Created in 2011, RIMAAL is a transnational academic network which brings together researchers and PhD candidates who work on the interactions between the Arab World and Latin America. This field of study, which has considerably grown since the early 2000s, focuses on three thematic areas:

1) Past and contemporary Arab migrations in Latin America: modes of integration, (re)construction of identities, cultural hybridization, formation of diasporas and manifestations of long-distance nationalism;

2) Interregional relations as a new form of South-South cooperation: trade relations and economic cooperation between the two regions, institutionalization of interregional relations through the ASPA summit (South America-Arab Countries) process, bilateral relations, and triangular geopolitical relations with the United States and, to a lesser extent, with Europe.

3) Social representations and social imaginaries: production of orientalist visions, social imaginaries of the Other through literature and the media.

While these themes may be very different in nature, the causalities and linkages among them call for a multi-disciplinary approach which builds on the contributions of history, sociology, political science and cultural studies.

The purpose of RIMAAL is:

• To share existing academic work within its network with a view to facilitate dialogue among researchers and to encourage the constitution of a cumulative knowledge in this area of study. RIMAAL seeks to overcome barriers between disciplinary fields as well as between national research frameworks.
• To diffuse call for papers which are directly relevant to our topics of research
• To promote existing research through the publication of academic work and the organization of international conferences. A special effort will be made to promote research in the five main languages used in this field of study (Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, French and English).
• To help with the diffusion of academic work to the larger public through the organization of cultural events.