From 1 to 3 March, the Three Cultures Foundation and the Kadiriya Brotherhood of Essaouira are co-organising a unique and pioneering event of its kind, a day of coexistence between Muslim, Christian and Jewish brotherhoods in the Moroccan city of Essaouira under the title 'The Soul of Cultures'.
This project began last year, promoted by Hicham Dinar, Moqadem (equivalent to elder brother of the brotherhood) of the Kadiriya of Essaouira, bringing together Muslim and Jewish brotherhoods. In this second edition, the Fundación Tres Culturas has joined the project by incorporating the participation of three brotherhoods from the province of Seville: the Macarena, the Cristo de la Corona and the Soledad de Cantillana.
In fact, several members of these brotherhoods will actively participate in these intense days, which will include colloquiums and working sessions on aspects such as the history, liturgies and customs of the brotherhoods in the three religions; the points of union and future alliances between the brotherhoods in areas such as social action and charity; and the material and intangible heritage of the brotherhoods of Andalusia and Morocco.
All this with the aim of promoting understanding and mutual respect, fostering understanding between different religions and beliefs; overcoming prejudices and breaking down stereotypes through knowledge; and learning about the similarities shared by Christian, Muslim and Jewish religions.
To address these issues, experts from both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar will also contribute, such as Antonio Zoido, president of the Machado Foundation, which is collaborating in this initiative; Gema Carrera, PhD in Social Anthropology and head of the Documentation and Studies Centre of the Andalusian Historical Heritage Institute; and José María Davó, cultural and scientific counsellor of the Spanish Embassy in Morocco.
On the Moroccan side, the speakers include Oumama Aouad, former ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco and university professor, and Youssef Agmir, professor of the history of Spanish-Moroccan relations.
These days are part of the International Festival 'The Soul of Cultures' which, along with these sessions of reflection and debate, includes concerts, cultural events and meetings of the three religions, such as a Sufi evening, a Jewish ceremony in the Essaouira Synagogue and a sung mass in the Church of Notre Dame in Essaouira, where the group Herencia de la Fundación Cristina Heeren will perform.
The programme will be opened by André Azoulay, co-president of the Three Cultures Foundation and advisor to the King of Morocco; Enrique Ojeda Vila, who has just taken up his post as Spanish ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco; Enric Millo, secretary general for External Action, European Union and Cooperation of the Ministry of the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue and Administrative Simplification of the Andalusian Regional Government (a partner institution in this meeting); and Tarik Ottmani, mayor of Essaouira. Lorena García de Izarra, Director of the Three Cultures Foundation, will also be present.
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