Well, this is the end. My two years of living in Morocco are over. I have boarded a plane anddeparted these Moroccan shores. People will not longer call out to me as I walkthe dirt streets of Ait Attab, “Hello, Brahim. How are you?”

Which means this is the end of this blog. Thank you forreading and following along!

US Ambassador Gordon Gray Reveals New Plans For The Peace Corps in TunisiaWhitewillow64 | 03 November 2011In a recent interview with Tunisia Live, US Ambassador Gordon Gray gave some specifics into the structure of the new USA Peace Corps program that will be reintroduced in Tunisia in 2012.“There will be 20-24 in the first class focused in two areas: youth skills development and English language training,” according to Ambassador Gray.Ambassador Gray stressed that while the initial number of volunteers may seem small, should the program be deemed a success, the size of the program could increase in the future.Rob Prince, a Professor of International Studies at the University of Denver and a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Tunisia, welcomed news of the reintroduction of the Peace Corps. “I was in the Peace Corps from June 1966 through October 1968 teaching English at the Bourguiba School on Rue De La Liberte. I also taught in Sousse. It was one of the best experiences of my life.”The Peace Corps program in Tunisia was much larger during Prince’s era numbering nearly 300 volunteers. The program focused on teaching English, child care and architecture. “Although a good 225 of us were teaching English, I know one of the child care volunteers who was in Gabes is now a Professor at Harvard and there are many buildings, even mosques in Tunisia today that were designed by Peace Corps volunteers,” Prince said.While the Peace Corps program in Tunisia was terminated in 1996, President Barak Obama announced that it would be reintroduced after a 16 year hiatus during his October 7th press conference with Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi at the White House.The Peace Corps is a volunteer program managed by the United States Government. Established by an Executive order of President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the mission of the Peace Corps is to assist partner countries with their need for trained people, help people outside the US understand American culture and vice versa.http://www.tunisia-live.net/2011/11/03/us-ambassador-gordon-gray-reveals-new-plans-for-the-peace-corps-in-tunisia/--------------------------------------------High Atlas Foundation's Moroccan Film Festival in New York City:Celebrating the Moroccan Arts While Embracing Human DevelopmentNew York, November 3, 2011 - The High Atlas Foundation is proud to announce the Moroccan Film Festival: Second Edition on November 18-19th, 2011 at New York City's Tribeca Cinemas. Ticket purchases and new Festival sponsors will directly enable rural Moroccan communities to plant fruit tree nurseries, and advance HAF's 1 Million Tree Campaign.The Film Festival has set the stage to showcase on an international screen Morocco's voices, multiculturalism and filmmakers. The two-day Festival event will show the complexity and beauty of life in Morocco through nine feature films, preceded by Moroccan student films from the Ecole Supérieure des Arts Visuels de Marrakech (ESAV).The Opening Night is on Friday, November 18th, starting at 6:30pm with cocktail reception, host presentations and photography silent auction, followed by the U.S. premiere at 9:00pm of the featured film La 5ème Corde (The Fifth String), directed by Selma Bargach, and selected ESAV student film. Saturday, November 19th, showcases eight dramatic, documentary and comedic Moroccan films.The generous Sponsorships of the Film Festival by the Moroccan National Tourist Office, Western Union, Exotic Imports and important others enable all ticket sales to support the 1 Million Tree Campaign that profoundly benefits rural Moroccan families. The saplings do not require pesticides (almond, cherry, fig, pomegranate, prickly pears and walnut) - and the fruit yields more than double household incomes on average and prevent erosion and desertification.The High Atlas Foundation was founded in 2000 by former Peace Corps Volunteers. HAF is a U.S. 501(c)(3) organization and a Moroccan association, and since 2011 has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The Foundation and its many partners planted 329,800 fruit trees greatly benefiting approximately 2,500 Moroccan families as the trees mature.The Moroccan Films screened at the Film Festival on November 18-19th are: Deux Femmes Sur la Route (Two Women on the Road); Une Minute de Soleil en Moins (A Minute of Sun Less); All I Wanna Do (Documentary); Le Blues des Sheikhates (Sheikhates' Blues) (Documentary); Mektoub (Predestined); Ali Zoua: Prince of the Streets; Terminus des Anges (Angels' Terminus); Amours Voilées (Veiled Love); and La 5ème Corde (The Fifth String) on opening night.For more information about the Moroccan Film Festival on November 18th and 19th in New York City, as well as excellent sponsorship opportunities, please contact: moroccanfilmfestival@highatlasfoundation.org, Tel. (US): 646-688-2946; (Morocco): 212(0)610-641-603.http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20111104023601--------------------------------------------A New View of America.September 5, 2011Marcel Proust once said “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes”; I have never come upon anything that summed so perfectly my life and my dreams. As a young child, I always reached to foreign movies in times of sadness and sorrow. I always felt so inspired after watching these movies. I realized that I needed the world to live, grow, learn and most importantly, share. A book about India, with its crowded streets, rich of culture, colors and spirits, feels inspiring. A picture of Paris, with its Eiffel tower and night lights, makes my heart beat faster. I cannot resist feeling so intense every time the world was brought to me. In my head, my luggage was packed and I was ready for the adventure. I remember hearing about the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange Study program for the United States in an email. At the time, the opportunity seemed both unreal and unattainable, but I decided to give it a try. I was a 16 year old teenager, with no significant life experience, and whose dream was suddenly within reach. Was this my moment? After several months, I was selected as one of 25 Moroccan students chosen to participate in the YES program. My happiness was beyond what can be described with words. Life had set its shine over me, and I was longing to spread my wings and release all my potential to the world. Once in America, my life turned into a tornado of ups and downs with extreme feelings at different points of time. My entirely theoretical and somehow perfect conception of the United States fell apart, and a more realistic and mature perspective emerged. America is not only New York, Chicago, beaches in Florida, casinos in Las Vegas, or Hollywood, America is also little towns in the middle of forests and cornfields where everyone knows everyone. I starting to grow new eyes, and the sight was inspiring. My experience was priceless and I am very grateful for the opportunity. I admired a lot in America, especially its values of freedom and equality, diversity, and the possibility to go as far as one sets their mind to. The educational system and community service inspired me to improve my home community, and share my experiences. During the exchange I met many people, some were great and deeply changed me, and others were not as much of a pleasant experience but definitely contributed to my unavoidable growth in America. In a year, I grew from a young girl with big dreams into a realistic human being with great ambitions and expectations in life. Now, I am motivated to give to the world as much as it has.. and is about to give me. http://yesprograms.org/impact/story/new-view-america--------------------------------------------Tilouguite Elementary School Bathroom Project – Moroccohttp://appropriateprojects.com/node/437 Iztat Water Project - Moroccohttp://appropriateprojects.com/node/373Khoukhate Water and Sanitation Project - Moroccohttp://appropriateprojects.com/node/131 Ait-Zelton School Improvement Project - Moroccohttp://appropriateprojects.com/node/39--------------------------------------------Morocco's jobless rate rises for 2nd straight qtrThu Nov 3, 2011 RABAT Nov 3 (Reuters) - Unemployment in Morocco inched up 9.1 percent in the third quarter, clocking the second increase in a row due mostly to a drop in construction activity, official data showed.The jobless rate stood at 8.7 percent a quarter earlier and at 9 percent in the third quarter of 2010, the state's High Planning Commission (HCP) said on Thursday.Unemployment in urban areas showed unemployment declined to 13.5 percent in the third quarter from 13.8 percent a year earlier. Half of Morocco's employed are in rural areas where the majority tend small subsistence farms.The jobless rate among those below the age of 34 rose to 31.4 percent from 30.1 percent in the third quarter of 2010."Two out of three (jobless Moroccans) have been without work for over a year, the same proportion as in the third quarter of 2010. But the percentage of those who have been looking for a job for at least five years rose from 21.1 percent to 25 percent," HCP said.Net job creation by the $95 billion economy stood at 120,000 in the 12 months till end-September mostly in retail and industry branches in urban areas. Construction meanwhile recorded a marginal but second straight quarterly drop for the 1-million-employee sector.Agriculture is Morocco's top employer with around 40 percent the total workforce while 450,000 is in tourism. (Reporting By Souhail Karam)http://af.reuters.com/article/moroccoNews/idAFL5E7M35CG20111103--------------------------------------------Gender laws Morocco uphold dignity and the rights of womenFatima Outaleb – WNN Opinion(WNN) Opinion Rabat, MOROCCO: According to a recent study by Morocco’s High Commission for Planning, the national institute for statistical analysis, 68 per cent of Moroccan women have experienced domestic violence and 48 per cent have been subjected to psychological abuse.This is a shocking statistic and reveals how much more there is still left to be done in terms of women’s rights. But the encouraging news is that women’s organisations in Morocco over the past 20 years have managed to transform the issue of domestic violence from a private concern to a public and political issue.Women’s rights associations began emerging in the 1990s to raise awareness about the alarming violence and discrimination women were subjected to and to change the situation.The Family Law, which was first drafted in 1957, allowed marriage at a young age and stipulated that the onus was on women to prove they were victims of domestic violence if they wanted to use this as a reason for divorce. The law also meant that women wishing for divorce could be forced by a judge to return to their husbands if they had tried to leave and been asked to return. In this way, violence against Moroccan women was “legitimised”.Changing this reality became the priority of the women’s movement in Morocco. To achieve reform, women’s rights groups organised roundtable discussions, petitions and workshops to analyse and modify legislation. One such campaign, led by The Union of Women’s Action (UAF) in 1992, called for reform of the conservative personal status code for women and raised public awareness about the increase in incidents of violence against women – something that had not been explicitly acknowledged by the government or by the general public.In 1993, the UAF petition led to legislative amendments to the personal status code. One of the main changes was that women gained the right to designate their own guardian, a male relative who signs a marriage contract in the name of the woman. Previously, women had no say in this matter. With the revision, however, a marriage could no longer be performed without at least the indirect consent of the woman.Although these actions introduced only minor changes to women’s rights in the country, at the very least, women’s issues had clearly made it to the public sphere.In 2002 the Minister of Women’s Affairs – a position created in 1998 – developed a national strategy to combat violence against women in partnership with women’s organisations. Since then, they and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Solidarity and Family have organised a yearly national campaign calling for measures and mechanisms that protect women from sexual harassment and domestic violence.As a result, the issue of violence against women has received attention from political leaders and the general public. Many government departments have since created units on gender issues. And to address gender inequality, Morocco adopted gender responsive budgeting in 2006, a process in which women’s issues are taken into consideration in national plans and actions.By ratifying the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1993 the Moroccan government undertook measures to harmonise its national laws with CEDAW provisions. Between 2002 and 2007, it reformed the personal status law even further, along with the labour code, the penal code and the nationality law which, when revised, allowed women to pass their nationality to their children.In addition, the constitution was amended in June 2011 to address the supremacy of international gender laws over national ones.Under significant pressure from civil society, Morocco committed to implementing national legislation to end violence against women and to work actively to implement international agreements with the same goal.A coalition called Spring of Dignity, comprised of 22 women’s organisations, submitted a memorandum to the Minister of Justice last year with recommended amendments to the penal code. Their concern is that the code does not punish perpetrators in cases of rape. In fact, according to the penal code, both the victim and the rapist can be considered guilty of engaging in prostitution, especially if the victim is 18 or older, regardless of any other circumstances, such as the victim having been trafficked, which would then require special consideration and treatment.Women’s groups are fully aware that reforms to the family code, the penal code, the labour code and the nationality law could not have occurred without the close collaboration of all stakeholders and without major mobilisation by diverse women’s organisations. Though some forces are trying to hinder the progress of democracy and women’s rights, Morocco has embarked upon a process of change. A recent amendment of the penal code that legalises abortion – subjected to certain conditions – is another symbol of hope for Moroccan women.We know that the journey towards true social justice is long and that there is still much to do, but if women’s organisations continue their work with the same strength and commitment as they have demonstrated in the past 20 years, they will achieve their goals and ensure that future generations enjoy their rights – regardless of their gender.

______________Fatima Outaleb is a member of the Union of Women’s Action (UAF) Board of Directors in Morocco._____________©Women News Network – WNN

WNN encourages conversation. All opinions expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Women News Network – WNN. This op-ed is part of a series on peace and world views through an ongoing WNN partnership with CGNews.No part of this commentary (op-ed) may be reproduced without prior permissions from WNN &/or the author.http://womennewsnetwork.net/2011/11/08/gender-laws-morocco-rights-women/ --------------------------------------------Mountain boarding school gives hope to Moroccan girlsBy Omar Brouksy (AFP) –AIN LEUH, Morocco — In the heart of the snowbound Atlas mountains in central Morocco, a boarding school takes in young girls from isolated villages in a bid to fight poverty and illiteracy.There are more than 300 such schools in Morocco, with another 30 planned for construction next year. They are now both home and class to almost 16,700 girls, who are often living far from their families. More than 70 percent of them come from a rural background, according to official figures."The criteria for admission to the dormitory? They are simple and clear: poverty and remoteness. A committee studies requests and the girls are swiftly selected on the basis of these two criteria," said Souad Arkani, the headmistress of the establishment in the village of Ain Leuh.The dormitory has taken in 35 young women, just a little way from the school they attend each day.Despite landmark changes in the family code known as Mudawana, pushed through by King Mohammed VI in 2004 against tough opposition from religious conservatives, many women are still second-class citizens in the north African country. In conservative rural zones, only one out of every two girls finishes middle school and only two out of every 10 goes to high school.The king promoted the boarding schools -- for both boys and girls -- soon after he took power, in 1999."My parents live a few dozen kilometres from here. But thanks to this home, I'm doing my studies in good conditions because I'm looked after and the school is just nearby," Khadija, 19, told AFP."They are taken in hand, with a precise programme from morning to evening: breakfast, going to the nearby school, lunch at 12:30 pm, studies and, finally, lights out at 10:00 pm," Arkani said.The boarding school is financed and jointly run by the ministry of social development and a local non-governmental organisation, the Islamic Association of Charity (AIB).Ain Leuh is located in the province of Ifrane, 300 kilometres (185 miles) east of the capital Rabat, at the heart of mountains covered with cedar trees where it often snows in winter."From November, it begins to get very cold because the region is mountainous. The girls stay in the home all week, but they can spend the weekend with their relatives or close family," Arkani said.To see her parents, Khadija must first take a "big taxi" (a collective taxi) for several dozen kilometres. Then she needs to walk down a track for at least an hour to get home.When he encouraged these boarding schools, the king stated that he wanted to make up for the lack of infrastructure in rural regions, but according to some of the staff at Ain Leuh, inaugurated by Mohammed VI in 2003, the means are limited and help from any quarter is welcome."Local communities, the ministry (of social development) and our association participate in the finance, but we have to struggle to balance our budget," said Mohamed Bouyamlal, vice-president of the AIB."We have to make choices which are sometimes difficult and choose the strict minimum, which is to say food," he added.The headmistress only earns 1,200 dirhams a month (106 euros / 148 dollars), which is less than the national minimum wage of about 125 euros.But in spite of the difficulties, the results are promising. The schools say their success rate in graduating girls runs between 80 and 100 percent, and more than half the boarders end up following university studies.Overall, the rate of illiteracy among rural women has dropped from 64 percent in 2006 to 40 percent in 2011, according to official figures.And the rate at which girls drop out of school in rural areas has fallen from 14 percent in 2006 to 10 percent in 2010, thanks to this programme. School is by law compulsory in Morocco until the age of 15.Apart from the studies, Ain Leuh offers otherwise isolated girls a new social network, to exchange views and open their minds."When I arrived from my distant home in the country, I was very shy," said Souad, one of the students. "The home has broadened my horizons and I have realised I can be autonomous and independent.""I have ambitions and I see my future differently," she added proudly. "I want to be a mathematics teacher."2011 AFPhttp://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hf8xUSvSFbnE6WprPK0A7xhwn_iw?docId=CNG.393f65091f7b7614daa1abbdca1bf6e6.4e1--------------------------------------------Moroccan writer comes out as gay, defies taboo.December 31, 2010 Omar Brouksy Agence France Presse TANGIERS, Morocco: Novelist Abdellah Taia, who has won acclaim in France and from readers abroad, has challenged a taboo in his native Morocco and refuses to back down: he is the first Moroccan writer to come out as gay in a country that bans homosexuality.For 37-year-old Taia, who has lived in Paris for the last decade, being homosexual and Muslim are not mutually exclusive. He “feels Muslim” and is from a country where Islam is the state religion.“I am the first Moroccan writer who has spoken openly about his homosexuality, to acknowledge it, but without turning my back on the country I’m from,” he told AFP on a recent visit to Morocco.“My homosexuality, I already felt it from the age of 13, at school. But despite this, I feel Muslim. There is no incompatibility between Islam and choices of sexual identity.”Taia, who writes in French and has been translated into Spanish and English, emerged from obscurity to make a splash on the French literary scene with novels such as the 2005 “Le Rouge du Tarbouche” (The Red of the Fez), an autobiographical account of his life in Paris, where he moved in 1999.In November, the Moroccan was awarded the prestigious 2010 Prix Flore for young authors.A soft-spoken man with a timid smile, the writer was born in a working-class neighborhood in Sale, the twin city of the Moroccan capital Rabat, into a childhood marked by deep poverty.“My father was a chaouch (messenger) at the national library in Rabat. We were nine children who lived on top of each other in two rooms,” he recalled.“There was nothing to eat. You had to fight to eat. We spent our days on the streets. We were barefoot.” His mother, a housewife, was illiterate.After studying French literature at university in Morocco, Taia, then 26, moved to Paris, pursuing a doctorate at the Sorbonne and writing his first novels.“Le Rouge du Tarbouche” describes his “dream of writing” in Paris, “a city that doesn’t lift you up if you fall.” The book, his second, was also the first to mention his homosexuality.Notoriety back home came two years later, in 2007, when Taia openly proclaimed his homosexuality in a frank interview with “TelQuel,” an independent Moroccan weekly known to take a critical line towards the government.The writer quickly came under fire from part of the press and from Islamic circles in Morocco, where homosexuality – as in most Arab states – is considered a criminal offense.In Morocco, it is punishable by six months to three years in prison but like liquor and wine consumption – proscribed for Muslims under Moroccan law – is tolerated, provided practitioners don’t flaunt their difference.“For me,” Taia said, “homosexuality is not a cause, but a personal freedom. It is normal that I defend homosexuals because they are oppressed individuals.”Despite the scandal, Taia continues to spend much time in Morocco, where “obviously the fact that I am a writer published by big French houses protects me” from being persecuted for his sexual orientation.Taia said he is “very attached to Morocco” and that “despite everything, I feel here like everybody else. I come from the same world.”He also feels the country is slowly changing and becoming more tolerant of differences. “Despite some regression in Morocco, over the last 10 years,” he continued, “there have been extraordinary things in terms of declarations of personal freedoms by many parts of Moroccan society.”For Taia, the vocal conservatives who often dominate debate in the Islamic world are not a true reflection of how most Muslims feel.“These trends, which are in the minority, are the result of the failure of social policy in the Arab world,” he said.“What interests me is the overwhelming majority, people who are simply Muslims and to whom I feel I belong.”

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Culture/Books/Dec/31/Moroccan-writer-comes-out-as-gay-defies-taboo.ashx#ixzz1cfibBAQU

(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)--------------------------------------------Audience Questions to Moroccan PrinceBy Liz Rodriguez-FloridoTuesday, October 11, 2011Source: Yale Daily NewsThe Arab Spring came under scrutiny Monday night as 100 students, faculty and community members gathered in Linsly-Chittenden Hall to hear a prince of Morocco speak about developments in the Middle East.At the talk, which the Arab Students’ Association has been working for over a yearto organize, Prince Moulay Hicham ben Abdallah el-Alaoui discussed the causes of the Arab Spring and his predictions for nations that have experienced revolutions in recent months. After the talk, he took questions from audience members, many of whom were eager to question his views.Ben Abdallah el-Alaoui said outcomes of the Arab Spring will include successes, failures and perceived successes in which power will actually fall back into the hands of the regimes that were initially overthrown.“Tunisia seems like it’s in the most promising phase for democracy,” he said, adding that Egypt is in a state of incomplete transition, while Libya faces the greatestchallenges in democratizationbecause of the previous regime’s totalitarianism.Though many have emphasized the importance of social technology like Facebook and Twitter in enabling people to mobilize during the Arab Spring, ben Abdallah el-Alaoui said the role of social technology should not be exaggerated. Many regimes have had the power to blackout “liberation technology,” he said. The true power behind the uprisingslies inthe capacity of citizens to mobilize onthe ground, he added.The largest demographic leading the protests and rebellions over the last year has been the “new young generation,” ben Abdallah el-Alaoui said, which is motivated by disillusionmentwithregimesthat have tried to overstay their welcome.He added that all monarchies in the Middle East and North Africa will eventually face calls fordemocratic change, though they may be able to buy time before this happenswith monetary incentives or cultural symbolism.During the question-and-answer period, a member of the audience compared the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan to those in the Arab Spring — a comparisonben Abdallah el-Alaouirejected as invalid because the regime changes in those countries did not come from“within the fabrics of society” but rather from external interventions.“[Iraq and Afghanistan] are a totally different animal,” he said. “We need to be conscious of outside intervention. With outside intervention you lose legitimacy in the eyes of the people.”Three audience members said they wishedben Abdallah el-Alaouihad discussed Morocco’s current political state more during the talk.Khadija El-Hazimy, a staff member at Sterling Memorial Library who lived in Morocco until the age of 13, said she identifiedwith ben Abdallah el-Alaoui’s perspective.Still, she said he should have talked more about current issues in Morrocco, such as new youth organizations.Ben Abdallah el-Alaoui attended Princeton for his undergraduate years and Stanford for graduate school.http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/oct/11/audience-questions-moroccan-prince/ http://www.moulayhichamfoundation.org/--------------------------------------------Morocco falls in love with plastic surgeryBy Nora Fakim, November 8, 2011 BBC News, MoroccoThe number of Moroccan women having plastic surgery to improve their looks is growing every year, despite some religious scholars saying that it is un-Islamic.Clinique Slaoui is situated on one of Rabat's main roads, in the upmarket suburb of Souissi, making it very visible to passing, well-healed residents.The modern and brightly painted building is in stark contrast to many of Morocco's grim hospitals, and Prof Salehdine Slaoui, the owner, says business is booming."Moroccan women are increasingly becoming more independent and are working harder," he says.As their social and economic status rises, they are more able to afford to change their physical appearance.Their reasons for going under the knife vary.Next time I want to have something done to my face and even liposuction”End Quote Khadija, 37, after her breast enlargementSome women do it more now to prevent their husbands from cheating on them, others are influenced "by the European look", he says.Religious edicts do not seem to be a concern for many.In fact, such is the demand for plastic surgery, the professor says, there are not enough surgeons to cope."The number of surgeons has not progressed. Up to now there are still just 50 plastic surgeons in Morocco," he says.Some 20 clinics attract a significant number of clients from abroad, some of them lured by cheaper prices than they would pay at home. But the majority are Moroccan.'God would approve'On the day I visit, the waiting room is full of wealthy-looking clients, mostly women.Khadija, 37, has come for her check-up after her breast enlargement operation a week ago.Wearing jeans and a sleeveless top, she seems very pleased with the results and has no religious qualms about opting for more surgery."After my operation I stayed at the clinic for three days... a nurse stayed with me 24/7," she says."Next time I want to have something done to my face and even liposuction."“Start QuoteI'm not scared having this done. It's very important - as you can see I am flat-chested and I want to be more feminine”End Quote Fatima, 25Breast implants cost around $4,000 (£2,500) - way out of reach for the average Moroccan who only earns about $600 a month.On the top floor of the clinic, where the in-patients stay, the rooms are immaculately well furnished - like a five-star hotel.A teenage girl can be seen recovering from a nose job. Her eyes are bruised and with a huge bandage on her face, she is barely able to keep her balance.Another patient, 25-year-old Fatima, is about to have her breasts enlarged.She has short bright bleached blonde hair and is waiting nervously with her veiled mother, who is holding her hand."I'm not scared having this done. It's very important - as you can see I am flat-chested and I want to be more feminine."She said the operation would help her psychologically."God would approve of that," she said.'Moral conflict'But plastic surgery is a controversial matter in what is still largely a conservative, Muslim country, especially in rural areas and urban districts which are less well-heeled than Souissi.The debate reflects how this North African kingdom is torn between modernity and traditional Islam, and its links to Europe and the Middle East."The role of the body is more spiritual than these superficial inconveniences," says Islamic scholar Ahmed Boukilil."It is forbidden in the Koran to change a part of the body [for cosmetic purposes]," he says."People forget that their role on earth is not to be too obsessed by the body but more the spiritual side."Sampling views at cafes in Rabat, women in their twenties and thirties were also divided in their opinions."It's very sad how people want to change themselves and do not accept how they usually are," one said."But those who have accidents, I can understand that they want to change themselves to how they looked before."Another said she understood the "moral conflict"."But if it helps you reach your ends and helps you get through society, why not?"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15576738--------------------------------------------Morocco to host first solar farm in €400bn renewables network.The vast solar and windfarm project across North Africa and the Middle East may provide 15% of Europe's electricity by 2050Morocco has been chosen as the first location for a project to build a vast network of solar and windfarms. Photograph: Michael Melford/NGS/CorbisMorocco has been chosen as the first location for a German-led, €400bn project to build a vast network of solar and windfarms across NorthAfrica and the Middle East to provide 15% of Europe's electricity supply by 2050.The Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII), a coalition of companies including E.ON, Siemens, Munich Re and Deutsche Bank, announced at its annual conference being held in Cairo on Wednesday that "all systems are go in Morocco", with construction of the first phase of a 500MW solar farm scheduled to start next year. The precise location of the €2bn plant is yet to be finalised, but it is expected to be built near the desert city of Ouarzazate. It will use parabolic mirrors to generate heat for conventional steam turbines, as opposed to the photovoltaic cells used in the UK.The 12 square kilometre Moroccan solar farm will, said Paul van Son, Dii's chief executive, be a "reference project" to prove to investors and policy makers in both Europe and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region that the Desertec vision is not a dream-like mirage, but one that can be a major source of renewable electricity in the decades ahead.Van Son described Desertec as a "win-win" for both Europe and MENA, adding that the Arab spring had created both opportunities and "questions" for the ambitious project. Discussions are already underway with the Tunisian government about building a solar farm, he said, and Algeria is the next "obvious" country, due to its close proximity to western Europe's grid. Countries such as Libya, Egypt, Turkey, Syria and Saudi Arabia are predicted to start joining the network from 2020, as a network of high voltage direct current cables are built and extended across the wider region.German companies and policymakers have dominated the Dii conference, reflecting the nation's recent decision to totally phase out nuclear power by 2022 in reaction, in part, to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March. By comparison, not a single representative from the UK was at the conference.Jochen Homann, the state secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology, told the conference: "We undertook major reforms in German energy policy this summer and Desertec opens up an opportunity for us. We want to enter the age of renewables with sustainable sources of electricity supplying 80% of our power generation by 2050. As we accelerate our phase-out of nuclear power, we need to safeguard an affordable supply of electricity and we will be interested in importing renewables supplies in the future. Germany's government will continue to support Desertec. It is an inspiring vision which is good for foreign, climate and economic policies."But Homann stressed there would be "pre-conditions" for guaranteeing long-term support from the Germany government. He said there must be "liberalisation" of the energy markets across the MENA region: "North Africa still provides huge subsidies for fossil fuels. There will need to be regulatory improvements. Only then will renewables be able to compete and a common market created. And other European states must participate, too."Hassan Younes, Egypt's minister of electricity and energy, told the conference that Egypt was keen to participate and that it hoped to have a 1,000MW windfarm built by 2016 in the Gulf of Suez, adding to the 150MW "hybrid" gas-solar power plant that opened 100km south of Cairo earlier this year.The conference was told via a Dii promotional video that the network of solar and windfarms across the MENA region would help to "halt migration" into Europe, by fast-tracking the rise of the region's youthful population out of poverty and unemployment.The Desertec plan was welcomed by many in Germany, including chancellor Angela Merkel. However, some German critics argued that the concept of transmitting solar power from Africa to Europe was not proven and that a billion dollar project does not fit in to the country's green energy plan.German development NGO Germanwatch raised concerns that local people should benefit from the scheme, though Desertec representatives said the energy generated will first be used by the people of north Africa before being exported. Andree Böhling, energy expert at Greenpeace Germany, said: "We have to avoid European companies getting their hands on local resources, therefore we will follow the project carefully."• This article was amended on 3 November to remove an incorrect reference to Germanwatch and neocolonialismhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/02/morocco-solar-farm-renewables?newsfeed=true--------------------------------------------Tenesol powers up 26,000 homes in MoroccoFriday, 04 November 2011 06:47Tenesol, the global solar power provider, is bringing power to more than 163,000 people in Morocco for the first time. The company, in partnership with Morocco’s National Electricity Office (ONE), installed rural electrification systems at more than 26,000 homes in the country’s rural provinces. The 16 year project is scheduled to complete in 2018 at a cost of €25 million. In Morocco, Tenesol operates under a subsidiary called Temasol which is supplying, installing and maintaining the PV systems. Established in 2002, Temasol is one of the largest electricity providers in Morocco. The company operates 14 offices in the country and employs more than 80 people. In addition to this current project, Temasol also provides solar water pumping systems, solar generators for remote telecommunications infrastructure and grid connected PV systems across the country. The 50 Wp, 75 Wp and 200 Wp rural electrification systems (depending on which Solar Home System the customer chose) consist of a PV panel connected to a battery. This allows households to store energy during the day and use it at night. Temasol also installed power sockets to offer easy connection for lighting, televisions, radios and refrigerators. More than 1.6 billion people in the world live without access to electricity, the vast majority of whom live in rural areas. Morocco’s rural provinces are home to around 45 percent of the country’s population. Modules on the moveRural locations are often remote and isolated. Accessing such areas carrying PV panels, storage batteries and installation equipment can therefore prove tricky. In Morocco rain and snowfall, particularly during winter, can disrupt transport networks. Muddy road surfaces can also become treacherous and hard to negotiate. For the Moroccan market Tenesol’s equipment is supplied from the company’s manufacturing plant in Cape Town, South Africa, and transported by sea. Once in Morocco, Temasol works closely with all available resources to transport the equipment to end-user homes across the country. Occasionally this means panels complete their journey by donkey, horse or on foot. Stable structuresWhen it comes to installation, Temasol can draw on Tenesol’s 27 years of experience working in developing areas where houses are constructed from whatever materials are available. In Morocco wood, brick and metal are used, which means buildings vary in structural stability. Temasol engineers must evaluate each home and provide a suitable solution that will stand the test of time. Train to maintainTemasol also provides maintenance for 10 years to each individual installation to ensure all systems operate efficiently. This service began when the first installations were completed in 2002 and will continue until 2018 when responsibility for systems will pass to ONE. “We are delighted to be involved in this life changing and highly rewarding project,” said Jacques Mathan, export sales director at Tenesol. “Rural electrification is a major part of a country’s socio-economic development and this project reflects Morocco’s commitment to assisting and improving rural communities. Many of the families we work with have never had access to electricity but solar energy is fast becoming the renewable answer to their power needs.” www.tenesol-group.comhttp://www.globalsolartechnology.com/solar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8535:-tenesol-powers-up-26000-homes-in-morocco&catid=1:news&Itemid=27--------------------------------------------Winds of Change in Morocco's Energy Market (AfDB)1 November 2011 SPONSOR WIREOn 28 October 2011, the governing bodies of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) approved updates to Morocco's investment plan under the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and an associated program to develop a wind/hydro hybrid generating system and a rural electrification project that aims to increase capacity by 1,070 MW and bring electricity to 79,436 households in 24 of Morocco's most isolated and vulnerable districts. In addition to the technical support it has lent to investment plan and project development, the African Development Bank (AfDB) also plans to contribute U.S.$ 250 million from its own resources and channel a majority of the CTF concessional financing being allocated to Morocco (U.S.$125 million of a total U.S.$ 150 million will flow through the AfDB).Morocco's public utility, Office National de l'Électricité (ONE), is overseeing the program, which features a wind/hydro component to maximize production from wind, use excess wind energy to store water for the later production of hydroelectricity, and supply water to generate hydroelectricity during the dry season. It will also support new transmission infrastructure and water storage facilities.This initiative is in line with Morocco's energy strategy formulated in 2009 to address the structural challenges of its energy sector. It calls for 10 percent of energy generation to come from renewable sources by 2012.This figure is being backed by ONE, which plans to install 2,000 MW each of wind, solar and hydro energy to increase installed renewable energy capacity to 42 percent by 2020. Morocco's current installed wind capacity is about 280 MW, but exploitable potential is as much as 25,000 MW.The AfDB anticipates that channeling concessional financing to Morocco will inspire increased investor confidence and participation. The U.S.$ 150 million of CTF funding is expected to leverage an additional U.S.$ 2.24 billion in funding, representing a leveraging factor of 18. Without AfDB and CTF funding, ONE's financial capacity to launch the program would be significantly compromised and the program could be delayed or its scope reduced. ONE's financial equilibrium would be made vulnerable by the higher cost of wind generation and the associated infrastructure, compared with the average cost of energy generated by ONE using conventional sources.http://allafrica.com/stories/201111020946.html--------------------------------------------Morocco needs a new social contract to promote stability.Lahcen Achy Nov 3, 2011 The social package implemented by the Moroccan government in the first few months of the year has cast a shadow over the preparation of next year's budget. The budget deficit is expected to be around 6 per cent of GDP by the end of the current fiscal year, a level unprecedented in the last decade.The Moroccan government - in an attempt to preserve social peace and avoid any escalation in the protest movement sparked by the Arab Spring - increased civil servants' wages by about $70 (Dh260) a month, announced plans to hire more than 4,000 unemployed college graduates and doubled subsidies to preserve the price stability of fuel and basic consumer goods whose prices have risen considerably on the world market.The worsening of the budget deficit in Morocco comes at a time of scarce liquidity in local banks and public dissatisfaction with the privatisation process, which has played a key role in the country's economy over the last few years by allowing the sale of public assets to keep pace with high public spending. The high interest rates on loans in international financial markets, due to the sovereign debt crisis and the repercussions of the Arab Spring, have seriously reduced the government's margin for manoeuvre.The postponement of the budget law's approval ahead of critical legislative elections scheduled for the end of November reveals Morocco's vulnerability to structural imbalances. The country needs frank and transparent dialogue among the various stakeholders to come up with a social contract that ensures stability and balances current social demands and future economic growth goals. This requires an ambitious, yet realistic development strategy whose implementation may take years.Policymakers need to focus on three structural distortions. First, Morocco suffers from a large trade deficit: it imports almost twice as much as it exports. This situation reflects the inability of Moroccan producers to compete globally and the inefficiency of economic policies that have failed to develop the local industrial sector and bolster its potential to compete in foreign markets. Morocco has grown accustomed to covering its increasing trade deficit with income from the tourism industry and remittances from emigrants, but these will both pose a challenge for the Moroccan economy over the coming years.Despite their high resilience during the past decade, the long-term sustainability of remittances should not be taken for granted. New waves of emigrants are critical to support the continued growth of remittances. But policy barriers to Moroccans' traditional destinations have been increasing. The inability, so far, of the European Union's member states to develop a common migration policy has seriously impeded legal migration flows to Europe.The ageing of former emigrants and the migration of entire families tend to cause a decline in remittances. New generations, born abroad, continue to remit, but less so than their parents' generation. Most of them have acquired the citizenship of their host countries and have different consumption and remitting habits.More educated emigrants also tend to remit less and instead use their savings to invest in real estate in their country of residence.And in the current climate, Europe's slow economic growth, high unemployment and austerity measures to reduce public deficits are likely to affect remittances negatively.Morocco faces a second structural distortion because it will not be able to build a strong and competitive economy without a skilled and well-trained labour force. The government needs to allocate more human and financial resources to its adult literacy strategy to increase its efficiency and extend its coverage. Policymakers need to remove barriers to participation in literacy programmes and adapt their content and time schedules to fit the needs and desires of recipients.The third structural weakness is that despite Morocco's efforts over the past decade, poverty rates have remained persistently high, particularly in rural zones, and inequality has been on an upwards trend. The poorest 10 per cent of the population accounts for 2.7 per cent of total consumption. At the other extreme, the richest 10 per cent makes up one-third of total consumption.Consumption and income inequality are only part of the story, as inequality of ownership is even worse. Data on the distribution of agricultural land indicate that 5 per cent of farmers own one-third of all land.Policymakers need to reinforce public redistribution policies to reduce inequality among individuals and territories. They should fight tax evasion, implement a more progressive taxation system and increase taxes on property and wealth. They also need to cancel full tax exemptions that benefit the entire agricultural sector, regardless of the size of a particular business and the income it generates. This exemption, which has been in force since the mid-1980s, is socially unfair and economically inefficient.The next government, which will enjoy greater powers under the new constitution, should establish its priorities to ensure a balance between immediate popular demands and the requirements for economic growth based on human capital and the stimulation of investment, and to establish an equitable tax system to ensure a sustainable social peace.Lahcen Achy is a senior associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beiruthttp://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/morocco-needs-a-new-social-contract-to-promote-stability?pageCount=0--------------------------------------------Morocco GDP growth to ease in Q3: plannersWed Nov 2, 2011RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's economic growth likely slowed to an annual rate of 4.1 percent in the third quarter, below the country's full-year target after a slowdown in mining and tourism, the planning authority said on Wednesday."This slight slowdown has stemmed mainly from declines in the growth rates of non-agricultural (sectors)," the High Planning Commission (HCP) said in a report.The annual growth of the mining sector's value-added likely slowed to 2 percent during the third quarter from 2.3 percent in the second quarter and 14 percent a quarter earlier. The HCP did not explain why.The HCP also expects the added value of the tourism sector to record a quarter-to-quarter decrease of 1.8 percent in the July-September period, which coincided with political turmoil in the region and economic uncertainties in the European Union, Morocco's main source of tourists.The central bank last month said hotel and restaurant activity recorded a 3.8 percent drop in the second quarter, its worst quarterly performance since the first quarter of 2009.Tourism contributes close to 10 percent of Morocco's economy and directly employs 450,000 people.After growing by 4 percent to around $95 billion in 2010, Morocco's gross domestic product grew 5 percent during the first quarter of this year and 4.2 percent in the second, according to the central bank.The finance ministry forecasts a 5 percent growth for all of 2011.The HCP also forecasts inflation to be at 1.1 percent by the end of 2011. The rate, as measured by consumer prices, fell to an annual 0.8 percent in September having hit 2.2 percent in August.

Check PC/Morocco Volunteers project videos on this new interactive 50th website. New Interactive Website Launched to Honor Peace Corps’ 50th Anniversary: PeaceCorpsPostcards.comAward winning journalist, author and former Peace Corps volunteer Maureen Orth launches an interactive website, PeaceCorpsPostcards.com, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps. This new website highlights many volunteer projects from around the world in videos directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Susan Koch. Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 26, 2011Award winning journalist, author and former Peace Corps volunteer Maureen Orth has launched an interactive website that both highlights unusual and successful work of Peace Corps volunteers worldwide and also allows the wider Peace Corps community to contribute their own stories, pictures and “Video postcards” with the aid of a Google map.To celebrate the fifty years of the Peace Corps’s work in 139 countries, Orth and award winning filmmaker Susan Koch traveled from Morocco to Colombia, Mongolia to Costa Rica and Mexico, to film volunteers in action. They plan to continue filming up to fifty videos and will go next to China. Prominent volunteer alumni such as former Senator Chris Dodd and MSNBC's Hardball host Chris Matthews also share how their Peace Corps experience forever shaped their lives.A volunteer herself in the sixties, Orth helped build a school in a mountain village in Colombia. Nearly four decades later she formed the Marina Orth Foundation to support the school becoming the first in Colombia to use One Laptop per Child computers while the village itself became the first in the country to be connected to WiFi. It now has nearly 300 families on Facebook and the foundation supports 1200 children in three schools.The first videos posted include the story of maternal health volunteer Moses, who in a remote village in Morocco, introduced baseball to shepherd boys devoid of recreation. The boys have yet to see a real baseball game but now they have a way to have fun while learning team work and cooperation, using rocks as bases and an axe handle as a bat.Another postcard shares the story of a young woman named Stephanie helping an orphanage in Mongolia become more self-sustaining by building a greenhouse and growing produce to sell for profit, enabling the orphanage to start a bakery business. These are just two of the inspiring stories of men and women of all ages and backgrounds who share the call to serve that can be seen on PeaceCorpsPostcards.com.“What we have seen in our exotic travels so far is that the Peace Corps is about the best use of soft power the US has ever made,” says Orth. The entire budget of the Peace Corps costs 5 hours in Iraq. Plus these Americans speak the language and are accepted and loved.”These video postcards are made possible by the generous support of Bank of America and American Expresshttp://www.prweb.com/releases/peacecorpspostcards/10/prweb8910983.htm-----------------------------------------------PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER USES HIP HOP TO SPREAD LOVE.Posted 9/22/11 By Xavier Rathlev, special to MTV ActOn September 22, 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the act mandating a national service corps "to promote world peace and friendship." Fifty years later, more than 200,000 American Peace Corps volunteers have served in 139 countries around the globe. I’m one of those volunteers.Having grown up in a post 9/11 world, I really do believe that if you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem. This mindset lead me to where I am now: living in Goulmima, Morocco, as a Peace Corps volunteer. Goulmima is small oasis town on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Of Goulmima's 30,000 residents, three are white, and one is American -- me.The religion is different. The food is different. The clothes are different. The pace of life is different.But the people are the same. Goulmima people are hospitable in the same way they are in small town America. They want the same things Americans do: education, jobs, and to support their families. And in some cases, they're inspired by the same music: hip-hop.I met Louk Omar, Mnilik Irm Mohammed, and Klay (aka Joundi Smail Hafidi) here two years ago. They walked into my English class wearing flat brimmed Yankee caps, Kanye West sunglasses (yup, the ones with the venetian blinds), baggy jeans and hooded sweatshirts. Their cell phones were constantly blasting Jay, Yeezy and Em. They called themselves S7rawa Boys (pronounced "SaHArawa"), and told me they wanted to be hip-hop stars.I was skeptical at first. I was afraid that these guys had embraced a simplified, possibly distorted picture of American culture. I expected them to spew lyrics about drugs, making money, and getting with girls. I was wrong.In "Full Stop," the chorus lists a series of drugs in French ("Cigarettes, nicotine, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine") and then in English says "Stop smoking and lets do it!" "We rap about putting an end to smoking and drug use, stopping corruption, ending the racism between Berbers and Arabs, and discrimination between rich and poor," the trio explained.S7rawa Boys asked me to assist them with their hip-hop dream. They'd written songs, mixed beats, and recorded music before I met them. So I've tried to provide them with drive and direction to achieve their vision. I encouraged them. I helped them set deadlines, and record and distribute their first, self-titled album. We worked together to utilize the web to distribute their songs by creating Facebook and Soundcloud pages.It took some time, but the community has responded. "At first some people in Goulmima responded negatively to our music," Mnilik explained. "They didn't understand rap or hip hop. They did not know our music could be positive. But we've explained our songs. We have a catchy hook, good beat, and a positive message. People like our music. The key is that they understand the message.” Adds Joundi, “We want to travel the world and have a positive influence on how people treat each other.” I think Yeezy, Jay and Em would approve.The religion is different. The food is different. The clothes are different. The pace of life is different.But the people are the same. Goulmima people are hospitable in the same way they are in small town America. They want the same things Americans do: education, jobs, and to support their families. And in some cases, they're inspired by the same music: hip-hop.I met Louk Omar, Mnilik Irm Mohammed, and Klay (aka Joundi Smail Hafidi) here two years ago. They walked into my English class wearing flat brimmed Yankee caps, Kanye West sunglasses (yup, the ones with the venetian blinds), baggy jeans and hooded sweatshirts. Their cell phones were constantly blasting Jay, Yeezy and Em. They called themselves S7rawa Boys (pronounced "SaHArawa"), and told me they wanted to be hip-hop stars.I was skeptical at first. I was afraid that these guys had embraced a simplified, possibly distorted picture of American culture. I expected them to spew lyrics about drugs, making money, and getting with girls. I was wrong.In "Full Stop," the chorus lists a series of drugs in French ("Cigarettes, nicotine, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine") and then in English says "Stop smoking and lets do it!" "We rap about putting an end to smoking and drug use, stopping corruption, ending the racism between Berbers and Arabs, and discrimination between rich and poor," the trio explained.S7rawa Boys asked me to assist them with their hip-hop dream. They'd written songs, mixed beats, and recorded music before I met them. So I've tried to provide them with drive and direction to achieve their vision. I encouraged them. I helped them set deadlines, and record and distribute their first, self-titled album. We worked together to utilize the web to distribute their songs by creating Facebook and Soundcloud pages.It took some time, but the community has responded. "At first some people in Goulmima responded negatively to our music," Mnilik explained. "They didn't understand rap or hip hop. They did not know our music could be positive. But we've explained our songs. We have a catchy hook, good beat, and a positive message. People like our music. The key is that they understand the message.” Adds Joundi, “We want to travel the world and have a positive influence on how people treat each other.” I think Yeezy, Jay and Em would approve.http://act.mtv.com/posts/peace-corps-volunteer-uses-hip-hop-to-spread-love-----------------------------------------------The Moroccan Film Festival in New York: Second EditionIS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY!The High Atlas Foundation is proud to announce the Moroccan Film Festival: Second Edition on November 18-19th, 2011 at New York’s Tribeca Cinemas. Join us for this incredible opportunity to enjoy Moroccan film, art, food and wine. Your purchase of a ticket will enable rural Moroccan communities to plant fruit tree nurseries, and advances HAF’s 1 Million Tree Campaign.The Film Festival has set the stage to showcase on an international screen Morocco’s voices, multiculturalism and filmmakers. The two-day Festival event will show the complexity and beauty of life in Morocco through ten feature films, preceded by Moroccan student films from the Ecole Supérieure des Arts Visuels de Marrakech.The generous sponsorships of the Festival by the Moroccan National Tourist Office and Exotic Imports enable ALL ticket sales to support community fruit tree nurseries of varieties that do not require pesticides and that profoundly benefit rural families. The High Atlas Foundation was founded in 2000 by former Peace Corps Volunteers, and planted with many partners 329,800 fruit trees benefiting approximately 2,500 Moroccan families.Come and enjoy Moroccan films and meet wonderful people – where participating creates Moroccan sustainable development!Email: moroccanfilmfestival@highatlasfoundation.orgACT NOW!The first 50 purchasers will receive a complimentary autographed copy of the 1st Edition Moroccan Film Festival poster autographed by Director Izza Genini valued at $75. Posters will be available for pick-up at the guest list sign-in area on the day of the event.Please note that individual film tickets are on sale only through the Tribeca Cinemas website. Tickets will be available for pick up at the cinema’s will call the day of the festival.

