d'éveiller les Français à une solidarité vis-à-vis des travailleurs arabes.Aissaoui Rabah. Le discours du Mouvement des travailleurs arabes (MTA) dans les années 1970 en France. Mobilisation et mémoire du combat anticolonial. In: Hommes et Migrations, n°1263, Septembre-octobre 2006. Immigration et marché du travail. Un siècle d'histoire. pp. 105-119

“For Progress and Civilisation”: History, Memory and Alterity in Nineteenth Century Colonial Algeria

This article explores the role played by the past and by notions of alterity and belonging in political and cultural debates pertaining to the Algerian colony in the nineteenth century. It identifies a number of historical and memorial references in French and Algerian discourse and shows how they inflected power relations in the colony at the time. This study considers how history and memory, as well as colonial relationships were invoked and represented by the French and by Algerian Muslims. It examines how French colonial narratives on past wars and conflicts intersected with representations the actual phenomenon of colonisation. It also discusses the emergence on the political scene of a small group of French-educated Algerian Muslims from the end of the nineteenth century. It assesses the extent to which those Algerians were able to develop an alternative political voice and to construct an empowering narrative on Algerians’ experience and identity that countered dominant French discourse

Politics, identity and temporality in colonial Algeria in the early twentieth century

In the first quarter of the twentieth century, colonial Algeria was marked by profound social, cultural and political tensions that were compounded by a concatenation of events triggered by the First World War. Within a context marked by the determination of settlers and the colonial administration to maintain the colonial status quo, a small group of French-educated Algerian political activists known as the Jeunes Algériens (Young Algerians) emerged onto the political scene and called for reform and for more rights for the colonised. This study examines aspects of political discourse in the colony during that period and considers how notions of temporality were invoked on both sides of the colonial divide and shaped political debate at the time. It discusses some of the ways in which history and memory as well as conceptions of Algeria’s future were conjured up, on the one hand, by French politicians, settlers and writers in ways that sustained France’s hegemonic colonial discourse, and, on the other, by the Jeunes Algériens in order to emphasise the inequity of the colonial order, seek acceptance within the French nation and foreground specific political claims and demands

The Centenary Community Engagement Fund Working Paper: Partnership working, current community challenges and interdisciplinary research opportunities

The University of Leicester’s centenary celebrations provide a timely opportunity for academics, staff and students to endorse our civic mission and engage anew with partners and stakeholders in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR). The University owes its existence to the foresight and commitment of local people, who in the aftermath of the First World War helped to champion and establish University College Leicester in 1921, in the belief that access to higher education would enable a better future for all in the city and counties. The College was awarded university status in 1957, and its history and fortune has been inextricably linked with the city and local communities in LLR. Over the years, we have worked together passionately, to reap new opportunities, face immense challenges and help to improve lives in communities locally across the UK and internationally. Community partnership and collaboration can readily be witnessed through the hundreds of academics, students and staff who are actively involved with mission driven charities and third sector organisations many of whom participated in the Centenary Community Engagement Fund Workshop in November. Our leading researchers also have very strong links with community facing organisations and major institutions such as the University Hospitals of Leicester Trust. The same is true of multi-disciplinary academic research teams collaborating proactively with charities, businesses, social enterprises and organisations in a wide range of sectors from social care to arts and culture. This paper is concerned with the Centenary Community Engagement Fund just one of the new civic initiatives launched during our Centenary year. This Fund will provide £125,000 in philanthropic funding for novel interdisciplinary research with partners and for more sought after internships for our talented students

Preface

Because of the travel restrictions between China and other countries of our keynote speaker, the 9th annual 2021 International Conference on Material Science and Environmental Engineering [MSEE2021] was held on November 27th, 2021 (Virtual Conference). The conference was held via Tencent Meeting Application. MSEE2021 aims to bring researchers, engineers, and students to the areas of Material Science and Environmental Engineering. MSEE2021 features unique mixed topics of Material Science and Advanced Materials, Material Engineering and Application, Environmental Science and Engineering and Mechanical Design and Technology. We received over 197 submissions from various parts of the world. The Technical Program Committee worked very hard to have all manuscripts reviewed before the review deadline. All the accepted papers have been submitted to strict peer-review, and selected based on originality, significance and clarity for the purpose of the conference. The conference program is extremely profound and featuring high-impact presentations of selected papers and additional late-breaking contributions. We sincerely hope that the conference would not only show the participants a broad overview of the latest research results on related fields, but also provide them with a significant platform for academic connection and exchange. There are two keynote speakers and four invited sessions. The keynote speakers are internationally recognized leading experts in their research fields, who have demonstrated outstanding proficiency and have achieved distinction in their profession. The proceedings would be published by IOP Journal of Physics Conference Series. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the members of Technical Program Committee and organizers for their enthusiasm, time, and expertise. Our deep thanks also go to many volunteers and staffs for the long hours and hard work they have generously given to MSEE2021. Last but not least, we would like to thank all the authors, speaker and participants for their great contributions to the success of MSEE2021. MSEE2021 Organizing Committee List of Committee of MSEE2021 are available in this pdf.</jats:p