The program aims at conveying to large circles of our societies (geographically and socially) the ideas and conceptions which have arisen during the debates initiated by the seminars organised by Prologues in 1995. Its main objectives are :
To show the existence, the richness and the dynamism of a current of thought which may be labelled « pro-democratic Islam »;
To enhance communication among specialised scholars and between scholars and large strata of our societies;
To enhance the accessibility of works by contemporary Muslim scholars written in different languages (mainly Arabic, English, French and eventually Persian and Turkish).
The planned activities focus on a kind of editorial work that is rarely undertaken in our countries and which our experience has shown to be necessary to disseminate ideas, conceptions and debates from academic circles to larger strata of the society. This kind of action include mainly work on texts by a group of highly qualified specialists : journalists who are in contact with academic circles and intellectual issues and who have gained experience in rewriting, editing and publishing.
The program includes the publication of four issues in 1996, regarded as « dossiers ». The themes selected for these issues are the following :
The Importance of (Re)thinking Politics. This collection of essays was a new edition, revised completed with other articles and enlarged, of the issue which was published in the spring of 1995 in collaboration with Libération (the most important daily newspaper in Morocco). This special issue was sold out within a week of its appearance.
Women and the Social Sciences in the Maghreb : Tradition, Mutation, Aspirations. This issue studied Maghrebi women as the subject and the object of new social knowledge. It sought to assess changes in the perception of Maghrebi society and the situation of women within it.
Ways of Renovation in Contemporary Arab-Islamic Thought. This project was evaluated the most important works of secularist Muslim thinkers of the first quarter of this century (Ali Abderraziq, Taha Hussein, Ahmad Amin, etc.).
Readings in Contemporary Political Thought.Prologues`s issue [February 1997] was devoted to political thought, which, judging from the public`s reaction satisfied an unmet need. Why reconsider this topic so quickly?
The European intellectuals, by the intermediary of some of their specialized institutions, designed hundreds of works as being the most influential since the Second World War. This remarkable list comprises a majority of titles dealing, directly or indirecly, with political theory.
In its last issue 11/12, "Prologues returns to some titles of the list by launching the challenge of the debate and giving Moroccan intellectuals the opportunity to express themseleves. The latter reflected, approached, analyzed, and synthesized works highlighting the second half of the XXe centuy".
Prologues wishes, through this analysis, to inform the North African public of certain essential developments and to invite our society to a debate about theory`s impact on human lives.