*Students & seniors (age 62 and older) must present valid IDs at the festival.

Learn about film festival sponsorship opportunities Learn more about the High Atlas Foundationhttp://www.moroccoboard.com/upcoming-events/details/127-2nd%20the%20Moroccan%20Film%20Festival-----------------------------------------------MOROCCO: ADOPTING BABIES BY US CITIZENS. OCTOBER 28, 2011Morocco is not party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption ( Hague Adoption Convention). Therefore, when the Hague Adoption Convention entered into force for the United States on April 1, 2008, intercountry adoption processing for Morocco did not change.

on the term "adoption" : Persons considering adopting a Moroccan child should think of the Moroccan process more as custody in advance of adoption. In Morocco, this guardianship is referred to as "kefala". Americans considering adoption of Moroccan children must obtain kefala custody from a Moroccan court and subsequently adopt the child in the United States. To bring an adopted child to the United States from Morocco, you must first be found eligible to adopt by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government agency responsible for making this determination is the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A visit to the U.S. Consulate to obtain the Immigrant Visa is the last step in the process.In addition to these U.S. requirements for adoptive parents, Morocco also has the following requirements for adoptive parents:· MARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS: Prospective adoptive parents must either be a single female or a married couple. Morocco does not recognize same sex marriages or domestic partnerships.· INCOME REQUIREMENTS: The Government of Morocco requires that people seeking legal guardianship of Moroccan children be employed.· OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Prospective adoptive parents of Moroccan children must be Muslim. Prospective adoptive parents must have a letter from a doctor practicing in Morocco indicating that they are in good mental and physical heath and capable of caring for an adopted child.Who Can Be AdoptedIn order to qualify for immigration to the U.S., the child must meet the definition of orphan under both Moroccan and U.S. law.

Children living in Moroccan orphanages are more likely to meet the definition of orphan under U.S. law and therefore are more likely to qualify for immigration to the United States than children who do not live in orphanages.The process for adopting a child from Morocco generally includes the following steps:Apply to be found eligible to adopt in the United States(I-600A petition submitted to USCIS).2. Be matched with a child that meets the U.S. definition of an orphan3. Obtain certificate of abandonment from issuing authority4. Obtain "kefala" custody of the child in a Moroccan court5. Obtain permission from Moroccan court to travel/immigrate and obtain a passport6. Apply for an Immigrant Visa for the child at the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca.7. Bring the child home to the U.S. and adopt the child in your home state.1. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt

To bring an adopted child from Morocco to the United States, you must apply to be found eligible to adopt (Form I-600A) by the U.S. Government, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Learn how.

In addition to meeting the U.S. requirements for adoptive parents, you need to meet the requirements of Morocco as described above in the Who Can Adopt section.DOCUMENTS REQUIRED: The orphanage where the child resides should be able to provide you with an exact list of the documents required to adopt in Morocco. The documents required may vary and prospective adoptive parents should expect delays and the probability of supplementary requirements. They will most likely require that any English language documents, to include your home study, be accompanied by a sworn Arabic translation by a Moroccan translator. A list of sworn translators located throughout Morocco can be obtained by contacting the Immigrant Visa Unit at the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca, Morocco at ivcasablanca@state.gov. The following is a list of basic documents required for the kefala procedure:o Islam Conversion Document for the prospective adoptive parentso Birth Certificate for each prospective parento Marriage certificate for the prospective parents (if applicable)o Health statement from a doctor practicing in Moroccoo Work and salary statements for each prospective adoptive parent (if applicable)o Home study completed by a licensed U.S. home study providero Photographs (the exact number and size required varies)o copy of passports of each prospective adoptive parent

NOTE: Additional documents may be requested. If you are asked to provide proof that a document from the United States is authentic, we can help. Learn how. 2. Be Matched with a Child

Once your I-600A has been approved by USCIS, you will need to locate a Moroccan orphanage to be matched with a child that meets the suitability criteria noted in your approval notice or form I-600A (age, gender, special needs, number of children, etc.) Each family must decide for itself whether or not it will be able to meet the needs of a particular child and provide a permanent family placement for the referred child. Most children residing in Moroccan orphanages will have a judgment of abandonment issued in their name. In most orphanages, this judgment of abandonment will be given to the prospective adoptive parents along with the kefala custody documentation. However, procedures may vary depending on the region. Be prepared to contact regional authorities.The US federal agency responsible for determining whether a child is eligible to immigrate to the United States in accordance with the INA is U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). children in non-Convention countries (Morocco) must meet the INA definition of an orphan.Orphan Status (Morocco is included in Non-Convention Countries)Children being adopted from non-Convention countries must meet the definition of an orphan as defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) before they can immigrate to the United States. USCIS determines whether a particular child meets the definition of an orphan. To apply to USCIS for this determination, you use the following form:I-600 - Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate RelativeI-600 application instructionsForm I-600, along with its supporting documents, are required for USCIS to determine that a child is eligible for classification as an orphan. In order to file Form I-600 with USCIS, you should submit Form I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) first. You may submit both forms at the same time, or you may already have an approved, valid Form I-600A when you file Form I-600. See our eligibility requirements for prospective adoptive parents for more information about filing Form I-600A.According to the INA, a child must meet the following two conditions in order to be considered an orphan:The child must have no parents; orThe child has a sole or surviving parent who is unable to care for the child and has, in writing, irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption.In some countries it is possible to adopt a child who is not an "orphan" as defined by U.S. immigration law. Whether a child qualifies as an orphan for the U.S. is determined by reference to U.S. laws and regulations, and not by foreign law that may identify a child as orphaned. In general, a child would be considered to have no parents if both are determined to have died, disappeared, deserted, abandoned or have been lost or separated from the child. Abandonment requires that the birth parents give up all parental rights, obligations and claims to the child, as well as all control over and possession of the child (without transferring these rights to any specific person). Under U.S. law, children may not be abandoned, relinquished, or released to a specific prospective adoptive parent for adoption.There are three primary elements to the orphan classification. In addition to other applicable requirements, all of the following must be true for a child to be eligible for the orphan classification:The child must be under the age of 16 at the time an I-600 petition is filed on his or her behalf with USCIS or a consular officer (a child adopted at age 16 or 17 will also qualify, provided he or she is a birth sibling of a child adopted, or who will be adopted, under the age of 16 by the same adopting parents).The adopting parents must have completed a full and final adoption of the child or must have legal custody of the child for purposes of emigration and adoption in the U.S.; andThe child has been or will be adopted by a married U.S. citizen and spouse jointly, or by an unmarried U.S. citizen at least 25 years of age, with the intent of forming a bona fide parent/child relationship.If an I-600A has already been approved, the adopting parent may file an I-600 for one child without any additional fee. However, if parents are adopting two or more biologically unrelated children, there will be a $670.00 fee for the second child (this fee is waived for siblings).The following documentation must be presented in order for an I-600 petition to be approved:Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative;The child's birth certificate;A final decree of adoption, if the orphan has been adopted abroad, or proof of legal custody for purposes of emigration and adoption;Proof of "orphan" status per definition above (e.g., evidence of abandonment, written relinquishment, death certificates, etc. depending on the circumstances);Proof that the pre-adoption requirements, if any, of the state of the orphan's proposed residence have been met, if the orphan is to be adopted in the United States;Proof that the adopting parents have seen the child prior to or during adoption proceedings.IMPORTANT: Parents are urged to seek advice about the possibility that an adopted child might not be considered an orphan and therefore would not be able to accompany his or her adopting parents to the United States. Immigration attorneys, reputable adoption agencies involved in international adoption, USCIS, and Department of State officials all have information that will assist you in addressing this serious concern.

In order to obtain kefala custody of the child they have chosen, both prospective adoptive parents will need to appear in person in a Moroccan court. Their documents will be reviewed and the custody documents will be issued and executed. This process can take anywhere from 2 days to several weeks, depending on the local court procedures. ATTORNEYS/AGENCIES: Many orphanages in Morocco have their own legal staff that can assist you in the kefala custody process, thus alleviating the need to hire a private attorney in Morocco. Many American prospective adoptive parents who have adopted from Morocco in the last year have used orphanages that provide this service. It is always possible, however, for prospective adoptive parents to hire a private attorney to assist them in the process. o TIME FRAME: The time required to complete the kefala custody of a Moroccan child can vary from 3 weeks to 6 months, perhaps longer depending on the particular details of the case. o ADOPTION FEES: Although orphanages do not officially charge fees in Morocco, many of them may request a donation from adoptive parents. Orphanages that provide legal assistance in obtaining kefala custody usually have fees associated with this service. Anyone using an attorney can expect to pay attorneys fees for services rendered, o DOCUMENTING A CHILD'S ELIGIBILITY FOR KEFALA: If the child's biological parents are known, their names will usually appear on the child's birth certificate. In cases where the child was born out of wedlock to an unknown father, the father's name on the birth certificate will contain a fictitious name starting with "Abd" (Abdellah, Abdelhamid, etc) and no last name. This is a place holder name to avoid the father's portion of the birth certificate being left blank, and has no relation to the actual name of the biologic father.5. Obtain permission from Moroccan court to travel/immigrate and obtain child's passportThe prospective adoptive parents should receive a document from the Moroccan courts giving them permission to obtain a Moroccan passport and immigrate to the U.S. with the child. Prospective adoptive parents will need the child's birth certificate, kefala custody document, and permission from the court to obtain a passport. These documents are submitted to the municipality in the region where the kefala was obtained. The passport is normally ready within one week, although expedited processing can be requested. Most prospective adoptive parents who receive assistance from the orphanage in obtaining custody of the child also receive assistance in obtaining the child's Moroccan passport.After you have obtained the certificate of abandonment, the kefala custody of the child, the permission for the child to immigrate to the United States, and the child's Moroccan passport, you may make an appointment with the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca for an Immigrant Visa interview. Please note that you must have an I-600A or I-600 approved by USCIS on file at the Consulate in order to make an Immigrant Visa interview. Please contact the Immigration Visa Unit at ivcasablanca@state.gov for more details regarding the documents required to obtain an Immigrant Visa for the child.

The U.S. Embassy in Rabat does not perform consular services. 7. Bring Your Child Home Once you have obtained the IR-4 Immigrant Visa for your child, you may travel to the United States where you will need to start the procedure to adopt the child in your home state. Once you enter the U.S. on the IR-4 visa, the child will automatically become a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. and a legal permanent resident card (green card) will be mailed to you. Once you have adopted the child in the United States, you will need to petition USCIS for a Certificate of Citizenship. It may be advisable to engage the services of an adoption attorney before you travel to Morocco to ensure that you have all required documents to adopt once you return to the United States.Child Citizenship ActThe Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows your new child to acquire American citizenship automatically when the court in the United States issues the final adoption decree.* Please be aware that if your child did not qualify to become a citizen upon entry to the United States (as is the for all orphans issued IR-4 visas), it is very important that you take the steps necessary so that your child does qualify as soon as possible. Failure to obtain citizenship for your child can impact many areas of his/her life including family travel, eligibility for education and education grants, and voting.Traveling AbroadApplying for Your U.S. PassportA valid U.S. passport with a minimum of six-months validity is required for prospective adoptive parents to enter and leave Morocco. No visa is required. Only the U.S. Department of State has the authority to grant, issue, or verify U.S. passports. After AdoptionWhat does Morocco require of the adoptive parents after the adoption?Morocco has no post-adoption requirements.What resources are available to assist families after the adoption?Many adoptive parents find it important to find support after the adoption. Take advantage of all the resources available to your family -- whether it's another adoptive family, a support group, an advocacy organization, or your religious or community services.North American Council on Adoptable ChildrenNote: Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links does not imply endorsement of contents.Contact InformationU.S. Consulate General in Casablanca, Morocco Address: 8, Boulevard Moulay Youssef

Tel: 212-522-26-45-50

Email: ivcasablanca@state.govEmbassy of Morocco in the United States of America Address: 1601 21 st Street, NW Washington, DC 20009

Tel: 202-462-7979

Fax: 202-265-0161*Morocco also has a consulate located in New York City at the following address:

10 East 40th Street,

New York, NY 10016

(212) 758-2625Office of Children's Issues

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street, NW

SA-29

Washington, DC 20520

Tel: 1-888-407-4747

E-mail: AskCI@state.gov or Adoption USCA@state.gov

Website: http://adoption.state.govhttp://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5468-morocco-adopting-babies-by-us-citizens-----------------------------------------------MOROCCO: ON EDUCATING GIRLS OF THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS 10/24/11Derek Workman

Marrakech / Morocco Board News --The idea was that Education For All, a Moroccan ONG, would provide for the needs of a number of young girls from the poorest families from some of the remotest villages in the High Atlas for the three years it would take them to complete their secondary education. An apparently modest undertaking, but one that would affect the lives of an initial group of twelve girls, increasing by the same number each year, in ways that quite possibly no one had even considered.Dar Asni, and the houses that were to follow, are all within a couple of minutes’ walk of schools, and take into account an anomaly of the Moroccan way of educational life for girls. Many boys will cycle to school and take their lunch with them. Sometimes a single class will be held in the morning and then another in the afternoon. Boys will simply stay at the school, but it’s considered unsafe for girls to do that, so they are expected to return home, impossible if they live far away. Often they’ve walked considerable distances, and on occasions when time-tabling is particularly erratic they’ll miss a day’s schooling completely. For the girls at the EFA houses they can simply walk across the road.It’s very simple to make a fleeting comment about someone starting school in a new town, but behind that simple statement is a world of cultural and emotional complexity.Think of yourself as the father of a young girl not yet even into her teens, and a group of foreigners come along to tell you that you should send her to a private boarding-house miles from home. “It’s for her benefit,” they say, but you possibly aren’t too well educated yourself, and the idea of putting your daughter into the hands of foreigners who aren’t part of your culture or religious beliefs might be something you are very wary of. Wouldn’t you rather take the counsel of someone of your own faith, a father himself and, even if not a direct friend, someone who has earned the respect of those who know him well?Hajj Maurice, a small man with a large moustache and a winning smile, is well known and highly respected throughout the villages of the High Atlas Mountains, not just because he has made the pilgrimage to Mecca, which entitles him to the honorific ‘Hajj’, but for the work he has done as a mainstay of the Association Bassins d’Imlil. As the father of two daughters, he was aware of the importance of education for young women, especially following the sad loss of his eldest, who died of leukaemia while in her early twenties. For weeks Hajj Maurice walked the mountains, talking to fathers and families, trying to convince them that allowing these young girls to live at Dar Asni while continuing their education was not only the best thing for them as individuals, but also for their families, their future children and their communities. Some families accepted with alacrity; the only thing that had stopped them doing it in the first place was that they simply had no money. But others were less convinced, and despite all his wiles and arguments, Hajj Maurice sometimes had to leave without even the concession of “we’ll think about it.”Now put yourself in the place of an eleven year-old girl, eager for new sights, friends and experiences, despite never having been outside the confines of your village. You speak only Berber, a language so different from the national language of Arabic in both its spoken and written form that you may as well be going to another country to study, not a village thirty kilometres away, because Arabic is the language all your classes will be in. And then imagine that for the first time in your life you will have your own bed to sleep in, your own cupboard to put your clothes in and a washing machine to wash them – no more going down to the river to pound them on rocks. The boarding house might seem like a palace, but your new life still takes some getting used to!Karima Targaoui is Education For All’s longest serving volunteer, spending over a year with the girls before returning to her home in Vienne, near Lyon in France. She still works with EFA as the coordinator of volunteers.“I began volunteering with EFA on November 2009. (It seems like it was yesterday!) When I arrived in Dar Asni I was surprised; the house is so pretty and the organisation directed by Latifa (the house mother) is really good. Everyone was so nice. A week later is was hard to leave them and go to Talat N’Yacoub.The first days were really hard. I was in the middle of nowhere, the girls didn’t know each other yet, EFA wasn’t well-known by the locals so they were suspicious, and the house wasn’t started. I really felt like I couldn’t do it. But I began to build a relationship with the girls and I realized how much they needed somebody to help them. That motivates me to succeed. Then Khadija, the gorgeous house-mother arrived, and I felt immediately comfortable with her. Together we did a lot of work; first with the girls, whonow feel like sisters and have changed in many ways; secondly in the house, which became really nice and warm; and finally with the community around Talat N’Yacoub, who know us, respect us, encourage us and help us with our project. And all this with the help of the committee, of course, who is always present and helpful despite the distance. And I thank them for this and for the trust they gave me.I’m really proud to be a part of this project when I see how the girls have evolved. They didn’t only improve their marks at school, they became more open-minded, independent and have a better understanding of life. They are conscious that education is the key to their individual and collective future. They are becoming real women, the women who will change Morocco.”http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5465-morocco-on-educating-girls-of-atlas-mountains----------------------------------------------- MOROCCO: A CARPET AUCTION IN THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS 10/31/11A carpet auction is a vivid and theatrical experience to onlookers and an economic necessity to those who produce the carpets. Suzanna Clarke visits the one held in the Middle Atlas town of Khenifra.

Red is the colour primarily associated with the Middle Atlas town of Khenifra, 165 kilometers from Fez and 300 kilometers from Marrakesh. Not only is it the vibrant hue of the hills and escarpments of the surrounding Meknes-Tafilalet region, but it is also the color of the blood spilt during the many battles fought by the proud Berber tribe of Zayane, who are the main inhabitants. The name Khenifra comes from the Amazigh (Berber) word Khanfar which means "attack ". A vital staging post on the trade routes, during the twentieth century the region was fiercely resistant to French colonization. It wasn’t until 1920, after numerous bloody battles, that the Zayane and neighboring Berber tribes with whom they had united, were forced into submission. However, they were neverNowadays, the palm tree-lined streets of the city, with their pink toned buildings, are clean and relatively affluent. The main street features a sculpture of a Berber clasp, or fibulaA short walk away is the central carpet souk. Here, the color red also predominates in the hand woven rugs on sale in the small shops around the fringe, and there are also other vivid colors along with white and black.In the center of the souk is an open area, with benches on the side, which is regularly used for carpet auctions. It is here the women from the villages in the region come to sell their wares. These carpets represent months of work by groups of women, who make styles and designs distinctive to their area. Usually, the two senior women of the village go to the souk, carrying their bundles, to do the deals. Naturally, the price they can achieve will have an impact on the kind of winter they and the rest of their village will endure. The women gather at the souk hours beforehand, to await the other players in the process – the dallal , or auctioneers, and the carpet dealers, who have small shops around the fringe.When the auction starts, it is like the opening of a play. From the wings come a line of wiry, weather-beaten men – the dallal, lugging carpets that look almost as heavy as themselves. The carpets are unfurled with a flourish, for the appreciation of the attentive audience. An opening price is called and the auction is on. The dallals are in constant motion: as well as displaying the carpet to the crowd, they ferry it around the carpet dealers in the shops, who may also bid. The bidding begins when the first bidder shouts “ Oukha ” or “okay”. It’s done in the colonial currency of reals, in jumps of 100 reals at a time. (The equivalent of five Moroccan dirhams, or 63 US cents.) The women from the villages watch with a mixture of patience, wry amusement, and delighted smiles as their carpet reaches the hoped for price; or anxiety if it fails to sell despite making the rounds repeatedly. When there is only one bidder remaining, then he - and it is usually a man - is declared the winner, and the money is handed over directly to the seller. Both parties then give a small commission to the dallal. Some women choose to sell their carpets straight to the dealers. They may achieve a higher price at auction, but they run a risk if it fails to sell, as a dealer may see it as an indication that the carpet will be difficult to move.Interested buyers also flock to the auction, to get the pick of the carpets. The dealers pass the carpets on to the big carpet shops in Fez and Marrakesh. So a carpet for which a group of women may have received less than a thousand dirhams (US $125) can end up selling for many times that by the time it reaches its final destinationchriftrans@gmail.com for more info on auctions and transport arrangement.

All Photographs: Suzanna Clarke or Sandy McCutcheon, Please ask permission before reproducing.Article Previously published by View From Fezhttp://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5472-morocco-carpet-auction-in-the-atlas-mountains-----------------------------------------------World Piece Series: Morocco. October 27, 2011BLOOMINGTON, Ill. –The Illinois Wesleyan University International Office will host Morocco and the AUI/IWU Exchange as part of the on-going “World Piece” series of student-led discussions on current global issues. The event, free and open to the public, will be held from 12:05 – 1:10 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 1 in the Davidson Room of Memorial Center (104 University St., Bloomington). The presenters will include Brahim Senhaji, a junior computer science major from Fes, Morocco, and Tianxiao Anthony Yang, a sophomore Mathematics and Economics double major from Wuhan, China. Senhaji is IWU’s first exchange student from Akhawayn University (AUI), and Yang is IWU’s first exchange student to AUI. Yang will host a pictorial tour of Morocco and Senhaji will answer questions about AUI and life in Morocco.Attendees are invited to bring their lunch, and a traditional Moroccan drink and dessert will be served. For more information contact International Student Advisor Reenie Bradley, at the IWU International Office at 309-556-3190 or at rbradley@iwu.edu.http://www.iwu.edu/CurrentNews/newsreleases11/evt_WorldPieceSeries_01011.shtml----------------------------------------------- Reform process without regime change in Morocco?October 27, 2011 By Moha EnnajiThe Daily StarInfluenced by the events in Egypt and Tunisia, Moroccans have been demanding political and constitutional rights that would give citizens greater influence in government affairs. But unlike their neighbors, Moroccans have not made large-scale calls for regime change.This difference should not be seen as complacence. Instead, it stems from a desire to hold on to the monarchy while simultaneously applying pressure for democratic reform.The monarchy is deeply rooted in Moroccan culture and enjoys a great deal of legitimacy. In fact, since taking power in 1999, King Mohammad VI has effectively implemented several reforms, most notably guaranteeing women greater rights and equality with men, and establishing the Equity and Reconciliation Council in 2004 to document cases of forced disappearances and arbitrary detention during the former king’s brutal reign.In a speech earlier this year, King Mohammad responded to the demands of protesters by starting a reform process that will lead to a separation of executive, legislative and judiciary powers.Within the executive branch, the government is comprised of the prime minister and ministers and is accountable to the legislative power represented by the parliament. The judiciary will become independent from the legislative and the executive branches. These reforms will empower the Cabinet, parliament and judiciary – and ultimately the people.The king also announced the implementation of a series of reforms that would enhance individual liberties, human rights and gender equality. He recognized Amazigh, the mother tongue of Moroccan Berbers, as an official language alongside Arabic.Instead of resorting to force to quell the movement, as was the case in other Arab countries, the Moroccan government relied predominantly on peaceful talks and negotiations. And after several months of dialogue between various activists and political parties, on July 1 a new constitution was voted in by the vast majority of the population.New amendments ensure that the kingdom will, in a year’s time, be transformed into a parliamentary monarchy with free and fair elections. Further decentralization will shift more power and resources from the political center to the regions. This means that the constitutional revisions will empower regional councils that are directly elected by voters.The most-heralded reform is that the prime minister will be appointed from the party that wins parliamentary elections and be given authority over the Cabinet. The constitution specifies the shift of executive power from the king to the prime minister in that the latter will serve as the head of the executive branch and be fully responsible for the government, the civil service, as well as the implementation of the government’s agenda.The reform process will begin with the creation of electoral laws that regulate free and fair legislative elections.The main challenges for the reform process are slow economic growth, soaring poverty and corruption in many sectors, contrasted with the urgent need for jobs, better education and adequate healthcare. But so far the Finance, Employment, Health, Education and Communications ministries have been slow to respond.For the protesters these reforms are insufficient because the king would retain significant executive powers, such as the authority to select the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in parliament. He would still lead the army and appoint the government ministers and ambassadors, as well as preside over the cabinet when issues of security or strategic policies are at stake. He would also continue to have the power to dissolve parliament and maintain his position as the kingdom’s Islamic spiritual leader.Those unsatisfied with the proposed reforms include the February20 protest movement, which boycotted the vote and are calling for the boycott of the upcoming Nov. 25 elections. They claim that the constitutional review won’t help the Berbers’ political marginalization in what they believe is an Arab-dominated government and that the official recognition of this language is merely a symbolic gesture. And the opposition believes that the changes will not transform Morocco into a European-style constitutional monarchy, which is their ultimate goal.Morocco’s various political parties, civil society organizations and media believe that the new constitution will have far-reaching results, but will take much work to ensure constitutional changes be implemented effectively and widely. They have faith that the king will embrace this challenge in consonance with the February 20 movement’s call for the rule of law, the values of citizenship, freedom, social justice and democracy.Moha Ennaji is an author, international consultant, professor of Cultural and Gender Studies at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University and president of the International Institute for Languages and Cultures in Fez, Morocco. THE DAILY STAR publishes this commentary in collaboration with the Common Ground News Service (www.commongroundnews.org).A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on October 27, 2011, on page 7.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Commentary/2011/Oct-27/152301-reform-process-without-regime-change-in-morocco.ashx#ixzz1cO8O3sZ3

(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)-----------------------------------------------Doing Business in Morocco Getting Easier.By IBTimes Staff Reporter | October 27, 2011Doing business in Morocco is getting easier, according to a new study.The paper "Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World" assessed regulations affecting firms in 183 economies, ranking them in 10 areas of business regulation including starting a business, resolving insolvency and trading across borders.The data, provided bydoingbusiness.org, covers regulations measured from June 2010 through May 2011 in the attempt to determine the ease of doing business in different countries.Among the countries that stood out in the study was Morocco, located in the northwest of the African continent, and bound on the north by the Strait of Gilbraltar and the Mediterranean Sea, to the south by Algeria, and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean.With a population of roughly 35 million, major ports include the city of Tangier and the city of Casablanca.In the study, Morocco improved its business regulation the most compared to other global economies, climbing 21 places in the 183-country ranking to 94. Reasons cited for Morocco's ranking leap including simplifying the "construction permitting process, easing the administrative burden of tax compliance, and providing greater protections to minority shareholders." Morocco has implemented 15 business regulatory reforms since 2005. Like us on FacebookThe main business structures used in Morocco include:--Companies--Partnerships--Joint ventures--Foreign branches--Sole proprietorshipsThe most common is the limited liability company, and under Moroccan law these types of corporate structure are available: limited liability companies, private limited companies, limited partnerships with shares, general and limited partnerships, and joint-ventures -- all of which conform to Western company forms of the same composition.In terms of taxation, the Moroccan taxation system is comprised of direct and indirect taxes -- and indirect taxes provide the greatest source of revenue for the country. Individuals who live and work in Morocco, regardless of nationality, are subject to personal income tax on their global income on a progressive scale of between 12 and 40 percent.However, individuals who do business in Morocco but don't make the country their habitual residence are only subject to tax on Moroccan-derived income.The country has incentives for those doing agriculture business in the country, in that certain types of corporate income is tax exempt until the year 2013 if it comes from agriculture.Migration to Morocco for work is said to be very complex, and specific advice from a qualified professional is advised before making business plans that involve the transfer of employees or principals to the country.However, Morocco wants to attract people with businesses or trade and professional skills that will contribute to the country's economic growth, so getting around these regulations is easily done as long as one is properly advised and prepared. Morocco has temporary residence guidelines for that allows companies to sponsor highly-skilled works for migration if such skills can't be found in the country's labor market.http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/238868/20111027/doing-business-in-morocco-getting-easier.htm-----------------------------------------------Literacy on the rise in Morocco. By Siham Ali 2011-10-26Efforts to stamp out illiteracy in Morocco have not met expectations.Literacy classes have changed the lives of many Moroccans. Omari Zohra, a 45 year-old mother of four, said she found it hard to imagine how she could have lived for forty years without being able to read or write. Once her children grew up, a gulf opened up between them because of her illiteracy. That was until her husband suggested she go to literacy classes. Initially, she thought it a strange idea."Sitting there at a school desk when I was going on forty seemed impossible to me. All the same, I decided to take up the challenge. Five years on, I can read and write well. My children have given me a lot of support at home and have helped me practice," she said. "Now I've decided to take on French."There are five million people just like Zohra who have learned to read and write over the past eight years. The number of people receiving tuition aid for literacy classes has risen substantially over recent years, from 286,000 in the 2002-2003 season to nearly 700,000 during the 2010-11 season. As a result, the illiteracy level in Morocco has dropped from 43% in 2004 to around 30% in 2010, according to the government. Women make up 83% of those benefiting from literacy programmes. The majority of them come from rural areas.The director of the anti-illiteracy campaign, Habib Nadir, said that authorities have been able to meet the challenge in terms of numbers over recent year

Today I took what will probably prove to be my last ride ina Grand Taxi in Morocco. Like many other times I found myself quite consciouslypreparing my soul for its final journey. The speedometer on this particularaged Mercedes was broken so I had no way of knowing how fast we were going. ButI was keenly aware that the tires were underinflated which caused a fair amountof fishtailing of the back end. I was also aware that school had just let outfor lunch so the road was filled with children, bicycles, horse carts, cars andtrucks. This made for a nice blend of obstacles to avoid at 140km per hour orso.

One thing that made this drive unique was the hissy-fit ourdriver threw midway through the trip. As we were barreling along a deserted partof the road, without warning he put on the breaks, pulled the car off the road,got out and walked away. I paused my ipod, took my ear buds out and opened myown door to figure out what was wrong. There I saw him, standing twenty yardsbehind the car, doing absolutely nothing. As it turns out he was brooding. Iwent to ask him what was wrong and he told me that in the rear view mirror hehad seen in the back seat a Moroccan boy and girl getting too friendly witheach other! And this was why we were by the side of the road, doing nothing.

After awkwardly coaxed his reasons for stopping out of him,I realized I had no idea how to handle this situation. So I went back to thecar, and explained to the young man in question that I didn’t know what thedriver was saying and he had better go talk to him. Which he did, and got anearful! But eventually we were on our way again, hurling towards near deathuntil we safely arrived at our destination.

And I was reminded of another Grand Taxi ride I had takenmore then two years previously. Thattrip was the first time I realized how frightfully dangerous to life and limbMoroccan transportation was. Luckily we made it out of that situation alive andI took a moment to gather my shredded nerves. Two years later, I didn’t need amoment. I got out of the taxi, thanked the drive and said, “You drive verywell.” He smiled.

Marrakesh cafe bomber Adel Othmani given death sentenceThe attack was the deadliest Morocco has experienced for yearsContinue reading the main storyRelated StoriesIn pictures: Marrakesh explosionEyewitnesses: Marrakesh blastThe mastermind of a deadly bomb attack on a Moroccan cafe in April has been sentenced to death.The court in Rabat convicted Adel Othmani of organising the attack on the Argana cafe in Marrakesh, which killed 17 people - most of them tourists.Eight of his associates were given jail sentences for their roles.Eight French nationals died in the attack, along with two Moroccans and people from Britain, Canada, Portugal, Switzerland and the Netherlands.It was the deadliest attack in the North African kingdom since bombings in the coastal city of Casablanca in 2003 killed 45 people, including suicide attackers.Othmani was convicted of making explosives and committing murder. His lawyers said they would lodge an appeal.Protests in courtProsecutors told the court that Othmani disguised himself as a guitar-carrying hippie, and planted two bombs in a cafe in Djemaa El-Fna, the tourist heart of Marrakesh.He then detonated the explosives using a mobile phone.The motive for the attack was unclear.The authorities had suggested that Othmani and his accomplices were "admirers of al-Qaeda".The BBC's Nora Fakim in Rabat says family members of the accused men protested in court, and there was a tense atmosphere.Othmani had denied the charges throughout the trial, claiming that he had been set up.In his final statement to the judges, he said the whole case was baseless."There is so much injustice in this country. Innocent people find themselves embroiled in cases like this while they are actually being used in political ploys," he said, according to Reuters news agency.There are more than 100 people on death row in Morocco, where the death penalty is often handed out, but there have been no executions for almost 20 years.

