Manifesto for Walloon culture
Encyclopedia
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
on 15 September 1983 and signed ‘by seventy-five key figures in artistic, journalistic and university circles’ of Wallonia.
Among theses key figures: Jean-Jacques Andrien
Jean-Jacques Andrien
Jean-Jacques Andrien is a Belgian film director. Le Monde deem his film Le Grand Paysage d'Alexis Droeven , to be the first great Film of a Walloon cinema This film addresses two problems; the first is that of Belgium's region, site of a bitter conflict between Flemish and Walloon inhabitants,...
, Film Director Maurice Bologne, Professor; Aimée Bologne-Lemaire
Aimée Bologne-Lemaire
Aimée Bologne-Lemaire was a Belgian feminist, member of the resistance, and Walloon activist.Estelle Aimée Lemaire was born into a middle class family in Saint-Gilles, Belgium. Her father was a lawyer, socialist and university professor; her mother was a school teacher...
, Professor; Guy Cabay, Musician; Didier Comès
Didier Comès
Didier Comès is a Belgian comics artist, best known for his graphic novels published in the magazine .-Biography:...
, Comics Artist; Jacques Dubois
Jacques Dubois (Walloon Professor)
Jacques Dubois , Professor emeritus of Literature at the Université de Liège invented the concept of the Literary Institution following the work of Pierre Bourdieu by analogy with other social institutions such as military, medical, political... He is also a Member of the Groupe µ...
, Professor at the University of Liège
University of Liège
The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
; Francis Édeline, (Groupe µ
Groupe µ
Groupe µ is the collective pseudonym under which a group of Belgian 20th-century semioticians wrote a series of books, presenting an exposition of modern semiotics....
); Léopold Genicot
Leopold Genicot
- A Renowned Historian :Léopold Genicot was born in Forville in 1914. After earning his BA in political economics, he worked as an archivist for 9 years in the Namur branch of the Royal Archives from 1935 to 1944. During that time he obtained a PhD in history in 1937...
, Historian; Thierry Haumont, Writer; André Lange (sociologist) European Audiovisual Observatory
European Audiovisual Observatory
The European Audiovisual Observatory was set up by the Council of Europe as a Partial Agreement. Its legal basis is Resolution 70 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, 15 December 1992...
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/369/136;Michel Quévit, Professor at the Université catholique de Louvain
Université catholique de Louvain
The Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known, especially in Belgium, as UCL, is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve and in Brussels...
; René Hausman
René Hausman
René Hausman is a Belgian comic-book writer and artist, best known for his dark fairytales and aquarel drawings.-Biography:...
, Comics artist; Steve Houben
Steve Houben
Steve Houben is a Belgian jazz saxophonist and flutist. He was born in 1950. In the mid 1970s, he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Houben created on his return to Belgium the jazz seminar at the Liège conservatory, in association with Henri Pousseur. In his long career he played...
, Musician; Jean-Marie Klinkenberg
Jean-Marie Klinkenberg
Jean-Marie Klinkenberg is a Belgian linguist and semiotician, professor at the State University of Liège, born in Verviers in 1944. Member of the interdisciplinary Groupe µ...
, Professor at the University of Liège
University of Liège
The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
(Groupe µ
Groupe µ
Groupe µ is the collective pseudonym under which a group of Belgian 20th-century semioticians wrote a series of books, presenting an exposition of modern semiotics....
); Patrick Leboutte Cinema Critic; Jean Louvet
Jean Louvet (playwright)
Jean Louvet is a Belgian playwright.He was born in Moustier-sur-Sambre, the son of a miner, and lived a working-class childhood. Three years in the army paid for his studies in Romance philology, and he spent time in academia, but turned to the theater to give expression to his left-wing politics...
, Paul Meyer, Film Director The film director Paul Meyer, that founded the Walloon, cinema: Wip; Thierry Michel, Film Director ; Philippe Minguet (Groupe µ
Groupe µ
Groupe µ is the collective pseudonym under which a group of Belgian 20th-century semioticians wrote a series of books, presenting an exposition of modern semiotics....
); Jacques Nihoul
Jacques Nihoul
Jacques Nihoul is a Belgian scientist, and professor emeritus of the Faculty of Science of the University of Liège. He is the director of the DEA Européen en Modélisation de l'Environnement marin. In 1978, he was awarded the Francqui Prize on Biological and Medical Sciences. He signed the Manifesto...
Scientist; Jean-Claude Servais http://lambiek.net/artists/s/servais_jc.htm, Comics Artist; Hadelin Trinon (Groupe µ
Groupe µ
Groupe µ is the collective pseudonym under which a group of Belgian 20th-century semioticians wrote a series of books, presenting an exposition of modern semiotics....
); Yvon Vandycke, Painter; José Verdin, General Federation of Belgian Labour
General Federation of Belgian Labour
-External links:* Official site.*...
...
Belgian context
For years, Francophone Belgian elites defended the principle that there wre no difference between French culture in Belgium and in France. Confronted with a unified Flemish community, the idea of a unified French culture, still referring to the big partner in the south thouh stressing the Belgian context now, had to be valid for both Walloons and Francophone Bruxellois, so excluding a separate Walloon culture. . On the political plan, the Belgian Constitution revised in 1971 was a compromise between federalism with two (Flanders-Wallonia) and federalism with three (Flanders-Wallonia-Brussels). The former was more a response to the Flemings' wishes (two major cultural communities); the latter corresponded more to the Walloons' wishes (three economic regions). Flemings would rapidly merge the two institutions, Community and Region. It was easier for them because there are more or less two hundred thousand Flemings in Brussels in front of six million Flemings in Flanders. But there are almost one million French-speaking inhabitants in Brussels in front of only 3,5 million Walloons.Walloon language, regional varieties of French and Walloon culture
The Flemish Journalist Guido Fonteyn described it as a Walloon awakening .For Dimitrios Karmis and Alain Gagnon, on the road to cultural self-assertion this manifesto has marked a powerful moment.
