Toudi

Toudi is a Belgian French-language periodical founded in 1987 by José Fontaine. It emerged as an extension of the 1983 Manifesto for Walloon Culture and has been associated with the Walloon movement and republican, anti-monarchist positions. The magazine was initially published in print until June 2007, then relaunched as an online review in February 2009. It publishes archives of République and Toudi, as well as new articles, including an annual online series. Its editorial line combines Walloon activism with democratic republican ideals, often criticizing the Belgian monarchy and the French Community. The publication is considered independent and has been noted for its role in Walloon cultural and political debate.

Toudi was created in 1987, extending the impact of the Manifesto for Walloon Culture signed in 1983 by a series of Walloon artists and intellectuals. Animated by José Fontaine, the review published its own annual issues and also collaborated with the review Contradictions and with Cahiers marxistes for thematic issues. Quite quickly, Toudi associated its action with a democratic republican struggle and inscribed itself in the wake of renardism. Since 1997, the monthly République merged with Toudi (henceforth monthly), uniting Walloon and republican combat. Xavier Mabille considers that it 'brings together Catholics and secularists, militates for Wallonia and socialism and combats the monarchy and the French Community.' It appeared in print until June 2007 and reappeared as an online review from February 2009, publishing archives of République and Toudi as well as a series of new articles, some of which are grouped in what the review presents as a New annual series in December 2013. On the 1983 Walloon manifesto, the review published a special issue in 1992 with Les Cahiers marxistes bringing together the main pro and contra positions on the 1987 text. The publication is considered independent. Chantal Kesteloot, a Brussels historian working at CEGES, estimates that 'Articles devoted to the history of the Walloon Movement find [...] place either in general reviews or in militant reviews with scientific pretensions. The review Toudi is one of them. If it includes many historical contributions, it must nevertheless be noted that it is not truly a place of debate. Publications that do not correspond to its vision are truly excommunicated without further ado. The same goes for the Internet forum of the same review.' The review strongly challenges the Belgian monarchy and, in its archives published online, places a series of articles under the title History of the Belgian monarchy that systematically challenge the various heads of state since the creation of Belgium, against the tide of almost all Walloon and Brussels media. In a letter to Le Monde diplomatique, Nadia Geerts evoked in 2002 'the already old review Toudi (Walloon and republican, with separatist aims)'. These articles received, obviously, a negative echo in the dominant French-speaking Belgian press, such as Christian Laporte then working at Le Soir who criticizes the undisguised bias of Walloon republicans who are not historians for the most part and who 'still hammer this rusty nail' by speaking of the anti-Leopoldist cliché of a Leopold III collaborator and admirer of Hitler, yet challenged by recent and serious historical studies (but Laporte omits to cite a single one)... Luc Rosenzweig, correspondent of the daily Le Monde in Brussels, describes Toudi as a 'discordant voice in the Kingdom of Belgium': 'MOST of the titles of the great Belgian press persisted, the day after the marriage of Prince Philippe, in resorting to dithyramb to report the event (...) The palm of irreverence in the middle of this courtly concert returns however without contest to the Walloon review Toudi, whose editorial line is openly republican. Its director, José Fontaine, Walloon and romantic republican, is indignant by publishing numerous testimonies indicating that school children had been mobilized and firmly invited to manifest their enthusiasm, under penalty of punishment, during the 'joyful entries' of the fiancés in the provinces of the kingdom. José Fontaine had not hesitated, to the great scandal of officials, to end with a vibrant 'Long live the Republic!' a speech he had been asked to give, in September 1999, during the Walloon festivals.'

• 2013

  New annual series launched online in December.

• 2009

  Relaunched as online review in February.

• 2007

  Print publication ceases in June.

• 1997

  Monthly République merges with Toudi, becoming monthly.

• 1992

  Special issue with Les Cahiers marxistes on the 1983 Walloon manifesto.

• 1987

  Toudi founded by José Fontaine.

• 1983

  Manifesto for Walloon Culture signed, which Toudi later extends.

Walloon and republican, independent, critical of the Belgian monarchy and the French Community.

• Toudi print issues

  Published until June 2007.

• Toudi online review

  Online since February 2009, includes archives and new articles.

• Nouvelle série annuelle

  Annual online series started December 2013.

1. 1Actualités | toudilarevuetoudi.org
2. 2Une nouvelle ''Histoire de Wallonie'' (I) | toudilarevuetoudi.org
3. 3Critique : Histoire de la Pensée au Pays de Liège Tome III (p. 17-322) | toudilarevuetoudi.org
4. 4Histoire | toudilarevuetoudi.org
5. 5Toudiwikidata.org
6. 6Toudifr.wikipedia.org