Morocco wants companies to contribute to new social fund.Thu Oct 20, 2011 By Souhail KaramOct 20 (Reuters) - Morocco's government plans to have companies contribute to a new social solidarity fund but aims to exempt banking, telecom, cement and insurance firms in its budget bill for 2012, Finance and Economy Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told Reuters on Thursday.It is the first time a government minister has acknowledged that such contributions were included in the budget for 2012, a first draft of which the government withdrew in late September just before submitting it to parliament.Investors are keen to see how the final version of next year's budget looks because the government must find the cash to cover increased spending plans.But Mezouar added that the government that comes in after parliamentary polls due on Nov. 25 will have to decide on whether there is a need for those firms to contribute to the 2 billion dirhams ($245.3 million) National Fund for Social Solidarity."We have decided to let the next government decide on whether to impose contributions from some private firms to the National Fund for Social Solidarity," Mezouar said on the sidelines of a news conference by a new coalition of political parties led by his National Rally of Independents party.The fund was set up to alleviate the growing burden on public finances of food and energy subsidies which have almost trebled from what was initially budgeted for 2011 as the North African country sought to prevent any spillover from revolts rocking countries in the region.Officials say the new fund will be key for the reform of the subsidy system in the medium term, making sure that resources benefit those who need them the most.The state plans to raise cash for the fund also from taxes on tobacco and through a direct contribution from the state budget.Most analysts think that given the frail state of public finances and the scale of social and economic challenges facing the country, future governments will have to reform the tax system. But they also caution that taxing private firms may hurt job creation and further erode their competitiveness amid depressed economic conditions in the EU, Morocco's main trade partners. ($1 = 8.152 Moroccan Dirhams)http://af.reuters.com/article/moroccoNews/idAFL5E7LK42020111020------------------------------------------Morocco inflation falls in September on food prices. Thu Oct 20, 2011RABAT Oct 20 (Reuters) - Inflation in Morocco fell to an annual 0.8 percent in September, led by a sharp slowdown in food prices, official data showed on Thursday.A surge in food and education costs had pushed the consumer price index to a year-high in August when it hit 2.2 percent.Compared with their level a year earlier, consumer food prices rose 1.5 percent in September, data from the state's High Planning Commission (HCP) showed.Underlying inflation, a gauge used by Morocco's central bank to set the benchmark interest rate that excludes state tariffs and volatile prices, rose by an annual 1.4 percent in September. (Reporting By Souhail Karam; editing by Anna Willard)http://af.reuters.com/article/moroccoNews/idAFL5E7LK20G20111020------------------------------------------“In Morocco, journalism is the only opposition to tyranny”Sulaiman BIN SHEIKH, editor in chief of Zameni magazine, on the readiness of the Arab world for freedomBy Ihor SAMOKYSH, The DayThe 7th Global Investigative Journalism Conference opened in Kyiv on October 2011. More than 450 media workers from all over the world are convening to exchange their experience. The most prestigious investigative journalism awards worldwide, the Daniel Pearl Award and the Global Shining Light Award, will also be adjudged. On the eve of the Conference, The Day spoke with one of the participants, a Moroccan journalist and editor in chief of the first history journal in the Arab world Zameni (“Time” in Arabic), Sulaiman BIN SHEIKH.Many observers emphasize the exceptional role of the net in the Arab revolutions. What do you think?“Social media played an important role in the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions. It’s quite possible to say that Morocco’s February 20 Movement [a movement for the restriction of the monarch’s rights and a greater social justice. – Author] also coordinates and plans its actions due to Facebook and Twitter. Many activists are active bloggers as well. But this is not the first time something like this has happened. Similar practices were used during the revolution in Iran [the so-called ‘green revolution,’ protest actions in Iran in 2009 following the formal announcement of the results of the presidential election. – Author].”How do you see the situation in the Arab world after the so-called “Arab Spring”?“In Morocco we have a very peculiar situation because we are a monarchy. It differed from what Tunisia’s Ben Ali or Egypt’s Mubarak had, because the king of Morocco is not elected. On July 2011, Moroccans voted for the new constitution [the document, despite partly limiting the monarch’s rights, still vested the king with full power. – Author] 99.8 percent of the population supported the new constitution. However, this number is unreal and essentially anti-democratic, even if the King were popular.”It is quite clear that it takes a lot of time and effort to build a democratic society. Are the Arab countries ready for the challenges of freedom?“I think it would be a mistake to say that our people are not ready for democracy. It’s a wrong idea. Also, a democratic revolution does not happen in a day. I am not saying that tomorrow democracy will rule the Arab world, although as far as Morocco is concerned, it is in demand. Thus, the monarchy’s reaction to the rise of the February 20 Movement wasn’t democratic. In his speeches the king always says that we, Moroccans, should opt for a democratic path, but I wish he practiced what he preaches.“In my view, Tunisia still has a chance for democracy, it’s easier to gain democratic changes there due to the smaller population. In Egypt everything is extremely complicated because it has the army, the Islamists, and a strong Christian minority. You might have heard that more than a week ago there was some unrest involving Muslims and Christians there. In Libya everything is also complicated due to the ongoing civil war. We saw the revolution in Iran. Now we are witnessing the dissent movement in Europe. In the US, too, protests have begun. In a word, the whole world is troubled. But until now the Arab countries have been separated from the rest of the world, because our countries were ruled by dictatorships instead of popular will. Now we can see changes happen.”You have come to Ukraine to take part in an investigative journalism conference. Is it hard to do investigative journalism in your country?“Of course, it is. For instance, a certain Moroccan woman journalist was assaulted by a secret police agent after she published an article about the disappearance of an opposition politician. Investigative journalism isn’t typically practiced in Morocco. For instance, we don’t have journalists who specialize in investigating economic problems. It is dangerous, besides, media workers cannot get hold of any documents or data on transgressions of the law. Ministers and civil servants will not comment on anything in the media.“Another example: there are quite a lot of rich generals in Morocco. Of course, this is the result of corruption: they profit from fishing, which is a flourishing business in Morocco. Even if you are lucky to find out about the name of one of such individuals, or the name of the owner of a fishing company, nothing will come out of it. If, for instance, a soldier sees that his officer is corrupt, and makes this information public (and we have had several such cases), very often it is the soldier himself who ends up in the dock.“We also have an example of a journalist who investigated corruption in the army ranks. He was an only journalist to have specific information and sources among the military. Now he is in prison. I, for one, don’t have any contacts there, and no one will talk to me. You can interpret and analyze, but it has always been complicated to find facts and their proof. However, it is much easier to carry out journalist investigations in the social sphere: it is not the army, or economy, or political and private scandals of government officials.“In the early 2000s, there was a magazine in Morocco which published journalist investigations. Now the regime has closed it down. The Moroccan press is now going through hard times.”How high is the likelihood of the Egyptian or Tunisian scenario for Morocco? What role do you think journalism plays in it?“It’s hard to say… maybe, it will take more time. But in any case, it will mean a chaos, a revolt. It seems to me that the press cannot support radical actions, and call to attack administrative buildings and embassies.“Over the recent 20 years Morocco has become a more liberal country than it was three decades ago. Small political parties have sprung up, which are less dependent on the regime in power. The independent press and Internet media are performing the function of the opposition, standing up for freedom of speech and defending prisoners of conscience.“However, the situation with regional press, even if compared with that in Ukraine, is really deplorable, with as little as 1.3 copies per 1,000 people. This is the lowest index worldwide. In Egypt, for instance, this index is eight copies per person, while in Tunisia, even under the dictatorship, 12. But at any rate, it is journalists that oppose the lawlessness of the movers and shakers in politics and economy.”http://www.day.kiev.ua/217533------------------------------------------Morocco moves to ban underage maids.By Siham Ali for Magharebia 2011-10-20After years of pressure from civil society, Morocco is finally inching toward a full ban on child domestic workers.Female underage labour has been a long-standing concern in Morocco. With a bill recently approved by the government council, the country is closer than ever to eradicating the problem."We have worked for a long time to produce a draft bill to help stamp out the scourge of child housemaids," Social Development Minister Nouzha Skelli said. "This will help us realise the objectives of our educational policy for young girls in rural areas, particularly through the National Human Development Initiative, government action and the work of civil society." The draft law adopted on October 12th bans work by girls."People need to know that whistle-blowing is a civic duty, which will help girls from underprivileged backgrounds to live a normal life and go to school, like all children of their age," she told Magharebia.Some members of the public are anxious for the law to come into force so that they can play their part in solving the problem. Teacher Salima Hamraoui told Magharebia she knew a number of households that "shamelessly" employed little girls but could do nothing to report the incidents.When the law comes into effect, it will allow publicising and preventing cases of "modern-day slavery", she added.The draft law covers all categories of domestic workers. It gives the workplace inspector the power to work as a conciliator between the employer and the employee. The measures contained in the bill cover employment conditions for domestic staff, weekly rest periods, annual leave, holidays as well as pay and sanctions.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/10/20/feature-04------------------------------------------New Moroccan law protects graft trial witnesses.By Siham Ali for Magharebia 2011-10-18Just-passed legislation will enable Moroccan citizens to speak out against corruption without fear of retaliation. After a months-long wait, the Moroccan parliament has finally ratified a law to protect witnesses in cases of corruption, embezzlement, influence peddling and misappropriation of public funds.The measure, passed on October 5th, will encourage members of the public to help raise standards in political life, whether by reporting crimes of corruption or by appearing as witnesses in the courts, with complete freedom of speech and no pressure, Justice Minister Mohamed Tayeb Naciri said.The government will also revise the penal code with a particular emphasis on bringing it in line with the UN Convention against Corruption, especially in terms of safeguarding witnesses, experts and whistle-blowers, the minister vowed.The law envisages a raft of measures, including ways to protect the families of graft trial witnesses and guarantees to prevent any material or moral harm to witnesses. The legislation also provides for the protection of the property and interests of those involved in such cases.A special telephone number will be made available to notify the police should trial witnesses receive threats or have any concerns about their safety or that of their family. The witness, expert or whistle-blower will be granted anonymity during the trial and will not be named in case documentation.Measures have also been set out to prevent intimidation or violence towards the person concerned and members of their family, such as the provision of protection officers.In addition, the law will also prosecute anyone reporting a supposed crime with malicious intent or making unfounded allegations.The newly ratified legislation received mixed reactions from civil society and lawyers. Abdesselam Aboudrar, head ofMorocco's central anti-corruption body, championed the measure and stressed its importance in curbing corruption.But some civil society groups feel that the law does not go far enough. According to Transparency Maroc, without further initiatives to support people, the announced arrangements will be ineffective.Among the public, opinions are divided between those who doubt the new law will be implemented effectively, and those who feel that it is a major step forward that needs to be backed up by an awareness campaign.The ball is now in the public’s court, to speak out against corruption and play their own part in efforts to stamp out this problem which is rampant across Moroccan society, said nurse Fatima Chaouni.Student Salim Zohairi was more sceptical. The state must now prove that it is capable of protecting witnesses and whistle-blowers, because experience has shown that in spite of the existing laws, impunity is very much the order of the day, he argued.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/10/18/feature-02------------------------------------------Amazigh Film Festival celebrates minority cultures.By Naoufel Cherkaoui 2011-10-13The fifth International Amazigh Film Festival in Agadir provided a venue for minority artists to express themselves.The rich and varied legacy of under-represented cultures was on display for four days in Agadir. This year's International Amazigh Film Festival (FINIFA), which ended last Sunday, paid a special tribute to minority movies from across the globe.The organisers chose the American Indian cinema as guest of honour, though 20 short films and documentaries were played.Honorary festival chairman Houcine Ourid regarded the four-day event as serving the promotion of the Amazigh cinema and improving the visibility of long-time banned Amazigh culture.Ourid opined that the real battle Amazigh culture faces is linked to art."The event aims at making the Amazigh film reach the largest audience possible, and go beyond the usual native-speakers viewers. It also aims at showing the characteristics of the Amazigh community in North Africa, through films," current festival chairman Rachid Bouksim told Magharebia.Bouksim explained the lack of popularity of the Amazigh cinema due to illegal downloads and the fact that the media avoids topics related to Amazigh culture. Amazigh film also lacks state funding and skilled artists.Chancellor of the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture Ahmed Boukous shared a different opinion. He claimed that the Amazigh culture is becoming richer every year with new film productions. According to Boukous, this is a sign of an active culture regenerating itself in a dynamic environment.Algerian filmmaker Ayet Alfan Jamel explained that some Amazigh filmmakers use the term "minority cinema". "Minorities use that term to acquire more visibility, given all the political and economic issues they have to deal with…. For instance in the Kabylie in Algeria where most of the so called 'minorities' films in the Maghreb are made", he said."I come from Corsica and there, too, there is a long-lasting conflict between the dominant culture of a given country and the culture of the minorities," French filmmaker Christian Lorre said. "Cinema remains an efficient way to rehabilitate the minorities' culture and the best way to spread its ideas."Lorre's film "Izenzaren, weapons-like lyrics" won the top award at FINIFA. The film sought to illustrate the influence wielded by the Moroccan band "Izenzaren" on the Amazigh community, despite its absence from the media.The award was shared with "The language of Zahra", a film by Algerian director Fatima Sissani. The film focused on the importance of the Amazigh culture for a Kabylie family living in France for many years.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/10/13/feature-04------------------------------------------Moroccan growth eases as tourism slows.Tue Oct 18, 2011(Reuters) - Morocco's economy grew by 4.2 percent in the second quarter, down from 5 percent in the first three months of the year, due in part to a rare drop in tourism-related activities, the central bank said on Tuesday.The economy depends largely on farming and tourism.Bank al-Maghrib said output of agriculture, which employs close to 40 percent of the country's 11.6-million workforce, picked up to 4.6 percent during the second quarter above a 3.7 percent growth in the first quarter of this year.Hotel and restaurant activity recorded a 3.8 percent drop in the second quarter, its worst quarterly performance since the first quarter of 2009, the bank's data showedActivity in the transport sector, which is tied to the number of tourists visiting the country, rose 4.3 percent, its weakest performance since the third quarter of 2009.The bank did not explain the drop in tourism-related activities but analysts say Morocco could face a rough ride if the financial crisis worsens in Europe, its main trade partner and key source of foreign tourists.Tourism contributes close to 10 percent of Morocco's economy and directly employs 450,000 people directly.Tourism Minister Yassir Znagui in May said tourism receipts were expected to grow faster this year than in 2010 despite regional unrest and a deadly bombing in April that targeted foreign visitors in the main tourist destination of Marrakesh.The manufacturing sector, consisting mostly of production of textile, electric cables and electronic components, posted its worst performance in a year. It grew 2.3 percent during the second quarter versus 2.7 percent in the first quarter and 4.5 percent in the last quarter of 2010.Morocco's GDP rose 4 percent to 779.1 dirhams last year.The budget deficit rose 17 percent to 22.7 billion dirhams in the eight months to end-August, the central bank added, as the government raised public sector wages and boosted food and energy subsidies to prevent a spillover from revolts that have shaken countries in the region since January.http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE79H0EG20111018?feedType=RSS&feedName=investingNews------------------------------------------ MOROCCO: WHERE IS THE MIDDLE CLASS?ZOUHAIR BAGHOUGH10/17/11Much has been made of the Feb20 demonstrations, mainly as a sign of middle class unrest and discontent with perceived unfair distribution of wealth and political power. While it is understood only too many citizens have been excluded from, or ruled themselves out of,political representation – because of the generally corrupt and inadequate partisan political apparatus, the same argument cannot be made as easily about economic retribution; The middle class in Morocco is both a political and economic maze to the observer, remain a tricky and elusive set of individuals, and any proposed criterion to determine the broad characteristics of such population is bound to trigger gainsay and recriminations for its arbitrary, almost deterministic approach. And yet, these are the people that may well hold the key to appease social and economic resentment, drive forward both the political process and the economic transition away from its current quagmire and into genuine prosperity.My proposed definition of “Middle Class” does not stray from HCP established nomenclature; first because my own back-of-the-envelope computations tend to be vindicated by HCP findings, and second because the less controversial course is to settle for the Median Income as an indicator of the economic characteristics. The modus operandi is pretty straightforward: households are ranked per income, and then broken down into uniform quintile group (that is, per 20% sub-groups). The median quintile is therefore the third 20% -as it leaves as many households on its left as it does on its right. Then, we consider each quintile’s respective share in gross national income (GNI). Unfortunately, consistency isn’t HCP forte, and the IMF world data fields only 5 dates for the income distribution, further completed with some punctual HCP late figures on the matter: 1985, 1991, 1999, 2001 and 2007.As we set in to track the median national income between 1999 and 2007, the findings point out a marked decrease in median share, down from 14.97% in 1999, to 14.54% in 2007, and the trend is to be confirmed by subsequent surveys. This dent in median wealth (-2.87%) almost mirrors the average GNI per capita growth over the same period (+2.83%) In simple words, the median income share has gone down at almost the same rate GNI per capita has gone up. And it seems all other quintiles but one have experienced similar trends. The only quintile households with a healthy 3.41% improvement were the top 20%, that is, those earning more than MAD 207,000 per annum (2007 figures).But let us dig deeper in the “Middle Class malaise”; while it is understood their share in income has fell over time (a tale-telling sign of income concentration in this country) their real income has also gone down. The stated implication is not necessarily true: the share pie per person has grown some 3% a year, so even though it has grown smaller with respect to the whole pie, it may have grown in absolute terms nonetheless. But sadly for the Middle Class, that did not happen; quite the opposite.But what about real income?Between 1999 and 2007, median income per household has grown 1.48% in nominal terms. However, when adjusted for average (CPI) inflation,the real income has been steadily decreasing at 0.18%. This means the median households have accumulated a real loss in purchasing power of MAD 13,000 over the considered period. What does this tell us about all these economic policies carried ever since 1999?And it is not like the median households are the only ones who bore the brunt of economic inequity; again, the top 20% are the only ones who actually improved their real income by MAD 11,000 overtime.The bottom 20% have increased their real income though: an accumulated MAD 51 over the considered 8 years – the top 20% improved their real income 215 times more than the bottom 20%. This is worse than a zero-sum game, it is, quite simply, a game heavily skewed towards the affluent, and public redistributive policies (i.e. fiscal policies) have done nothing to allay the inequity; it has only made it worse.What holds in 2007 holds equally true for 2011 (even by the most optimistic projections of a stabilized income share with respect to the 2008 survey) as the median 20% saw their income share fall further to 13.2%.A country with a weak middle class who cannot enjoy the proper benefits of growth, cannot sustain itself without serious risks of social unrest and discontent. What is worse, these subsidies the government has been so generously putting on the table only beat the inequity further in, as they benefit those with the highest absolute consumption levels.Now that these numbers have put in perspective the ailing of our Middle Class, the guileless observer would now understand why a deep, structural change within our institutions and the economics of wealth redistribution need to be thoroughly reviewed.http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/124-zouhair-baghough-/5452-morocco-middle-class-and-wealth-distribution------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ 79% of Moroccans Would Like More Access to Direct Payments with their Visa CardsRecent Visa survey indicates acceptance is a main facilitator to the growth of digital currency in Morocco Casablanca, Morocco: October 19, 2011 -Visa recently commissioned a consumer survey, conducted by Synovate North Africa, a global market research company, in order to determine the perceptions of accessibility and convenience of using payment cards in Morocco. The survey finds that the biggest obstacle to using payment cards in Morocco is the overall lack of points of sale (POS), or places where digital currency is accepted. The vast majority of Moroccans polled (79%) said that the fact that payment card machines are not available in most consumer outlets inhibits their use of payment cards, instead forcing them to use cash. International research firm Moody's[1] indicates that credit and debit card usage delivered an additional $1.1 trillion to the global economy cumulatively between 2003 and 2008, representing 0.5% increase in total annual GDP. The study claims that the use of digital currency expands consumer markets, making it easier for consumers to make purchases; digital currency also increases access to banking systems, and creates more macroeconomic efficiencies.According to the survey, in Morocco cash withdrawal from ATM machines remains the most common use of payment cards, despite the findings which show that the majority of respondents are aware that their cards can be used for direct purchases. This finding is due to respondents' perceptions that many merchants do not accept payment cards (55%) or their machines are not working properly (38%). Despite the obstacles related to the payment card acceptance culture in Morocco, respondents continue to use their cards regularly, with 89% using their cards 4-6 times per week for both direct purchases (26%) and cash withdrawals (74%).The majority of respondents (68%) convenience as the primary benefit to using their payment cards as opposed to cash. Building on payment card benefits, respondents also cited situations in which they felt their payment cards were most useful: emergencies (81%) and travel emergencies (13%)."At Visa, the feedback we receive from individual cardholders is crucial to our business and helps to inform the innovative ways we develop mutually-beneficial relationships with all stakeholders," said said Mohamed Touhami El Ouazzani, General Manager, Morocco and West and Central Africa, Visa. "The results of the survey clearly indicate that acceptance is a main facilitator to the growth of digital currency in Morocco. As a market leader, Visa will continue to work with industry stakeholders to encourage payment card acceptance and usage in order to give cardholders the ability to use them when and where they choose." Visa's objectives for increasing acceptance include focusing on both card acceptance infrastructure and further development of points-of-sale (POS). There are three areas Visa has been targeting in these efforts; working with businesses to increase the number of POS's in Egypt, the infrastructure and availability of POS, making sure they are working properly, and building strategic partnerships with card issuers and merchants for the overall benefit of all stakeholders. These strategic partnerships are encouraged by several Visa initiatives such as, competitive pricing, exclusive partnerships with banks, and merchant incentives so that all parties benefit, while facilitating card usage for consumers. Visa undertook the survey in order to identify payment card habits in Morocco, examine common perceptions and misperceptions about payment card usage, and determine the best ways to communicate new products and campaigns to customers. A total of 1000 Moroccans between the ages of 25 to 45 were interviewed, equally split between men and women.All data was taken from a consumer survey conducted by Synovate North Africa in July 2011.Some data is subject to revision and amendment by Visa's financial institutions subsequent to the date of its release. -Ends-

About VisaVisa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world's most advanced processing networks--VisaNet--that is capable of handling more than 10,000 transactions a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com. Corporate Backgrounder.

[1] The Impact of Electronic Payments on Economic Growth; economic analysis from Moody's Economy.com: http://www.currencyofprogress.com/_media/pdfs/Moody%27s-WhitePaper.pdf© Press Release 2011http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20111020061710/79_of_Moroccans_would_like_more_access_to_direct_payments_with_their_Visa_cards------------------------------------------FRANCE & THE ARAB SPRING: AN OPPORTUNISTIC QUEST FOR INFLUENCE.Barah MikailWashington / Morocco Board News -- Since the onset of popular upheavals across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), French President Nicolas Sarkozy has sought to position France as a regional leader. Most notably, France’s lead on NATO’s military intervention in Libya marked a turning point in French policies in the region. Yet France’s attempts to project itself as defender of an ethical foreign policy in the MENA meet skepticism. A lot of attention has been paid to France’s apparently proactive leadership in response to the Arab spring.But in fact the changes in French policy have been relatively limited in nature. While France has certainly helped drive forward some useful initiatives in support of Arab reform, president Sarkozy’s penchant for unilateral opportunism does not augur well for consistent and coherent European support for the Arab spring.Sarkozy’s new value-based regional brinkmanship contrasts with France’s past performance in the region. French foreign policy in North Africa sided with autocrats for the sake of short-term interests, with little attention to democracy or human rights. France was late in grasping the scope of the Arab spring. When mass demonstrations swelled in Tunisia in December 2010, France stepped in on President Ben Ali’s side. It then continued to support Hosni Mubarak when protests hit the streets of Egypt. Only upon Mubarak’s ousting from power did France finally make a U-turn in promoting military operations in Libya, proclaiming its aim to ‘protect Libyan civilians’.(I)

France claims to have made a qualitative shift in its foreign policy. Portraying itself as a force for good in the Mediterranean, it aims to re-gain its long-lost regional leadership. Yet the changes remain largely superficial, focusing on discourse rather than concrete goals.

Sarkozy’s actions have reflected his opportunistic attitude as opposed to genuine concern for humanitarian considerations. He has traditionally proved willing to collaborate with autocrats when it has coincided with his country’s interests, but equally quick to abandon them when events have corresponded to wider regional changes in popular demands. Most recently, he has criticized Libya’s Qaddafi and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, but not Bahrain’s Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa or the semi-autocratic leaderships in Algeria and Morocco.

Moreover, France’s solo attempts in the MENA have highlighted its limitations both as a bilateral player in the region and as a multilateral actor within the EU. In spite of NATO’s

military success in Libya, France’s aim to take advantage of developments in the MENA to reaffirm its own leadership position in the region and in the EU are unlikely to prove optimal either for the Middle East or for European interests.

As the Arab world continues to stir, France still has the chance to play a more constructive leadership role, consolidating its own interests as well as enhancing the EU’s capacities. Yet Sarkozy is unlikely to spearhead the necessary change of attitude towards a constructive multilateralism. His policies in the Mediterranean are beset by ethical inconsistencies, the primacy of commercial interests and a desire to restore French leadership in the Mediterranean.

Prior to the MENA uprisings

French diplomacy has historically been closely interwoven with events in the

Arab world. More recently, France has maintained its status as an influential player in the region through its engagement in Lebanon during the country’s civil war ending in 1990, its participation in the 1991 Gulf War, and the privileged political and economic relations it enjoys with many Arab states.

However, France is no longer the great puppet master in the Mediterranean. As the battle for power in the region grows, France has aimed to maximize its influence over strategic issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Western Sahara conflict and energy security, by seeking to exploit its political connections with the Gulf, Algeria and Libya. Realpolitik drives French Mediterranean policy.

Many in the Arab world link current French policy in the region to the personality and idiosyncrasies of the incumbent president. When Sarkozy became president in 2007, many believed his attitude towards the Middle East would be determined by his part-Jewish origins, his decidedly pro-American attitude, and his declared attachment to the promotion of democracy and ‘Western values’. Yet most of these expectations proved erroneous. From the outset, Sarkozy displayed a strong leaning towards political pragmatism. While his speeches and statements focused predominantly on human rights, democracy and the need to build peace in the MENA region, rhetoric was not matched by action. Instead, the French president proved willing to compromise on normative ideals in his dealings with almost every leader and government of the region.

Evidence for this duplicity abounds. The speeches and statements Sarkozy issued when he was head of the Ministry of Interior demonstrated his deep aversion to political Islam.(II) But, perhaps unsurprisingly, this did not stop him from pragmatically deepening relations with Wahhabist Saudi Arabia. With Tehran’s nuclear program dominating considerations, Sarkozy’s attitude towards Iran proved far tougher, and he did not meaningfully seek to improve ties between France and Iran.

France’s high stakes in trade, technologies (including for military purposes) and infrastructure have traditionally given its policies in the region an economic focus. Sarkozy has sought to strengthen the presence of French companies in Iraq; foster France’s contribution to the United Arab Emirates’ cultural and educational infrastructures; become part of Saudi Arabia’s defense strategy sector; and deal directly with diplomatically-emerging Qatar. Although previous French presidents had also sought to consolidate their commercial interests in the region, under Sarkozy business has been an especially integral part of politics.

Yet Sarkozy has shown little consistency across countries. He heavily criticized Iran’s domestic political situation, as reflected in his denunciation of Iran’s fraudulent elections in 2009;3 his calls for tougher action against Tehran during the G-20 summit of 2009;4 and his warnings of the need for dramatic action in case of the failure of nuclear talks during one of his annual addresses to France’s ambassadors.5 Compare all that to his decision to open a French military base in the United Arab Emirates on May 2009.

Sarkozy’s attitude towards Colonel Qaddafi proved particularly pragmatic. Libya’s leader had long been considered a pariah. Even though his announcement to give up developing weapons of mass destruction broke his isolation from 2003 onwards, few Western leaders proceeded fully to normalize their relations with Libya. Sarkozy, by contrast, offered Qaddafi political, economic and technological cooperation, visited him in Tripoli in July 2007, and welcomed him in Paris in December of the same year.6 This attitude was heavily criticized at the national level: opponents considered that Qadhafi’s official declaration of repentance, his liberation of detained Bulgarian nurses, and even his agreement to provide financial compensation to relatives of UTA flight 772’s victims did not justify such a generous and early recognition of the Libyan dictator. Aside from economic considerations, it became clear that Sarkozy was also pursuing another objective: creating suitable conditions for the success of his pet project, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).

Sarkozy also reversed his predecessor’s policy of increased distance from Syria. French-Syrian relations had deteriorated from 2004 onwards, following hostility between Bashar al-Assad and Jacques Chirac. In 2005, the assassination of Lebanon’s then-Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri led to France and Syria suspending their political and economic relations. A few months into his presidency, Sarkozy decided to offer his hand in reconciliation to Syria. From then onwards events evolved rapidly, with Assad attending the official ceremony of the July 2008 launch of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The Union for the Mediterranean debacle

Before becoming president, Sarkozy had made it clear that he aspired to a greater leadership role for France at both the regional and international levels. To achieve this, Sarkozy often chose individual leadership over the soft power of multilateral diplomacy. While former President François Mitterrand had promoted strong relations and tight cooperation with Germany, and Jacques Chirac had expounded the benefits of a multilateral world, Sarkozy chose to act on his own. But as his presidency advanced, the lack of coordination with his European partners frustrated them, most notably Germany.

The Union for the Mediterranean was the most unsuccessful of Sarkozy’s initiatives to revive French leadership in the Mediterranean. Despite his nominal claims to a value-based foreign policy, the UfM spectacularly failed to address the issue of human rights in MENA states.

Revamping the stalled Barcelona Process – the EU’s multilateral policy framework in the Mediterranean – became a personal project for Sarkozy. Following an initial high profile launch in Paris, which was widely considered a diplomatic success for the French, the UfM suffered from over-ambition. The French President was unable to convince some of his counterparts to sign up to his ideas for a political union, namely Germany’s Angela Merkel, Algeria’s Mohammad Bouteflika, Libya’s Moammar Qaddafi and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.7

Both sides of the Mediterranean reacted coolly towards Sarkozy’s UfM project. Some opponents (such as Germany) considered that Sarkozy had no right to redefine the shape and fate of Euro-Mediterranean relations on his own, and less so using strong-arm methods to bring reluctant states to fora for dialogue. They also considered that the Barcelona Process was a common European project that would be undermined by unilateral national leadership. Many stressed that the UfM would neither overcome the weaknesses of the Barcelona Process, nor give them sufficient political guarantees for the future. Due to its complicated relationship with France, Algeria was reluctant to assent to the French initiative while Sarkozy had yet to offer apologies for France’s role during Algeria’s colonial period. On the Syrian side, the main objections were the political tensions that had preceded Sarkozy’s presidency, coupled with Damascus’ fears that it would be forced to normalize its relations with Israel.

Most importantly, however, the UfM was perceived by critics not as a European or Euro-Mediterranean but as a French, ‘Sarkozian’ project, and as such, an attempt to institutionalize French domination of the Euro-Mediterranean agenda. As Sarkozy ignored the divergent preferences of both his EU and Arab partners, neither European nor Southern Mediterranean states ultimately proved ready to believe in, invest in, or pursue his project. Despite being aimed at strengthening Euro-Mediterranean relations, the UfM ultimately highlighted France’s and the EU’s weaknesses.

France and the Arab spring

Sarkozy’s opportunism and regional leadership aspirations have come to the forefront again in the wake of the 2011 MENA upheavals as he has sought to position himself as the implicit leader of European diplomacy, highlighting France’s capacities in the region compared to its European counterparts.

Sarkozy’s realpolitik in the Southern Mediterranean became unsustainable when Tunisia’s Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak were ousted in the early spring of 2011. Both cases were particularly sensitive for France, as Ben Ali and Mubarak ranked amongst the country’s closest allies. This partly explains France’s backing of Ben Ali when Tunisian demonstrators were demanding his removal; and the lack of French solidarity with protestors during similar demonstrations against Hosni Mubarak. The French government’s posture towards the Tunisian protests turned into a PR disaster, leading to the resignation of then Foreign Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie.8 As Sarkozy admitted later, France had at this point underestimated the significance of the protests. It lacked a broader vision of current dynamics in the Mediterranean. Only when the Egyptian President – Sarkozy’s co-chair of the Union for the Mediterranean – was forced from office did France finally understand that a serious shift was underway in the region, and adapt its policies.

Sarkozy again demonstrated his fickleness when anti-regime protests grew stronger in Libya. He shifted his unquestioning support for Qaddafi towards a firm backing of the rebels, becoming the first foreign head of state to recognize the Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate governing authority of Libya.

However, in contrast, demonstrations in Algeria and Morocco engendered only mild reactions from the French President. France kept a discreet distance from events and adopted a timid stance: in mid-February 2011, French MFA spokesman Bernard Valero stated that ‘what is important from our point of view is the respect for freedom of expression and the possibility for demonstrations to be organized freely and without violence’.9 When Algeria subsequently announced its own agenda of reforms, Alain Juppé congratulated President Bouteflika for this process: ‘all of this is following the right direction’.10 France maintained this vague and uncritical tone during Juppé’s official visit to Algeria in June 2011, which avoided any specific mention of the protests.

In Morocco, when waves of protests rippled through the streets of Rabat in late February, the French government proved equally reluctant overtly to criticize the Moroccan regime. The lack of criticism of Morocco can partly be attributed to France’s traditionally warmer relations with Morocco than with Algeria. King Mohammed VI’s reputation as a ‘moderate’ and his diplomacy with Western countries were also contributing factors. France seemed to take comfort in the fact that the repression of demonstrators was not nearly as violent as in neighboring Algeria, and that King Mohammed VI publicly promised reforms in the near future. The French MFA called the King’s speech of 9 March ‘responsible and courageous’, adding that France stood ready to accompany the Kingdom in view of ‘the determination of the people and of the Moroccan authorities to achieve the announced reforms and to develop their own democratic model’.11 The positive tone did not match the situation on the ground. Mohammed VI has yet to implement many of his reform promises.

France’s stance towards Bahrain also illustrated its inconsistent support for human rights. Its initial reaction to the regime violence against protestors was to suspend exports to Bahrain (including the selling of anti-riot equipment and gear). Since then however, France has limited itself to official statements which assert its ‘concern’ over events, the need to end violence, and its desire for controlled change. The moderate tone towards Bahrain suggests that Sarkozy has been reluctant to condemn a majority Shi’a country so closely watched by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s implicit influence is also discernible in French reactions to events in Yemen. One of the first to react, the French MFA initially stated strongly that ‘the excessive use of force’ against demonstrators was unacceptable; ‘the authors of such violence should be pursued’; and President Ali Abdullah Saleh should implement his proposals for reforms.12 Paris also pushed for EU sanctions. Yet two months later, when Saleh refused to sign a text that could initiate a transitional period for his country, France merely deemed his behavior ‘irresponsible and unacceptable’.13 France’s initial heavily vocal stance against the regime’s brutal repression of protestors subsequently became more restrained. Three main reasons may explain this relative detachment: Yemen does not form part of France’s traditional sphere of influence; the tribal state’s complicated internal dynamics make it hard to design a helpful response; and France is reluctant to alienate Saudi Arabia, which is keen to keep foreign actors away from the Yemeni scene.

While France was one of the main promoters of the idea of military engagement in Libya, it has not advocated the same for Syria. With the domestic situation deteriorating rapidly in Libya, France lobbied Security Council members to adopt two resolutions (UNSCR 1970 and 1973) which paved the way for military intervention. But although the situation in Syria has grown equally serious, France has limited itself to tame statements affirming Bashar al-Assad’s ‘loss of legitimacy’. Having invested so much in bringing Bashar in from the cold, Paris remains concerned that a vacuum of power might have profoundly destabilizing effects if the Syrian regime were to fall precipitously.

At the European level, Sarkozy officially advocated a more prominent role for the EU in the MENA, and echoed EU statements on the region’s events. However, this was done in a way designed to back up French national initiatives. In parallel, France acted unilaterally on several occasions. It backed EU funding but channelled most of its support through national programs. While the European Commission announced in March 2011 that it would make 258 million euros available in financial support to Tunisia,14 France declared two months later, during the G8 summit, that it would contribute 1 billion euros bilaterally to the democratic transitions in both Tunisia and Egypt.15 Sarkozy’s behavior towards his EU partners during the Arab spring suggested that he saw no contradiction between valuing strategic EU MENA initiatives as a high priority while advancing specific French interests and priorities via unilateral moves.

This gap between French unilateralist and EU multilateralist thinking also affected immigration issues, which became more urgent in the wake of the Arab spring. Increased numbers of immigrants from North African countries did not sit well with the French public’s traditional stigmatization of Arab and Muslim communities, and were instrumentalized by the French government for political purposes.

As France prepares to enter its pre-electoral period, Sarkozy has focused increasingly on internal over external issues in the domestic sphere, including security, economy, the place of religion in society and immigration. The events of the Arab spring coincided with a reshuffle of the French government and the nomination of Sarkozy’s former chief of staff, Claude Guéant, as Interior Minister, who was known for his particularly belligerent views on immigration. Guéant has since stated his desire to reduce the numbers of immigrants on French soil and limit residence permits for foreigners, professing that ‘integration [in France] has failed’ and unemployment rates are the highest amongst non-European foreigners.

With an increasingly immigration-averse French public, domestic electoral considerations influenced Sarkozy’s Mediterranean policy. Qaddafi used migration control as a means of pressure on the EU, allowing refugees to embark freely from Libyan shores whenever he wanted to push European countries to compliance. With Qaddafi gone and effective Libyan coastline control suspended, France feared that its support for ‘Operation Odyssey Dawn’ would result in even greater numbers of Libyans reaching its territories. So Sarkozy presented his toughest stance yet, at the risk of breaking with EU protocol – not to mention the law.16 While Italy chose to issue some 22,000 six-month temporary residence permits to Tunisian migrants, French border police blocked rail traffic between France and Italy. France’s decision to protect its territory showed a lack of solidarity with its southern neighbors and a damaging divergence from EU norms.

French policy is still reactive, devoid of long-term vision and overly expedient in its use of the EU level. Sarkozy’s repeated forays into unilateralism in the context of the Arab spring are not helping the EU or France. The lack of internal EU cohesion and coordination must be overcome for effective European leadership to take root, especially now that the decade-long inertia of Euro-Mediterranean relations has ended. For the first time, the opportunity for a mutually beneficial partnership with a newly emerging democratic, progressive Middle East is within reach.

A switch to idealism?

Sarkozy’s successive shifts of attitude from pro-democracy (2007) to pro-realism

(2008) and back to pro-democracy (2011) reflect his strong pragmatism, realism and opportunism. Before his election in 2007, Sarkozy repeatedly voiced his desire to be known as ‘the human rights president’.17 He also made it clear that he did not believe in ‘the realpolitik that makes people give up values without winning contracts’.18 France had a duty to defend its principles.

But Sarkozy’s first months as president proved the contrary. His diplomacy was characterized by a willingness to renounce certain values in order to win large commercial contracts; a desire to be the architect of a renewed era between Europeans and Arabs; and an ambition to distinguish himself on the stage of European leaders. The aforementioned UfM preparations and his dealings with every single Arab leader (save Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir) demonstrated as much.

Faced with criticism for his close relations with Libya’s Qaddafi and Syria’s Assad, the French President stood by his decisions. For instance, when asked about his relations with Libya and his decision to sell weapons and artillery to Qaddafi, he answered: ‘Are you going to blame me for finding jobs and markets for French workers?’19 He maintained that boycotting certain MENA states was counter-productive to both the West’s interests and its potential to exert influence. Sarkozy preferred instead to promote a kind of ‘winwin’ situation, with France and its Western partners dealing directly with leaders in the region, and gaining in return strengthened strategic alliances, improved diplomatic ties and beneficial economic contracts.20

But paradoxically, Sarkozy’s approach and actions have weakened his country’s standing in the region. In 2007, when former President Jacques Chirac ended his second term, France enjoyed a positive image in the MENA region, thanks to Chirac’s pro-Palestinian convictions and his opposition to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Although Sarkozy came to power insisting on the need for an EU-MENA rapprochement and a distancing from American standpoints, this view did not prosper beyond the rhetoric. As a result, France’s traditional diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa found itself handicapped.

Although some of its biggest national companies – Total, Suez, Veolia and Alsthom, as well as defense companies – are doing very well in the region, France has not always obtained the opportunities it expected. Total’s limited presence in Syria and Libya and EADS’s difficulties in lobbying Saudi Arabia to buy more defense equipment showed how the quality of French equipment does not necessarily guarantee contracts. Even Sarkozy’s decision to open a French military base on the shores of the UAE, although welcomed by Arab states wary of Iranian dominion, did little to reinforce French-Emirati cooperation other than in terms of existing cultural relations.

The Arab spring underlined some of France’s inconsistencies. Initially supporting Ben Ali and Mubarak undermined France’s image as ‘the mother country of human rights’, while praising Morocco and keeping silent on Algeria contradicted its official attachment to political openness and strong reforms in the region. Finally, Sarkozy’s stance on migration issues, including the closing of its borders with Italy to avoid the entrance of refugees, showed that the President was prepared to dissociate himself from his close counterparts, even if at the EU’s expense.

The 2011 events in the MENA have only confirmed the balance of power that previously prevailed between influential international actors. Arab governments have traditionally preferred securing the backing of the US, rather than merely relying on the military arsenals of Russia and China. The latter two have failed to lure various Arab states away from US monopoly. Although France kick-started the recent military operations in Libya, the United States ultimately led the strategy before handing over to NATO.21 France found itself obliged to tow the American line. Sarkozy avoided expressing overt criticism since he believed in the advantages of intervention in Libya and expected successful operations to reflect France’s assertiveness amid EU hesitation. The Arab spring has proved how difficult it is for France to offer capacities which it does not really have.

In sum, France has scrambled to react to changes in the region, but its policies are still inconsistent and partial. This suggests that the change in approach is shallow, not a deep-rooted adoption of a normative foreign policy.

Peace Corps Volunteer Organizes Journalism Workshop for Students in MoroccoWASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 7, 2011 – Peace Corps/Morocco volunteer Maureen Sieh of Syracuse, N.Y. organized a four-day journalism workshop in southern Morocco for more than 50 high school and college students focused on news reporting and photography from Sept. 7 to 10, 2011. The U.S. Embassy in Rabat donated more than 100 journalism books and other materials to the workshop.

“My goal is to get Moroccan youth in a variety of training programs so that they can continue their interest in journalism long after my service,” said Sieh, a graduate of Indiana University who has 20 years of experience working in journalism. Her career began in Liberia, where she was a newspaper reporter covering the Liberian civil war for six months before leaving on a Fulbright Fellowship in 1990 to pursue graduate studies in the United States.

During the workshop, participants formed a journalism club that will meet twice a month to develop an online youth newspaper written in Arabic, English, and French. The students also learned about using social media to report community events. They created a Facebook page, which now has more than 200 followers, to share local news until the newspaper is launched.

“The students are really excited about the club. Nearly all of the workshop participants attended the first club meeting, and they brought friends who had heard about how great the workshop was,” continued Sieh.”

Peace Corps/Morocco volunteers Erik Syngle and Aaron Zimmerman assisted Sieh during the workshop and taught sessions in photography techniques to the participants.

About Peace Corps/Morocco: Currently, there are 289 Peace Corps volunteers serving in Morocco. Volunteers are assigned to projects in five primary areas: youth development, health, environment, NGO development, and small business development. Volunteers are trained and work in the following languages: Darisha (Moroccan Arabic), French, Tamazight, and Tashelheet.http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1880

--------------------------------------------------ECOLOGY AND SOCIAL ORDER IN THE HIGH ATLAS OF MOROCCO 10/13/11“Tazz’unt, Ritual, Ecology and Social Order in the Tessawt Valley of the High Atlas of Morocco.” documents social structures, and depicts the everyday life of Imazighen in the High Atlas of Morocco, describing one of their major rituals, with an analysis of the meaning of this ritual and the help of poems collected in that valley.

The book is based on anthropological research spanning several decades of the history of Morocco, from the era of Protectorate Days (1912-1956) to the contemporary Amazigh movement of North Africa.

I first conceived and wrote this book as a Spring paper for the Department of Anthropology of Stanford University in 1982; I recently updated and embellished it with the spectacular photography provided by two remarkable individuals who visited the Tessawt Valley in the spring of 1984, Olivier and Anne Fougerat. The Fougerat traveled through the Atlas Mountains with an expedition led by one of their friends, who is one of the most prominent Amazigh militant personalities of our time, as well as a poet and an artist, Mr. Mahjoubi Aherdan.

French Moroccan born Olivier Fougerat and his spouse Anne have themselves contributed enormously to the publication of Amazigh literature over the years in Morocco, as editors of a couple of journals. It privilege to combine an anthropological essay based on my own research with their extraordinary photographic record of Amazigh life in the High Atlas of Morocco, and, as an immigrant to America, to produce this book in the English language. It is a unique book and collaboration in the production of Amazigh literature in the U.S.

I strongly believe that this book belongs on the shelves of university and public libraries across the US. I encourage each one and all to recommend it to their favorite library, on or off campus, as well as to the bookstore(s) of their choice. I am looking forward to your comments on this latest effort on my part to disseminate aspects of the North African Amazigh culture in the English language. http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5446-ecology-and-social-order-in-the-high-atlas-of-morocco---------------------------------------------------Moroccan innovation centre aids start-ups2011-10-11 By Rachid Jankari for MagharebiaSmall businesses in Morocco have a formal avenue to receive government backing for research and development.The Moroccan government offers assistance to small enterprises helping to expand the national economy. The Moroccan Innovation Centre (CMI) is designed to support businesses in critical sectors to implement new projects.The CMI was founded in July by the industry ministry, finance ministry and the National Agency for the Promotion of SMEs (ANPME), on the principle that encouraging innovation helps to stimulate job creation and foster a culture of entrepreneurship."Specifically, the purpose of this public centre is to provide funding to young medium-sized Moroccan companies so that they can invest in high-priority global sectors with a view to national development, namely off-shoring, automotive, aerospace, electronics, textiles and the agro-food industry," CMI chief Samir El Aichaoui explained during a presentation about the new body given to companies based at the Casablanca Technopark.With a three-year budget of 450 million dirhams (40 million euros), the centre forms an integral part of the "Innovation Morocco" plan, which was launched in 2009 with the goal of promoting cutting edge ideas by providing funds to businesses with innovative projects.Information technologies are another key aspect of the centre's work. The agency seeks to support ventures involving a variety technology, including mobile phones, video games, Arabic content, e-government, electronic payments, nanotechnology and biotechnology.The centre has two programmes designed to help entrepreneurs. The first, Intilak ("launch"), supports development of innovative start-ups that are less than two years old by granting interest-free loans and advances that must be repaid over a five-year period if the business is successful. This support mechanism will cost up to one million dirhams."The financing will support innovation when a business is developing by taking risks associated with innovative projects. Up to 90% of financing requirements will be met," El Aichaoui said.The second programme launched by the CMI is called Tatwir ("development"). It is aimed at businesses that are more than two years old and will provide them with up to 50% of the funding they need for research and development (R&D) projects.The R&D sector in Morocco is growing steadily, with the level of investment in this area now equivalent to nearly 1% of GDP. To request funding, young entrepreneurs pursuing innovative projects can download application forms directly from cmi.net.ma.In addition to the CMI, this year has also seen the launch of a software centre that will support innovation in the field of software research and development."This software development centre will help companies in the information technology sector by enabling them to produce innovative software cheaply," said Jamal Benhamou, the head of the centre, which is located in Rabat within the National Post and Telecommunications Institute (INPT). The software centre seeks to harness the skills of researchers, PhD students and engineering students at universities across Morocco.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/10/11/feature-03--------------------------------------------------Fragile Morocco weighs its economic priorities.Florence Beaugé Guardian Weekly, Tuesday 11 October 2011Subsidies and high-speed rail signal Arab nation's efforts to balance stability and growthMorocco's high-speed train is emblematic of the flagship schemes King Mohammed VI has initiated since he came to the throne 12 years ago. Work has just started on the line, which will be the first high-speed train in an Arab country, and also in Africa. But with a population of 33 million, 40% of whom are illiterate and 15% of whom make do on $2 a day, the scheme is perhaps not a priority.Criticism in the independent press has been severe, though Moroccan authorities say the train will streamline travel between the economic centres of Tangiers and Casablanca. They say Morocco is consolidating its position as a prime industrial power.King Mohammed has always wanted to modernise, but times have changed. "With the economic crisis and the Arab spring Morocco can no longer boast about its prestige projects," says political scientist Khadija Mohsen-Finan. One of the benefits of the Arab spring, she says, is to force the government "to stop putting up a pretence and to moralise, or at least rationalise, spending".With growth forecast to reach 4.7% this year, Morocco is weathering the global crisis, especially given its lack of oil and gas resources. But economists are cautious. "The first place to show signs of revolt was Tunisia, which had good growth. What matters is the redistribution of riches. Morocco has the biggest poverty gap in the Maghreb," said economist Driss Benali.Larabi Jaidi, a professor of economics in Rabat, endorses this view, saying inequality "is set to continue for a long time" and may well get worse.In an attempt to contain protest, the government made concessions that included subsidies on essentials and a higher minimum wage.With the budget deficit running at about 6% of GDP, Jaidi warns: "We will be footing the bill for the Arab spring for years to come."This story originally appeared in Le Mondehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/11/morocco-economy?newsfeed=true --------------------------------------------------Southampton Woman Returns From Three Peace Corps StintsPublication: The Southampton PressBy Colleen Reynolds Oct 11, 2011As soon as she returned to American shores this summer from her latest Peace Corps service in Armenia, the first thing Sharon Keld wanted to do was donate blood. She was thwarted.

She could not do so yet, she was told, because of mandatory time constraints based on her travels to far-flung points of the globe.... MOREhttp://www.27east.com/news/article.cfm/Southampton-Village-Surrounding-Areas/401157/Southampton-Woman-Returns-From-Three-Peace-Corps-Stints--------------------------------------------------PAYPAL LAUNCHES IN MOROCCO 10/12/11PayPal service launches in Morocco through E-Commerce Council, its partner in the MENA region.

"Online Buyers and sellers can make and receive payments through e-mail, quickly and in a secure manner", said Khachani Ismail, CEO of E-Commerce Council. "This product aims to liaise consumers and businesses, key accounts and TPE. It offers a Moroccan merchant payment solution fast, flexible, integrated and secure way to expand their Internet activities without sharing the credit card information or sensitive data" he said.

"There are over 500,000 sites worldwide offering this form of payment, which should allow commercial sites to have a Moroccan international exposure through this service that is available in 190 countries", he added.

This service is a new driver of economic development and will be a source of foreign exchange earnings generated by the use of its services by more than 230 million consumers, particularly in the tourism sector.

"Morocco is one of the key markets of the MENA region, evidenced by the development of e-commerce, government support plans, the Internet penetration rate is highest in Africa ( 33 pc) and the number of Moroccans with Internet access has increased by over 80 pc in 2006", he said.

"This service will participate, in collaboration with Moroccan banks, to the growth of e-commerce and help optimize the use of the credit card for online payments, which will improve the level of national banking" said Khachani.

A Moroccan consumers may, from the first half of 2012, open an account and use, through a Moroccan bank account, PayPal services, which has generated a volume of $ 92 billion in 2010.

Paypal was Founded in 1998 in California and is a subsidiary of eBay since 2002, it has offices in 20 countries. E-Commerce Council, a partner of PayPal, offers services to sites to facilitate financial transactions.http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5445-paypal-launches-in-morocco-------------------------------------------------- Understanding Morocco -- Opportunities for Business and Trade 1/3http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjJB3-ZZ67g&feature=related--------------------------------------------------Cactus Farming in MoroccoFriday, 14 October 2011 By NOORA FARAJThe cactus may be an inexpensive fruit, but Moroccan farmers see economic potential in this humble fruit.

The government intends to develop and expand the industry, following in the footsteps of Mexico, which is a global leader in cactus farming. The plan is to include cactus in a broad range of products from cosmetics to food.

A group of Mexican academics paid a visit to Ben Guerir, northwest of Morocco and shared their expertise on the topic in front of the Moroccan Association for the Development of the Cactus.

"The production of cactus in Mexico is very important now because this product is used in many ways as food for animals and human beings and also for cosmetic and medical uses. In Mexico, we make many products out of cactus and we export them to many countries abroad. This plant is very important for our health because it reduces cholesterol and also sugar levels for diabetics," said Mexican academic Dr. Ana Lila Vigueras during the visit to Morocco.

Abdelrahman Ait Hammou, the association’s director, says awareness of the benefit of cacti is crucial in stimulating demand which in turn affects farmers’ production.

The first attempt in increasing the cactus industry was six years ago, with the aim of generating job opportunities, especially for rural women. Currently, eight varieties of cactus exist nationwide and the fruit can be found in markets year-round.

Morocco plans to plant 300,000 more square meters of cactus plants over the next five years.

Speaker: Dr. Ana Lila Vigueras - Mexican academichttp://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/10/14/171809.html-------------------------------------------------- Give Young Boys in Morocco a Camera ...By DENNIS LIMPublished: October 14, 2011FOR the last five years the Spanish filmmaker Oliver Laxe has lived mainly in the northern Moroccan city of Tangier, where he developed a film workshop at a shelter for disadvantaged children. At first glance, Mr. Laxe’s debut feature, “You All Are Captains,” looks to be a straightforward reflection of this experience: he appears as himself, lecturing on photographic optics and showing his young charges, all preadolescent and adolescent boys, how to operate a 16-millimeter camera.But the film, which won the international critics’ prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010 and opens at Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan on Wednesday, soon steps into a hall of mirrors. Scenes are replayed, actors break character and at around the halfway point Mr. Laxe is ejected from the movie, after the children complain about his self-absorption and the confounding collaborative project he has foisted on them. (“This isn’t a film.” “A film needs a story.”)His replacement, a local musician named Shakib, leads the children on an outing to the countryside. Their film project seems to have been abandoned, or perhaps, it has been absorbed into the film we are watching. With the on-screen Oliver banished but Mr. Laxe still behind the camera, “You All Are Captains” becomes a pastoral of sorts — lingering on the landscapes, olive trees and animals that the boys had earlier said they wanted to film — “but with a little bit of fiction,” as one of them puts it.A shape-shifting movie that becomes increasingly hard to categorize and contain, “You All Are Captains” has been described as a documentary-fiction hybrid. But it is perhaps more instructive to call it a metafiction, concerned with the way stories can be activated and reframed, or a documentary of its own making, revealing both the conflict and the labor of the creative process.Mr. Laxe said that he came to a crucial realization early on: “I am the biggest child in the film,” he said by e-mail. “I had to accept that the film was not about the children but about me.”Born to Spanish parents in Paris, Mr. Laxe, 29, studied filmmaking at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He first traveled to Tangier in 2006 on what he called a “purely random” impulse, drawn in part by the mythic portrayals of earlier expatriates like Paul Bowles and William S. Burroughs.Mr. Laxe is the first to admit that there was an element of self-interest in his decision to work with children: their curiosity inspired him, and he valued the freshness of their perspectives.“I wanted to rediscover a part of my personality,” he said. “I wanted to film in a much freer way, as children do, shooting just what you think is interesting and stimulating, with the constant feeling that the world is strange.”The goal of seeing the world anew also underlies Mr. Laxe’s short film, “Paris #1” (2007), made in collaboration with friends in Galicia, in northwest Spain, who were entrusted to “film what they like, without preconceived ideas.” Likewise, “You All Are Captains,” shot in a limpid black and white that resists the usual touristic depictions of colorful Morocco, emphasizes the transformative act of looking from the first scene, in which the children debate the color of a chameleon and gaze up at a passing plane. One boy suggests they close their eyes to “see it better.”Self-consciously framed as the misadventures of a foreign interloper, “You All Are Captains” takes a deceptively light hand to quandaries that have long plagued filmmakers who approach their subjects from across cultural and economic divides. Mr. Laxe doesn’t solve these problems so much as delight in complicating them. The imbalance of power between the filmmaker and the filmed, the troubling subtext of many a documentary, is front and center here, and as the struggle between the teacher and his students plays out in unpredictable and not always visible ways, this tricky dynamic is highlighted, critiqued and reversed. (Even before their midfilm mutiny, the children are seen training their cameras on a group of European tourists, who grumble, “They should ask for our permission to film us.”)Mr. Laxe’s boldest strategy is to insert himself into his movie, and more than that, to implicate himself by playing the nominal villain: “the typical European neocolonialist artist,” as he put it. He described his dual role of protagonist and director as “a negotiation between my cynicism and my romanticism” — in other words, between the sometimes callow figure on screen and the more thoughtful and generous one making the movie.“What struck me about Oliver’s work is how successfully it occupies this no-man’s-land between fact and fiction,” said David Wilson, the co-director of the True/False Film Festival in Columbia, Mo., where “You All Are Captains” had its United States premiere in March. “He forces the viewer to stop caring about whether something is factually true or not and instead asks us to follow him into this space which is uniquely his.”Down to its title, the movie could be seen as a gesture of empowerment or of ultimate empathy: an attempt to see the world through the eyes of its subjects. But it is of course Mr. Laxe the director who remains the movie’s guiding hand, its true captain.“I chose the title for its musicality, but for me it’s a film about the cruelty of creation, which is undemocratic,” he said. “We all are captains or have the right and opportunity to be, but it will be some more than others.”Both in his work and his remarks, Mr. Laxe seems less interested in resolving contradictions than in embracing them. He described his next project, “Las Mimosas,” which he said would deal with Moroccan caravans, the myth of Faust and a Sufi wise man, as an “idealistic film about the absurdity of idealism.”Mr. Laxe’s insistence on taking play seriously recalls “Homo Ludens” (“playing man”), the seminal 1938 work by the Dutch historian Johan Huizinga, which argued for the central role of creative play in society and culture. Mr. Laxe said he thought of “You All Are Captains” as a game, played with his collaborators and the audience, in a spirit not of trickery but of openness and discovery. He invoked the iconoclastic Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, who said that the liberated viewer rejoices in “the freedom of the artist.”“What surprises me most about filmmaking is to constantly rediscover that all the director does is to put things in motion, to provoke,” Mr. Laxe said. “Art becomes a matter of attitudes and gestures. Everything depends on the energy that triggers things.”http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/movies/oliver-laxes-morocco-film-you-all-are-captains.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

-------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- MOROCCO: FROM RUIN TO RIAD. 10/13/11 A newly opened riad in the Fez Medina offers a garden of earthly delights.Dynamic is the word that springs to mind when meeting John Twomey. The night after holding a large party, he is hosting a large dinner at his new guest house in the Fez Medina, Riad Idryssi and is on the phone to London with a contractor about installing a kitchen in his new restaurant there. Meanwhile he is also monitoring what is going on at the 250 year old pub he already owns. In between juggling all this, he is regaling his guests with jokes too risque to be recounted. At 41 years old, Irishman Twomey is making the most of his event-filled life.

"There are two ways of living - vegetating and getting on with it," he says. Naturally, he is passionately aligned with the latter group. "I am aware of the length of time I've got left, so believe you should live everyday like it is your last."

Born in Dublin, Twomey spent twenty years fencing for Ireland - for a decade he was the National Fencing Champion. "I've lived in Germany, Spain, Estonia, Hungary and spent a lot of time in France," he says. Along the way, he picked up a bevy of languages, including Russian and Estonian. Then he got involved in starting a bank, "so I was able to enjoy careers in banking and fencing hand-to-hand".

But when he moved to London in 1996, he went off on another tangent altogether. Twomey fell in love with the Ten Bells pub in Spitalfields, an old area of the city notorious for the Jack the Ripper murders. The heritage-listed Ten Bells was built in 1753 and had previously been run by Jamie Oliver's grandfather.

"Restoring the pub was good training for a 500 year old building in Fez," Twomey says. It's taken six years to restore Riad Idryssi to a high standard. Complementing the traditional painted wood and intricate plaster carving that are a significant feature of the interior, are an eclectic collection of objects from around the African continent.Twomey first came to Fez on an exploratory trip with Mike Richardson, the proprietor of the renowned Cafe Clock in Fez and Scorpion House at Moulay Idriss. By the end of their first weekend, both had purchased properties.The guest house, which has just opened, has four guest rooms with ensuites. Twomey and Stone have bought a bit of London luxury to Fez, with heated towel rails and anti-fog mirrors. "You can come for the weekend and spend it in one of our bathrooms," Twomey quips.A distinctive feature of the property is the ruined riad behind the grand traditional house. When Twomey puchased the site, it was under several metres of rubble. When cleared, this revealed tiled floors and Pompeii-like remants of walls. Riad manager, Robert Johnstone - who worked in senior roles at prestigious London restaurants The Ivy and The Wolseley - has converted this area into a delightful garden, where meals can be served.Twomey clearly has a talent for creating situations that bring people together. Riad Idryssi promises to be both a retreat and a place where many more enjoyable gatherings will be held.http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5450-morocco-from-ruin-to-riad--------------------------------------------------Prince of Morocco, political activist, environmental crusaderBy Illyana Green Friday, October 14, 2011Q. The Occupy Wall Street protests have gained much momentum in the U.S. these past weeks. According to the websiteoccupywallst.org, the movement is defined as, “a horizontally organized resistance movement employing the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to restore democracy to America.” What’s your take on this?A. The Occupy Wall Street protest in some ways reflects the spirit of this new public sphere … one need only see the many signs of the protesters in New York saying ‘Turn Wall Street into Tahrir Square’ to recognize that the Arab Spring has global implications.Q. Your talk focused on the new generation of actors in the Arab world who are imbued with a sense of dignity and a sense of self but who yet still are reluctant to enter politics. How will this dignity translate into the rewriting of constitutions without their involvement?A. This is the big problem of the Arab Spring movements. These movements have a sense of idealism but also have an unexplainable sense of purity. They do not want to dirty their hands in politics. But politics is part of the problem and without politics you cannot fix the problem of the government. This is the great conundrum facing the Arab World.Q. The Moulay Hicham Foundation for Social Science Research on North Africa and the Middle East has highlighted and helped organize seminars such as the one that took place at Stanford University this past May. What has been the actual impact of seminars like this on the Arab Spring uprisings?A. Everything plays a role in movements like this. The presentation of ideas, the diffusion of ideas, the dialogue and exchange of ideas help movements, of course.Q. Your renewable energy company, Al-Tayyar Energy, is committed to the triple bottom line, which is very impressive. Are you using your influence in the Arab world to promote renewable energy?A. Energy initiatives are not geographically constituted …Q. What then do you think is the energy future for the Arab states of the Persian Gulf?A. To be frank, petroleum has got a long way to go. It is here to stay for a long time.Q. In researching I found many articles that referred to you as the ‘Red Prince’ because of your leftist political views. Do you agree with this characterization?A. I honestly do not like that name … I hate that metaphor because it is too simplistic. When people encounter novel situations they try to understand them by putting them into known models. The obvious model here is that of the French.Q. How is life on the West Coast as compared to Morocco?A. I miss my country terribly, I miss it a lot, but when I am in Morocco I miss the West Coast …Q. There are many Yale-affiliated programs that allow students to study in Rabat. What would you say to students looking to make the cultural leap?A. Go to Morocco! It is an extraordinarily open and welcoming place with a fascinating and enriching culture.Q. Yale vs. Stanford?A. I want you to know that I was accepted to Yale in 1988 and really wanted to go but my parents were concerned about my safety in New Haven and so I went to Princeton. No regrets though…Q. What’s the best part about being a prince?A. The best part … to tell you the truth, here in the U.S., I forget that I am a prince – that’s the best part.http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/oct/14/prince-morocco-political-activist-environmental-cr/

--------------------------------------------------Cab driver has learned volumes about human nature Edward Guthmann, Special to The Chronicle Monday, October 10, 2011

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/09/DDB01LDQ3L.DTL#ixzz1b4PHN4bSCab driving is his trade, but the way Sulaymaan Cherif approaches his work, he's also a life coach and dispenser of wisdom.Cherif, 43, emigrated from Morocco in 1996. Divorced, he lives alone in a Richmond District apartment where he served Moroccan mint tea and bread while discussing his job and his life.I recommend everybody to drive a cab because it's very fun job. You have so many experience. You learn from people, and what you learn from people you teach other people. It's like a circle.I have a guest book in my cab. When I have a good conversation with somebody, and they're nice and say they like me, they start writing in my book.You advise people, people advise you. Somebody gets in your cab, they cry. Having a problem with their parents, their boyfriend, their husband. You have a communication. You are like in the doctor office.A woman ask me, "What can I do? I am spending 10 years with my boyfriend. And right now he want to leave me because he doesn't like to get married with me." I tell her, "If he doesn't like to get married today, I don't think he's going to marry you five years after."I tell her, "There is no difference between me and Dr. Phil. Only difference, Dr. Phil has a studio and camera."I'm from Casablanca. It's my city, where I born. I have three older brothers and two sisters. I am the baby of the family. My dad got married when he was very old. He died at 105, in 1984. He lived through six kings in Morocco.I moved to United States in 1996 and lived two years in Fresno. I moved to San Francisco in 1998. To be cabdriver, you took a class for one week and they give you a certificate. You learn, like, the names of the hotels, the locations of the hotels. Museums, hospitals, cross streets.When you get a certificate, back then, you take a written test at Hall of Justice to get a license to drive a taxi in San Francisco. When you pass that test, you are recognized from the city as a cabdriver.In the beginning, driving a cab was hard. The good part is, most San Francisco people are very helpful. They tell you which way to go, shortcuts. They don't scream on you. They say, "It's OK, you will learn." Back then, there is no GPS.I work for Luxor Cab. I share a cab with my friend; we have a lease. We trade shifts and when you finish your shift, you have to put the gas. You return your waybill to the company, and if there's any problem with a customer, you have to report it.Once I pick up a guy with his girlfriend and he's drunk. His girlfriend is telling him how he treating his mom kind of badly. "Your mom, she's nice to you." I take them to Leavenworth and Filbert.One week later I pick him up. He get in my cab alone; now he is not drunk. I say, "Leavenworth and Filbert?" "How do you know?" I tell him, "You have an Asian girlfriend?" He say, "What! You know everything about me?"I tell him, "Last week you were drunk and I pick you up from 16th and Valencia. You have a very nice girl. You have to take care of her. And more than that, you have to be more nice to your mom!"The fare was $12, and he gave me $20. He say, "You give me a good advice. Thank you very much."Do you or someone you know have a work story to share? E-mail us at datebookletters@sfchronicle.com

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/09/DDB01LDQ3L.DTL#ixzz1b4PBlHxO

-------------------------------------------------- Weighing Morocco's New Constitutionby Paul Silverstein | published July 5, 20112011 has been a year of unprecedented political tumult in Morocco. As neighboring North African regimes collapsed under the weight of popular pressure, demonstrators have convened in Moroccan cities as well, naming their uprising after the day of their largest initial gathering, February 20, and calling for greater democracy.Theirs has been a “quiet revolution,” according to Nadia Yassine, spokeswoman for the banned Islamist Justice and Charity movement, [1] for King Mohamed VI has seemed to hasten to meet citizens’ demands. The international media hails the king as a broadly popular visionary engaging in proactive political reform to avoid the fate of Egyptian and Tunisian dictators. In the eyes of the Moroccan government and mainstream political parties, the country has seen a “Copernican revolution” [2] led by a wise potentate, a “watershed event in the process of completing the construction of a state based on the rule of law and democratic institutions.” The king used the latter phrase in his June 17 presentation of a radically revised constitution that was subsequently overwhelmingly approved in a July 1 referendum. If, as per ancient Ptolemaic astronomy, the sun of Morocco’s people has long revolved around an earthly monarch, Morocco’s rulers would like everyone to believe that henceforth the country’s political order will be heliocentric.But for the February 20 movement, the revolution is still to come. The protesters regard the new constitution as a half-measure, heavy on inclusive rhetoric and light on actual reform. The events of spring and early summer have not quieted them, but galvanized them to push for more. The February 20 movement draws heavily upon a youthful population that had long given up on the political process and unifies a diverse opposition whose interests rarely align. The rebirth of politics in the shape of this movement calls into question the monarchy’s long-standing ability to manage the country through patronage and the king’s symbolic position as “commander of the faithful.” And it may fundamentally challenge what is in fact at the heart of the constitutional reform: a thinly veiled effort to make Morocco transparent for global investment, welcoming to the wealthy diaspora and secure for international tourism.The King Is Dead, Long Live the KingMoroccan political life was stillborn upon the country’s independence from French colonial rule in 1956. King Mohamed V, grandfather of the current king and inheritor of the Alawite dynasty, emerged as the totem of national unity for a largely rural, illiterate and impoverished population divided by race, ethnicity and language. An urban elite based in Fez occupied the political vacuum, principally through the Istiqlal party, which proceeded to extend its administration across the countryside. The first three articles of the original 1962 constitution, promulgated by Hassan II (who had succeeded his father the previous year), declared Morocco to be a “constitutional, democratic and social” state, located sovereignty in the “nation” and assured a multi-party system. In reality, the formal opposition was nominal and actual politics occurred within what is called the makhzen, the complex (and sometimes fraught) power sharing arrangement among the monarchy, Istiqlal, the military and what remained of the rural notables empowered under colonialism. The political history of Morocco up to the 1990s consisted of Hassan II consolidating power in the palace, coopting those challengers who could be bought with civil service positions or financial rewards and crushing those who could not. Moroccans knew his reign as the “years of lead.”King Mohamed VI took the throne in 1999 with a promise to “turn the page” on the worst abuses of the past, but there are few signs of him ceding power to elected officials or seeking to enshrine civil liberties and rule of law. For all the political prisoners released over the years since his accession, activists and journalists are still regularly arrested and convicted of “threatening state security” or stepping over one or another “red line.” The chief “red lines” forbid questioning the integrity of the monarchy, Islam or the “national territory,” a reference to Morocco’s claim upon Western Sahara. In October 2010, the Ministry of Communications banned Al Jazeera from broadcasting in Morocco for its “irresponsible journalism” on the question of Western Sahara, only reinstating the channel’s license after the July 1 referendum. As late as April 26, Rachid Nini, populist editor of the al-Masa’ daily newspaper, was arrested and then sentenced to a year in prison for writing of the existence of a secret military base where detainees were tortured.Police routinely crack down with violence on technically illegal demonstrations by Islamists, Berberists, human rights activists or those without food, jobs or housing. Morocco has been an active participant in the US-led war on terror, dismantling Islamist associations and accepting “rendered” suspects for interrogation and possibly torture, though it was an early signatory of the UN Convention Against Torture. The kingdom has also been a proxy defender of Fortress Europe, deporting African transmigrants by the thousands, though it endorsed the UN Convention in Relation to the Status of Refugees.As the public sector has been progressively sold off to private interests, more and more of the nation’s wealth is in the hands of the royal family and other elites, with the king’s personal holdings estimated at $2.5 billion. In the latest Democracy Index released by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Morocco placed number 116 of 167 countries judged for the fairness of the electoral process, civil liberties, government functioning, political participation and political culture. Indeed, Moroccans regularly accuse parliamentary deputies and senior civil servants of being makhzenisés, men and women who act in the interest of the state, or themselves, rather than the populace they are supposed to represent and serve. It came as scant surprise that the 2007 legislative elections garnered the participation of only 37 percent of eligible voters.The greatly amended constitution approved on July 1 takes only modest steps to open the political system. The representation of opposition parties in government commissions and their access to public financing for electoral campaigns is specified and expanded (Articles 10 and 11), as is the right of civil associations and NGOs (Article 12) and even of private citizens to bring forward bills (Article 14) and petitions (Article 15). But, as critics rightly point out, the king’s executive powers remain unchecked. The king will continue to name the prime minister and approve the cabinet over which he presides (Articles 47 and 48); command the military (Article 53); chair the various high councils on religion, security and the judiciary (Articles 41, 54, 56); name ambassadors (Article 55); approve the nomination of judges (Article 57); pronounce all enacted laws (Article 50); and “at His initiative” dismiss ministers and dissolve the parliament (Articles 47 and 51). The derided Article 19 of the previous constitutions, which spelled out the king’s spiritual and temporal authorities and derived the latter from the former, is now split into two separate articles (41 and 42). One recognizes the king as the “commander of the faithful” who “ensures respect for Islam” and guarantees “the free exercise of religion,” while the other names him as Morocco’s “chief of state, supreme representative, symbol of the unity of the nation, guarantor of the durability and continuity of the state.” The two types of authority are thus delinked, but the king’s person remains inviolable (Article 46) and those who call his rule into question are thus subject to prosecution. The new constitution hardly unseats Ptolemy, let alone enthrones Copernicus, and indeed prescribes punishment for those who would espouse Copernican belief.Moreover, critics have challenged the very process of constitutional reform and referendum as opaque and insincere. From its first mass demonstrations, the February 20 movement had called for constitutional reform by a democratically elected assembly. The king responded on March 9 by appointing a Consultative Commission for the Revision of the Constitution chaired by the constitutional law professor Abdellatif Mennouni and consisting of 19 other members handpicked by the king and his advisers. Over its three months of deliberations, the Mennouni commission met with a number of political parties, trade unions and NGOs. It invited representatives of the February 20 movement and other protest groups, who declined because the process was not public. The king further revised the draft constitution and then submitted it to the country for approval only two weeks before the referendum. While proportionate airtime was promised to all parties, critics accuse the campaign process of strongly privileging the “yes” vote. They charge the king with violating his non-partisan status by delivering a speech for the constitution’s approval and citing a passage from the Qur’an enjoining the public to follow his “way.” The Ministry of Religious Affairs apparently instructed imams to urge a “yes” vote during their Friday sermons. All political parties -- including the opposition Islamist Justice and Development Party, which had initial concerns about the role of Islam in the new charter -- signed on to the reforms and encouraged their constituents to do the same, with the exception of four minor far left parties who collectively hold only 22 of the 325 seats in the Chamber of Representatives (the part of Parliament that is directly elected). On several occasions, the February 20 movement rallied over 100,000 people across the country in a call to boycott the referendum, but these demonstrations were harried by police and confronted with violent counter-rallies by supporters of the referendum who branded the protesters as anti-monarchists. Protesters said the “monarchists” were akin to Egypt’s baltagiyya, “thugs” organized and paid by the Ministry of Interior.The dissenters similarly contest the referendum results. They documented incidents of voters being bussed to polling stations by local officials, stations not carrying “no” vote slips and electoral officials not verifying identification or requiring voter signatures. Moroccan residents abroad, whose votes were strongly solicited by the government, reportedly had even looser identification requirements and in some cases voted in mosques under the watchful eyes of the consular officials on whom they rely for administrative services. Protesters do not dispute the 98.5 percent approval result, blaming it on a poor, under-educated and intimidated electorate blindly following their political and religious leaders. But they do question the 72.65 percent turnout claimed by the interior minister, as earlier Ministry statements, media polls and anecdotal reports had put the figure at no more than 50 or 60 percent. Only 13 million of a potential electorate of at least 22 million, they further note, had registered to vote in the first place. Even at 72.65 percent, the turnout would be lower than in any previous constitutional referendum, with the exception of a minor change to the financial regulatory mechanism that occurred in 1995. Whether this plebiscite provides the monarch with a popular mandate remains to be seen.A Plural PolityBut it would be a mistake to dismiss the referendum as yet another rubber stamp on the monarchy’s writ. If not revolutionary, the constitutional revisions are certainly radical. In the previous ten referendums, all under the reign of Hassan II, the revisions had been superficial: vacillating between a bicameral and unicameral parliament, slightly expanding the role of the prime minister, including some minimal language on human rights and citizenship, adding a budgetary audit court and reducing the king’s age of majority to 16 (which has since been returned to 18). These changes were all initiated from the top, and none responded to widespread popular protest. The current constitution, by contrast, has expanded from 108 to 180 articles, and very few of the older articles have remained unchanged.In many cases, the new articles respond directly to demands from civic associations and overall the constitution’s rhetoric appears lifted directly from the slogans and communiqués of the protesters. The seven-paragraph, nine-bullet point preamble defines Morocco as a “modern” state of “democratic rights” founded on the “principles of participation, pluralism and good governance.” It summons forth an “interdependent (solidaire) society where all enjoy security, liberty, equality of opportunity, respect, dignity and social justice.” Note that such language of modern, democratic rights precedes the stipulation that the Kingdom of Morocco is an “Islamic sovereign state” -- the first line of all previous constitutions. Further, the 2011 document contains a new, 22-article section entitled “Liberties and Fundamental Rights” in which freedoms of information (Article 27) and of the press (Article 28) are added, as are the rights to housing, health care, welfare, water, a clean environment and durable development (Article 31), and the rights of women, children and the disabled (Articles 32, 34). Such protections appear alongside prohibitions of sexism (Article 21), torture (Article 22), racism (Article 23) and corruption (Article 36). These “liberties and fundamental rights” remain sacrosanct even if the king declares a state of emergency (Article 59) and cannot be retracted by future constitutional revision (Article 175). While the fully independent judiciary demanded by demonstrators is declared if not precisely guaranteed (insofar as the king continues to control the appointment of judges), the new constitution adds 17 new articles to the relevant section that safeguard the presumption of innocence, habeas corpus and the rights to fair, public and speedy trial, due process, state-provided counsel and appeal. These clauses similarly put explicit checks on judges’ partiality, excess or the outside influence on the judicial process. Finally, a new, 18-article section on “good governance” offers further guarantees against the corruption or non-compliance of civil servants; establishes a National Council on Human Rights; [3] and provides for a national ombudsman to represent the complaints of citizens regarding the public administration. While some of these provisions invoke laws yet to be written, they are undeniably substantial and perfectly consonant with the February 20 movement and its various allies’ call for an accessible, democratic regime of dignity, respect and social justice.The provisions targeting Moroccan youth are particularly striking. Of Morocco’s 33 million citizens, 65 percent are estimated to be under 30 years of age. Young men and women are marrying later and later as difficulties in procuring steady employment and housing increase. If national unemployment figures hover around 10 percent, they reach as high as 26 percent for youth in the 25-34 age range, and close to double that in urban areas. Ironically, the more educated Moroccans are, the more likely they are to be jobless. Over the last decade, unemployed university graduates (les diplomés chômeurs) have staged weekly demonstrations in front of Parliament calling for an open job market that does not simply benefit those with family connections. The graduates’ organizational structure, non-violent tactics and militant experience laid the groundwork for the February 20 movement. The latter -- whose membership and leadership consists primarily of young men and women -- demands state reinvestment in the public sector, specifically the “integration of unemployed university graduates into the civil service by transparent and fair competition.” The new constitution seeks to address these demands by envisioning the creation of a Consultative Council on Youth and Associative Action that would boost the participation of young men and women in the economic, cultural and political life of the country (Article 33). While stopping well short of expanding public-sector employment, it does prescribe state investment in the arts, scientific research and sports (Article 26) that would ostensibly encourage younger talent to remain in the country rather than seeking professional opportunities abroad.As important, the new constitution redefines Morocco as a culturally and linguistically plural state. The February 20 movement had joined the variegated Berber (Amazigh) movement that for the last three decades had been calling for the recognition of the Berber language (Tamazight) as an official language of Morocco on par with Arabic. Mass demonstrations for change that have occurred since February have consistently included militants carrying Amazigh flags and banners written in Tamazight. Previous constitutions had inscribed the official status of Arabic in the first line of the preamble. No such mention of language is made in the new preamble. Article 5 specifies that “Arabic remains the official language of the state,” yet further stipulates that Tamazight “constitutes an official language of the state, as the common heritage of all Moroccans without exception.” Some Amazigh activists continue to worry that the distinction between the definite and indefinite articles will perpetuate Tamazight’s secondary status. And they remain skeptical over the effectiveness of the future law that will regulate the Berber tongue’s introduction into the education and media systems. But the change does put Morocco ahead of its North African neighbors in respect for indigenous rights.Moreover, the 2011 constitution does not delimit Morocco’s diversity to an Arab-Berber divide, but rather portrays the country as a veritable cultural and geographic crossroads. Just as Amazigh culture is declared to be the patrimony of all citizens, so too is its broader ethno-cultural diversity declared to constitute its “national identity, one and indivisible.” The preamble specifies a “convergence” of Arabo-Islamic, Amazigh and Saharan “components” that is “nourished and enriched by its African, Andalusian, Hebrew and Mediterranean influences.” If the first two lines of the previous preamble drew from the language of decolonization and Third World solidarity to specify Morocco’s place in a “great Arab Maghrib” and “African unity,” the new introductory stanza invokes a broader globalism that juxtaposes a future North African union alongside an Arabo-Islamic umma, African solidarity and Euro-Mediterranean partnership. Arguably, these gestures are purely rhetorical, but the contrast with prior official identity statements is remarkable.Finally, if previous constitutional revisions centralized power in the hands of the Rabat political elite, limiting rural administrators to simply enforcing “the law,” the new charter allows for significantly more territorial pluralism. The first article defining Morocco as a “constitutional, democratic, parliamentary and social monarchy” also describes its territorial organization as “decentralized, based on an advanced regionalization.” Over the last five years, nascent autonomy movements have sprung up in the far northern and southern, largely Berber-speaking peripheries -- areas that felt themselves to be economically underdeveloped and marginalized by the central government. The peripheries have demanded more administrative self-determination and greater freedom to define their own development initiatives. [4] The 2011 constitution addresses these demands with seven new articles proposing state efforts to foster local citizenship and human development across the regions (Articles 136, 139). It outlin

Nothing says Morocco like Mexican Soap Operas.

Lets take a moment and let that sink in, Morocco = MexicanSoap Operas.

The fact of the matter is that 2M the Moroccan nationalchannel is the most watched channel in Morocco and apart from the news, itsprimary programing is Mexican soap operas that have been dubbed into MoroccanArabic.

The two most popular soaps are ‘Wladi’ and ‘Nta Baba’ whichtranslate to: ‘My Son’ and ‘Are you My Dad?’ The names alone show the qualityof the shows and the caliber of the actors.

Actually, the actors for both shows are largely the same,with an eight year old with (at least dubbed) a high pitch voice playing theson in My Son, and the child in search of his father in Are You My Dad.

One has to ponder why these shows are so popular. It mighthave something to do with low licensing fees and simple dialogue. Either way Imakes for a interesting anomaly.

Moroccan youth turn junk into income2011-10-07 Text and photosby Maria TahriAt Morocco's urban streetmarkets, scrap vendors find a way out of unemployment and shoppers findsolutions.

Street vendors have long been part of the economiclandscape in Morocco, but for some of those working in the "informaleconomy", trash is treasure.Other people's cast-offs and garbage provide them with anincome. These itinerant traders know that for every discarded or broken item,there is a potential buyer."This is the source of my daily livelihood,"street salesman Abdul Hadi says about the items laid out on the sidewalk. Emptybottles once used for ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard, plastic containers usedfor oils or mineral water, old clothes: this is merchandise, not garbage. Andpeople are willing to pay for it.Another merchant, Mohamed Ibrahim, says he keepseverything – from broken games to broken cups – inside his house for laterre-sale. He saves empty boxes, iron screws and other odds and ends retrievedfrom the garbage."We do not compete with any of the merchants, noteven street vendors, because our goods are not their wares and we do not reaphuge profits," the father of three tells Magharebia.

"They are only daily pennies, enough for us to meetour needs and not beg."Abdullah, on the other side of the sidewalk running thelength of the famous Souk El Kouriaa market in Casablanca, sells old CD cases.Even though many are cracked, people buy them.Other sellers stand behind cardboard and wooden boxesfilled with rusty keys, picture frames, broken toys, and many things thatappear to have no meaning or use. These Moroccan street vendors are of adifferent breed than those selling vegetables or clothes. Their customers arelooking for something that cannot be found in stores or traditional marketstalls.Here, junk sells.Mustafa a father is poking around among a pile of nailsand bolts. "A small screw went missing from the cover of the pressurecooker my wife uses in the kitchen," he explains. "The pot is no goodanymore, since she can't tighten the lid, so I am looking for a small screw toreplace the lost one.""I could buy a new cooker for thousands of dirhams,but if I can find the right screw here, it will only cost me two or threedirhams," he says.Farid is under 30 but has to support his retired father,an elderly mother and several young brothers. He worked as a porter, atravelling salesman and a security guard at a Casablanca building but ended upjobless. One day, a friend proposed that he accompany him to a garbage dump.Everything has a use, his friend explained.He took the advice and went into business. "Now Ikeep everything I find until someone comes along to buy it," Shaab says."I pick up glass containers, and then wash and cleanthem to offer in the market," he tells Magharebia. "The price is verylow but it is significant for me, because I do not want to remain idle andcomplain about my condition.""Perhaps one day I may have to resort to other meansto get money, but for now, I prefer working out here. My joy is great whensomeone finds exactly what he is looking for," he says with a broad smile.A woman haggles over an outdated juice machine without acover, while another holds an old alarm clock. It still has numbers and clockhands, but she and the seller go back and forth over her demand for a reductionin price. After all, she says, it may continue to work or break after a coupledays. There's no way to tell until she gets it home.The scrap market is not only frequented by the poor.Citizens from all social circles come here because they may not find what theyneed anywhere else."Necessity is the mother of invention," saysmerchant Ibrahim Guidoum. "You find young people looking for a specificitem. They may not know what it's called, but they know it as soon as they seeit."He adds: "Those who frequent the scrap metal sellersare trying to find wires, devices, tools – all the old home necessities theycan't find in shops, or where the spare part cost is too high."Rabia, an employee, says she goes to the junk marketwithout embarrassment, to find something valuable at a low price, or a piecesuitable to fix a kitchen appliance."I'm obsessed with frequenting these haphazardspaces," Rabia tells Magharebia. "They give me the pleasure ofshopping and digging and searching for what is rare."A recent study commissioned by the Ministry of Traderevealed that Morocco has 238,000 street vendors, 90% of whom are men. Andsince some 70% of them never went beyond primary school, their employmentoptions are limited.Abdul Razzaq is like many of his peers who sell goods onthe street. He was in desperate need of a job, but doors closed in his face andhe nearly lost hope in life. Then his uncle suggested he accompany him to themarket.Within a year, he had absorbed the secrets of theprofession and become self-reliant through the collection and resale of junkand scrap metal.The Moroccan government is paying particular attention tohelping these itinerant merchants. Economic Affairs Minister Nizar Baraka toldMagharebia that help is on the horizon: "The main thing is to bring abouta transition from the informal to the formal sector, that's what needs to happen."Local authorities, meanwhile, have been working toregulate Moroccan street vendors within special areas,Abdul Razzaq says."They've been showing a kind of indulgence recently,as if they understand our situation and our unemployment," he says."We hope to get a permanent space," the youngscrap salesman says. "That would help us earn a livelihood withoutresorting to begging or theft or falling into problems we can do without."http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/reportage/2011/10/07/reportage-01---------------------------------------------Two Directions for MoroccanCuisine. By JULIA MOSKIN Published: October 4, 2011MOURAD LAHLOU and PaulaWolfert would not seem to have much in common. He is the 43-year-old chef ofAziza in San Francisco, his arms decorated with tattoos that signify “strength”in Arabic, a son of Casablanca, Morocco, who works wonders with spices andpreserved lemons, sous-vide and meat glue.She is a 73-year-olddaughter of Brooklyn, an industrious ex-hippie and renowned culinaryanthropologist in Sonoma, Calif., whose favorite kitchen tool is an unglazedclay pot.But for more than 40 years,both have been immersed in the flavors, aromas and techniques of the Moroccankitchen. And now each has written an authoritative, enticing cookbook — fromdiametrically opposed perspectives.Ms. Wolfert, the outsider,is the stickler for authenticity and tradition.“He has made this incrediblejump,” Ms. Wolfert said of the food at Aziza. “But his food is not the Moroccancooking I know. He took steps that only he could take.”Mr. Lahlou, the native son,is the activist for change and modernity. “We started from the same point intime in Morocco, but she looks backward, and I look forward,” he said.As much as he respects Ms.Wolfert’s work, Mr. Lahlou said that her depiction of Morocco may have keptAmericans — and even Moroccans themselves — from tasting its true potential.Ms. Wolfert’s new book, “TheFood of Morocco” (Ecco), is a magisterial rework of the book that put her onthe map in 1973, “Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco.” After itspublication, she lived in Morocco for several more years, then moved on tostudy other Mediterranean cuisines.“I didn’t think there wasany ‘Son of Couscous’ to be done,” she said.Mr. Lahlou’s book, “Mourad:New Moroccan” (Artisan), is a more personal, idiosyncratic work that flowsmostly from two small rooms: his family’s kitchen in Marrakesh and his own inSan Francisco. It perfectly illustrates his mission: to use the tools of themodern chef to rethink Moroccan food from the ground up.“Why are we still cookingthe vegetables so much? Why does the meat have to be so dry?” he asked,referring to the traditional slow-cooking methods that make the most ofless-than-sparkling ingredients. “Why can’t we enjoy the flavor of the meat anduse less spices? Everything starts to taste the same.”The native food culture ofMorocco was that of the Berbers who lived there, on the northwest edge of theSahara; later, successive bastings in Arab, Persian, Spanish, Turkish andFrench influence made the cuisine rich and complex.“Lamb with honey and prunes,chicken with olives, couscous,” said Mr. Mourad, who came to the United Statesas a college student in 1986. “The first time I went back, I was stoked toeat,” he said. “It was amazing the first day, but then it became apparent to methat there was not going to be anything else.”The food of Morocco, Mr.Lahlou said, is extraordinary but has become stuck in a few narrow ruts.“Changing the herb garnishon a tagine is still considered daring,” he said. “Cooks are afraid to changethe way things have always been done.”And, he said, the old-schooldishes do not reflect modern Moroccan reality; now there are high-qualityingredients, ample refrigeration and skilled cooks with access to food media,the Internet and foreign travel.“The Morocco I was born intowas very poor and very rural,” he said. At that time, Ms. Wolfert said, about80 percent of the population lived outside major cities; electricity, runningwater and cooking stoves were rare. Today, that proportion has been reversed,and Moroccans, many of whom speak French and English fluently along withArabic, have become sophisticated food consumers.Mr. Lahlou’s book is apersuasive attempt to engage cooks with this modern Morocco. The first sevenchapters are devoted to tradition (one is called “Dude, Preserved Lemons”); therest, to the recipes that he has served at Aziza, like artichokes andsaffron-braised onions in cumin broth, or beef cheeks with carrot jam andharissa emulsion.(Ms. Wolfert, the purist,does not even consider harissa to be Moroccan — it is Tunisian, she said —although it is now ubiquitous on Moroccan tables, like ketchup.)The sweet earthy spices,velvety textures, complex braises and tangy flavor sparks of Morocco are onlythe starting point for Mr. Lahlou’s cuisine.“I came from that culture,so what is intriguing to me is what else is out there,” he said.That is just what Ms.Wolfert was looking for in the late 1950s, when she left the United States tolive abroad as a 19-year-old literary-feminist beatnik.

“I was young, and excitedabout words, and Jack Kerouac told me I had great legs,” she said. She wasdrawn to Morocco, along with many young Europeans and Americans, by thecountry’s enlightened reputation and cheap cost of living after it wonindependence from France in 1956.In 1968, when Mr. Lahlou wasborn in Casablanca, Ms. Wolfert was living outside Tangier, around the cornerfrom the American writer Paul Bowles, and was a suddenly single mother of twosmall children (her husband having left her for a Swedish painter he met duringthe student strikes in Paris). She sated her restlessness in the kitchen, wherethe cook, Fatima, taught her to grind spices, preserve lemons in salt and stripthe stalks of freshly cut wheat to prepare the berries for the mill.“The work of feeding onefamily was all-consuming,” Ms. Wolfert said.Eventually, her interest ledto the childhood home of the Moroccan consul general to the United States,where she was tutored by his mother and her brigade of cooks, and where shebegan the revolutionary act of writing down how the traditional dishes weremade.“There was no tradition ofsharing recipes in Morocco,” said Mr. Lahlou, describing the significance ofMs. Wolfert’s work. “Cooking jobs were very valuable, literally handed downfrom generation to generation, and they were not about to give their secretsaway.”In 1973, she published thebook that introduced a generation of food-loving bohemians to Moroccan cuisine.The fragrant recipes and evocative photograph of Ms. Wolfert in a soft greencaftan, with vendors in a dusty marketplace, put a thousand tagines ontoAmerican tables.At the time, Mr. Lahlou was5, the constant companion of his family’s chief food supplier: his grandfather,who did the daily shopping. (Mr. Lahlou’s father had also left his wife andchildren, a situation that was considered so tragic that others spoiled theyoung Mr. Lahlou with food and attention to make up for it, he said.) He, hisbrother and his mother, Aziza, lived with her extended family in a compoundthat encompassed grandparents, cousins and aunts — but only one kitchen.Like most Moroccan boys, hewas never taught to cook. But, he said, he was immersed in food as the familyspent an hour at breakfast debating what to have for lunch, and another hour atlunch debating the relative merits of eggplant, okra and peppers with dinner.As a college student in SanFrancisco, he began cooking as a way to manage homesickness, and followed hisolder brother into a job as a waiter at Mamounia in the Richmond district, oneof the first upscale Moroccan restaurants in the United States.When the brothers decided toopen a restaurant instead of proceeding to graduate school, he said, backersassumed that belly dancers and waiters with pointy-toed slippers would beprominently featured. He refused.“I wasn’t going to open aMoroccan Disneyland, and I wasn’t going to make Moroccan ’70s hotel food,” hesaid.From there, he said, hedeveloped a style on his own that, in the book, reads like a very hyphenated,modern cuisine, as much American as Moroccan.In their new books, bothauthors push beyond what Americans think they know about Moroccan food. Forexample, bread, not couscous, is the everyday and much-loved staple of Moroccantables. (Mr. Lahlou said that his family went through eight loaves a day.)Tagines are never spooned over couscous, but scooped up with bread: in cities,with bits pulled from yeast-risen loaves, but among the Berbers, with roundflatbreads baked on griddles.The Berbers use an unusualleavening method that gives a warm, earthy aroma to the loaves: a mix ofsemolina flour, water and garlic cloves that quickly ferments into a pungentstarter. The recipe provided by Ms. Wolfert requires three kinds of flour andtakes two days, but is richly rewarding in flavor.Mr. Lahlou, on the otherhand, has invented entirely new breads like harissa-spiked rolls, grilledsemolina flatbreads and delicate lacy pancakes (beghrir) made with almondflour. In Mr. Lahlou’s family, only his mother is considered expert at makingbeghrir, and as a traditional Moroccan cook, she did not share her recipe evenwith her son. So he worked for years to develop a foolproof method for Aziza’spastry chef, the pancakes dripping with melted butter and honey.Many of the skills of thetraditional kitchen — how to roll couscous, how to slow-preserve meat in thedesert, how to make the paper-thin pastry dough called warqa — are disappearingfast, the authors agree.They also agree that thedaily lives of Moroccan cooks are better without such labor-intensivepractices. But there is a fundamental conflict between them: the traditionsthat Ms. Wolfert has gone to such pains to record are the very ones that Mr.Lahlou is trying to change.“Moroccan women now are theequivalent of American housewives in the 1950s: they want to use the pressurecooker to make tagines, they want to go to the supermarket,” Ms. Wolfert said.“I don’t want to tell them they have to go back into the kitchen, but somethingis being lost. I’m out to preserve what I can still find.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/dining/two-directions-for-moroccan-cuisine-modern-or-classic.html---------------------------------------------In Morocco, eating is the spice oflifeOne of the signature photos people always take home withthem from Morocco is of heaping piles of spices in a variety of enticingcolorful displays. These setups aspire to overwhelm visitors with theenchantment of a new and undiscovered place – and to encourage wide-eyedtourists to part with their dollars.Diane Rice ofMilwaukee, Wisconsin, captured a singular image of one of those remarkablyshaped groupings of spice cones, a monument to Morocco's exotic qualities.Spice shops are located all over the place, invitingvisitors to try a sniff. Ras el hanout, or "top of the shop," is thecountry's signature spice blend. There may be dozens of ingredients involved,including nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon and cardamom - and everyone has their ownvariation. It is these same spices that lend Moroccan foods a special flavor."I've traveled extensively in Europe, but nowherethan can match this experience," Rice said. "Whatever exotic dream Ihad of Morocco before I went was more than confirmed. It was way betterthan I ever expected, and by far the farthest thing from our life in the U.S.that I have ever visited."Rice was visiting her son-in-law's family in Morocco andwasn't sure what to expect during her May 2011 trip, but any fears were quicklydissipated by the hospitality - and tastes - she encountered.Two popular meals are the tajine (or tagine) and the pastilla.The former is a style of slow-cooked stew often filled with meat andvegetables, and is named for the special pot in which it is cooked. The latteris a Moroccan meat pie often made with pigeon or chicken."My experience with the food was amazing, butdifferent because I was eating in private homes, prepared by real, traditionalMoroccans," she wrote. "I had every conceivable tajine recipe andloved all of them. I had some clean, lemony salads and some creamy, deliciouscouscous that I remember vividly."Jessie Faller-Parrett ofCarlisle, Pennsylvania, shared a photo of the colorful array of vegetablefoodstuffs one might find in just one course of a Moroccan meal. Multiplecourses with many different components and local breads are common when eatingin Morocco.Like Rice, Faller-Parrett spent time eating with Moroccanlocals during her travels, so she also got the non-touristy perspective onfood."I was fascinated during one of our first breakfasts,as the hosts at our riad served us three different kinds of bread, hard boiledeggs, cheese, jam, cocoa, honey, butter, olives, orange juice, coffee and minttea."She enjoyed immersing herself via the varied foodsavailable in Morocco, including the tajine and pastilla. She also made sure totry a sheep's head and brain straight from a stall in Marrakech's Jamaa el Fna,the country's most famous market."Meals are a wondeful experience, with manydifferent courses and new tastes," Faller-Parrette said. "Beadventurous and try everything from the many delicious types of bread andvegetables to pigeon pastillas and boiled sheep's head."If you go to Morocco, you'll also find that tea issteeped into the culture. Swishing a paper tea bag in a steaming coffeemug can be heavenly on a cold day, but it's a far cry from the elaboraterituals of the East. Residents drink a special green tea several times a day.It's a part of daily life, and a component of hospitality shown to guests."The ubiquitous mint tea was ever-present,"wrote Rice. "Every shop, hotel, restaurant and home."The tea is prepared with mint added to it, and thensweetened to varying degrees by regional preference.Visual presentation is a big part of the ritual, and thepreparer typically uses a tray with glasses and pots. There may be an elaboratepreparation technique designed to affect the taste and consistency of thedrink. Pouring is done from a distance to ensure a certain foaminess, which isa practice that can be found in many other countries around the world.Vivienne Chapleo and Jill Hoelting , who run WAVEjourney.com,visited Morocco and participated in a tea ceremony with a Berber family justoutside Marrakech in the Ourika Valley. The Bend, Oregon, bloggers said the teaceremony was a treasured experience featuring more than just tea, and plenty ofattention from their hosts."They also served warm, fresh bread from flour theyhad stone ground themselves. Accompanying the bread was honey from their ownbees, butter from their cow and olive oil from their olive trees."The traveling pair made sure torecord a video of the elaborate preparations for the tea."The mint tea was served with copious amounts ofsugar and was an absolute treat to see being prepared."Faller-Parrett says she also enjoyed tasting the tea withmeals or just to relax wherever she went."Mint tea is such a huge part of Moroccan culture,and I enjoyed taking a moment after meals to drink it and talk about all of thedelicious foods we ate or to take a break from a day of exploring to sit for amoment at a café, soak in my surrounds and drink tea."Have you ever been to Morocco, or are you a fan of thecountry's cuisine? We'd love to hear from you. We're curious what you wouldrecommend and what you've enjoyed. Share what you think a traveler should eat,and any food-related adventures you've had in the comments area below.CNN's Destination Adventure seriestakes a look at great places for eager explorers. Each week, we'll featurefavorite regional foods, secrets from the locals and the best photos andstories from readers. Have you been to Morocco? Share your story with CNN iReport. And nextweek, we'll journey to Nepal.---------------------------------------------Sahara Solar Project to Present First Plant Design in 2012October 05, 2011By Stefan Nicola (Adds Dii strategy, quote from analyst in last three paragraphs.)Oct. 5 (Bloomberg) -- The Sahara solar initiative backedby German turbine maker Siemens AG and Deutsche Bank AG will sketch out plansin 2012 for its first power plant, a 600 million-euro ($800 million) station inMorocco, its project manager said.Desertec, the venture aiming to generate power across theNorth African desert for Mediterranean-area consumers, needs a few more monthsof planning for its initial 150-megawatt pilot plant, Paul van Son, chiefexecutive officer of Dii GmbH, the project management company, said in aninterview in Munich.Dii’s talks with European and North African governmentsto back the initiative are advancing “step by step,” even as upheavals duringthe Arab Spring ousted leaders in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya this year, van Son said.“I’m very confident that we will see concrete steps in 2012.”The project founded in 2009 envisions an Egypt-to-Morocconetwork of solar-thermal plants, in which mirrors concentrate sunlight to heatliquids for powering turbines, as well as photovoltaic panels and wind farms.Electricity would be sold to the region and the excess exported to Europe,providing as much as 15 percent of the continent’s demand by 2050.Overall investments may total as much as 400 billioneuros, Dii has said. So far, no facilities have been built, which has LoganGoldie-Scot, an analyst with Bloomberg New Energy Finance, concerned that theproject may not be realized.North African countries are moving ahead with their ownprojects more quickly than Desertec, Goldie-Scot said. Morocco targets 2gigawatts of solar capacity by 2020, with bidding for the construction of a125-megawatt solar-thermal plant in Ouarzazate “in the final stages,”Goldie-Scot said by phone.‘Nice Ambition’“Until Desertec actually puts a project on the ground andprovides details on financing and the different stakeholders, it’s nothing morethan nice ambition and a series of public announcements,” he said.Dii shareholders including Deutsche Bank, Italy’sUniCredit SpA and Abengoa SA of Spain, are working to carry out the projectwhile access to financing is becoming increasingly difficult amid the Europeandebt crisis.About 1.9 billion euros in investment are needed todevelop the first 500-megawatt phase of Desertec, Dii says. Shareholders,including insurer Munich Re, may help provide financing or equity to build thefirst plant, van Son said.The pilot plant should supply Morocco and Spain by 2014if photovoltaic panels are used, and about two years later if it relies onsolar-thermal technology, he said.Solar-Thermal TimingDii chose Morocco to host the first plant as the countryis stable, has a government that backs renewable-energy expansion and is linkedto Europe via two undersea cables stretching about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles)across the Strait of Gibraltar, van Son said. The cables have free capacity of400 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts, he said.“Morocco is especially cash-strapped, and that’s whythey’re eager to attract foreign investments and more willing to meetDesertec’s terms than some of the other North African countries,” said SamuelCiszuk, an energy analyst for the region at Colorado-based IHS Global InsightLtd. He spoke by telephone from London.Aside from commercial and shareholder financing, theMunich-based initiative is in negotiations with governments in North Africa andEurope to secure state-backed grants and loan guarantees, van Son said. Diithen hopes for governments to buy the electricity via a power-purchaseagreement, he said.The company is preparing a study that simulates powernetwork conditions in Morocco to find out more about the ideal technology forthe first plants, van Son said. The study will run until the end of the yearand its results may help convince potential investors, he said.Wider GoalDii aims to expand installations in North Africa and theMiddle East with a wider goal to transfer clean technology, create jobs andmeet the region’s entire electricity demand from renewable sources by 2050, vanSon said.The initiative is working on a feasibility study forpossible projects in Tunisia and has talked to officials in Algeria, Egypt andLibya, countries that have seen upheavals during the Arab Spring uprisings.“We’re seeing the start of a period of change in NorthAfrica, and some countries may look very different in a few years,” Ciszuksaid. “If Desertec can get things under way in Morocco, why shouldn’t there bemore opportunities in Tunisia and Egypt in the mid-term?”--Editors: Todd White, Randall HackleyTo contact the reporter on this story: Stefan Nicola inBerlin at snicola2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: ReedLandberg at landberg@bloomberg.nethttp://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-05/sahara-solar-project-to-present-first-plant-design-in-2012.html---------------------------------------------Moroccan student entrepreneurs compete for Arab prize2011-10-05Morocco will participate in the annual INJAZ al-ArabYoung Arab Entrepreneurs Competition, which opens in Amman on October 18th.After six months of preparation, student teams from across the region will viefor the "Best Company of the Year Award" before their peers and apanel of judges."The world economic crisis has stimulated a recordincrease in youth unemployment in the MENA region, making it one of the biggestchallenges facing governments and society," judge Ahmad Shuqairi said. Theevent organisers work to "combat this problem by recognising theimportance of self-employment as a career option", he added.Operating in 12 countries across the Middle East andNorth Africa region, INJAZ al-Arab says it works with Ministries of Educationto equip Arab students with practical business-related skills, as part of theregular educational curriculum, to enable their success in the global economy.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/10/05/newsbrief-06---------------------------------------------Morocco's LosIfninos: Surfing Across Two CulturesYou neversaw just one of them: Los Ifninos, the surfers of Sidi Ifni. They alwayswalked together, two or three, and drove around together, four or five, in adusty Renault, blasting the Sublime song that goes:Early in themorning, rising to the street,Light me upthat cigarette and I strap shoes on my feetGot to findthe reason, reason things went wrong,Got to finda reason why the money's all gone.The Renaultwould stop in front of the old hotel that held the Ifni surf shop and you wouldhear four sets of feet go inside and up the six flights of stairs to therooftop terrace where they could check the surf out front and yell down attheir friends on the street. If three of four surfers run around together inAmerica they are friends. In Morocco, four surfers feels like a politicalmovement. Everywhere they go becomes their place. When they paddle out to thebreak at Legzira they turn it into their performance space, yelling and cursingeach other, dropping into the hollow waves there, getting swallowed whole bytubes and racing against each other for the best waves.Our firstconversation. I introduced myself: a surfer from California."California!You are a great surfer then!""Notexactly.""We aregoing to Legzira. You must come.""Thewaves are better there?""Yes.Yes. Much better at Legzira. It is beautiful there. Long beach. Bigarches."What aboutthe waves here? I pointed out at the break in front of my hotel, a nicelyshaped A-frame breaking outside."No,no. Too far out. Too much paddle."They were acrew, a band of brothers. They wanted ride fast waves close in where theirfriends on shore could see how good they were."Comewith us to Legzira! First we get the beers! Then we get the waves!""Okay."'We piledinto the Renault and everyone put on sunglasses and began singing, "Earlyin the morning, rising to the street..."On the roadto Legzira, a few miles up the coast, we talked about waves and women, which inSidi Ifni are the two eternal subjects, one chasing the tail of the other.Waves and women: you can talk about them forever and never repeat yourself.They are the same because every single one of them is different: each wave,each woman arises from different conditions, products of storms and pressures,born of the longings and fevers not only of their individual origins but of thewhole ocean. Each has its own personality, each must be addressed differentlyand to catch it you must look directly into it and read its heart before it canbe caught.Nabil, theIfnino seated next to me, told me about his trips into the dance clubs ofAgadir, a city of a half million up the coast.“Every nightI go and dance and meet women." Talking to Nabil is like talking to yourid in knock off Ray Bans. He is a wave-riding Casanova, a Moroccan Borat,describing impossible conquests. The only difference is that he knows the jokeis on him.At Legzira,we roll to Oscar's house, a pink three storey built into the side of a bloodred cliff. There are people setting up outside with boards and wetsuits. Insidea gloriously fat woman works in the kitchen. Upstairs a dozen locals sit aroundabout drinking Especial, a lager brewed in Casablanca. A beach house like thisis everything you could want: a clubhouse, a promenade, a dive, a school, arestaurant and a theater to watch your friends ride the fat swells the Atlanticunfurls at you.After a fewdrinks, we pull on our wetsuits and paddle out. It does not look good. Thewaves, while big, are crossing each other at bad angles, canceling each otherout and making a mess of the water. Where there should be clean lines of wavespassing through the water, there is instead a storm-tossed anarchy that the eyecan barely make sense of, like an endlessly rumpled bedspread. I catch a couplewaves but after an hour of battling the chop my arms are exhausted. Paddlingin, one of the crew tells me that Nabil dropped in on a big wave and snappedhis board in half.http://spot.us/pitches/1011-arab-spring-meets-endless-summer/updates/1138-morocco-s-los-ifninos-surfing-across-two-cultures--------------------------------------------- MOROCCO: JOURNEY THROUGH A BUREAUCRATIC FARCE. 10/05/11

Casablanca / Morocco Board News -- My kids were born in the US and didnot have time, nor the desire to take the trip into the city to deal with theMoroccan Embassy in Washington.So I had thebright idea to register my kids in Morocco. So I started my Quest.The first stepis to create what is called a "hala madania"/ or family CivilRecord book. You get this in the "Moukataa" / or the local governmentOffice where your father or you were born. If you were not born in Morocco, yougo to the "Moukataa" / Local government Office where yourfather registered you. Once you do this, they give you the "extrait"or copy from your father's "hala madania" / family Civil Record- you then take this with your marriage contract (notarized of course) and theHala Madania location of your wife and put in your request for the "HalaMadania" (family Civil Record) book.

Once you getthe "hala madania"/ family Civil Record, you then have to go to the"Moukataa" / Local government Office where you live in Moroccoand visit the "Hala madania" section, once there, you give the womenthere a copy of your kids birth certificate and a copy of your name page fromyour "Hala Madania" book and your wife's page from her "halamadania" book - they will then give you a paper that says that yourchild is NOT registered. This then allows you to begin the process ofregistering your child in Morocco...

The Next stepis the court house. You go to the Court house "Sandoq" (box area) -at the "Sandoq" they will expect you to NOT have all of the paperworkyou need, but you will see the expression of surprise on their face if you comeprepared! You need to bring your kids original birth certificate, and a copy ofit (no need to translate it, it seems) You also need to bring another notarizedcopy of your marriage certificate, your father's "hala madania" /family Civil Record book, and two of those green "akd alziad"/Birth Certificates , one for yourself and the other for your wife. You thenstart what amounts to a full day project and one picture of yourself and aletter from the equivalent of the law office across the street - very cheap forthem to write the letter for you, they know what to put in it, you just have tomake sure they don't make any spelling mistakes. Remember, EVERYTHING in Moroccancourts is done in Arabic.

Now here isthe key to getting this done in ONE day, you have to follow your own file fromone place to another. It is actually almost comical, as you go to one roomwhere they stamp the paper, then you go to the room next door to get it signed,then you go upstairs to have another guy sign it, and then to another room toget

The full Arabic name al-Mamlakat al-Maghribiyyah (المملكة المغربية) translates to "The Western Kingdom". Al-Maghrib (المغرب), meaning "The West", is commonly used. For historical references, medieval Arab historians and geographers used to refer to Morocco as al-Maghrib al-Aqṣá (المغرب الأقصى, "The Farthest West"), disambiguating it from neighboring historical regions called al-Maghrib al-Awsaṭ (المغرب الأوسط, "The Middle West", Algeria) and al-Maghrib al-Adná (المغرب الأدنى, "The Nearest West",Tunisia).[9]The English name "Marocco" originates from Spanish "Marruecos" or the Portuguese "Marrocos", from medieval Latin"Morroch", which referred to the name of the former Almoravid and Almohad capital, Marrakesh.[10] In Persian and Urdu, Morocco is still called "Marrakesh". Until recent decades, Morocco was called "Marrakesh" in Middle Eastern Arabic. In Turkish, Morocco is called "Fas" which comes from the ancient Idrisid and Marinid capital, Fez.The word "Marrakesh" is made of the Berber word combination Murt n Akush (Murt n Akuc), meaning Land of God.-From Wikipedia

During the first week of September I attended a Close ofService Conference in Rabat with the forty some PCVs still here from thesixty-three of us who began two Septembers ago. It was a nice time and Iparticularly enjoyed the reminiscing. In the sprit of looking back, here is theaspiration statement that I wrote when I applied to Peace Corps all those yearsago, and yes some of it is incredibly soppy:

A: I plan to be patient, flexible and positive in attitude inorder to be a catalyst for the development of the youth community. I hope tosee, be shown, and show a hundred people that I have yet to meet, that we areall one people who are all playing on the same team rather then being on athousand different teams playing against each other. Of course I think I willhave, in some respect, ‘the peace corps experience’. I think that I will pealback the layers of myself, like an onion and get to know myself much betterthen I do now. And I am also worried that the self-knowledge that I gain fromthe experience is something I will lose when I return to America.

B: From the amount of information I currently have it is stillearly to start formulating strategy. However from what I have read and heard,the first year of service is all about re-becoming a person. It is a time spentlearning the language, teaching your own language, drinking tea in cafes,accepting invitations to lunch and doing a dozen other things that all slowlyturn you into a member of the community. Only after this year can you trulystart discussing expressed needs, developing a project and developing astrategy, and communicating the entire process in the relevant directions.

C:I plan to listen to music. I plan to drink tea. I plan towalk. I plan to wander. I plan to imitate what I see. What everyone else wearsI want to wear. I think it will be longer until I learn how to cook whateveryone else eats. I hope in many ways to achieve cultural conversion, howeverI am not distinctly sure how to leave behind the value judgments of my ownculture. The paperwork sent to me from Washington that I have read thus farseemed to indicate it was something adjusted to on a case-by-case basis. WhileI anticipate some difficulties adapting my own personal values to work withinthe values of my community, I don’t think they will be too significant and willbe slowly resolved, little by little over time.

D:I want to learn the language, how to deal with culturalstress, and how to incorporate the Peace Corps’ development philosophy andapproach without feeling like a tool of globalization and an opponent of aslower, more natural, prelapsarian world. Also, I would like to learn how to bemore self-motivated and pro active on a daily basis.

E: Professionally, I sincerely believe that Peace Corps servicewill make me a much more attractive applicant to the diplomatic corps and anybusiness school that I may choose to apply to. I think that the practicalexperience of Arabic, though I am aware that Moroccan Arabic is different fromStandard Arabic, will be very useful after my service ends, or at least I trulyhope it will. Personally, I thinkthat having volunteered in the Peace Corps, I will be able to look back at thatfact and feel proud of myself and pleased at the person I have become as aresult.

Morocco school year begins amid controversy.By Siham Ali for Magharebia 2011-09-26Morocco's state education continues to draw criticism from the public while the government seeks to defend its strategy.

.Over six million Moroccan children set off to schools a few days ago. This year, the beginning of the school term was accompanied with lively debates over the future of the kingdom's state education system.Moroccans have voiced little confidence in state education and are critical of both teachers and the government's strategy in this sector.The Ministry of Education, however, insisted that much progress had been made, despite the persistence of certain difficulties. The Secretary of State for School Education, Latifa El Abida, acknowledged that there are several obstacles standing in the way of her department's strategy.At a press briefing held on September 13th, she stressed the importance of motivating teachers, some of whom have lost faith. The official believed that improvements in other areas of the education system could restore confidence to those who work in the sector.As for teaching methods, which have been slammed by parents and experts alike, El Abida said that the government intended to release updated versions of primary-school textbooks after this year. It also plans to develop a curriculum for children with special needs and to assess the syllabi taught at lower and higher secondary level. The aim is to teach more science and technology, encouraging more pupils to take up these subjects.In Morocco's big cities, many parents elect to send their children to private institutions for schooling despite the overwhelming burden it poses to such families."It's difficult to have faith in state schools, where the teachers aren't monitored closely enough and the curricula are out of date", said Laila Zerhouni, a mother of two children who attend a private school at a cost of 2,400 dirhams a month. She and her husband have a combined income of 6,000 dirhams.According to Social Development Minister Nouzha Skelli, the government is making significant efforts to improve schools and that more than 23% of the state budget is spent on education."More than 4 million pupils have received school bags and several thousand other young people have been admitted to Dar Talib, Dar Taliba and other boarding schools", Skelli stated at a Casablanca meeting on September 14th.Another problem is the dropout rate. Some 400,000 pupils drop out of school every year. To address this problem, a scheme called Tayssir has been launched. The programme provides direct financial aid to disadvantaged families. The plan is currently benefiting 609,000 pupils and 88,000 families, as compared with 47,000 families and 363,000 pupils in 2008-2009, but is still not nation-wide.The Secretary of State admitted that truancy, especially by girls in lower secondary schools in rural areas, is a continuing problem. Families in the countryside still prefer to keep their daughters at home for cultural reasons. The shortage of education facilities in certain areas also contributes to the problem."I had ambitions which were quickly wiped out. Now, all I can do is wait for a husband to appear on the horizon," 15-year-old Hafida, who lives in a douar in Taza, told Magharebia. She had to leave school during her sixth year in primary education because the school was too far away from her home.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/09/26/feature-03-------------------------------------------Thousands of protesters continue to demand reform in Morocco.Jon JensenSeptember 26, 2011Seven months after demonstrations first began, some Moroccans are still seeking political change

Protestors gather in Marrakech on September 25, 2011 for a demonstration organised by the youth-based February 20 Movement calling for reforms in the Arab world's oldest reigning monarchy. (ABDELHAK SENNA/AFP/Getty Images)One day after pro-reform protests erupted throughout Morocco, videos uploaded to social media websites on Monday offer insight into the scale and intensity of the crowds that continue gathering for weekly demonstrations in the North African kingdom.Thousands of protesters took to the streets of several major cities in Morocco on Sunday, demanding greater political reform and threatening to boycott the kingdom’s upcoming parliamentary elections.Small-scale demonstrations first began in Morocco on February 20, around the same time a similar wave of popular discontent swept across the region.Perhaps to avoid the fates that befell neighboring rulers in Tunisia and Egypt, Morocco’s King Mohamed VI pledged political reform for the country’s historically weak parliament and office of the prime minister.Although constitutional amendments were passed by a majority of Moroccans earlier this year, some have complained that the reforms - and the King’s powers - do not go far enough.More from Casablanca: Constitutional reforms spark debate in Morocco“Head of the army, it’s too much — head of the religion, it’s too much,” chanted a crowd at similar protests last week, according to the Associated Press.The AP reported that Sunday’s demonstration in Casablanca, where around 10,000 people gathered, was the largest in that city “in months.”Another 2,000 protesters marched in Rabat, the capital, to the parliament building. Agence France-Presse reported that 1,000 protesters took to the streets of Tangier and Marrakech.This video, reportedly shot yesterday, shows hundreds of protesters marching down a crowded street in Casablanca. Other videos show different angles of the same protest in Morocco’s largest city, as well as the throngs of people chanting in Rabat and Tangier.Protesters in Casablanca held up placards reading "Corruption is Wrecking Our Lives" and "More Social Justice", according to AFP.Chants in that city also urged fellow Moroccans to boycott the country’s parliamentary elections, reported the AP.Moroccans head to the polls for parliament on November 25. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/the-casbah/thousands-protesters-continue-demanding-reform-morocco------------------------------------------Atlas to AdirondacksCollege to host American working in MoroccoSeptember 27, 2011By JESSICA COLLIER - Staff Writer (jcollier@adirondackdailyenterprise.com) , Adirondack Daily Enterprise

PAUL SMITHS - People in the Adirondacks can learn from people in rural Morocco, and they can learn from us as well.That's Cloe Erickson's goal, and she plans to talk about it at a presentation tonight at Paul Smith's College.Erickson is the founder of the Atlas Cultural Foundation, and she has been working in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco in a region called Zawiya Ahansal, which is similar to the Adirondacks in that it's mountainous and rural.It all started when she went to Morocco on her honeymoon in 2003. She had been working as an architect after getting a degree in architecture from Montana State University, but she wasn't satisfied with the work environment. She had gone back to school and studied Arabic so she could communicate with and gain respect from the natives in Morocco.She and her husband only visited the Atlas Mountains to hike and recreate, but they found what she calls a hidden gem of a historic area.Erickson formed the Atlas Cultural Foundation and started working to restore buildings in the area, which caught the attention of the Moroccan government. Government officials had been wanting to restore the region but had been having trouble finding people who would want to go to such a remote area to do that kind of work, so they started to fund Erickson's organization.With that additional funding, she's been able to expand the organization's reach from just cultural restoration and preservation to also helping with community health, as well as community education and literacy.Now Erickson is partnering with Adirondack Sustainable Communities - Erickson went to college with ASC President Todd Smith - to start a transfer of knowledge between the two regions, which she said can learn a lot from one another. She hopes to bring leaders from the Moroccan communities to the Adirondacks, as well as to send local leaders to Morocco, so each can learn from how the other deals with the remoteness of mountain life and the difficulty of getting resources in rural areas.Adirondack Sustainable Communities currently has two local projects: the Adirondack Green Circle and Saranac Lake's community gardens.Erickson will also be talking tonight about a study-abroad program the two groups are working to start that would send students to Morocco to help with the Atlas Cultural Foundations initiatives.The Zawiya Ahansal region has about 15,000 inhabitants and covers about 40 square miles of land. Smith said Monday the Tri-Lakes is about the same in terms of population numbers but covers a greater land mass, so it's comparable. But Erickson said the people of the Atlas Mountains have to travel much farther for health care.Two of the villages there only recently got electricity. Smith and Erickson noted Monday that kind of change can have a dramatic effect on a population, because refrigeration allows people to keep food much longer. Erickson said some of the residents are having trouble figuring out how it should work; they have their fridges turned up too high and freeze their fruits and vegetables.Erickson's presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the college's Freer Hall. Erickson said she'd talk some, but she also has some video she wants to show of backcountry skiing and hiking in Morocco. © Copyright 2011 Adirondack Daily Enterprise. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/526818/Atlas-to-Adirondacks.html?nav=5008------------------------------------------The mystical magic of Moroccoby: Lonely Planet From: National Features September 24, 2011WITHIN minutes of arrival in Marrakesh's Medina (Old City) you'll learn a new word: "Balek!" Roughly, "Move it or lose it, donkey coming through!"Donkey carts may not inspire the same adrenalin-rushing alertness as careering Vespas loaded with oranges, taxi drivers who mistake their Fiats for Formula One cars or carpet sellers in hot pursuit of customers with their absolute last price. But once you glimpse these carts, painted with good-luck symbols and hurtling headlong through narrow souqs (covered market streets), you too will leap to the sidelines and watch in awe as Marrakesh rushes ahead by all available means.Where is the city headed in such a hurry? Marrakesh has a hot date with you, actually. King Mohammed VI proclaimed that by 2020 Morocco would welcome 20 million visitors, with Marrakesh as the main point of entry. Luckily, showing guests a good time comes readily to the bahja, or joyous ones, as Marrakshis are known.The Djemaa el-Fna has enchanted visitors for a millennium, with its chorus of 100 chefs singing their own praises, Gnaoua musicians banging out funky freedom songs on ginbris (three-stringed banjos) and potion-sellers' chants promising cures for rheumatism and heartbreak.Guests receive royal treatment in traditional hammams (bathhouses) and authentic riads (elegant mud-brick courtyard mansions that make the Medina a UNESCO World Heritage Site).Given its 1000-year history of hospitality, a 2011 cafe bombing came as a shock to cosmopolitan Marrakesh. But after surviving historic triumphs and tragedies with its spirits and pink mud-brick walls marvellously intact, this city knew what to do. Marrakesh dried its tears, gathered its legendary wits and put on another pot of welcoming mint tea.Marrakesh highlights:Watch nonstop drama in the Djemaa el-Fna PT Barnum was bluffing when he called his circus "the greatest show on Earth"; that title has belonged to the Djemaa el-Fna for almost a millennium. The hoopla and halqa (street theatre) has been non-stop here ever since this plaza was used for public executions in about 1050 hence its name, which means "assembly of the dead".The curtain goes up on the Djemaa el-Fna about 9am, when juice vendors haul in carts loaded with oranges, potion purveyors and henna tattoo artists set up shop under umbrellas, and pedestrians begin their dance, dodging motor scooters and donkey carts.The second act begins in the afternoon, when the entertainers arrive. Snake charmers strike up oboe numbers that are apparently irresistible club tunes among the serpent set. Like all-male cheerleader squads, track-suited acrobats attempt to rouse afternoon cafe crowds with backflips and human pyramids. But Gnaoua musicians always steal the show with syncopated songs heavy on drums and castanets; working themselves and their audience into an ecstatic trance that gets fez tassels spinning, toes tapping and everyone grinning. As always in the Djemaa, applause and tips in any amount keep the good vibes and encores coming.When evening arrives, storytellers spellbind crowds with legends told in Arabic and dramatic gestures that need no translation. Astrologers, healers and cross-dressing belly dancers move to the periphery as some 100 food stalls set up shop and barbecue smoke rises from the Djemaa like dry ice in preparation for the evening's grande finale.Get a higher education in Moroccan artistry at Ali Ben Youssef MedersaInsiders say Marrakesh's palaces can't compare with its wonders wrought for the glory of God. While local mosques and zaouias (saint shrines) are closed to non-Muslims, you can see what the insiders mean at this medersa (Koranic school). Founded in the 14th century, the Ali ben Youssef Medersa was once the largest in North Africa and is one of the most splendid. Look up in the entry hall to admire intricately carved cedar cupolas and mashrabiyya (wooden-lattice screen) balconies. To add an aah to that ooh, enter the medersa's courtyard. The arcaded cloisters are Hispano-Moresque wonders of five-colour, high-lustre zellij (mosaic) and ingenious Iraqi-style Kufic stucco, with letters intertwined in leaves and knots.Facing stiff competition from medersas in Fez, the school closed in 1962. But in its heyday, up to 900 students lived in the 130 dorm rooms here and shared one bathroom. Upstairs, a 3sq m dorm room shows how students lived, with a sleeping mat, writing implements, a Koran bookstand and a hotplate.Revisit Marrakesh's golden age at Saadian Tombs Who says you can't take it with you? Surely not 16th-century Saadian Sultan Ahmed el-Mansour el-Dahbi, known as The Victorious for defeating Portuguese foes of the Sudan, and as The Golden for cheating customers with exorbitant sugar prices. With his spoils, this Marrakshi Midas gilded the lavish stucco-and-marble Chamber of the Twelve Pillars to make it a suitably glorious final resting place.The sultan kept his many wives, relatives, children and servants close even in death hence the 170-plus tombs in this compound.El-Mansour died in splendour in 1603, but a scant few decades later Alawite Sultan Moulay Ismail walled up the Saadian Tombs to keep his predecessors out of sight and mind. Accessible only through a small passage in the Kasbah Mosque, the tombs were neglected by all except the storks until aerial photography exposed them in 1917.Koutoubia Minaret Five times a day, one voice rises above the Djemaa din for the adhan (call to prayer): that's the muezzin (mosque official) atop the Koutoubia Minaret calling the faithful in all four cardinal directions, so no Marrakshi can claim to have missed a reminder of the salah (five daily prayers).A 12th-century, 70m-high tower, the Koutoubia Minaret the architectural prototype for Seville's La Giralda and Rabat's Tour Hassan is a monumental cheat sheet of Moorish ornament, with scalloped keystone arches and jagged merlons (crenulations). The Koutoubia mosque is off-limits to non-Muslims, but the gardens are fair game and a prime location to hear the Koutoubia adhan up close.The woodworked ceilings at La Bahia Palace Imagine what you could build with Morocco's top artisans at your service for 14 years, and here you have it.La Bahia (The Beautiful) boasts floor-to-ceiling decoration begun by Grand Vizier Si Moussa in the 1860s and further embellished from 1894 to 1900 by slave-turned-vizier Abu "Bou" Ahmed. The painted, gilded, inlaid woodwork ceilings still have the intended effect of awing crowds.Though only a portion of the palace's 8ha and 150 rooms is open to the public, you can see the unfurnished, opulently ornamented harem that once housed Bou Ahmed's four wives and 24 concubines, and the grand Court of Honour, once packed with people begging for the despot's mercy. Warlord Madani Glaoui entertained European friends and tortured enemies here from 1908 to 1911, until his French guests booted him out to establish the Protectorate's resident-generaux.Mohammed VI is more careful about his choice of royal guests, who range from dignitaries to US rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs.This is an edited extract from Lonely Planet Marrakesh Encounter (2nd Edition) by Alison Bing, Lonely Planet, 2011. RRP: $19.99.http://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel/world/the-mystical-magic-of-morocco/story-fn302659-1226144362976------------------------------------------Hawley Rotary sends one of their own to Peace CorpsThe News EaglePosted Sep 26, 2011Hawley, Pa. —Thursday, September 8th the Hawley Rotary Club bid farewell to member Dan Conklin who will be serving with The Peace Corps for the next two and a half years. Conklin is a 1998 graduate of Wallenpaupack Area High School and a 2002 graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Finance & Marketing with a minor in International Business. During his junior year of college he participated in the school’s first Summer Study Abroad program in business at Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen Nurnberg in Germany. Dan has also studied with Goethe Institut in Schwaebisch Hall, Germany on two different occasions and passed the Zertifikat Deutsch exam with the note “Sehr Gut”. Conklin has worked for The Wayne Bank, The Dime Bank and PNC Bank. Because of his love of learning, travel and helping others Conklin decided to apply for a position in The Peace Corps. He left Hawley, September 12th and will be in pre-service training for three months. After training and being sworn in as a volunteer, for two years of service, he will be teaching English and helping form community clubs for children in Morocco.Conklin has been a very active member of the Hawley Rotary Club since 2005. While with the Club he was publicity chair, participated in many of the club activities and created the club’s Facebook page.Copyright 2011 The News Eagle. Some rights reservedhttp://www.neagle.com/news/x26168381/Hawley-Rotary-sends-one-of-their-own-to-Peace-Corps------------------------------------------Tallahassee writer wins Living Now Book Award.By Gene N. StuckeySpecial to the Chronicle Sep. 28, 2011Tallahassee writer Michele Vachon Beaudin received the 2011 Living Now Book Award in the women's fiction category for her novel "Crossing the Dream Line." The Living Now Book Awards are open to the North American market and celebrate the innovation and creativity of new publications that enhance the quality of human life."Crossing the Dream Line" is a sequel to Beaudin's previous novel, "Crossing the 50 Yard Line," which followed the lives of seven women from vastly different socio-economic backgrounds, as they strive to rediscover themselves in light of their upcoming 50th birthdays. "Crossing the Dream Line" continues this chronicle as the same women enter their sixth decade. While the first novel was composed of short stories, the latest book has the women meet and develop relationships in an exotic setting where anything can happen."I am excited that my novel 'Crossing the Dream Line' was recognized by the Living Now Book Award judges," Beaudin said. "I was told by readers that 'Crossing the 50 Yard Line' really struck a chord for them as they reached that milestone, and I hope they will find more to relate with in this new book."Both of these novels are available at www.immigesandwords.com or can be ordered from Amazon and other online sites. They are also available on Kindle. Other titles from Beaudin include "The Mountain," "Seasons on Lookout Mountain" and "Visions of Reality — Illusions of Truth." Beaudin currently is working on a book chronicling her adventures as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco. She can be reached at michele@immiges.com.http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20110928/CHRONICLE/109280331/Tallahassee-writer-wins-Living-Now-Book-Award------------------------------------------e Stevens has their own Children’s Librarian (RPCV)Published on Wed, Sep 21, 2011 by BY PAM STEVENS MANAGING EDITORLeaves have already started falling from the trees and the temperatures have already started dropping. With kids in school and high school football a hot topic in Lake Stevens, it can only mean one thing – autumn has officially begun.

With Fall comes the Lake Stevens Library’s Fall Storytime for kids newborn to five years old and their caregivers. This year Lake Stevens Library has a new addition to their already entertaining and educational children’s activities and that is new Children’s Librarian Monica Jackson.

Jackson will work alongside long-time children’s liaison Melanie Liu to bring more events to even more kids within Lake Stevens.

Jackson received her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Washington and worked for Seattle Public Library for many years as a Teen and Children’s Services Librarian. “I love being a librarian,” Jackson said. “It can make a huge difference in a child’s life.”

Jackson found her passion when she was in the Peace Corps in Morocco. She saw how books were kept behind closed doors and that it was almost impossible for anyone to get their hands on these books. It was then that she realized what a treasure a library system is and the importance of ensuring that children have access to books.

“It was while I was there (in Morocco) that I decided to become a librarian,” she said. “Libraries are the cornerstone of democracy.”

Library systems around the country have seen a rise in use over the past few years and Lake Stevens is no exception. Almost 600 kids signed up for the library’s summer reading program. Two hundred of them have already claimed their free book.

Jackson and the rest of the staff at Lake Stevens Library has plenty to offer kids of all ages including the following:

• Baby storytime for newborn to 8 months old on Mondays at 11:15 a.m. This will be held in the Community Center next to City Hall.

• Toddler storytime (18 months to 3 years) on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. •Preschool storytime (3-5 years) on Thursdays at 10:15 a.m.

As always, caregivers must be present the entire time. Casper Babypants will perform “Every Child Prepared to Read and Rock” on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 10:30 a.m. Lake Stevens Library will also be offering more teen programming in the future. Game Stop, next to Jay’s Market, will be holding a teen game event on Thursday, October 20 at 4 p.m. Check with the library for more fun crafts and activities.http://www.lakestevensjournal.com/news/article.exm/2011-09-21_lake_stevens_has_their_own_children_s_librarian-------------------------------------------

Morocco only to register 'significant' FDI rise in region in H1 2011- Mediterranean investments observatoryParis - Morocco "stands out" from the rest of North African and the Middle Eastern countries in registering a "significant rise" in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects during the first half of 2011, underscored the ANIMA-MIPO, the Observatory of investment and partnerships announcements in the Mediterranean.With a rise of 23% in FDI compared to the same period in 2010, Morocco differentiates itself from the other Maghreb and Mashreq countries, the Observatory said in its Review of Investment and Partnership Announcements.Morocco “keeps investors trust and attracts the third largest number of FDI announcements after Turkey and Israel, confirming the promising positive trend recorded in 2010,” the same source went on to say.The Observatory added that the FDI amounts remain largely under those registered before the crisis, with only 500 million Euros announced between 1 January and 31 June 2011.Concerning other countries in the region, the effects of democratic upheavals and of current transitions were noticeable on the trend of FDI and partnerships, explained the Observatory, noting that “the fall in the number of announced projects is substantial in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, which went back to a level corresponding to the first half of 2009.”http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_only_to_regi/view------------------------------------------Morocco "a recognized microcredit champion" -FocusAddis Ababa - Morocco is a recognized microcredit champion, boasting 40 percent of client outreach in the Arab world and host to some of the best performing microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the world, a Focus note said. According to this note, distributed during the fifth African micro-credit conference (September 19-22) in Addis Ababa, the Moroccan microcredit sector has enjoyed one of the most extraordinary growths seen in the microfinance industry. In this regard, it noted that in just four years (2003-2007), MFI loan portfolios multiplied 11 times and client outreach by four. This exuberant growth was driven by four leading MFIs-Zakoura, Al-Amana, Fondation des Banques Populaires, and Fondep, it said, adding that these institutions scored remarkably well on all microfinance performance metrics, including scale, depth of outreach, asset quality, and profitability. The note said that thanks to these impressive results, Al-Amana and Zakoura were awarded several international prizes (including MIX’s world’s best performing MFI and the European prize for microfinance).http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_a_recognize/view------------------------------------------Morocco sets up social solidarity fund to support needy peopleRabat - Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance, Salaheddine Mezouar, on Tuesday announced the creation of a national solidarity fund aimed at supporting people with special needs and vulnerable people.Communications Minister, spokesman for the government, Khalid Naciri, said, after the weekly cabinet meeting, that Mezouar pointed out during the meeting that this project comes in implementation of HM King Mohammed VI's instructions to enhance social solidarity, spur human development, promote employment and social housing and provide direct support for vulnerable people. This initiative is the first step towards reviewing the state's subsidies system, Naciri said, adding that the rural development fund will cover mountainous areas, and that it will reach one billion dirhams ($122 million).He said that one billion dirhams will be earmarked to finance employment, with 24,714 jobs to be created.Mezouar told the meeting the 2012 appropriation bill forecasts a growth rate of 4.8%, and an inflation rate of 2% and was prepared on the basis of an oil barrel price of 100 dollars.He also said that the deficit will be contained at 4% of gross domestic product.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_sets_up_soci/view------------------------------------------Generalization of medical assistance for the poor makes significant progress, MinisterRabat - Significant progress was made in implementing and generalizing the medical assistance system benefiting the poor (RAMED), Health Minister Yasmina Baddou said on Monday.Speaking to the press ahead of the monthly meeting of RAMED’s management and follow-up committee, Baddou explained that progress has been achieved in terms of training and preparing hospitals.Chaired by Prime Minister, Abbas El Fassi, RAMED executive committee is tasked notably with ensuring the implementation of the medical assistance implementation and extension across the kingdom.The generalization of RAMED will benefit 8.5 million people.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/generalization_of_me/view------------------------------------------Couple brings Morocco to VictoriaNew shop imports handmade products from North African country

By Darron Kloster, timescolonist.com September 29, 2011

Photo:Christine Newton and Mohamed Marwan in their new Moroccan store on Douglas Street with some of the leather bags and rugs imported from North Africa.It was supposed to be a quick trip to England and a break from her studies at the University of Victoria.But the travel bug took Christine Newton on a wide detour to Morocco where she fell in love with the country, its culture and a charismatic tour guide and budding entrepreneur.Five years and a couple of trips later, Newton is back on her West Coast turf with Mohamed Marwan and hundreds of other treasures from the North African desert country.The couple opened Mazouna Moroccan Bazaar late last month, a small import shop in the commercial space fronting the Crystal Garden at 715 Douglas St. It's loaded with camel- and goat-hide bags, leather belts and wallets, rich textiles and ornate lanterns and tea sets — all handcrafted by Marwan's parents, relations and other connections from the villages and souks of Morocco."We're so passionate about the country, the people and what they make and wanted to share that all with my country," said Newton, 26. "There's nothing like it here in Victoria and a city like ours is very open to new products. People are moving away from factory made stuff and really appreciate something that's handmade and will last."Newton said the couple have received two shipments of stock since opening in August. And although the tourism season is winding down, they are now marketing to interior designers and locals who are looking for unique personal items and accessories for their homes.Marwan, 30, one of five siblings, comes from a long line of merchants and artisans. His father is a silversmith in Marrakech, which gained world fame in the 1960s as a hippie mecca and remains one of the most popular African holiday spots for Europeans.Many of his father's silver creations are now in the downtown shop, where the couple serves traditional mint tea for shoppers and browsers."We want our visitors to get the feel of Morocco, the beauty and hospitality of our favourite place in the world," said Newton. "Moroccan decor and design has gained unmatched popularity in the West in recent years and has long been a secret source for top decorators and fashionistas around the world."The couple operated Friends of the Desert, a tour company visiting small, out-of-the-way places around Morocco, for the past four years. During that time they were able to secure deals with artisans to ship goods to Canada.There is a grand opening for the business on Sunday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tea will be poured and there will be Moroccan treats, music and henna. Call250-590-5687. dkloster@timescolonist.com© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonisthttp://www.timescolonist.com/travel/Couple+brings+Morocco+Victoria/5480000/story.html###############################################

FYI,Health PCV Nehemiah Waterland and the kids’ baseball team on CNN. http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2011/09/23/exp.am.peacecorps.50.cnn-------------------------------------------------------From Morocco: Q & A with a Moroccan teen.Friday, September 23, 2011,By Alexandra Cash Meet Rababe Saadoui. She is a 16-year-old high school student in a small town in Morocco. She is in her final year in high school, graduating next June.

Alexandra Cash: What is your typical school day like?

Rababe Saadoui: It's normal. We go, we study.

A.C.: What is normal?

R.S.: It's nothing special. We go and study boring school subjects. School in Morocco is not a place we feel comfortable. In my town that is. We go there because we have to.

A.C.: What do you like to do outside of school?

R.S.: Play sports, meet with my friends, watch movies, and sleep. There are no places to go and have fun here. I spend my time watching my movies mostly.

A.C: What is your relationship with your parents like?

R.S.: Amazing! I can say whatever I want to them. They never say no. They understand what I want. They do their best to keep me safe and comfortable.

A.C.: What are some of the stresses that Moroccan teens face?

R.S.:They need to hid their romantic relationships from their parents. Money, they can't have a lot. Extra tutoring hours and teachers. You have no relationship with them [teachers].

A.C.: What kinds of things can teens do in your town?

R.S.: Go to the Internet cafe. Boys can go to the place to play pool. This is their favorite place. They hide in some places to take drugs. They can go to the river. Most of these things are only for boys. Girls can't go to these places.

A.C.: What are some of the problems Morocco faces right now?

R.S.: Violence. People don't respect women. Drugs, corruption. You can't get a job unless you know someone.

A.C.: What is one thing you would like to see happen to make Morocco change for the better?

R.S.: I want all the universities to be free so everyone can have a chance to go there and study.

A.C.: What is one of your biggest dreams?

R.S.: To see all the world. To buy something from each country.

A.C.: What is one thing about America you are curious about?

R.S.: I am curious about American high schools. I only see them in movies and I am curious to see how they are. And the parties. There are so many parties like prom. We don't have these here.

A.C.: One final question. What is one thing you want American to know about Morocco?

R.S.: It is a great country, we love our king. Everyone should come visit this country.

Born and raised in Jackson, Michigan Alexandra Cash is a graduate of Jackson High School, Jackson Community College, and Michigan State University. At MSU she earned a degree in journalism with a focus in international relations. Alexandra is currently serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small town near Casablanca in Morocco, North Africa. She will be working in youth development until November 2011.http://www.mlive.com/living/jackson/index.ssf/2011/09/from_morocco_q_a_with_a_morocc.html------------------------------------------Morocco Wins Credit for Economy-Boosting Reforms: Arab Credit.By Ahmed A. Namatalla and Mahmoud Kassem - Sep 22, 2011Bank lending to Morocco rose at the fastest pace in the Arab world as the kingdom steers clear of political turmoil that toppled regimes in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt.International loans to the country climbed $1.3 billion, or 14 percent, in the first quarter, compared with the 0.3 percent increase in total credit to Africa and the Middle East, the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland, said in a report published Sept. 18. Advances to Libya dropped 37 percent and those to Egypt fell 14 percent. The yield on Morocco’s 4.5 percent eurobond due October 2020 declined 11 basis points to 5.99 percent today from the peak in February.Moroccans approved constitutional changes in July proposed by King Mohammed VI to transfer more power to the parliament, forestalling uprisings similar to those that oustedLibya’s Muammar Qaddafi and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. The International Monetary Fundpredicts political reforms will help the nation’s economy grow 4.6 percent this year, up from 3.7 percent in 2010.“Morocco is perceived as one of the most stable countries in the region and it proved to be so when protests started,” said Mohamed Abu Basha, an economist at Cairo-based EFG-Hermes Holding SAE, the biggest publicly traded Arab investment bank. “The king was quick to react with reform initiatives.”Constitutional ChangesThe BIS report tracks fund flows from global banks to regional ones, including country-specific units of international banks from their parent companies, which they can use to lend domestically.The amended constitution allows for the prime minister to be chosen from the party that wins elections even as the king retains the power to overrule or dissolve parliament, along with his role as “commander of the faithful” in the Islamic nation. Elections will be held Nov. 25, state-run Maghreb Arabe Presse news agency reported last week. The Group of Eight nations along with Persian Gulf countries pledged this month to help Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan make the transition to democracy by mobilizing $38 billion of international financing.The country retained its BBB- credit ratings from Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings, the lowest investment grade in both scales, and the Ba1 by Moody’s Investors Service, the highest non-investment level. Egypt’s creditworthiness was cut twice by Moody’s this year to Ba3 and once by Fitch to BB due to political instability.Morocco’s inflation rate was 2.2 percent in the first eight months of this year, according tocentral bank data, compared with 8.5 percent in Egypt. The central bank has held its benchmark interest rate at 3.25 percent since March 2009, when it was lowered by a quarter of a percentage point.Enduring ‘Unrest’“Thanks to sound macroeconomic policy and political reforms, Morocco was well-equipped to respond to the social unrest,” the IMF said in a report in July. “In this challenging environment, Morocco has performed well economically and has seen its social indicators improve.”The country of 33 million people, which was invited to join the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, is investing in infrastructure projects including an allocation of 31.5 billion Moroccan dirhams ($3.83 billion) to expand wind-power capacity by 2020, high-speed rail to connect its main Atlantic coastal cities, and a seaport and logistics facility in Tangier. Morocco allocated17 billion dirhams in this year’s budget to build and upgrade highways, railways and seaports.“Foreign investors now prefer to invest in Morocco rather than Egypt or Tunisia,” said Alae Yahya, an analyst at Casablanca-based Sogecapital Bourse, a unit of Societe Generale SA. “Even compared to a country like South Africa, there is good investor confidence here. Of course there are structural and administrative problems but the government has undertaken initiatives to make things easier for international investors.”U.S. SlowdownStill, Morocco’s credit risk has risen to the highest level in more than two years as Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis and an economic slowdown in the U.S. threaten to stall the global economic recovery. The cost to insure the nation’s debt against non-payment for five years using credit default swaps jumped 65 basis points, or 0.65 percentage point, this quarter to 238 basis points yesterday, the highest level since June 2009, according to data provider CMA, which is owned by CME Group Inc. (CME) and compiles prices quoted by dealers in the privately negotiated market.Morocco’s 10-year eurobond underperformed its counterparts in the region this quarter. The yield on the Moroccan notes rose 21 basis points since the end of June, compared with a 40 basis- point decline to 4.67 percent in the average yield for sovereign Middle Eastern debt, according to the HSBC/NASDAQ Dubai Middle East Conventional Sovereign US Dollar Bond Index.The Moroccan economy is facing increased risk due to ties with its main trading partners in Europe, including France and Spain, Keren Uziyel, an economist at the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit, said in a Sept. 20 e-mail. The European Union is the North African nation’s largest trading partner, according to European Commission data.Stocks SlideThe benchmark MADEX Free Float Index (MOSEMDX) retreated about 9 percent this year, compared with a 39 percent plunge in Egypt’s EGX 30 Index. (EGX30)International banks can be expected to continue to support projects in Morocco, Simon Kitchen, Cairo-based strategist at EFG-Hermes, said by telephone on Sept. 20. The capacity of local banks to finance such projects may be limited given a loan-to- deposit ratio of 80 percent in July, central bank data show.“From a banker’s perspective, you’d be happier financing an investment rather than financing current spending because the investment should generate its own returns to pay you back,” Kitchen said.To contact the reporters on this story: Ahmed A Namatalla in Cairo atanamatalla@bloomberg.net; Mahmoud Kassem in Cairo at mkassem1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Claudia Maedler at cmaedler@bloomberg.nethttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-22/morocco-wins-credit-for-economy-boosting-reforms-correct-.html------------------------------------------ Distinctive Mission for Muslims’ Conference: Remembering the Holocaust.By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN Published: September 23, 2011One afternoon this week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran addressed the United Nations General Assembly, once again casting doubt that the Holocaust had occurred. Almost exactly 24 hours earlier, an otherwise obscure college student in Morocco named Elmehdi Boudra was convening a conference devoted not to denying the Holocaust but to remembering it. Mr. Ahmadinejad’s speech, not surprisingly, made major news around the world, as had his similar pronouncements in earlier years and his Tehran convention of Holocaust deniers. Mr. Boudra’s conference, meanwhile, attracted virtually no media attention of any kind.Yet it should have been trumpeted, all the more for its coincidental timing. While Holocaust denial or denigration in the Muslim world is a sadly familiar phenomenon, hardly news at all, the conference put together by Mr. Boudra and several dozen classmates, all of them Muslim, may well have been the first of its kind in an Arab or Muslim nation, and a sign of historical truth triumphing over conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic dogma.The conference — held at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, a town in the Atlas Mountains about two hours south of Rabat — brought together Holocaust scholars and survivors, leaders of Morocco’s Jewish community and American Jewish and Moroccan Muslim students. Its twin mandates were to teach about the extermination of European Jewry and to pay homage to the courage of Morocco’s wartime king, Mohammed V, in resisting the orders of the Vichy French occupation government to round up and turn over Jews for internment and probable death.Uncommonly among Arab and Muslim nations, Morocco has accepted the reality of the Holocaust, rather than either dismissing it outright or portraying it as a European crime for which those countries paid the price in the form of Israel’s creation. Partly, no doubt, because of Mohammed V’s stand against the Vichy regime, the current king, Mohammed VI, called in a 2009 proclamation for “an exhaustive and faithful reading of the history of this period” as part of “the duty of remembrance dictated by the Shoah.”Still, the recent conference would never have occurred without Mr. Boudra. Now 24 and majoring in political science, Mr. Boudra grew up after much of Morocco’s Jewish population had moved to France or Israel. But he heard from his grandmother about her childhood in the Jewish quarter of Casablanca, and a grandfather still had Jewish neighbors in his apartment house.Those few personal connections kindled a broader curiosity. That curiosity ultimately led Mr. Boudra to study with Simon Levy, a scholar who directs the Museum of Moroccan Judaism of Casablanca, and to read such classic Holocaust memoirs as “If This Is a Man” by Primo Levi and the diary of Anne Frank.“What upsets me about this subject,” Mr. Boudra wrote in an e-mail message last week, “is some people’s claims that the Holocaust never took place. It is simply absurd to hear such claims in the light of the historical evidence the world has today.”As a student at Al Akhawayn, an elite university with an international orientation, Mr. Boudra and several dozen friends formed a club around their shared interest in Morocco’s Jewish culture and heritage. They named it Mimouna, after the holiday that Moroccan Jews celebrate on the final day of Passover.Through Mimouna and Al Akhawayn, Mr. Boudra met another barrier-breaker named Peter Geffen. The descendant of a distinguished rabbinic family, Mr. Geffen had founded a Jewish day school in New York and an organization, Kivunim, that provided students and teachers with study and travel in Jewish communities around the world.Last December, Mr. Geffen took 60 Kivunim participants to Ifrane to meet with the Mimouna Club. As the session ended, Mr. Boudra pulled him aside to say that the club wanted to hold a Holocaust conference and to ask if Mr. Geffen could help.“The whole power of it is that it was their idea,” Mr. Geffen said in a recent interview, recalling the conversation. “This is before the Arab Spring, and here’s a group of Muslim students, 20, 21 years old, on an Arab campus in the Arab world. And to have an intuitive recognition that opening the discussion in the face of widespread Holocaust denial is a major human step forward.”In the intervening months, Mr. Geffen and Mr. Boudra worked both separately and together to assemble financial support, formal sponsorship and a schedule, which included scholarly presentations, panel discussions, first-person testimony, museum visits, a concert of Moroccan Jewish music and scrupulously kosher meals.So it was that on Sept. 21, the eminent Holocaust historian Michael Berenbaum spoke of the Jewish genocide in Europe, the tide that Mohammed V succeeded in holding back in his nation. An 80-year-old survivor, Elisabeth Citron, recounted her childhood in Romania and Hungary — wearing the yellow star, being deloused with gasoline in front of a laughing first-grade class, being deported to Birkenau, watching the daily selection of inmates for the gas chambers and ovens.“I don’t expect any of you to understand how today I’m here standing in front of you,” Ms. Citron said. “I have no clue why I am here.” By which, of course, she meant alive.For their part, the Moroccan students asked questions and got answers. Were there any German Jews powerful enough to intercede with the Nazis? Was propaganda the way the Nazis justified the Holocaust to non-Jews? Why hasn’t Mohammed V been listed among the righteous gentiles in the Holocaust museum of Yad Vashem?At one point, a Jewish adviser to the current king, Andre Azoulay, addressed Mr. Boudra and the Mimouna Club directly. Mr. Azoulay was born in 1941, during the Vichy occupation, which made him a half-century older than the students. To make sure all the visitors, too, would understand him, he switched from French into English.“You have decided by yourself,” he said. “No one asked you to do it. It was your decision, your vision, your commitment.” He mentioned the significance of naming the club for Mimouna with its connection to the Exodus. “You Muslim students decided to be identified with our liberation,” he said. “It’s not something usual.”E-mail: sgf1@columbia.eduhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/24/us/distinctive-mission-for-muslims-conference-remembering-the-holocaust.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=muslims%20and%20holocaust&st=cse------------------------------------------ Morocco's inflation hits year-high in August.Tue Sep 20, 2011* Annual inflation hits 2.2 pct in August on food, education* Inflation is above 2011 f'cast for second straight month* C.bank expected to keep lending rates unchanged(Adds details and background)By Souhail KaramRABAT, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Higher food and education costs drove inflation in Morocco to 2.2 percent in August, from 1.8 percent in July, official data showed ahead of a central bank meeting expected to keep benchmark interest rates unchanged.Inflation has now stayed above the central Bank al-Maghrib's full-year forecast of 1.4 percent for two straight months.The bank holds on Tuesday its quarterly policy board meeting to decide whether to change its benchmark interest rate which has remained at 3.25 percent since March, 2009.Consumer food prices rose 4 percent in August from a year earlier, the state's High Planning Commission (HCP) said, accelerating from 3.1 percent in July and 0.6 percent in June.Food products account for about 40 percent of the consumer price index' total weighting.Education costs, weighing about a tenth of food items, rose 4.6 percent from August, 2010. Demand for private education is posting double-digit growth in Morocco due to a prevalent perception of inefficiency in public education.HCP did not explain the rise in food and education costs.Analysts point to combined effects of wage hikes the government agreed to in late-April, the arrival from abroad of close to 1.5 million Moroccan expatriates for the summer holiday and higher demand for food products during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which coincided this year with August.Wage hikes for public sector employees and an increase in the minimum wage for the private sector, involving a larger number of Moroccans, kicked in in July.Anxious to avoid the kind of unrest seen in other parts of the Arab world and worried about increases in global commodity prices, Rabat has raised salaries and almost trebled funds for food and energy subsidies to 48 billion dirhams ($5.84 billion).The wage hikes and the state's push to keep prices unchanged through subsidies may have encouraged shopkeepers to raise prices ahead of the of Ramadan, analysts say.On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose by 1.4 percent in August, the sharpest month to month increases in over a year.Underlying inflation, a gauge used by Morocco's central bank to set the benchmark interest rate that excludes state tariffs and volatile prices, stood at an annual 1.3 percent in August, unchanged from the three previous months."An inflation rate of 2.2 percent will not force Bank al-Maghrib to tweak its benchmark interest rate. It's (inflation) still at an acceptable level," said Mounir Mellouk, head of capital markets at Casablanca Finance Markets.The central bank, he noted, raised interest rates in 2007 and 2008 when inflation hit 4 percent."From a monetary perspective, the (benchmark interest) rate should remain unchanged: Loans and money supply growth rates have eased recently. Money supply is now growing at an annual 4 percent while we had a double-digit growth figure two years ago," Mellouk said.The central bank is expected to release a statement on the outcome of its policy board meeting at about 1400 GMT before Governor Abdellatif Jouahri meets reporters at 1530 GMT. (Editing by Ron Askew)($1=8.215 Moroccan Dirham)http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFLDE78J04M20110920?sp=true------------------------------------------ Eastern Region Receives Environmental Award in New York.20 September 2011New York — Morocco's Eastern region received, on Monday in New York, an environmental award from the R20 Regions of Climate Action, a non-profit organization founded in 2011 by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and other global leaders in cooperation with the United Nations.The award recognizes the pioneering role of the Eastern region in launching environment friendly policies, said Schwarzenegger, the President of the R20, who handed the prize to the President of the Eastern region Ali Belhaj.The Eastern region may stand as an example for other regions in the Kingdom and in the world, added Schwarzenegger.The R20 is a coalition of partners led by regional governments that work to promote and implement projects that are designed to produce local economic and environmental benefits in the form of reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; strong local economies; improved public health; and new green jobs.http://allafrica.com/stories/201109201532.html------------------------------------------"A Recognized Microcredit Champion" - Focus20 September 2011Addis Ababa — Morocco is a recognized microcredit champion, boasting 40 percent of client outreach in the Arab world and host to some of the best performing microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the world, a Focus note said.According to this note, distributed during the fifth African micro-credit conference (September 19-22) in Addis Ababa, the Moroccan microcredit sector has enjoyed one of the most extraordinary growths seen in the microfinance industry.In this regard, it noted that in just four years (2003-2007), MFI loan portfolios multiplied 11 times and client outreach by four.This exuberant growth was driven by four leading MFIs-Zakoura, Al-Amana, Fondation des Banques Populaires, and Fondep, it said, adding that these institutions scored remarkably well on all microfinance performance metrics, including scale, depth of outreach, asset quality, and profitability.The note said that thanks to these impressive results, Al-Amana and Zakoura were awarded several international prizes (including MIX's world's best performing MFI and the European prize for microfinance).http://allafrica.com/stories/201109210105.html------------------------------------------Corruption fight focus of Morocco campaign.2011-09-20Both businesses and politicians must play a role in Morocco's anti-graft campaign, analysts say.By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 20/09/11 .As Moroccans prepare to head to the polls for the country's November 25th legislative elections, corruption is resurfacing as a key issue for voters. Politicians recently met in Rabat to discuss new government proposals aimed at tackling the problem.A united effort is needed to fight corruption in its various forms, both in the political and economic spheres, according to Habib El Malki, a member of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) policy committee, which sponsored the September 10th seminar. El Malki said that his party has embarked on discussions with various officials to push for improved ethical standards in public life.Graft has long been a primary concern of young people in the kingdom, particularly among members of the February 20 Movement. Many hope that the use of tainted money will diminish in the coming election cycle with the threat of punishment from authorities.Political analyst Hamza Charafi said that the political parties bear responsibility in this matter by bringing candidates on board who can attract a large number of voters, particularly from among the younger population. On the other hand, Charafi said that the state needed to set an example by prosecuting those who break the law.The interior ministry presented parties with a charter on electoral ethics on September 10th with the aim of improving transparency and fairness for the upcoming vote. Authorities hope to dissuade politicians from vote buying and avoid violence during the campaign. The parties must also commit themselves to nominating competent, honest candidates.But the public remains sceptical in light of repeated government efforts to root out corruption."Until we see real action being taken to make changes, we need to remain on our guard. Up until now, experience has shown that all this talk has little to do with reality,” student Ilham Boussata said. “But at the same time, the public also needs to take some responsibility and not play along with the corrupt people."Boussata added that the anti-corruption campaign should not be just temporary and must extend to all sectors, including the economy. Indeed, many have questioned the practices linking the administration to business.Businesses have done little to speak out against corruption, according to Abdessamad Sadouk from the General Confederation of Moroccan Business. Sadouk said companies were hesitant to condemn bad practices linked to public tender operations because they want to remain on good terms with the project manager. He believes an effort needs to be made to raise awareness and encourage companies suffering from different forms of extortion to keep silent no longer. Sadouk was also critical of complicit businesses, which he said need to be named and shamed.Many have called for greater powers for the control bodies, particularly the high committee on competition, to put an end to unhealthy practices.The body's chairman, Abdelali Benamor, said there was little more it could do to fulfil its mission unless it could move beyond purely consultative powers. He said he was working on a bill to give the committee decision-making powers to enable it to take part in improving ethical standards across the economy.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/09/20/feature-04------------------------------------------Aspiring entrepreneurs struggle in Morocco.By Siham Ali for Magharebia 2011-09-21Obstacles to entering the job market make it increasingly difficult for young professionals to gain much-needed experience. .The number of young Moroccan graduates who dream of setting up their own businesses is at an all-time high, a study published September 13th by online recruitment site Amal Job revealed.Out of a sample of 7,056 men and women aged 18 to 27, from all regions across Morocco and abroad, and covering all educational profiles, 79% dream of becoming entrepreneurs.According to Youth and Sports Minister Moncef Belkhayat, the State needs to make a bigger effort to enable young graduates to set up their own businesses and avoid the obstacles which could get in their way.These obstacles begin to emerge from the very moment they receive their degree.Many graduates want to gain work experience before striking out on their own, but many available positions require candidates to already have experience. Would-be young professionals also suffer from a lack of job-specific training, foreign language skills and are constrained by the geographic concentration of jobs between Rabat and Casablanca.As a result of these difficulties, 27% of those surveyed are pessimistic about their prospects of getting work. The older the graduates, the more pessimistic they become because of difficulties in landing their first contract.Many blame the higher education system, which pays little heed to professional requirements."They should be guiding us towards the skills sought by the labour market so that everyone can know what route they're taking," one law student complained.Houda Sebri told Magharebia that she has been unable to find work with her economics degree. As a result, she has had to take a further two-year management course to find work in a private sector company."You have to hang on and not give up hope," she said. "The most important thing is not to think twice about training yourself and following other courses of study which could lead to the work you want so much."Several experts suggested that there should be a focus on career guidance, since certain fields of study lead to employment more easily than others. The Amal Job study has shown that graduates from engineering and business schools, as well as foreign graduates, find work more quickly than others.There is a need to facilitate access to employment for young people, the youth minister said. His department is partnering with other ministries to create a number of career guidance and jobseeker centres to help young people find first job.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/09/21/feature-04------------------------------------------Morocco pioneering solar energy.2011-09-18 18:33Chartering through the renewable energy sector has become a necessity for many countries.

For Morocco, it is a matter of survival and one that might be beneficial to the country’s development.

Like Korea, Morocco imports most of its energy and when the price of crude oil breaks records, the economy of Morocco suffers a tremendous blow.

“This is a great challenge for us,” said Mustapha Bakkoury, president of the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy.

“Our objective is to double our necessary capacity,” he said. “This is for our future economic development and it has to be based on respecting environmental standards as well.”Morocco started developing its renewable energy sector in the 1960s with hydroelectric dams, then in the 1990s, Morocco moved ahead with the development of wind energy.

Now, Morocco is suffering from the same problems many countries suffer, a high energy demand during peak hours and high oil prices.

But the North African country does not believe in just waiting to see how technology will advance in the renewable energy sector, it is taking advantage of friends in other countries like Korea to develop new technologies that will help fuel the energy consumption of tomorrow.

“The idea is to be a player in this sector, a lot of countries are investing in research and development in this sector,” he said.

Spain and Germany have made leaps and bounds developing new technologies used to manufacture renewable energy. The United States is also playing its card while new movers such as Korea, India, South Africa and Australia are also looking to the future.

“Morocco is one of these pioneers in this field,” Bakkoury said.

Concerning Korea, Bakkoury explained that both countries are looking to find the best way to move ahead.

“There is a lot of research going on now for large scale battery storage. We could develop that together but storage will be a real issue for the future for all the countries who want to develop this sector,” he noted.

Morocco is looking to increase its production of solar energy to 2,000 megawatts by 2020, a giant leap considering that the most being produced at the moment is 900 megawatts in Spain and the United States.

Bakkoury explained that this goal could be achieved by utilizing the Sahara Desert.

“There will be solar panels peppered throughout the Sahara,” he said.

In the world of diplomacy, 2020 is a magic year for many countries especially those in the European Union who are planning to cut greenhouse gases by 20 percent.

“Europe has a large potential of wind but the energy generated from these plants is not enough to meet their 20 percent reduction,” he said. “So our intention is to develop projects where we can export that energy to Europe.”

By Yoav Cerralbo (yoav@heraldm.com)http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110918000279------------------------------------------Morocco faces fiscal crunch.By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 18/09/11Efforts to slash public spending in Morocco are raising fears about the potential for job losses. Morocco needs to rein in public spending and curb the cost of government. That was the message from Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi to ministers earlier this month in guidance on the draft 2012 state budget.With regard to employment, El Fassi called on his colleagues to make provision only for what was absolutely essential for the process of government. The state's fleet of motor vehicles, procurement, rental of buildings and communication services are other areas where the government will look to make savings. The prime minister also intends to cut spending on catering and accommodation and spend less on conferences and overseas visits. Less money will be spent on project studies.Subsidies will be limited to 3% of GDP in order to "allow for extra leeway in the budget so that the government's books can be balanced".In addition to the spending cuts, authorities are also exploring ways to raise new revenue to see the kingdom through its current financial difficulties. The government was reportedly looking into a wealth tax, something welcomed by many members of the public, but Communications Minister Khalid Naciri denied the reports on September 7th.At the same time, efforts will be made to ensure that investment is not affected. The prime minister underlined that the various government departments must maintain an adequate level of investment while taking into account the need to support priority development areas.Morocco is currently in a tough economic and financial position that calls for prudence, according to economist Adil Mahdaoui. In his view, government revenues have been stagnant for several years due to corporate and income tax breaks. He said the situation was exacerbated by the burden of subsidies.Mahdaoui suggested that a solidarity tax and a policy of priority-based governance be introduced so that a balance can be maintained. He added that the next government will have a very difficult task on its hands and will have to draw up an emergency action plan.The bid to cut spending is leading to fears of public-sector job losses, sociologist Moha Chirabi said. A number of pledges have been made and thousands of young people are still unhappy with the situation, he said, though the guidance memorandum stresses the need to create as many jobs as possible in the circumstances. Chirabi said he was concerned about the level of support being given to the most vulnerable members of society.But Communications Minister Naciri dismissed the concern, saying the government was committed to the poorest in society. He stated that a desire to support society was central to the government's plans.He has also pointed out that the government planned to create a social solidarity fund and to find ways of financing it in order to relieve the burden on Compensation Fund, from which all social categories benefit.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/09/18/feature-01 ------------------------------------------Letter from Morocco: revitalizing effect of Rabat's baths.The cleansing effect on the skin of the ancestral hammam ritual rivals any modern beauty treatmentCleo CantoneGuardian Weekly, Tuesday 20 September 2011 14.01 BSTArticle history s the middle of August in the month of Ramadan in Rabat – mercifully shielded from the harsh temperatures that affect most of the country – and my daughter and I have an appointment with Sama' and her daughter to go to the hammam.I appear in my jellaba, a loose-fitting robe, and purple scarf (fruit of another expedition to the souk) with a grey rucksack and green money pouch that Sama' eyes disapprovingly as she slings her own green satin bag over her colour-co-ordinated jellaba and hijab. She carries a large blue bucket. We cross the road bustling with people, cars and the newly installed tram, slither through a diminutiveAlmohad arch that pierces the medina quarter's ochre walls and disappear into the bowels of sinuous streets teeming with shoppers.Near the shop selling unbaked tagines we take a right into a lime-washed alley painted in a rainbow of pastel shades and enter an unassuming open door where we are greeted. As we start taking off our clothes, a large woman past her prime comes out and proceeds to lean against the wall as another semi-clad woman scrubs her back. Once I take my glasses off everything is pretty much a blur.In the warm steam room, women fill buckets with water from a gushing tap on the wall, sit on plastic mats and the washing begins: splash yourself with copious amounts of water, soap, then more sloshing. At this point the tayaba is summoned, topless with a scarf wrapped around her head. She takes my arm and starts to scrub it. By the time I'm lying on the floor, I start to relax and enjoy this intimate experience with a complete stranger.She turns to my daughter, who protests about her delicate skin. But then her body unwinds and cedes to the strong, methodical movement of the scrubber removing layer upon layer of dead skin and leaving a distinctly polished feeling, especially after a final gush of hot water.No amount of creams and gels can compete with the "total exfoliation" effect of this simple, ancestral ritual. All wrapped up, we trudge home and Sama' comments that the hammam andRamadan do not make a happy combination: hunger and thirst are magnified and any trace of energy dissipates. Clean and contented we both drop off to sleep while the girls brush each other's hair.http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/20/letter-from-morocco-rabat-hammam------------------------------------------MOROCCO: THE CRUSHING WEIGHT OF THE DEBT ZOUHAIR BAGHOUGH09/26/11New York / Morocco Board News-- The Crushing Weight Of The Debt … On future generations.This statement has no ideological content when it comes to the debt minister Mezouar accumulated throughout his tenure. Or perhaps it does. In any case, Salaheddine Mezouar, a herald of smaller government and other trickle-down economics has failed to live up to his principles:

he cut income taxes in 2008 – thus enervating public finances with some MAD 15Bn package gift to the richest households, and yet he obligingly expanded the compensation fund from 25 to 48Bn. He promises the IMF he is going to operate a 10% cut across the budget, but at the same time Makassibtrumpets the recruitment of 71,000 civil servants and the increase of minimum wage.Now, it is to this country’s benefit to have conflicting views and heated debates on how to run an economy, but the constant flip-flopping on behalf of the bland finance minister just look ridiculous; as a matter of fact, his hesitancy and the apparent contradiction in his economic and fiscal policy only show that he cares only about his true constituency, one that has appointed him and to whom he is responsible. Not parliament, nor the electors who got his caucus some 68 seats during the last election.But let us get back to the issue at hand: if not returning to his position, minister Mezouar will leave this country’s public finances in a worse shape than when he took over the finance ministry in 2007: the amount of national debt takes us back to the early 1990s, a time when economic growth barely sustained itself, a time of recession we still are paying for (the low growth observed after ending the structural adjustment program has put a strain on the cumulative wealth per capita, thus leaving us behind other emerging economies) and the taxpayer is likely to be still paying for it: while the efforts to keep the level of overall debt as low as possible are laudable, the package structure, so to speak, does not denote of similar shrewdness in public debt management: the ministry is taking on more debt in smaller instalments, but fail to consider the implication of rising interest rates, thus making borrowings marginally more expensive, but markedly more expensive than they would have been a couple of years ago.The consequence is, interest paid on debt service has picked up dramatically in less than two quarters from 12% late 2010 to 28% early 2011. The justification for this increasing reliance on debt is obvious: government policy sought to minimize likelihoods of social unrest, thus expanding subsidies on strategic goods. But then again, there is now a sizeable chunk of the public budget debt-funded, in a way that defies all financial orthodoxy the minister and his government said they were set on standing by.Paid interest over service shoots up in less than 2 quarters to represent almost 1/3 of debt serviceAs a matter of fact, it looks as though minister Mezouar yielded to expediency over structural policies, and held forth to the most peripheral items of his politics: a refusal to end tax cuts to top income earners, and at the same time borrow money to keep the compensation fund afloat, both policies which deepen budget deficit and endanger the sustainability of government payroll and investments.Total expenditure reached MAD 293Bn in 2011 for a MAD 54Bn total borrowing; that’s almost a fourth of expenditure financed by borrowings, where taxes would have done better. The claim here is taxpayers are better off paying stable taxes every year, instead of shouldering the interest on government debt. After all, every one of the 6.65 million households has, on average an outstanding debt of MAD 55,000 and annual instalments of MAD 3,650 including some 860 dirhams of debt. Incidentally, HCP standards considers the median monthly income of MAD 5308 to be a good indicator of Middle Class, and their income roughly equates the weight of debt on their finances, while they have to sustain a 6% annual drain on their gross income. That’s 3 basis points above Bank Al Maghrib main interest rates, 2 basis points above GDP growth and more alarmingly, more than 5 points above GNI growth in 2010. What does it tell about the government’s boasting it has improved standards of living, when its own fiscal and debt policy saddles households with an expensive debt? This is not a question of debt sustainability in terms of volume (after all, the MAD 55,000 stock debt has to be equated with households’ assets instead of annual income) but rather the cost at which this debt is bought, and the strain it puts on individuals’ finances.National debt means every taxpayer is a collateral to the debt, commensurate to their income and wealth. But, taxation in Morocco is not equitable, nor is it progressive, especially since 2008 with the scrapping of the 42% marginal rate. To 50% of all households, debt on average 11% of their annual gross income, while for the top 10%, it represents less than 2% of their annual income. Again, debt stock and debt service puts a great deal of strain on the finances of the huge majority of Moroccan households: according to their income distribution, the bottom 10% contribution would pay for MAD 6Bn of service debt, while the top 10% contribute only MAD 500 Million. That means a household with an annual income of 21,800 dirhams would pays 9 times more than a household earning 186,000 per annum.On a more macroeconomic tone, the level of stock debt is alarmingly going high, especially when compared to gross capital formation: sound economic policy suggests to compare total accumulated assets to the stock of debt (foreign and domestic) because it gives a good indicator on whether debt is managed properly. The evidence so far suggests otherwise: over the last two decades, the leverage ratio of total debt over domestic assets has gone down from 4:1 to 2:1. But, in the last two years, climbed 17% and basically wipe out any gains obtained between 2006 and 2010.a bump of a dozen of bps in less than one year over specific terms is not good news.The situation isn’t as black as I made out; first because growth is in line with the last 5 years-trend, foreign reserves are not in disarray (and as a matter of fact, we are doing pretty fine with MAD 173.3 Bn of foreign reserves) and debt-to-GDP ratio is at it lowest, certainly much lower than observed figures in the 1980s and early 1990s. But, and this are the early-warning signs of a pending debt crisis (with its cortège of budget cuts, austerity and social unrest) the interest paid on debt is increasing. The gross yield on domestic borrowings has gone up between 2009 and 2010 from 5.10% to 5.25% real yield on 5years treasury bills. Indeed, over longer terms, yield has increased from 2009 and 2010. No significant increases of course, but when considered over the course of only one year, and when these are most important on intermediate and medium terms, this means some policy is needed to address the frantic borrowings, and instead look for revenue enhancement. But then again, this is not minister Mezouar’s creed, he doesn’t believe wealthier individuals should contribute more in times of financial dire straits, or at least close up the obscene loopholes they directly benefit from, up to MAD 7.9Bn in the 2011 budget, that is more than a quarter of all tax cuts as priced in the budget law. So far, the trickle down economics doesn’t serve our government well.http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/124-zouhair-baghough-/5430-morocco-the-crushing-weight-of-the-debt------------------------------------------BOOK: MURDER INVESTIGATION SHOWS HIDDEN FACETS OF MOROCCO.08/31/11David TakamiAt the core of journalist Joseph Braude’s new book about a murder investigation in the North Africa city of Casablanca is a mystery — not only of how and why the murder was committed, but about the profound enigma of what lies in the human heart.As a way to better understand modern Morocco, the author of “The Honored Dead” has arranged to embed himself for four months with a unit of the judiciary police (roughly equivalent to the American FBI). These officers detain suspects, question witnesses, and investigate crimes, including murders and terrorist violence. “For the past few years I have been interested in the intersection of authoritarian states and the masses they patrol,” Braude writes. “The most poignant site of that intersection is a police precinct.” He is given wide access and surprisingly few conditions or restrictions.

Braude is uniquely qualified for this assignment. Born into an Iraqi Jewish family, he is fluent in several languages, including Arabic and Hebrew, and once worked for the FBI as a translator in anti-terrorism cases.

In the post-9/11 world, Morocco has become a regional center of terrorists and drug dealers. On May 16, 2003, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda committed a series of suicide bombings in Casablanca that killed 45 and wounded hundreds of others. The attack, the worst in the country’s history, prompted a massive security crackdown and increase in intelligence gathering.

The Casablanca precinct where Braude is embedded is in one of the city’s largest slums, rife with poverty and crime. To delve even deeper into this world, he requests details about a recent murder case. He believes that researching the life and death of an ordinary individual will help tell the larger story of people and nation.

A man named Ibrahim Dey was beaten to death in a warehouse where he had been squatting. The killer has confessed to the crime and police present the case as routine and resolved, but as Braude goes through police files, and interviews officers and witnesses, he begins to have his doubts. Spurred on by the victim’s best friend, Muhammad Bari, he decides to launch his own investigation.

Bari accompanies Braude to the victim’s hometown, and introduces him to family members, friends and acquaintances to learn more about Dey. His queries eventually lead to a shocking revelation that throws previous evidence into question. The investigation also exposes him to lesser-known facets of Moroccan society — black magic, homosexuality and the remarkable cultural diversity of its people, made up of Arabs, Amazigh and minority Jews, among others.

Braude’s writing is appealingly cinematic, moving from street-level close-ups to wide-angle panoramas of city and society. He builds a framework of vivid characters and locations and weaves in big-picture background on history, culture and government. He also glides naturally in and out of the narrative at hand into personal reminiscence, waxing nostalgic, for instance, about his mother’s memories of pre-Saddam Baghdad.

Perhaps most fascinating is how this perceptive writer peels away the many layers of complexity in his story, only to uncover deeper, more confounding mysteries — which smacks, in the end, of the truth.http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5409-book-murder-investigation-shows-hidden-facets-of-morocco------------------------------------------ U.S. aid to Morocco worries California olive farmersStacy Finz, Chronicle Staff WriterSunday, September 18, 2011The biggest threat to California's historic olive industry isn't the bad weather, disease, prohibitive harvesting costs and fierce competition already taking their toll, growers say: It's the federal government.The United States has promised Morocco - one of California's main competitors - hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to stimulate agriculture in that country, including rehabilitating its more than 1 million acres of existing olive trees and planting 150,000 additional acres. This while California, the only state to commercially produce olives, has been battling Morocco and Spain for the black table-olive and olive-oil markets in this country for more than a decade, local growers said."We're struggling to survive, only to find out that our own country is subsidizing the very place that could put us out of business," said Dennis Burreson, who with his three sons has 500 acres of Manzanillo and Sevillano table-olive trees in Orland (Glenn County). He hopes that his grandchildren will someday run the farm, but worries that California olive growers could be a dying breed.By now, his trees should be weighed down with fruit. But spring rains and winds destroyed much of California's olive crop this year; the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts the harvest will be down 67 percent. Although olive trees are alternate-bearing, that is, they yield a robust harvest only every other year, this will be one of the worst years for growers in recent history, said Adin Hester, president of the Olive Growers Council of California.As Burreson walked through his Orland groves recently, he wondered whether the cost of picking the fruit was even worth it. But if he leaves it on the trees to rot, it might attract the d

Front doors in Morocco and America are very different. InAmerica they tend to be made of wood. In Morocco they are generally metal. Thelocks are also different. In America it is impossible to lock a person inside ahouse. In Morocco it is expected.

The locks on doors in America tend have a knob which can belocked by hand from the inside, and by key from the outside. They also have adeadbolt, which is locked in the same manner. Moroccan locks also have adeadbolt of the same description. However, in place of a knob they have adifferent kind of lock with a spring-powered latch that automatically locks thedoor when closes. It also has its own bolt that can be moved from either sidewith a key. What this means is someone can leave the house taking the key withthem and effectively lock inside whoever is left behind.

The logic behind this is that one might want to lock peopleinside a house for their own protection.

There are many significant moments on the journey fromwinter to summer. After the blossoms of wild flowers have faded and the wheatharvest is taken in a brown dusty landscape settles in for the foreseeablefuture. The temperature rises and a couple changes take place around the house.

1) The water that comes out of your kitchen tap during theday is so hot that you can do disheswithout having to use heated water from your shower. 2) You sleep withthe fan on at night. 3) You turn thewater heater from winter mode to summer mode. 4) You pour wateron your bed before going to sleep5) You wake up in the middle of the night to pour morewater on your bed

This summer I experienced all of these moments. Living hereI have learned to tolerate summer’s wrath without modern convinces like AirConditioning. I even sold my small inflatable pool because I didn’t need it toget through. As the days grow shorter and the earth’s axis pulls away from thesun, I recognize that I’ve adapted. Still, I hope there aren’t any more 40˚Cweeks coming my way, they’re lame.

'Morocco Caucus' Established Inside U.S. Congress.Washington — A Group of U.S. lawmakers announcedthe establishment of the "Congressional Morocco Caucus" for the 112thcongress, with the aim of deepening the economic and strategic relationsbetween Rabat and Washington"We are pleased to announce the establishmentof the Congressional Morocco Caucus for the 112th Congress. The Morocco Caucuswill be a bipartisan group of Members committed to deepening the economic andstrategic relationship between the United States and Morocco," said theinitiators of the Caucus in a letter to their fellow congressmen.They recalled that Morocco and the U.S. enjoylong-standing friendship relations, describing that the Kingdom as a"vital" ally in North Africa and "a strategic friend that sharesour values and aspirations."Most recently, said the letter signed bycongressmen Mario-Diaz-Balart, Bennie Thompson, Loretta Sanchez et Michael G.Grimm, Morocco held a constitutional referendum and implemented"far-reaching democratic reforms."They added that the Kingdom "has long been astrong partner on security issues, a strong trading partner for U.S. business,and is a regional leader on democratic reforms."With the recent events taking place in the region,Morocco-U.S. relations have gained a strategic importance, underlined thesignatories of the letter, stressing the need to "work together to ensurethe success of their democratic aspirations."http://allafrica.com/stories/201109161125.html------------------------------------------

U.S. Underlines Country's Efforts toCounter Extremism, Encourage Religious Tolerance – ReportWashington — U.S. Department of State highlightedTuesday Morocco's efforts aiming to "counter extremist ideology",underlining that the Kingdom "continued to encourage tolerance, respect,and dialogue among religious groups."Explaining the approach implemented by Morocco, theDepartment of State noted, in its 2010 International Religious Freedom Report,the continuation of the training of female Muslim spiritual guides(Mourchidaat), a programme launched in 2006, which aims to "promotetolerance and to increase women's spiritual participation."The report recalled, in this respect, that sincethe inception of the programme over 200 women have been trained and are nowproviding counsel to women, girls and children on variety of subjects,including their legal rights and family planning.The efforts made by Morocco to promote moderateIslam are seen through the religious freedom that Moroccan Jews are enjoying"in safety throughout the country" as well as Christian communitiesabroad, said the report.In order to encourage interfaith dialogue, thedocument also noted that Jewish culture and its artistic, literary, andscientific heritage is taught in some Moroccan universities, citing as anexample the teaching of Hebrew and comparative religion in the Department ofIslamic Studies at the University of Rabat.Studies of Christianity and Judaism are part of acourse of academic theological studies, added the Department of State in thesame context.