For Emmanuelle Labeau, the Arthur Masson's novels before the period of the Manifesto (Masson died in 1970), are located in Wallonia,
The regional varieties of French are not necessarily the Walloon dialect but Philip Mosley wrote:
Criticism from Brussels
This Manifesto was violently criticized in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
:
Successful or not? Now, sympathy from Brussels
According Michael Keating, John Loughlin, Kris Deschouwer in 2003: The "single French culture" is still the official discourse, and is defended by the French community authorities (...) The Walloon movementWalloon Movement
The Walloon Movement is an umbrella term for all Belgian political movements that either assert the existence of a Walloon identity or defend French culture and language within Belgium. The movement began as a defence of the primacy of French but later gained political and socio-economic objectives...
of today, supported by a small number of intellectual elites, defends very much the typical Walloon difference, but has not been able to moblise for it.
In December 2006, a Brussels manifesto was published partly in the same spirit as the Walloon manifesto, claiming a regionalisation (in favour of Brussels as well in favour of Wallonia), of the French Community . It was also signed by key figures of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
as for instance the philosophers Philippe van Parijs
Philippe Van Parijs
Philippe Van Parijs is a Belgian philosopher and political economist, mainly known as a proponent and main defender of the basic income concept.-Education:...
and Jean-Marc Ferry
Jean-Marc Ferry
Jean-Marc Ferry is a French philosopher who is best known for his book Les puissances de l'expérience , described by Paul Ricoeur as "one of the most important works recently published in the field of social and political philosophy"...
, so that the Brussels manifesto has given the Walloon “regionalists" an opportunity to remind everyone that they have been calling for an end to the French-speaking Community and the transfer of its powers, especially its responsibilities for education and culture, to the Walloon Region since their 1983 "Manifesto for Walloon culture"
Benoît Lechat summarized the issue:
The conclusion of the Manifesto for Wallon culture was: All those who live and work in the Walloon region are undeniably part of Wallonia. All respectable human ideas and beliefs are also part of Wallonia (...) Being a straightforward community of human beings, Wallonia wishes to emerge as an appropriate entity which opens itself to the entire world.
New debates
The Walloon Minister President started a debate about the Walloon identity on 1 March 2010 in the newspaper La MeuseLa Meuse
La Meuse may refer to:* La Meuse , see List_of_locomotive_builders#Belgium* La Meuse , see List of newspapers in Belgium...
. He will make the proposal to his government to rename 'Walloon Region' as 'Wallonia'. The director of the Institut Destrée commented this initiative the day after on the RTBF
RTBF
Radio Télévision Belge Francophone is the public broadcasting organization of the French Community of Belgium, the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium...
. He linked this initiative and the Manifesto for Walloon culture together:
Le Figaro
Le Figaro
Le Figaro is a French daily newspaper founded in 1826 and published in Paris. It is one of three French newspapers of record, with Le Monde and Libération, and is the oldest newspaper in France. It is also the second-largest national newspaper in France after Le Parisien and before Le Monde, but...
(4 March 2010) reminds the last sentences of the Manifesto for Walloon Culture : 'All those who live and work in the Walloon region are undeniably part of Wallonia.' These sentences are hopefully a reason to hope a peaceful debate...'
Criticism about this new debate appears both in Wallonia and Brussels. But perhaps mainly in the Brussels' Newspapers. For instance Pascal Lorent in Le Soir
Le Soir
Le Soir is a Berliner Format Belgian newspaper. Le Soir was founded in 1887 by Emile Rossel. It is the most popular Francophone newspaper in Belgium, and considered a newspaper of record.-Editorial stance:...
4 March 2010 writes: 'The Walloon identity doesn't exist'. And Pierre Bouillon wrote in Le Soir
Le Soir
Le Soir is a Berliner Format Belgian newspaper. Le Soir was founded in 1887 by Emile Rossel. It is the most popular Francophone newspaper in Belgium, and considered a newspaper of record.-Editorial stance:...
6 March 2010 that the Walloon identity refers mainly to tourism, unemployment and bribery in Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
. It seems that the dispute between Brussels and Wallonia about this issue remains as for instance Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia, Tome I wrote it for some years: 'A Walloon identity is also emerging that exhibits at the political level the still mainly hidden tension between French-speaking Brussels and Wallonia' On the contrary, it seems to Paul Piret, journalist at La Libre Belgique
La Libre Belgique
La Libre Belgique is a Belgian newspaper in French. In Belgium, it can be roughly seen as an equivalent of Flemish De Standaard. The paper is widely perceived as pro-catholic...
, a debate on the concept 'Identity' is good about political citizenship, roots, collective project and even pride.
Bouli Lanners
Bouli Lanners
Philippe "Bouli" Lanners is a Belgian actor, author and film director...
said that his films are the reflection of the Walloon culture but with an Americain inspiration because we are overflowed by the American culture
External links
- Manifesto for Walloon Culture (September 1983)
- Second Walloon Manifesto (September 2003)
- We Exist Brussels Manifesto (December 2006)
- 100 Wallons répondent au Nous existons bruxellois (French, Dutch, German, Walloon) (May 2007)
- A answer from people of Brussels Alain Maskens at the Assemblée wallonne 29th February 2008 (French)
- Twenty years Brussels autonomy bruXsel forum That it is time to assume responsibility and that Brussels should not be joined with either Flanders or Wallonia but should become autonomous and that Belgium should be composed of 3 Regions (...) (January 2009)