The renowned Bergers de Semmama, founded by shepherd and writer Adnen Helali, will kick off the celebrations of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists with a musical concert on Monday, January 26, 2026, in Hammamet, Tunisia. The ceremony is organized by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) in collaboration with the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture and the Tunisian General Directorate of Forests, and will be attended by Mr. Jonathan Davies and Ykhanbai Hijaba, representatives of the Global Alliance for Rangelands & Pastoralists, the Tunisian Minister of Agriculture, as well as ministers and representatives from several countries in North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond: Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Sudan. The Bergers de Semmama are shepherd-artists who have transformed their mountain, Semmama, located in central-west Tunisia, into an international forum for shepherds, artists, and pastoralism researchers. This collective achieved a historic milestone in 2018 by building the first pastoral cultural center in Africa and the Arab world: a beautiful mountain cultural center covering 6,000 m² The Bergers de Semmama also organize an annual festival there every year, with the next edition scheduled from March 25 to 29, 2026.
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