"From Timbuktu to Washington": Reflections on the 2003 Mali Program at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

During all of Mali's negotiations with the Smithsonian over its participation in the 2003 Folklife Festival, Mali retained full control of its representation and took the principal role in shaping its image and developing the key messages to be communicated to visitors in Washington. The Malian government had a twofold objective for participating in the 2003 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. It saw the festival as an opportunity to raise Mali's profile within the United States to increase international investment and promote tourism to Mali. It also intended its participation in the festival to be an occasion within Mali to build a sense of national belonging and national pride among its own citizens.