Scientific event

This round table aims to discuss the emergence of charitable action in colonial Algeria. It is primarily a contribution to the study of charitable associations as institutions that marked the transition toward a new social, cultural, and political landscape. It also seeks to demonstrate how a "charitable economy" with its social, religious, and political dimensions (Grangaud, 2017) established itself, replacing (though only in part) the Ottoman heritage to become a marker of a dynamic social life, particularly in cities. These associations formed types of "sociability" and "civic effervescence" (Carlier, 1990), with significant activities in the fields of mutual aid, as well as connections to art, sports, and music, led by these charitable organizations. This round table reflects on the evolution of charity in Algeria from the end of the Ottoman period to the enactment of the 1901 Association Act. It will also examine the actors and institutions that initiated and managed these charitable actions.