------------------------------------------Over 6.5 Million Students Enrolled in Schools14 September 2011Rabat — Some 6,593,194 students, 39% of whom livein rural areas, have started the school year 2011-2012 in different schoolsacross the Kingdom.The number of new entrants to primary schoolsreached 684,438 pupils, while the newly built schools amounted to 290 bringingthe school's overall number to 9,995, including 153 in rural areas.The educational human resources were reinforcedwith 8346 new teachers. This increases the number of teachers to 233,180, ofwhom 56% teach in primary schools, 25% in junior high schools, and 19% in highschools.To help achieve educational goals, several socialsupport programmes were developed, notably the "one million schoolbag" initiative. This Royal initiative, to be implemented for a total costof 313 million dirhams, will benefit 4,102,317 schoolchildren from differentregionshttp://allafrica.com/stories/201109150109.html------------------------------------------

Morocco:Pullman High School grad creates outdoor program for African youthMoscow-PullmanDaily News, Moscow,IdahoAnna James spends two years teaching in Rabat,Morocco, with the Peace CorpsBy Kelli Hadley Daily News Staff Writer Wednesday, September 07, 2011For almost two years now, a 24-year-oldPullman-native has lived by herself in a small house in Rabat, Morocco, whereshe teaches English and leadership virtues to youth in the developing country.Anna James was raised in Pullman,graduating from Pullman High School in 2005 and then from Willamette Universityin Salem, Ore., in 2009 with degrees in international studies and French. Fromthere, her destination was in the hands of the Peace Corps."I really developed in interest indevelopment work and wanted to see all the corners of the world," Jamessaid. "The Peace Corps had always been in the back of my mind."The application process was lengthy,she said, taking more than six months from initial paperwork to the formalinvitation to work in North Africa. Upon applying she was able to give alocation preference, but decisions are made based on experience and languagecapabilities, she said. Her ability to speak French and background working withchildren landed her at a youth development center in Rabat, the capital ofMorocco.James lived with a host family whiledoing intensive language training for the first two months, after which she gother site placement. She lived with another host family in Rabat for two monthsand then found a house where she currently lives by herself. She went into theexperience with an open mind, she said, but still faced culture shock uponarrival - trying to communicate in Arabic was the biggest struggle she faced atfirst. After adapting to the conservative lifestyle in Morocco, things thatseemed foreign at first became ordinary, such as wearing skirts down to herankles and long-sleeved shirts."I didn't know a lot about Moroccoor Islam, or what the culture would be like," James said. "Morocco isa beautiful and diverse country, but it's very different from the PacificNorthwest, especially in the small villages where we're working. Women don't sitin cafes, and they're not outside a whole lot unless they're going to one placeto another."James started her volunteer workteaching English at the youth center, and eventually branched into teachingdifferent classes, such as exercise groups for women and leadership seminars.Her biggest project, the implementationof a program called CLIMB - Creating Leadership in the Mountains and Beyond -which wrapped up in July. She and another Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco eachgathered a group of 15 teenagers and created a six-month program, teachingleadership, teambuilding, first-aid, environmentaleducation and outdoor appreciation. Once a month the groups went on excursionsto a different areas of Morocco, and then the final step of the program was afour-day climb to the top of Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africawith an elevation of 13,671 ft."It was an adventure - definitelythe most rewarding thing I've done while in Morocco, but by far the mostchallenging," she said. "The people I was working with were adultcommunity members, and it was really amazing to see so many of them stepforward and ... show their dedication to the youth."The people of Morocco are probably whatJames will miss the most, she said. She would like to return to visit and couldpossibly live there again if working with a larger development association."It's definitely been the mostrewarding thing I've ever done," James said. "You have really highhighs and some pretty low lows, too, but you really find out a lot about whatyou can handle and what you can't. I learned a lot about humility and nottaking yourself too seriously."James hasn't been back to the U.S. tovisit since she left for Morocco, so she has unsure feelings about whatreturning will be like this November."I think it'll be tough at first,but my excitement to come home and see everyone outweighs that feeling,"she said. "We're very lucky here, a lot of us have Internet access in ourhomes, so it's been much easier to keep in touch than it would have been only afew years ago."Upon arrival back to the U.S., Jameshopes to find a job in Portland in development work or a nonprofitorganization."At this point I'm pretty open,going back to school in the near future will probably be a good move forme," she said.James is the daughter of Susan James ofPullman and Don Carr of Priest River, Idaho.------------------------------------------Dentist to help kids keep their bigsmiles; COTTINGHAM: Visit to Morocco to treat children in Berber Tribe

Katy WoodHull Daily MailSeptember 10, 2011IT WAS an experience which touched hisheart and will stay with him forever.Now, East Riding dentist ChrisBranfield is making a return visit to Morocco to treat more children withsevere dental problems.He is part of a group of dentists fromacross the UK who are aiming to treat youngsters and educate them on theimportance of dental hygiene. Chris first visited the country last year andwanted to continue the visits after seeing the scale of the problem.He will return to north-east Morocco onSeptember 25 to treat children in the Berber tribe.Chris said: "You realise you takethings for granted."They don't have any dental healthcare or dental education, so they have rubbish teeth."The children are in pain. To knowyou have taken them out of pain gives you a feeling of self-worth andpride."Chris, 41, of Beverley, is owner andprincipal dentist at Castle Park Dental Care in Cottingham.He and the rest of the team havecovered their own costs for the trip, as well as a trek during their two-weekstay.Dental equipment has been donated andmoney for other essentials has been raised through fundraising and sponsorship.The tribe is based in El Jebha, a smallport town situated in the Rif Mountains. Chris helped to treat about 50children with severe tooth decay last year.But he hopes to treat at least 200later this month through the group's Teeth For Life programme.Chris said: "It's rampant decayleading to multiple abscesses."When I saw it last time, it mademy heart sink and made me feel really emotional."I wanted to give the kids a bighug and wave a magic wand to make it all better."They have a really sweet tooth."If you can educate the children, hopefully, you can change attitudes forfuture generations."Chris and the team, known as the DentalMavericks, also hope to create a dental clinic in El Jebha and pay a dentalnurse to work there.They will hand out toothbrushes andtoothpaste to the children during their stay.InShort East Riding dentist ChrisBranfield is part of a team preparing to treat children with severe tooth decayin Morocco.Dating back to 3000BC THE Berber Tribehas lived in Africa since the earliest recorded time and references date backto 3000BC.There are many scattered tribes ofBerber across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, and 40 per cent ofthe Moroccan population is Berber.Berber is derived from the Roman termfor barbarians.Berbers tend to live in rural areas.They usually live in clay huts or tents made out of goat hair, but houses aremade of stone in larger villages.Visit www.dentalmavericks.org or www.castleparkdental.co.ukto support Chris and the team.Copyright 2011 Hull Daily MailAll Rights ReservedHull Daily MailWire News provided byhttp://us.mc303.mail.yahoo.com/mc/welcome?.gx=1&.tm=1315853745&.rand=fhkbjg487i19s------------------------------------------

Alex Norman’s Semester in Morocco:First ImpressionsOkay.Today is my twelfth day in Rabat, Morocco and Ireally cannot over-emphasize how astounding this place is. To start fromthe beginning, my flight into the African continent (from Paris to Rabat) wasawe-inspiring in itself; it traced the coast of Spain to the tip of NorthAfrica and all the way along the coast to the capital city. I could see all thevaried terrain–mountains, plains, beaches–and even the actual contour of thecountry’s edge like the curvature of a spine.My first four nights in Rabat were spent at theHotel Majestic (Majestic might have been a bit of an overstatement, but eachroom did at least have a shower complete with hot water), which is locateddirectly across the street from the medina (Rabat’s old city). The medina is alabyrinth. When I received the address for my homestay family (note: all ofSIT’s homestays are located inside the medina), I thought I’d try to get atleast a rough sense of my new home’s location by looking the medina up in anonline map. Oops! As it turns out, the Rabat medina is the first town I haveever encountered that is completely undocumented on Google Maps. It is composedof intricately curved, stone-paved streets and thus, although it is thickly populatedand bursts with street vendors offering djellabas, hookahs, slippers andsnails, it registers only as an obscure grey void on the screen. My homestayfamily and their home really deserves its own blog entry, so until I catch upto that I’ll mention SIT’s main academic building here, which is a real work ofart:In the annex, there are several stained glasswindows and all of the doors, door frames, windows, etc. are carved and paintedand the walls and floors are lined with detailed tile patterns, like thoseabove. I personally think that standing inside the building is somewhat likeliving inside a giant kaleidoscope, if you can imagine that, with a variety ofpatterns and elements that meld together and almost seem to diffract andre-form depending on where one is standing at the time.Now, the terrace. Oh, the terrace. It has a 360degree panoramic view of both the city and the ocean and I plan to study thereevery chance I get. Here is a taste of the view.That’s all for now. Enjoy the pictures if you can(although I’m certainly not the most natural photographer) and look forward tostories about a Moroccan family in the entries to come!–Alexhttp://whitmanpioneer.com/opinion/blogs/offcampusblogs/alexnormanoffcampus/2011/09/15/alex-normans-semester-in-morocco-first-impressions/------------------------------------------Maghreb Film Festival celebratesAmazigh culture2011-09-12Movie-makers from across the Maghreb descended onNabeul, Tunisia last week to celebrate the country's newly liberated filmindustry.By Houda Trabelsi in Tunis – 12/09/11

The Tunisian revolution ushered in anew era for the nation's movie industry. Organisers of the just-concluded thirdMaghreb Film Festival of Nabeul (FFMN) used the opportunity to celebrateAmazigh cinema for the first time in Tunisia."I have discovered Amazigh cinemaat the Azzefoun festival in Algeria, and I wasimpressed by their culture," said Anis Lassoued, director of the September7th-11th festival. "Therefore, we decided to add this aspect to theMaghreb Film Festival in Nabeul as we can't exclude Amazigh culture in theMaghreb because there is an important class of Amazigh people here."Under the old regime, Lassoued said thathe submitted a project on Amazigh culture to a number of producers but allrejected it for political reasons."Now I'm determined to discoverthis culture that I have fallen in love with after visiting a number of Berbervillages in southern Tunisia, and therefore, I decided to make a movie onit," he told Magharebia. "However, shedding light on Amazigh culturedoesn't mean that we encourage divisions among the Maghreb peoples based ontheir origins."The festival director noted thatregional co-operation was "a must to make the Maghreb cinema a globalcinema", adding that organisers established a fund to promote Maghrebmovie making.Si El Hachemi Assad, director of theAmazigh Film Festival of Azzefoun (FCNAFA), told Magharebia that the Algeriangroup has 12 years of experience with Amazigh cinema."I have established the festivalunder a personal initiative with the encouragement of state. This is a daringexperiment involving too many challenges," he said.Regarding the Algerian-Tunisianpartnership, he said that he considered "the creation of a culturalassociation in Tunisia for the first time to be a good indicator forco-operation with brothers in Tunisia in several fields, especially cinema,which were not possible under the former regime".Regional film co-operation also extendsto Mauritania. "We don't have too much experience with cinema inMauritania, and we don't have any experience with Amazigh cinema although thereare Amazighs in Mauritania and there is a rich Amazigh culture there,"said Mauritanian cinematographer Abdul Rahman Ahmed Salem."There is Amazigh movement in theregion through festivals and meetings with some intellectuals who call forshedding light on Amazigh identity, and this makes us think about co-operatingwith our brothers in the Maghreb to shed light on Amazigh culture, especiallythrough the cinema, in Mauritania," he added.Meanwhile, Libyan filmmaker SalahGouider said that "the Amazighs were persecuted under Kadhafi and theywere even prevented from speaking in their own language in public, and in thisway, it was not possible to do any cultural activities to shed light on Amazighculture in Libya.""However, now, thank God, we cando that, especially as the Libyan Amazighs have actively taken part in therevolution with their own blood, especially in Nafusa Mountains," he said."I think that after the Arabrevolutions and the wind of change that blew in the region, the Maghrebcountries can co-operate together to promote the cinema in general and Amazighcinema in particular," Gouider added.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/09/12/feature-03------------------------------------------Maid from Morocco? No thanks, saySaudi wivesFeel Moroccan women are beautiful andcould snatch their husbandsBy Nadim KawachWednesday, September 14, 2011A few weeks after uniting against along-standing ban on female car driving, Saudi women are again joining hands inanother common cause—this time against the recruitment of housemaids fromMorocco. Their excuse is that Moroccan women are beautiful and could snatchtheir husbands off them.

While the campaign against thedriving ban came too late, their reaction to government plans to importMoroccan maids was too swift and decisive.The Shura council (the Gulf kingdom’sappointed parliament) said it had been deluged by demands from Saudi womenurging it to veto plans by the government to turn to Morocco to get housemaidsfollowing the suspension of domestic workers from the Philippines andIndonesia.

“Many Saudi woman have objected toplans to import domestic workers from Morocco…they say the Moroccan women arebeautiful and this will cause continuous anxiety and concern in Saudifamilies,” 'Sharq' daily said.

“Some of them said Moroccan women areso attractive that their husbands could easily fall for them…others saidMoroccans are good at magic and sorcery and that this could enable them to luretheir husbands.”

In comments last week, a Saudichamber official said Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and the world’stop oil exporter, could turn to Morocco and other countries to get its domesticworkers following the dispute with the Philippines and Indonesia, the largestsuppliers of housemaids to the Gulf countries.

“We are considering turning tocountries which allow their domestic workers to move to other countries withoutpreconditions…these include Morocco, east Asia, and some south Africancountries,” said Saad Al Baddah, director of the labour recruitment committeeat the Saudi Chambers Federation.

“For the time being, we face aproblem regarding Moroccan domestic workers as there are no officialrecruitment centres…temporarily, Saudis can travel to Morocco and bring inhousemaids directly.”

A labour ministry official saidSaudis are allowed to hire Moroccan housemaids directly in the absence ofofficial or private recruitment offices for that country.

“We can provide Saudis with a visafor one Moroccan domestic worker but they have to bring them in or look forgovernment offices in Morocco…this procedure is temporary pending theestablishment of such offices in Saudi Arabia,” labour ministry spokesmanHattab Al Anzi told local newspapers.

Riyadh’s plans to turn to newdomestic labour sources followed the suspension of recruitment of housemaidsfrom the Philippines and Indonesia in June over disputes on wages and otherterms.

Officials said last month they couldsoon lift a ban on maids from the Philippine once a final deal is signedbetween the two countries.

Employment offices across SaudiArabia said they were already negotiating with other countries to supply maidsand offset a shortage resulting from the boycott of Philippine and Indonesiandomestic workers.“Many Saudi women have asked the Shura council to intervene tostop plans to bring in housemaids from Morocco,” 'Sharq' said.

“Some women threatened to resigntheir job and stay at home so their husbands will not be left alone with theMoroccan maid.”More than 1.5 million housemaids from the Philippines,Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other Asian and African nations work in Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom has been under fire fromlocal and foreign human rights groups over the death of some housemaids, whohave been reportedly killed by their employers. Pressure mounted in late 2010following news that an Indonesian housemaid was severely tortured by her femaleemployer.

The case of the 23-year-old maid,Sumiati Salan Mustapa triggered furor through the Kingdom and other countriesafter she was hospitalised with severe head and body injuries because thetorture by hot iron.Saudi official dismisses fears ofMoroccan maidshttp://www.emirates247.com/news/saudi-official-dismisses-fears-of-moroccan-maids-2011-09-15-1.418725http://www.emirates247.com/news/maid-from-morocco-no-thanks-say-saudi-wives-2011-09-14-1.418358------------------------------------------

Morocco's culture aids its economyBy Sylvia SmithMayor Mohamed Benaissa explainswhat inspired the festivalCherries, camels, dates and evensaffron; all are celebrated in colourful, traditional festivals in towns andvillages throughout Morocco, yet none has brought enduring social andenvironmental benefits on the scale of the art museum in Assilah in northernMorocco.The process began in 1978 when afew cleverly placed licks of paint began the transformation of a rat-infested,rubbish-strewn eyesore with open sewers into a clean and environmentally awarecity.Setting up a festival based onfestooning the town's white walls with murals was a deliberate tactic by itsphotographer mayor, Mohamed Benaissa, to encourage civic pride in the town."We don't have any resourcesother than the cultural abilities and imagination of our residents," heexplains. "But my faith in them has paid off."Mayor Benaissa says he has differentpriorities from other festival directors, who may not even live in the cityhosting the event."This city council has a dutyto provide its citizens with shelter, employment and basicinfrastructure," he says. "We dovetail these with running the festival."Gulf country donationsThe Assilah effect - sustainedgrowth without "the Torremolinos effect" of high-rise hotels andovercrowded beaches - has encouraged other cities to regard art as a way ofboosting income.From Fez, with its festival ofsacred music, to Essaouira, with its Gnawa bands, and Agadir's Timitar based onamazing arts, culture lures foreign tourists who stay for the duration of thefestival. Some even buy a second home.But although lots of Moroccancities have benefited from investment from Dubai in the construction oflarge-scale tourist projects, Assilah has side-stepped dependence onmass-market tourism, benefiting instead from Gulf country donations to build alibrary, hospital, clinic, school or cultural centre.Key to Assilah's ability to benefitfrom socio-cultural financing offered by Gulf sovereign wealth funds is thefestival's status as Morocco's first non-governmental organisation (NGO) and MrBenaissa's close relationship with Gulf ministers, forged during his nine yearsas Morocco's foreign minister.Key questionsAdditionally, the Moroccangovernment's policies have brought it close to countries such as the UnitedArab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, which invest in commercial schemes in thekingdom.Ministers and influential policymakers from these countries come in person to address international conferencesat the Assilah festival.The month-long "paint-in"has morphed into an event that confronts key questions that resonate withAfrica, the Gulf, Latin America and Asia.Issues such as immigration,investment in infrastructure, transport and alternative energy have all beendebated and opinions have been shaped in this small Atlantic town.The director-general of the KuwaitiDevelopment Fund, Abdulwahab Ahmed al-Bader, says Morocco, a member of the ArabLeague, has a very good relationship with the Gulf Economic Countries."It's been an ally in foreignaffairs," he says. "It's part of our duty to support a country likeMorocco."High-level think-tankThe Kuwait-based Arab Fund forEconomic and Social Development has paid for this year's festival, andpreviously built an old people's home.Assilah's restoration has helped create a placefor debate as well as cultureIt is not alone. The QatariInvestment Corporation built new social housing projects after the constructionof a fishing port and a highway from the airport in Tangier to Assilah by theMoroccan government.Although the donor countriesreceive no financial benefit from their Assilah investment portfolio, they havethe opportunity to participate in the wide-ranging conferences and debates thatlink together economic, environmental and political matters.According to Fathallah Oualalou,Morocco's former finance minister and now mayor of the capital Rabat, puttingtogether a sort of high-level think-tank underlines the importance of Assilah."Participants from Africancountries benefit from meeting the heads of Sovereign Funds in the Gulf, heexplains. "We are part of Africa here and Assilah acts as a fulcrumbetween Europe and Africa, but also we have strong Latin American and Asianparticipation."This year's conference on renewableenergy, attended by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,reminded the audience that more than half of the world's renewable powercapacity was being developed in Africa, Asia and the Gulf.This well attended forum was heldin the Prince Bandar Bin Sultan Library, paid for by the former Saudiambassador to the US.With debates on Gulf sovereign wealthfunds, the image of the Arab in sub-Saharan African media, and a prize forAfrican poetry, it appears that Assilah can mix and match culture witheconomics and the environment in a way that leaves other Moroccan towns behind.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14829617------------------------------------------

Breathing in the magic of MoroccoBy: Bibsy M. Carballo Philippine Daily Inquirer Sunday, August28th, 2011Sitting at the northwestern corner ofthe African continent, with the Strait of Gibraltar separating it fromSpain, is the kingdom of Morocco, ruled by a king with such vast executivepowers he can dissolve parliament and issue decrees that have the force of law.Its population is over 32 million, itspolitical capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. It iscomparable to California in mileage. Every Moroccan can speak either Berber orMoroccan Arabic. French is the foreign language most spoken, butotherwise, Moroccans appear to be very nationalistic and proud of theirancestry.The best known city is Casablanca,setting of the vintage romantic film of the same title starring Humphrey Bogartand Ingrid Bergman, although none of the scenes was ever shot there.We had long been fascinated by Morocco,first because we knew absolutely nothing about it, and second, becauseFilipinos appeared to be inordinately privileged not to be required a visa foras long as 90 days, while our Asean neighbors Malaysia, Thailand,Cambodia, Burma, Brunei, Laos and Vietnam had to fall in line for one.We found nothing in our history, pastor present, that would link us to this country, and it was the strangeness,plus its being part of the African continent, that made us all the more want togo and visit it.We are told, however, by ourMadrid-based friend Richard Signey, who has been to Morocco innumerable times,that if we only had time to visit one city in Morocco, it should be Marrakech.We took Richard’s advice and prepared for the trip not without anxiety, forRichard had a full schedule of teaching and could not accompany us.Fortunately, we had as travelcompanions journalist Ronald Constantino and jewelry designer Marlon Pedregosato share in our doubts and fears. Marlon, the experienced traveler among us,got us cheap tickets on EasyJet and booked us for four days at the Hotel RyadMogador, part of a modern chain, yet proudly displaying décor from itsartisans.The location was close to the walledcity they call the Medina, so near we could just walk in and voila! find a KFCeatery, and was as comforting as it was distressing.Heart of the cityMarrakech has two parts—the historicold city called the Medina, and the new district called Ville Nouvelle or NewTown. Most visitors proceed to the Medina with its narrow passageways andshops, its local color, residents in full regalia, and the perception of dangerthat every unfamiliar culture strangely offers as magnet to the moreadventurous.Clearly, the Medina is the throbbingheart of Marrakech, a sprawling combustion of humanity that can bedisconcerting, as Moroccans are not as welcoming as we Pinoys are to foreigners.They hate visitors interminably takingpictures of them without as much as a by-your-leave. They would swear in theirnative tongue at the souvenir hunter, and it didn’t matter that he was buying awhole bagful of their goodies. That just isn’t part of the bargain.Otherwise, one can find in the Medina aflea market that would put Divisoria to shame. Everything, mostlyhandmade in Morocco and other African kingdoms, can be found, fromclothes, bags, metalcraft and glass-blown lamps, to carved knick-knacks, shoesand food. You name it, they have it, and at unbelievably cheap prices.But Marrakech is other sights andplaces, as well. It is history and culture, and these we are advised tosee by private cab. Our cab driver Omar spoke English, and knew his country’shistory like the back of his hand.Marrakech was founded in 1062 AD by theAlmoravid dynasty that ruled much of Africa then, and what is now Spain andPortugal. Almost a century after, the Almoravids would be overtaken by theBerber Muslim Almohad Dynasty, who encouraged creativity from Arabic poets,philosophers and scholars.After the fall of the Almohads,Marrakech was taken over by the French from 1912-1956. This is why today, mosteveryone speaks French or their native tongue, and only those in the touristindustry learn English.A day trip outside Marrakech would cost$300, which includes cab, fuel, driver, normal entrance fees and lunch. Oneleaves the hotel at 9 a.m. and returns at 6 p.m. after the 80 km round-trip.Driver Omar agrees to the rates, but does us one better by not informing us hisair-conditioning was defective. We had been warned about these drivers, so weare not really surprised.Otherwise, Omar’s itinerary isacceptable, although it traverses the expected tourist route with items forsale wherever we stopped, where Omar earned a commission.Valleys and waterfallsThe Ourika Valley is a string ofvillages 30 km south of Marrakech where the landscape along a river is fresh,green, and cool even in the hottest summer. Spring would be the best choice forthe traveler. The road slowly led us into the valley until it ended in SettiFatma, famous for its seven waterfalls, after which would be mountainsdifficult to trek, Omar tells us.We are first brought to what we callthe camel stop, where tourists are expected to take pictures. Then we visit acooperative complex, Le Coin Berbere, where old women share with young Berberworkers how to make organic cosmetic products.We buy samplings of eucalyptus, muskand rose-flavored perfumed oil that local chemists studying in nearbyuniversities have come up with. We buy tea leaves, lip balm, soap, henna, bodyscrub, wrinkle cream, massage oil and body lotion. Less than a kilometer away,we visit a garden where they grow the source of these products. This was a mostenjoyable stop where we saw no tourists.But first a word about the Berbers.They are an ethnic group with a common heritage, language, culture, andancestry. Omar tells us that the first Berber in Morocco came from Yemen.Perhaps he did, but today’s Berber-speaking people live in Morocco, Algeria,Libya and Tunisia.For lunch, Omar brings us to ariverside restaurant where the delicious set meal is served alongwith refreshments and local entertainment. We are now ready to visit a Berberhome four generations old, where 10 people live in a house of stones from themountains put together with clay, paste and water.We speak with the head of the family;we take a tour around the home; we take pictures. It seems so unreal. Obviouslybecause we are tourists and theirs is a regular stop for tourists, weexperience none of the shooing away in the Medina, which actually was ratherdisappointing.We are back home at the agreed time,with mixed feelings about the day’s proceedings. We felt we had been given anauthentic enough taste of life in the barrios, one that displayed the Berber’suse of nature as a partner to be respected and not to be abused, and theirartistry in utilizing these gifts to maintain a livelihood.But at the same time, we felt theirnatural inclinations had been stifled. They were too polite. They posed forpictures yet did not smile. We ask ourselves what was the better portrait—thisobedient provincial dweller, or that of the proud, boisterous Medina merchantwho stood his ground? Easily, our choice was the latter.The next day, we go on our own, takinga cab to the Palace of El Badii and Jardin Majorelle.Richard had warned us not to waste ourmoney on El Badii, which means Incomparable Palace, but we didn’t listen.He was right. The palace consists simply of the remnants of an original builtin 1578 which took 25 years to construct, and was torn apart by another Sultan whoused the materials to decorate his own palace in Meknes.Greatest workJardin Majorelle, on the other hand, isa joy to visit. Opened by French painter Jacques Majorelle in 1947, it isnow considered his greatest work, with the abundance of vegetal shapes andfigures from five continents, in a palette of colors from nature. When Jacquesdied, the famous fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent acquired the property,restoring it to its original beauty. It is a must on anyone’s itinerary.Of course, we, too, had to take a lookat modern Marrakech at the Ville Nouvelle that plays host to modernrestaurants, upscale brands in fashion boutiques along Mohammed V and Zertouni,after which we sat in a café drinking coffee and finding the environment soartificial and boring. Amid Lacoste, McDonald’s, Haagen Dazs and the ubiquitousKFC, we decide to return to the hotel.Before leaving for the airport, we felt a need to visit the Medina once againto say goodbye. No longer did we feel threatened by their covered faces. Weseek out the shop keeper who knew exactly what we needed. And we know nowexactly why Richard returns again and again. We stand in the plaza to breathein its peculiar potion. A bientôt— till we meet again.For EasyJet, e-mail easyjet@mailnj.custhelp.com;Ryad Mogador Hotel, e-mail marrakech@ryadmogador.com; Pause Gourmanderestaurant in the Medina, tel. +212(0)524290215; Shop Freres Hamza &Mohamed, tel. 067041005; Shop Idees Cadeaux, tel. 0675354417; JardinMajorelle, tel. +212524313047.E-mail the author at bibsycar@gmail.com.http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/11361/breathing-in-the-magic-of-morocco------------------------------------------Morocco road trip

Cafes, camels, medinas — and bribes?

By COLLEEN LONG Associated PressCASABLANCA, Morocco -- The dusty road to Marrakechhad just started to straighten out after hours of tight curves along jaggedmountains. We sped up when we spotted two policemen standing in the middle ofthe road by a small car. They waved us over.We had been warned about this: Drivers being askedto pay bribes to get through random checkpoints.The mustached man spoke little English butindicated that he wanted 5,000 dirhams, or about $600.My boyfriend, Andrew Strickler, who was driving,balked. The officer, nervous now as he noticed we were foreign, immediatelydropped the price to 3,000 and then quickly to 1,000.Andrew started to hand over the cash as visions offoreign jail cells flashed before my eyes. I tried to make polite conversationto explain what we were doing here. I held up a copy of our Lonely Planet guideand said we were journalists. As I did, he backed off and handed back themoney, one bill at a time, grinning widely.“You work,” he said to Andrew. “She is wife. She nowork. Yes?”He laughed, slapped Andrew on the shoulder andwaved us on.Ah, the Moroccan road trip.We spent two weeks on the road in this NorthAfrican country. The routes are winding, at times frighteningly so. The streetsigns are in Moroccan Arabic and French, languages neither one of us knows.Still, we figured that navigating the byways was the best way to experience thecountry.We came to Morocco to visit friends. We made plansto meet in the southern part of the country after a few days traveling on ourown.It’s fairly easy to rent a car in Morocco, andcosts about the same as taking trains and buses. But driving gives you morefreedom to stop along the way, and the flexibility to change your plans andlinger in a location you like. Plus, all the gas stations double as small cafeswhere they serve strong Moroccan coffee and tea.These cafes, along with most other locations, arefilled mostly with men; women do not spend as much time in public places inthis Muslim nation. Still, as long as you dress modestly — no tank tops orshort skirts — you’ll feel only mildly uncomfortable as a female out on thetown. I only interacted with three Moroccan women while I was there, but themen were friendly and welcoming, though often they preferred to talk to Andrewinstead of me.Morocco is a kingdom bordering the Atlantic Ocean,just a few miles from the southern tip of Spain. We started our trip without acar, flying to Casablanca from Madrid on the budget carrier EasyJet, thenheading north to Rabat, the country’s capital, by train. Here we visited themedina, a word that literally translates to old city, but in Morocco alsousually means a marketplace with a thick weave of shops and hawkers who sell andfix everything from cell phones to blenders to camel heads to carpets. Everycity has one.From there we took a train to Fez, home to one ofthe world’s largest continuous car-free areas. The entire city is a narrowmaze, virtually impossible to navigate on your own, especially if you have onlyone day. We hired a guide who walked us through the vendor-filled passageways.One unusual sight was a tannery with a checkerboardof dye pools, hides scattered everywhere in various stages of drying. Smallworker apartments lined the inner corridors. It was pouring rain, so the stenchwas manageable, but our guide told us stories of other tourists who weresickened by the awful smell. Owners hand out fresh mint to sniff as anantidote.INTO THE SAHARAOur road trip began a day later, with a 10-hourdrive southeast from Rabat to a town called Merzouga at the edge of the Saharadesert. It took about an hour to rent the tiny blue tin-can car, which costabout $300 for six days. Only stick-shift vehicles were available; travelersshould know that Morocco is notorious for highway accidents, so be careful.Andrew did most of the driving the first day, and I navigated using maps andsigns, which meant trying to translate from Arabic and French into English usinga teeny dictionary. After a while you realize there are so few roads to getfrom one place to the next that it’s not that difficult to intuit your way.The landscape changed when we arrived at theSahara. It’s barren and rocky, like a moonscape, with nothing ahead or behind.In the past decade, hotels have cropped up but they’re far off in the distancefrom the single-lane gravel road. It’s best to get there before dark so you cansee where you’re going. You take a left near a hotel sign and head off into thesand. It looks like you’re heading toward nothing but huge golden sand dunes atthe edge of the world. Miles and miles of softly sculpted dunes, called ErgChebbi, stretched out in front of us.Our hotel, Kanz Erremal, cost about $100 for two,including dinner and breakfast. (For the budget traveler, cheaper hotels canalso be found, but you have to really look for them.)The hotel also offers camel trips to the desert,either overnight or at dawn. We took the shorter morning trip, for an extra$50, to watch the sunrise. Getting up at dark, we climbed onto our stinky,grumpy camels as they knelt down. The makeshift saddle had a metal handle and afew blankets. The camels walk in plodding steps; I found sitting with my legsup was easiest for balance. Our guide walked, leading the camels. After about20 minutes the hotels disappeared and we saw nothing but desert.Our guide stopped the camels and we got off. Hewarned us not to pet them. We scrambled up to the top of a dune, and while ourguide walked the entire way, I was so exhausted and out of breath I couldbarely stand.The silence was shocking, interrupted only by thecrunching sound of the camels and the occasional growl. The sky was huge andcolorful, splashed with bursts of bluish pink and blazing orange.We then drove east to an oasis called El Khorbat inthe Todra Valley. This unusual destination uses tourism as a way to helppreserve a traditional fortified village, called a casbah, where dwellings aremade from earth and clay. Families still live there, but there is also a museumdocumenting local history and various excursions. We took a long walk amongpalm trees and down dirt roads with a guide who spoke four languages,discussing literature and politics.CITY LIFEBack on the road, the landscape turned hillier aswe moved on, passing through several poor small towns before reachingOuarzazate, which is the Los Angeles of Morocco. Several movies have beenfilmed there and it has a decidedly wealthy, Western feel with manicuredstreets and pink wallsWe returned the car in Marrakech. The rentalcompany dropped us at the entrance to the medina, where we were staying at theHotel Du Tresor. The hotel was a quiet, cool sanctuary from the rest of themedina, a wild and busy place complete with snake charmers (and snakes),psychics and hawkers of all kinds. Inside the market, we ate huge snails inbroth with a toothpick (totally gross), fried sardines (delicious) and taginewith couscous (eh).From Marrakech, we bused to the surf town Agadir tomeet our friends, then drove together south to Sidi Ifni, an uncrowded beachspot with imposing red stone arches, eroded over eons by the ocean. A stay atan oceanside resort cost barely $150 for two people for two nights, includingbreakfast. It was the most peaceful part of the trip, and Andrew’s favoritepart. It’s worth traveling there just to stand under the arches.After a few days in the sun, we drove back up thecoast, about 10 hours to Rabat, where deserted stretches alternated with poortowns and rich areas. One funny sight on the winding mountain roads was goatsperched in the tops of small trees called Argans. They climb up to eat theseeds. We saw as many as six munching on one tree at a time. We took somepictures but they ignored us.Before we left the country, we did some shopping.Our friends, having lived here long enough to become skilled in the art ofbargaining, came with us to buy a carpet and we all acted out a part: Andrew,the moneybags tourist, me the stingy partner, and the other couple, a wizenedex-pat with his hurrying wife, who wanted to get us to dinner on time. The roleof the clever, miserly carpet man was successfully played by the rug vendor.In the end, though, we couldn’t agree on a price.We overpaid $20 for some tea glasses, but we walked away without a rug.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/28/v-fullstory/2371775/morocco-road-trip.html#ixzz1XZkn1mqO------------------------------------------Desert Dreaming in MoroccoNadia Bintoro | September 13, 2011There are many opportunities to experience Berberculture in Morocco, which also has French and Arabic influences. JG Photos/Nadia Bintoro

As a lone female traveler, making my way throughthe crowded alleys of Marrakech, one of Morocco’s imperial cities, turned outto be a real battle.

I had to acrobatically twist my body to avoidgetting hit by reckless motorcycles, while at the same time fighting offpersistent vendors and shushing away catcalls by curious men — all under thesizzling heat of the Moroccan sun.

Like most days in the city, the sun was beatingdown and the temperature was hovering at around 40 degrees Celsius. I instantlyfelt overdressed in my coat and shawl — tell-tale signs of a tourist escapingthe tail-end of a cool British summer.

The short bus ride from Marrakech’s Menara Airportended at a park in the center of the city. I showed the driver the address ofmy riad (guesthouse) and he confidently assured me that I’d find it withouthassle. Just follow the park and walk straight through the square, he said. Itsounded easy enough.

But it wasn’t. Coming out of the park, I wasgreeted by the hectic Jemaa el-Fnaa, a large square in the middle ofMarrakech’s old city where all the essences of Moroccan life are stirredtogether in a flurry of sights and smells.

Aside from being the first port of call fortourists visiting Marrakech, Jemaa el-Fnaa is also famous among locals for itslarge souk (market), selling everything from spices to couscous andhigh-quality souvenirs.

The square was alive with people and traffic.Beige-colored taxis and swarms of motorcycles crossed the square recklessly,oblivious to pedestrians. In one corner of the square, horse carriages werelined up, enticing tourists to try this exotic mode of transport.

Disoriented, I carefully made my way to the square,following the crowds spilling forward through the chaos. The air was thick withthe smells of unfamiliar spices and horse manure baking under the sun.Everybody seemed to be moving and speaking at the same time.

Locals wearing the traditional djellaba (a hoodedgarment with long sleeves) passed by chattering among themselves in French andArabic. Flocks of confused European tourists wearing sunglasses and hats arguedin English, French and occasionally Spanish.

Lost among the throng, I spent an hour searchingfor my riad — without success. After being chased by a snake charmer,

I decided it was time for a break. I found refugeamong the orange juice vendors, selling fresh juice for 4 dirham (about 50cents) a glass.

By immense luck, I eventually found my guest housea further hour later, hidden in a maze of nameless, tiny alleyways. It feltlike I had found my oasis in the desert.

Later that night, I decided to once again face thestreets and explore the Jemaa el-Fnaa souk, famous for its night market, wheremagicians, story-tellers and henna painters are said to emerge after dark.

Outside, I was again assaulted by a barrage ofunfamiliar sights and sounds.

Jemaa el-Fnaa was just as lively at night as it wasduring the day, if not more so. The smell of mouth-watering, authentic Moroccancuisine wafted out from the line of food stalls in the middle of the souk.

Under a cloud of steam, men in white chef coatsshoved their menus into my face, trying to lure me into their stalls. I fin

Despite recent bad press about the state of Spain’s financesand the unruliness of protestors in Puerta del Sol, Madrid exceeded my wildestdreams. It is possible that my expectations were low and so easily met. Theonly thing I knew about Madrid before going was that, like drug-violence riddennorthern Mexico, they spoke Spanish and, despite having Christiano Ronaldo, oneof the world’s best and most annoying athletes, they still can’t win theirleague.

What I should have remembered is that Spain was one of thefirst world superpowers and that during the age of exploration the Spanish tooka vast amount of gold out of the new world. And all that treasure got spent inMadrid.

After the dusty and monotonous hamlet that I work in, Madridis a sexy paramour. Forget themuseums the guidebooks talk about. The whole city is a museum. It is glorious,each building is an architectural Mona Lisa for which no expense was spared.The parks are laid out endlessly for your enjoyment. And the food isn’t halfbad either.

But what I most enjoyed was the Metro.

I once tried to explain the word ‘subway’ to some students.They had heard it in a song by James Blunt and thought it had voyeuristicimplications. “It is like a train that runs underground in cities. New York,Washington DC, London, Paris all have subways.” I explained. I doubt they fullyunderstood. The subway in Madrid or, Metro as it is called blows them all away.

It was really nice to be in a new country where I didn’tspeak the language and yet, experience a system of transportation that wasclean, that worked, that I understood, that was reliable, thay was new, andthat wasn’t crowed.

Just thinking about that Metro I can’t wait to go back.

GV alum volunteers in first Special Olympics-Peace Corps partnership

By SAM BUTCHER GVL MANAGING EDITOR | Grand Valley LanthornUpdated: August 28, 2011

The first partnership between the Peace Corps and the Special Olympics was an important moment for both nonprofits, but for Peace Corps volunteer and Grand Valley State University alumna Sarah Hollemans, it was a deeply personal moment as well.Hollemans, who has been working in Morocco as a Youth Development volunteer since September 2009, said the Morocco Special Olympics hit a special note with her because she has several family members with disabilities. Holleman’s brother has cerebral palsy and she has an aunt with Down syndrome.

“There were a few times when I teared up during the events of the day,” she said. “There was one young boy who really reminded me of my brother who has cerebral palsy. I’m glad the Peace Corps volunteers are joining the effort to promote the Special Olympics in the communities in Morocco because people with disablities are an underserved population.”The Special Olympics were held in Tangiers, Morocco, on May 15. More than 250 athletes competed in track and field, table tennis, bocce and gymnastics events, and more than 20 American volunteers were on hand to supervise the competition and cheer them on.“Some [of the athletes] were just happy to finish and it wasn’t about winning,” said Jacqueline Stewart, a Peace Corps volunteer from Braintree, Ma., who volunteered at the event with Hollemans. “The affection they have for one another was really wonderful.”Hollemans, who graduated from GVSU in 2008 with a Criminal Justice degree, said working on the Special Olympics was one of the highlights of her 27-month stint abroad, which will end in November. Other experiences have included teaching English to local children and adults, running programs for women and children and developing plans for the town’s first playground.“The athletes that participated in the games were so excited about being part of the event and partaking with the festivities,” she said. “Everywhere you looked you saw smiling faces. The athletes really enjoyed the Peace Corps volunteers talking with them and sitting in the stands prior to the opening ceremonies, encouraging them during their events and awarding them their medals on the podium at the end of the day.”GVSU’s focus on cultural awareness and diversity helped with the transition from American to Moroccan culture, Hollemans said.“I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I have spent living and working in a small rural community south of Marrakesh,” she said, “yet I am eagerly anticipating my return home to my family and friends in America. … I am still deciding what my next move in life will be. For the next few months, I am just going to enjoy where I am, the work that I am doing and the friends, both Moroccan and American, I have made.”managingeditor@lanthorn.comhttp://www.lanthorn.com/index.php/article/2011/08/gv_alum_volunteers_in_first_special_olympicspeace_corps_partnership(from Youness)-------------------------------------------Chicagoland Resident Heads Overseas with Peace CorpsBy Casey Lowman Aug. 19Rachel Anne Coldewey, 26, of Chicago, Ill., is packing her bags and saying goodbye to friends and family as she prepares to travel abroad and begin her work as an international Peace Corps volunteer.Coldewey will be departing for Morocco on September 12 to start her three month in-country Peace Corps training. During these first three months, Coldewey will live with a host family in Morocco in order to become fully immersed in the country’s language and culture. Upon graduation from volunteer training in December, Coldewey will be assigned to a local community in Morocco will she will live and work for the next two years, residing in a manner similar to the people in her host country.As a youth development Peace Corps volunteer, Coldewey will work directly with at-risk youth, families and women’s centers, while also helping communities, schools, and agencies develop programs to support them. Coldewey will also be teaching English classes where she will introduce innovative teaching methodologies and integrate issues like health education and environmental awareness into the curriculum.Coldewey is the daughter of Mike and Lisa Coldewey, and the granddaughter of Lois Coldewey, of Des Plaines, Ill. Coldewey is a 2003 graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and went on to attend the University of Iowa, where she graduated in 2007 with a degree in French and international studies. After graduation, Coldewey traveled to Carentan, France, where she worked as an assistant English teacher for a year before moving to Chicago, Ill.Coldewey’s path to becoming a Peace Corps volunteer is unique. She first became interested in Peace Corps back in college, and her time spent teaching abroad in France fueled that ambition. But more importantly, Coldewey has worked at the Peace Corps Chicago Regional Office since January 2009, where she was surrounded by returned volunteers on a daily basis. “I’ve always had the desire to do Peace Corps at some point in my life, but working with an office full of returned volunteers and regularly hearing their stories from service was especially inspiring,” says Coldewey.“It is important to me to find work where I am contributing to something bigger than myself,” says Coldewey of what initially attracted her to the Peace Corps and ultimately led her to apply. “Serving as a Peace volunteer will be equally challenging and rewarding. I enjoy working overseas and look forward to having this opportunity to experience life in another culture.”Coldewey has the opportunity to serve during Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary year in 2011. While in service, the Coldewey will receive all living expenses, full health and dental coverage, and a $7,425 transition fund upon completing service. After Peace Corps, she is eligible for non-competitive federal employment advantage and Peace Corps Fellows/USA graduate programs offering financial assistance.Coldewey will join the 90 Iowa residents currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers abroad. Overall, approximately 2,144 Iowa residents have served in the Peace Corps since the agency was established in 1961.In 1963, Morocco was among the first countries to invite Peace Corps to assist in its development needs. Over 4,316 Peace Corps Volunteers have served the Kingdom in supporting many significant contributions to the Moroccan quality of life. In continuing collaboration with governmental partners, Peace Corps/Morocco Volunteers are assigned to projects in five primary areas: youth development, health, environment, NGO development, and small business development. Currently, 289 Peace Corps Volunteers are serving in Morocco. Volunteers are trained and work in the following languages: Darisha (Moroccan Arabic), French, Tamazight, and Tashelheet.About the Peace Corps: President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961, by executive order. Throughout 2011, Peace Corps is commemorating 50 years of promoting peace and friendship around the world. Historically, more than 200,000 Americans have served with the Peace Corps to promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of 139 host countries. Today, 8,655 volunteers are working with local communities in 76 host countries. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.Peace Corps volunteers work in six main program areas: education and English teaching; public health; business development and ICT; agriculture; environment; and youth and community development. The mission of Peace Corps has withstood the test of time, and the work of volunteers is as relevant today as ever, with focus on important global issues including education reconstruction, HIV/AIDS prevention, food security, climate change and new technologies.http://triblocal.com/des-plaines/community/stories/2011/08/chicagoland-resident-heads-overseas-with-peace-corps/-------------------------------------------'Essence of Argan' Receives Rave Reviews From Celebrities at TIFF.Stars will be flashing "liquid gold" on the red carpet like never beforeToronto, Canada (PRWEB) September 02, 2011As the Toronto International Film Festival (T.I.F.F.) looks set to kick off September 8th, opening with U2's new documentary "From the Sky Down" from Davis Guggenheim (It Might Get Loud, An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman), stars will be flashing gold on the red carpet like never before-liquid gold, that is.While it has recently seen its popularity increase, Argan Oil from Morocco has been a secret among the Hollywood "A-list" for many years. "Essence of Argan" will be exclusively providing selected stars with their product before they arrive on red carpets at movie premiers for this years Toronto International Film Festival.Essence of Argan provides what many have termed, "Liquid Gold" to customers around the North America and around the world via their website. Argan Oil is extracted from the kernels of the argan tree-a unique tree found only in a small area in Morocco and is extremely rare. The product is now becoming mainstream and articles as recently as yesterday in the New York Times suggest that word is spreading quickly about this natural, organic anti-aging product. Essence of Argan's product is described as 100% pure natural organic and customers are raving about the product's ability to smooth skin wrinkles and reverse the effect of aging.The company offers the same product that the stars will be using at TIFF this year, from their website ranging in bottle sizes of: 15ml, 30ml and 50ml.The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8th-18th.About Essence of Argan Essence of Argan operates under LIFESTYLE ADVANTAGE LTD. It's product is certified 100% natural organic product. From their website: "Our goal is to share this miraculous product known simply as "Liquid Gold", in its pure and most natural form and to contribute to the livelihood of the Moroccan women who harvest the Argan tree."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/09/02/prweb8766390.DTL#ixzz1XZWp9hd4-------------------------------------------MOROCCO: GENDER AT HEART OF NEW CONSTITUTION 09/06/11 Fatima Sadiqi The new reforms outlined in the June 2011 Moroccan constitution can be grouped in three major categories: separation of powers, independence of justice, and good governance. However there are other key reforms that have gotten less attention but will have a major impact on Moroccan society, including a recognition of Morocco’s multicultural roots, a greater recognition of gender equality and more freedom of speech.While the new constitution provides much needed reform in these areas, the real work that needs to happen will be on the ground, in individual communities, translating these constitutional rights from rights on paper into rights in practice. Without a serious commitment to this work, these reforms will be void of meaning.

With these vast reforms, various groups who were previously overlooked or altogether ignored are now finding their issues at the forefront of the country’s politics. Take for example two once-marginalized groups: women and the Berber population (the indigenous peoples of North Africa). Their issues are now at the heart of the new Moroccan constitution.

The fate of women has been closely tied to the fate of the Berber population throughout Morocco’s history. Since the mid-1980s, activists have been increasingly demanding both the legal recognition of Berber as an official language and the legal rights of women.

These two demands are linked. Within Berber communities, women are the ones who preserve and transmit the language due to their family roles educating their children. As fewer women can read and write, they also preserve Berber’s oral tradition and are less likely to learn standard Arabic, the country’s official language.

The new reforms in the constitution institutionalize Berber as an official language (alongside Arabic) and reinforce the presence of this language in education and media. The constitution also institutionalizes gender equality by encouraging the creation of women’s rights organizations and giving women more legal rights – including the right to sue for divorce and to maintain custody over their children even if they remarry. All that is needed now is the political will to enact these gender and language reforms.

The slowness of the implementation of these reforms is largely due to a high rate of female illiteracy, poverty, and pervasive patriarchy, all of which constitute serious barriers to women’s position rising in society and their understanding of the reforms. Since the new Family Code was promulgated in 2004, the state has tried to overcome these barriers by facilitating access to justice by creating information centers for women, providing training sessions on women’s rights for lawyers and judges, creating family tribunals and hiring social workers to help women understand their rights.

The state’s current efforts are welcome but not sufficient. In order for women to be able to take advantage of these reforms, cultural attitudes about gender will have to shift.

Indeed the most important work is done by women’s non-governmental organizations and various feminist groups who not only make the government’s efforts viable but also create their own centers and training sessions for women.

For example, the Democratic Association of Moroccan Women and the Union for Feminine Action both aim to ensure the application of family code reforms by raising women’s own political awareness and alerting judges and lawyers about ways of dealing with culturally sensitive issues.

In the case of the Berber community, the Royal Institute for Amazigh [Berber] Culture (IRCAM) and other Berber NGOs have largely contributed to pushing the Berber issue in constitutional debates. However, the ministries of education and communication have been slow to respond.

In the long term, the implementation of gender and language reforms will need strong political will in the field of education and the media, because these are the two fields that shape individuals’ attitudes about gender and ethnic equality. Without changing attitudes, there will still be cultural resistance to equality. New measures such as providing schools with textbooks that promote gender equality and use both Berber and Arabic, alongside curricula that help foster these same ideals, will not only lead to a democratization of the Moroccan educational system, but also to a more realistic media system.

Additionally, more quality television programs in Berber are needed, as many Berber-speaking people are illiterate. The existing programs need to be augmented and the radio, television and newspaper outlets that have only have limited reach need to be given a wider audience. If the state takes such measures, the recent reforms can have a real impact on the ground, where it matters. Fatima Sadiqi is a former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of a Harvard Fellowship. She was appointed as a member of the UN Council for Development Policy (ECOSSOC), and the Administrative Board of the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM).Article first published at CGNewshttp://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5414-morocco-gender-at-heart-of-new-constitution-------------------------------------------Jobless benefits planned for MoroccoBy Siham Ali 2011-09-08Moroccan authorities are discussing plans to offer unemployment benefits to ease the strain of the global financial crisis.A draft law guaranteeing jobless benefits will soon be introduced in Morocco. Authorities plan to set aside 250 million dirhams (22 million euros) to enable the programme to go ahead.The unemployment benefits will be payable for up to six months. Recipients could collect as much as 70% of their salary from the preceding three months, but the payout will not exceed 100% of the guaranteed minimum wage, which currently stands at 2,110 dirhams.To claim the allowance, the laid off worker must be able to prove 780 days' worth of contributions to the social security fund, 216 of which must occur in the year leading up to their dismissal. The employer's contribution has been set at 0.38% of the company's social contributions. Employees will also be expected to make a contribution to fund the allowance.According to the employment ministry, the introduction of this benefit is part of a plan to support workers who lose their jobs and to help businesses facing difficulties.Claimants will continue to enjoy their full social security entitlements, including family allowance and health insurance, as well as the right to receive help from the National Agency for the Promotion of Work and Skills (ANAPEC) in rejoining the labour market in the six months after losing their job."We have been waiting for this benefit to appear ever since the old Driss Jettou government," economist Mohamed Tourabi said. "Meanwhile thousands of workers have been laid off over recent years due to the effects of the world economic crisis. Between 2010 and 2011, more than 80,000 jobs were lost."Touarbi said he doesn't think 250 million dirhams will be enough, given the scale of job losses in recent years. He added that there was an urgent need for a fund supported by business owners and employees' contributions."This move, welcome as it is, will not be enough to solve the problem of the many workers losing their jobs, because a number of companies will not even declare them to the national social security fund," sociologist Samira Kassimi said. She said precise criteria needed to be set to prevent opportunistic layoffs.Among employees, there was a mixed reception. Some welcomed the initiative while others remained sceptical."I know a lot of people who have lost their jobs and have had to sell furniture or leave their homes because they could not pay the rent," said Soulaymane Berrafi, a technician working in a textiles company in Tangier. "This benefit will help workers to find another job, although it's not going to be smooth sailing."Salima Nouari, a factory worker from Temara, called for the procedure to be simplified, so that employees could start receiving the benefit as soon as possible. There is absolutely no point, she said, in setting up a scheme from which it will be hard to benefit.Others interviewed by Magharebia expressed their hope that the new benefits were not just a political ploy to win votes ahead of elections.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/09/08/feature-04-------------------------------------------MOROCCO'S MUSIC: ROCKING AROUND THE CLOCK. JAMAL LAOUDI Moroccan music is quite diverse, a reflection of the makeup of the country’s population. Given the dialect and style barriers, only rarely do you see a track become successful in Europe or North America. Recently, I came across a video of a remix of a classical Moroccan song called “Sa3a Sa3ida” which translates roughly to “Happy Occasion.” Initially, I dismissed it, but for some reason, I kept humming it. A couple of weeks later, I found myself hooked. As music and movie producer Martin Meissonnier told me once “with some tracks, one needs to be patient. Some do grow on you overtime.” Tracks like this could help with taking Moroccan music internationally.What is referred to as modern or classical Moroccan music is very successful in the Arab world. Names like Naima Samih, Abdelhadi Belkhiat, and Mohamed El Idrissi command respect from Morocco to Iraq. This is possible partly because the lyrics of the modern Moroccan genre of songs are written in a form much closer to modern standard Arabic which is widely understood in the Arab world. Mohamed El Idrissi’s “Sa3a Sa3ida” a dance remix is performed by Saad Lemjarrad, an upcoming Moroccan artist whose highlights include finishing as a runner up in the 2007 Arab Super Star in Lebanon, and Sofia Mountassir, a young Parisian-based R&B singer of Moroccan origins who has sung tracks in Arabic, French and English. The combination proves very successful with a harmonious marriage of vocals. Saad and Sofia have succeeded in reviving this classic with a twist.While describing the beats and talking about loops, layering, and basslines is beyond my area of expertise, I know I like this song so much that I am sending copies to area DJs and promoting it any chance I get. I must not be the only one who likes it because the Youtube hits on the video are nearing a million after just over two months. There are a few websites that credit RedOne, a world class music producer of Moroccan origins who has produced hits for the likes of Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez, with having hands in the project. However, the music is the work of Loic Canevet, and the song is produced Yannick Saillet according to the official video. This project could prove quite successful. If it manages to find airtime in mainstream radio stations in Europe and North America, then we may be up to something here. Moroccan music in particular and Arabic music in general needs to make its way into these two new frontiers where it currently has extremely limited access. Whether this track plays part in achieving that or not remains to be seen. That being said, this effort is to be applauded as early indications suggest that we have a hit before us. http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/42-jamal-laoudi/5406-moroccos-music-rocking-around-the-clock

-------------------------------------------Crisis budget in Morocco.Published August 30th, 2011The 2012 fiscal law may be ready before the early legislative elections which are expected to take place on 25 November. "The new budget will be a crisis budget; it's expected that it will use the same data as 2011", Abdul Salam Adib, an economic analyst said.In a statement to the Elaph news site, he explained that significant investment is not on the table due to the massive worldwide financial crisis. "Global demand has shrunk by 50%; accounting for the fact that Morocco is very much tied to what happens abroad". The analyst contended that there will be an austerity budget and added that we are currently facing crisis countries, after the world witnessed a financial then economic crisis.Morocco has attempted to sell off some its state-owned assets to help maintained the 2011 budget deficit at 3.5% of GDP, which is the maximum amount to spare it from resorting to global bond markets.In the midst of uprisings in neighbouring countries and demands from some quarters for reform domestically, Rabat has added MAD15 billion (Morocco dirhams) ($1.84 billion) to the MAD17 billion already allotted to the 2011 budget Support Fund.The budget was based on an oil price of $75 per barrel. Official data shows that Morocco, which has a population of 33 million, imported 5.24 million tons of crude oil in 2010.The Communications Minister and Government Spokesman Khalid Naciri said that there is no financial crisis in Morocco, only a financial hardship due to the difficult situation imposed on the country by the global financial crisis.In a press interview following a government council meeting, the Minister added that the Moroccan economy has managed, despite the significant rise in the price of raw materials, and the ordeal facing global financial markets, to maintain an important growth rate. On the other hand, the Bank of Morocco affirmed that its need for liquidity rose to MAD28.3 billion in July, against MAD22.2 billion the previous month.In its monthly publication on the economic, financial and monetary circumstances in the country, the bank noted that it has increased advances on loan applications to 7 days , reaching MAD30 billion instead of June's MAD24 billion. The interest rate between banks averaged at 3.31% during last month, – an increase of 2 base points compared to the previous month. (Source: www.yallafinance.com)http://www.albawaba.com/business/crisis-budget-morocco-390426-------------------------------------------

MOROCCO’S RUG WEAVERS.BY ALIA KATE | JANUARY 13, 2011The threads of culture, history and environmentSet against the backdrop of a babbling brook that meanders its way toward two gently sloping mountains, the idyllic village of Ait Hamza boasts endless fields with mud brick houses that dot the horizon; you get the sense that you are nestled in your own private plateau that perches above the rest of Morocco, and this is the home of talented weavers like Fadma.

The women of Ait Hamza are Amazigh a word that means, ‘free people.’ Also known as Berber, Chleuh, or Imazighen, these are the indigenous people of North Africa. With more than 600 tribes in present day Morocco, each one has maintained its own unique weaving style and speaks one of the three Amazigh dialects.

Fadma sees her granddaughter Majda once a year when the girl comes to spend her summer vacations in town. Majda appears to be painfully shy for her age until you realize that she is literally at a loss for words; most of the women in Ait Hamza, including Fadma only speak the Amazigh dialect, called Tamazight, and Majda, from a bustling Northern city, has only been schooled in Moroccan Arabic.

Beyond language differences, the most visible sign of the Amazigh identity are the tattoos that splash across the foreheads, along the chins, and up and down the arms of elderly Amazigh women. These beautiful body art markings, called lousham in Arabic or ahetjam in Tamazight are no longer considered to be a pious Muslim practice and as a result very few younger women will carry these tattoos. At one point these tattoos were tribal markings of status and beauty, symbols that were borrowed from the complicated designs in the rugs; now most Amazigh women consider their tattoos to be a shameful reminder of a pagan practice. Nevertheless, several women in Ait Hamza wear their facial tattoos proudly, calling them their “Berber passports.”

Drawing from their rich Amazigh heritage, the weavers in Ait Hamza have mastered the old motifs but continue to play with new ones. Specifically, they have begun to incorporate into their carpets letters from the newly formed Amazigh alphabet, called Tifinagh; these letters appear in white along the border of this rug.

The Tifinagh alphabet was created in 2003 as a mandate by the King Mohammed VI and is based on stone carvings that were found in North Africa from 300 BC to 300 AD. The script is the first written record of the Amazigh language.

Over the last several years, the preponderance of this new written script has increased especially in the Amazigh regions of the Middle and High Atlas Mountains. Newspapers and children’s school books are now being published in Tifinagh. Even the artisans of Ait Hamza, most of who are illiterate have started weaving with the symbols of the new alphabet, a testament to their indigenous roots and a reminder of who they are and where they come from.

Ain Leuh takes its name from the Arabic, Source of the Spring and is located on the edge of Morocco’s cedar forest in the Middle Atlas Mountains. The women in Ain Leuh have set themselves apart from other local weavers by mastering the art of intricate details and gentle color combinations.

With approximately thirty-five women weaving in the Tissage Ain Leuh (TAL) cooperative, these artisans are constantly thinking about the future of their craft. Over the last several years they have established a successful two-year weaving apprenticeship program designed to teach young ladies the necessary skills to create rugs of the quality and craftsmanship for which these pieces are so highly renowned. While these girls may come into the program with a basic knowledge of the craft, Khadouj and the other maellemas, or master weavers, make it their responsibility to train the new girls in a way that is on par with Ain Leuh’s dedication to excellence.

In the old days when boys were sent to the fields to harvest and tend to the livestock, young girls would stay at home and learn the complicated craft of weaving from their mothers. They would start learning at quite a young age, as a girl’s first woven piece would often be the rug she wove for her dowry. By the time a girl would get married around fourteen, she would already be a talented and skilled weaver in her own right.

Nowadays, things have changed; most notably, girls are staying in school much longer, marrying later in life, and dedicating themselves to other more academic pursuits in the meantime. Whereas girls at one point would begin their weaving careers at the age of six, in this day and age, the ladies in Ain Leuh’s apprenticeship program are all at least sixteen-years-old. While the craft of weaving may have reached a crossroads in Morocco, the weavers of Ain Leuh are doing their part to ensure that their trade secrets are safe with a new generation of maellemas.

Khadouj’s passion, patience, and easy-going demeanor make her the perfect mentor for these young ladies. As for Khadouj’s own teenage daughter, she is far from a prodigy rug weaver—instead Nadia is still in school and training with a girl’s rugby team in her free time.

The rural areas of Morocco are called the b’led, which is the Arabic word for ‘land.’ Not surprisingly, the land is central to life and weaving in Morocco. Nowhere is this more evident than in the southern desert region that is home to Taznakht. Known as the carpet capital of Morocco, Taznakht somehow lacks the luster that you would associate with this distinction. Instead the town is a dusty and desolate outpost that is reminiscent of old western ghost towns.

Located on the edge of the Sahara desert, the land is shriveled, leaving behind only the scars of dried up riverbeds that cut through the region. This area was not always so dry, or so the story goes; apparently at one point agriculture thrived and the land was green. Now, after seven years of drought the land has suffered and the fields have dried up. As a result, weaving has taken over as the sole source of economic income in the region.The women, like Jamila take on the burden of caring for the home, raising the children, and weaving the carpets. The men, who have not already moved to the big cities in search jobs, take on the selling and the bartering of the rugs.

As for the rugs, themselves, they are wild yet harmonious, offering a mélange of colors and shapes to the palette of southern rug weaving. The style of this particular hand knotted Moroccan rug is a kharita, which is the Arabic word for ‘map.’ With the sun and the sand being central to daily life, kharitas are meant to be an abstract interpretation of the surrounding landscape. Full of extraordinary depth, texture, and energy, kharitas may vary from rich, earthy hand-knotted carpets to wave-like kilims.

Reminiscent of Paul Klee or Kandinsky paintings, these carpets from Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains maintain their balance in the same way that people in Taznakht achieve a balanced life in spite of the harsh conditions. Once the sun finally sets, families will retire to their central courtyards, sit upon their bright splashes of colored carpets, drink tea and eat food under the lingering blanket of heat.

Kantara is a fair trade business that imports rugs directly from women artisans working in rural villages of Morocco. Meaning ‘bridge’ in Arabic, Kantara was founded in 2008 with the goal of supporting Moroccan artisans and paying them a living wage. A portion of all proceeds go back into Kantara’s Education Fund that offers small grants to Moroccan women for computer training, literacy classes, and material costshttp://handeyemagazine.com/content/morocco%E2%80%99s-rug-weavers-------------------------------------------Morocco's Restaurant Presents Theme Nights, Live Music and Local Artist Performances in San JoseMorocco's Restaurant, located in San Jose, offers themed nights and performances from local artists to guests.San Jose, CA (PRWEB) September 03, 2011Morocco's Restaurant in San Jose presents live music, themed nights and provides a venue for local artists. It has a calendar of events that includes local artists performing based on the night's theme. The restaurant plans new themes and performances by carefully listening to and reviewing customer feedback. Its outstanding cuisine, exceptional and genuine care for guests, artist performances and quality entertainment make it a destination that sets the standard for premier hospitality.While many restaurants focus mostly on good food, Morocco's Restaurant, located in San Jose, raises the bar by providing diners with the best dining experience at the Moroccan inspired, romantic restaurant. After a hard days work, Morocco's provides an escape with a delicious meal in a tranquil space.Mondays possess a calmer atmosphere to help people relax while Fridays and Saturdays are all about excitement through lively performances like belly dancing and live music. Even though it can be challenging to showcase local artists in a themed atmosphere, Morocco's has perfected a harmonious balance of high quality cuisine and relevant entertainment.Themed restaurant enthusiasts and anyone who is curious about Morocco's Restaurant's services can call 408-899-8760 or visit http://www.moroccosrestaurant-sanjose.com. Facebook fans can get invitations to secret events and wine tastings that are not advertised to the general public. The restaurant is located at 86 North Market St. San Jose, Ca. 95113.About Morocco's Restaurant Located in the heart of downtown San Jose, Morocco's Restaurant offers an exotic Moroccan culinary experience for its guests that includes options for those looking for a vegetarian restaurant. The downtown restaurant is open Monday through Friday for lunch, from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner seven nights a week starting at 5 p.m. Morocco's Restaurant is also a great caterer to bring some unique and fresh flavors to any special events and the use of the entire downtown restaurant is available for reservation for use as a banquet hall. Morocco's has two locations one in San Jose and the other in Mountain View.http://www.prweb.com/releases/downtown-restaurant/san-jose/prweb8768000.htm-------------------------------------------MOROCCO: SEX, FEMINISM AND ISLAMISTS ZOUHAIR BAGHOUGH 09/01/11 New York / Morocco Board News-- Neo-burlesque has -and still is- been disparaged by too many people (including feminists by the way) as demeaning to women, a reactionary longing for the days when women were more “feminine” i.e. more submissive. The discourse does not find its place, however, in Morocco, for many reasons: our social relationship to sexuality is not only a taboo, but it has grown to be so for a majority of our fellow citizens.It is no wonder, since Moroccan households have been literally indoctrinated to embrace a viciously conservative stance, and develop a hostile reaction to all things ‘alien’ to our ‘national and Islamic identity’. Even a debate on mainstream sexuality would be followed by the deafening outcry of the bigots brigade (usually quartered in the Attajdid newspaper’s column) let alone a debate on sophisticated (er…) sexuality. In addition, this could be dismissed as a luxury: we do have some more urgent needs to attend to – and I suspect many lefties would agree and dismiss the whole things as Petit-bourgeois considerations- Still an all, sexuality remains one of the basic human needs, and does need to be attended too (got the pun there?)

Demeaning femininity? No, Glorifying it.The golden age of burlesque -somewhere around the 1920s and 1940s- is paradoxically -when time adjusted for- the golden age of Moroccan women and their liberation. The garter might have been construed as a symbol of gender oppression in the United States or Europe, but it surely has been an instrument of liberation rather, on our shores. And let us not be mistaken, for men have freed themselves too from the outdated distribution of gender roles in sexuality. But then again, this does not mean Moroccans did not enjoy sexy before 1950, does it?

How about Hajja Hamdaoui? or the sensual Mal’houn poems? or our very own plump, gaudy, bawdy pin-ups, Cheikhates? These are all good pieces of evidence that some urban dwellers and the upper class did enjoy themselves thoroughly, a great deal of which involved what made up the bulk of Oriental fantasy: harem, slaves,… what have you. As for the remaining 95%, the leisure part take little or no place in their lives, and sex is basically there for reproductive needs, to basically ensure the existence of a labour force large enough to make up for the mortality rate and provide a retirement insurance scheme.

And again, isn’t Burlesque just as exclusive as those items described above? isn’t it elitist, with that flavor of sexual leisure very few of us can or would enjoy? Yes! but so are education, literature, arts, etc…. these are not always at the disposal of everyone, while they should. Regardless, the mere allusion to sex as a “normal” social function is enough to belittle proponents of such claim and label them as out of touch or deviants, or both; The truth is, that selective list of items to be improved and others to be left for a while is a foolish exercise of populist conservative ideology.

The claim that the libertarian flavor of Burlesque reminds Moroccan women of a golden age when they rushed through to claim their rights and gender equality; that period embodies female empowerment through vibrant sexuality and liberation from a certain type of clothing: 1947, I suppose, is a good date to mark that change for Women in Morocco, indeed:

In the Moroccan coastal city of Tangier, frenzied crowds cheered hoarsely as a majestically robed figure on a white horse rode past to receive their homage.[...]

The man on horseback was His Majesty Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Youssef, and the purpose of his visit that hot, sunny April day in 1947 was to give sustenance to a dream that has since become reality: freedom and independence for his country.

The next night, in the patio of Tangier’s casbah, a lissome girl in a shimmering blue silk Lanvin gown, milk-white turban and evening slippers gracefully ascended a dais piled high with priceless Oriental carpets, and turned to face her audience. Younger men in the audience eyed appreciatively the girl’s dark eyes, her rich red-brown hair and café au lait complexion. But many orthodox Moslem traditionalists just stared wide-eyed, stunned and aghast at the appearance in public of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Aisha, eldest daughter of His Majesty the Sultan—17 years old, unveiled and unashamed. (Times, November 1957)

By showing dressed like a movie star, Princess Royal Aisha was indeed at the vanguard of sexual liberation; the immediate years following independence only exacerbated the yearning for gender equality: if men could wear western clothes, why wouldn’t women too? And so the battle for gender equality started off, with women working outside and claiming equal pay too, while they have carried their rights as individuals.

The 1960s, in the minds of the greatest generations Morocco ever had yet, -and that is not an over-statement- is associated to a sense of freedom – the late 1960s in fact, as reported by Paul Pascon in his comprehensive survey with young rural dwellers. And unless some other survey comes to contradict this and confirm that Moroccans have all lilly white morality, then the ad hominem argument should be dropped.

The conservative side of Moroccans cannot be denied, but it has been pointed out that generally speaking, there are specific items young Moroccans tend to gainsay; indeed:

Au Maroc, l’attachement à la tradition est généralement valorisé. Ce qui est des fois remis en cause, ce n’est pas la tradition en tant que telle mais tel ou tel élément traditionnel. L’évaluation se fait selon divers critères. Certaines traditions sont bannies parce que jugées hétérodoxes, d’autres sont rejetées au nom de la science et du progrès.

The conservative variable can definitely be put aside, save for activists who tend to bully public opinion into endorsing them, the current state of mind is rather that of “individualistic conservatism” where each individual comes up with a customized interpretation of what they consider ‘true traditions’, which is not precisely what tradition is about…

In any case, and even though stripping falls into the category of ‘vice’ -per the Moroccan law, anyway- conservatives would do well to heed Bernard Mandeville‘s advice in the “Fable of the Bees“:

THEN leave Complaints: Fools only striveTo make a Great an Honest Hive.T’ enjoy the World’s Conveniences,Be fam’d in War, yet live in Ease,Without great Vices, is a vainEutopia seated in the Brain.http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/124-zouhair-baghough-/5411-morocco-sex-feminism-and-islamists-------------------------------------------MOROCCO ECONOMIC INDICATORS: BEHIND GLOBAL TRENDS ZOUHAIR BAGHOUGH 08/30/11 The great thing about growth that it sometimes give the illusion of development. in Morocco’s case, it serves well the mantra of “Morocco is Changing”: things are no longer the same. Things are improving; slowly, yes, but improving nonetheless. As a matter of fact, and save for the hardened nihilist, there is little to discuss over the occurring “change”, meaning that on absolute terms, we are improving standards of living and structural investments are being carried out. The real debate is over whether it is “too little too late” and “not enough” on the one hand, and “sureness of touch” and “prudence” on the other; Between a thrust for more rapid change, and the contentment with the current pace of change.My claim here is to prove, with a set of figures, that Morocco is behind the global trend of growth in income, wealth, productivity and other indicators, and perhaps even so relative to comparable countries and synthetic benchmarks. Along other pieces of evidence, we might as well conclude that since we are going to slowly, there must be something wrong, and considering the discrepancies with comparable countries, that is imputable to some sort of cost, a cost to development, so to speak, that might be multifarious, perhaps mainly institutional. But that, of course, remains to be proven. In any case, the evidence is there to prove that even if we are increasing wealth per capita -among other indicators- we are either slightly behind, or the increasing process is not full mastered; too much ‘noise’ in the economy’s progression hinders that very progress.The proposed methodology, without a significant loss of generality, considers Moroccan economic indicators with respect to synthetic indexes, the World Index and various “Morocco counterparts” Indexes – as provided by the World Bank Database (the World Index for instance, is going to be a much-used benchmark)Morocco vs the World: Respective countries are given weights commensurate to their GDPs across time so as to obtain the World index. These are.We then consider 1980 as a base year – a 30 years time scale can be considered to be long enough so as to deliver meaningful results. We then run these weights on the following constant variables:- GDP Per Capita: in 1980, Moroccan GDP made up for 0.17% of World GDP- in 2010, it was only 0.14%, even though Moroccan GDP grew on average 3.8%, while global average growth, on the other hand, was 2.86%. So over the last three decades, Morocco grew 1 basis point a little bit above the whole world, and yet manages to grow smaller in relative size… It has to do with a higher growth volatility, which tends to have a negative impact on the cumulative benefits of growth (and development, if some extrapolation might be allowed here) the stated policy of growth as a mean of development, officially endorsed by the government (as well as the IMF and Morocco’s significant partners) seems to overlook the other, equally essential feature for this to succeed: stability in growth.The graph shows the high volatility that prevents consolidating cumulative output – for the record, world growth volatility (i.e. standard deviation) amounted to 1.41 over the considered period, while Morocco’s was much larger -4.6- which means, among others, that Morocco experienced more recessions (or negative growth)Because the economy is unable to stabilize its dynamics across time, we end up with a lower relative GDP, but also, lagging behind wealth creation as well: Morocco almost tripled its GDP per capita between 1980 and 2010, but that is not enough, since global wealth almost quadrupled in the meantime, thus rendering the one-point advantage in average growth pointless.All is not gloomy however: the strategic choice of agriculture, made very early on, pays indeed: when compared to the global trend, Moroccanagricultural output per worker is way above, both in average returns and computed trends; Then again, the global trend is less volatile, but previous observations on GDP do not apply in agricultural output. It is worth pointing out however, the very strong correlation between Agricultural and total GDP shapes up the Moroccan economy’s growth (by contrast, there is little correlation worldwide) and there is evidence that agricultural GDP, whether through its direct contribution to economic growth, or with its influence over macroeconomic variables, tends to condition growth overall.The discrepancy between Morocco’s growth and the world’s, in effect, can be accounted for by measuring agricultural volatility; Though the choice of this particular economic activity is subject to debate, even this stated policy failed in delivering consistent results; A policy designed to make sure Moroccan agriculture strong, efficient, or, in short, aimed at insuring Morocco’s self-sufficiency, but fails to sustain stable levels of output, fails to fulfil itself as well.These odd occurrences are not restricted to agriculture or GDP growth; indeed, on investment, Morocco does better than the rest of the world, yet it does not sustain its commitment to expand output; Indeed, there again volatility in investment spendings is higher than the global average, which squanders the advantage of “doing better”. The indicators, for all their shortcomings (after all, GDP does not capture other items,on which Morocco might be performing exceptionally well…) do deliver a message of inconsistent growth; the structural policies -the strategic choices made by the highest authorities- should address the pressing problem of volatility, and promote stable policies, instead of engaging in bombastic projects.Morocco vs selected benchmarks: the same applies to Morocco compared to selected benchmarks; First off, Middle-income countries tend to do better compared to Morocco’s performances; Overall, Morocco does better than MENA countries in terms of GDP per capita, even in terms of stability; but if it is indeed the case, that advantage is small enough to doubt any significant gains over our neighbours: after all, a 20-basis points advantage over MENA countries conveys the same message: Morocco increased its GDP per capita 2.90 times, MENA 2.70, it is, for those who like to denigrate Algeria for instance, a pyrrhic victory indeed.The good news are rather short: for Morocco was comparable enough to Midde-income countries in the 1990s, but then again, right from 2002, the existing gap grew wider, and Morocco lost its bet to become a Middle-income country. And there is indeed a link between the failure to catch up with these countries (among others, Jordan, Tunisia, Turkey, Cuba(!) Iran, Algeria and Romania) and the irregularity with which the domestic economy grew. And if we were to link that further to the potential GDP (and the failure for the economy to stick with its trend) then priorities in terms of development need to be reversed: high spendings on infrastructure (the “Grand Designs“) are all very well, but as far as the official documentation goes, there is no particular anticipation of long-term implications; Will an additional highway insure a robust basis-point growth, or won’t it? Would these investments insure a stable growth and stable economy?Since Morocco is indeed freed from the downsides (if there were any of those) of short-lived political governments, those in charge are, in effect, responsible for the recorded volatility over the last 30 years, and the failure to catch-up with Middle-income countries in the early 2000s. Political power does come with economic responsibility, the least of which is to grant decent (and stable) standards of living to all Moroccans, and not just the privileged few. http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/124-zouhair-baghough-/5407-morocco-economic-indicators-behind-global-trends-------------------------------------------Morocco triples subsidies.By Siham Ali 2011-09-01A sharp increase in Morocco's budget has reopened the debate about reforms in the kingdom.

Morocco announced last month that the Compensation Fund will require 48 billion dirhams instead of the 17 billion originally stipulated in the 2011 Budget.Government officials claim the nearly three-fold increase is needed

HM the King inaugurates in Tetouan HRH Princess Lalla Malika center for training health volunteers and professionalsTetouan - HM King Mohammed VI, accompanied by HRH Princess Lalla Malika inaugurated, on Friday in Tetouan, HRH Princess Lalla Malika center for training health volunteers and professionals, to be built for a total cost of 9.1 million dirhams.- HRH Princess Lalla Malika Center is an embodiment of the Moroccan Red Crescent policy aiming to reinforce health training institutions .

- The center will provide training to 350 students.

After unveiling the commemorative plaque and cutting the symbolic ribbon, the Sovereign toured the different facilities of the new Center which is designed to provide training in first aid, nursing and sanitary techniques.

The Center, to be achieved as part of the Moroccan Red Crescent policy to reinforce health training institutions, will substitute the existing nursing training school at the Moroccan Red Crescent hospital in Tetouan.

The equipment and design of the new Center will enable improving the training provided by the school so far as well as diversifying and increasing the number of beneficiaries, which will jump from 150 to 350 students annually.

Built over an area of 1,638 square meters, HRH Princess Lalla Malika Center will house a dormitory, an amphitheatre, four classrooms, a library, a computer hall, administration offices, a kitchen and a refectory.

On this occasion, HRH Princess Lalla Malika, Chairwoman of the Moroccan Red Crescent, handed HM the King a book on the activities of the organization.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/main4/hm_the_king_inaugura4355/view-----------------------------------------Moroccan youth push for political representation.2011-08-26 By Siham Ali for MagharebiaYoung political activists in Morocco recently formed a new group to press for reform and to urge the creation of a national electoral list reserved for youth ahead of the November 25th legislative elections.Members of the newly created "Moroccan Youth Movement for Political Representation Now" met with Youth Minister Moncef Belkhayat on Tuesday (August 23rd) in Rabat to advocate for a national list reserved for young people, half men and half women. Twenty-nine youth organisations and 17 civil society groups are affiliated with the movement.The youth list will guarantee young people's representation in the Chamber of Representatives while at the same time encouraging "a renewal of the elite and inject new blood into institutions", according to the activists.The movement also proposed the creation of a national fund to support young people that will protect their interests.Youth Minister Belkhayat gave his support to the national list proposal, citing a recent royal speech that stressed the need to foster the emergence of new political elites among young people.The youth initiative follows lobbying by the women's movement, which has pushed for a list to be reserved solely for women. The interior ministry previously proposed the adoption of a 90-seat national list for young people and women.According to Abdelkader Kihel, general secretary for young people with the Istiqlal Party, the government's proposal was welcomed by young people but attempts have since been made to hijack it."Political parties have a problem with young people. There is a huge gap between what they say and what they do," he said.The youth movement's goal is to bring about a full-scale renewal of the elites, which are one of the driving forces of democracy, according to Ali El Yazghi, secretary-general for young people with the Socialist Union of Popular Forces. He said that this renewal must happen immediately with election lists reserved for young people.Young people from the movement say they are determined to achieve their goal of rejuvenating the political elite and accuse parties of having no clear vision on the issue.If the movement's demands are not met, they plan to step up their campaign with protests to call for young people to be represented in the legislature.The idea of a national list is an issue on which no consensus has yet been reached, government spokesman Khalid Naciri told reporters August 18th. He stated that there are differences of opinion between those who want it to be reserved solely for women, those who want it to be reserved for young people, and those who believe there is no point in implementing it."You must put yourselves in the shoes of the Ministry of the Interior, which is trying to establish a consensus by consulting political parties," Naciri said.The ball is now in the court of political parties, which have differing views on the matter. The president of the National Council of the Party of Justice and Development, Saaddine Othmani, said that his party proposed that a third of the list be reserved for women, a third reserved for young people and the remainder for Moroccans living overseas.In his view, young people should set up bodies of their own to solve the problem of representation as there cannot be several national lists.As for the women's movement, the national co-ordinator for the Movement of Egalitarian Democracy, Khadija Rebbah, said that the national list should be reserved for women only. She said positive discrimination has historically focused on the sex with the least representation, whereas young people are an age-based category.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/26/feature-02----------------------------------------- Morocco taps benefits of Barbary fig oilBy Mohamed Chakir (AFP)RABAT — Barbary fig oil, celebrated as an effective anti-ageing skin potion, is following argan oil as a great new cosmetic export from Morocco.But the tiny amount of oil extracted from each cactus fruit makes Barbary fig oil the most expensive on the market, about a 1,000 euros ($1,440) a litre.Beyond its cosmetic virtues, the United Nations is urging Morocco to develop the cactus plant in a country where 80 percent of farming is carried out in arid or semi-arid regions.The push to develop Barbary fig, a cactus fruit well-adapted to extreme weather conditions, comes with a belief that several revenue streams could stem from it.If successful, the cactus could stand as a business model to other countries looking for cash crops suitable to inhospitably hot climates.Eight tonnes of the Barbary fig fruit -- sometimes known as prickly pear -- are needed to produce a litre (quart) of oil used for cosmetics, said Karim Anegay, head of the cactus programme at the economic promotion office for southern Morocco."This oil is commercialised by Moroccan companies as its anti-ageing virtues are of excellent quality but it's still early days," he said.In Casablanca, cosmetics company Azabane uses Barbary fig oil in shampoo and creams.Redouane Stouti, a 27-year-old entrepreneur, owns a farm in the Errhamana region, where he produces 10 litres a month from his vast plantation."With the help of a machine, the fruit seeds are pressed as is," he said."I have 20 points of sale in Morocco under the 'Coeur de Figue' appellation," he said as he toured a series of alleys where about 30 women were picking the thorny fruit.Researcher Mohamed Boujnah said the oil was "rich in Vitamin E with a great anti-oxidant power".Sofia, a 50-year-old customer, said the oil was "wonderful"."Ever since I've used it I've seen an improvement and elasticity in my skin," she said.In the Gulemim and Sidi Ifni regions, both extremely arid, Morocco began an ambitious programme to increase cactus production.The UN Development Programme (UNDP) contributed $1.7 million to the program and provided technical assistance, said El Kebir Alaouoi M'Daghri, the programme director.Annual production of Barbary fig fruit in Morocco is 1.2 million tonnes from 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres) of plantations, mostly in southern regions.Originally imported from the Americas in the 16th century, the cactus and its fruit are used traditionally, often as food. Orangish-red when ripe, the fruit's juicy insides taste something like a very sweet watermelon.UN experts say the fruit can even be used as sustenance during famines.In southern regions, "conventional farming can no longer provide added value and that is why we have found cactus cultivation as an alternative," M'Daghri said.The Sidi Ifni province recently held a festival to promote the cactus fruit, and the UN-backed program is currently building installations to improve production of Morocco's latest agricultural initiative.http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h1ElxnMjOfPTJ_-wNpLcaRcxqd5w?docId=CNG.8481f2638fc15e77eddc1468fae105af.3f1-----------------------------------------MOROCCO: SHOPPING IN THE LAST WEEK OF RAMADAN. 08/24/11 Anita Breland During Ramadan, after a morning of closed shop doors and empty souks, shoppers turn out in force for a few short hours each afternoon. They must make their purchases in good time to be home when the cannon fires and it’s time to break the fast. It’s not all fruits, veggies and meats, though. For the past several weeks, enormous quantities of packaged smoothies and other sweetened drinks have also been available from the kiosks that dot the souks. Tetra-Pak mountains front skinny refrigerators packed with chilled beverages, and compete with pedestrians in the narrow streets. Rows of the boxes climb the walls behind piles of peppers and carrots. Their contents don’t have the wow factor of the famous Moroccan yogurt and juice drinks I’ve enjoyed here, but some, like the avocado milkshakes, are quite tasty. In the New City, the instant soups at Marjane supermarket were rearranged last week to showcase harira. Clearly, not everyone enjoys a solid month of homemade soup to break the fast, so these have come in handy—I confess to buying a couple of soup packets myself, to ward off panic when the medina souks are closed. They’re ok, but definitely improve when pumped up with extra vermicelli and a meatball or two.With just a week of Ramadan to go, stocks of dates are somewhat depleted, at least the fancy sort, in boxes. Sales are on now, to move those that remain on supermarket shelves. Quite a difference scene from the shoulder-high stacks of imported dates on this spot just few frenzied weeks ago.Restaurants have been closed during the day since the beginning of August, and those that open at all, offer limited evening service. Tables at normally busy cafés are pushed together, service suspended. I look forward to having familiar coffee bars, neighborhood restaurants and food stalls back in business at mid-day, welcoming customers for luncheon and tea breaks.

After the Tetra-Pak heaps are gone and the freezers in the souk turned on again, it will be a treat to stop by a kiosk for a Magnum (double caramel, please). It’s still summer, after all!

The slower pace of medina life will continue until August 30 and the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5399-morocco-shopping-in-the-last-week-of-ramadan-----------------------------------------Amazigh activists launch pan-Maghreb body.2011-08-22A new Amazigh cultural association hopes to foster economic and political development across North Africa.Interview by Imrane Binoual for Magharebia in Casablanca – 22/08/11 [. Amazigh campaigners from across the Maghreb gathered in Tangier last month to celebrate their ancestral heritage. Activists also used the opportunity to launch a new association designed to promote Amazigh rights, language and culture. The Union of North African Peoples (UNAP) was formed by joint declaration of representatives from Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt and the Canary Islands. Magharebia sat down with Morocco representative and group vice-president, Ahmed Arrehmouch, to hear how the new association plans to promote Amazigh heritage and Maghreb unity.Magharebia: How did you come up with the idea for creating a Union of North African Peoples?Ahmed Arrehmouch: The groundwork was laid before the Tangier Appeal and the announcement about the creation of the Union of North African Peoples (UNAP). