The Forefront of Revitalization. Nineteen Years of the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM)

This article attempts to present the main research directions of the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture in Morocco, focusing most prominently on its pursuits to revitalize the Amazigh language. The first part of the article aims to present the social circumstances of the Berber population of Morocco throughout history and the events that led to the establishment of IRCAM and later the adoption of the Amazigh language as an official language of the state. The second part analyses the Institute’s scholarly activities through the content analysis of its scientific journal and presents some conclusions about the Institute’s importance, both nationally and internationally. The last part reviews strategies employed by IRCAM’s linguists in an attempt to standardize the Amazigh language and thus prepare it to serve its constitutional role. The article is a result of a research visit that took place in July 2019 and was a part of a student project financed by Rada Konsultacyjna Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego and University of Warsaw Foundation.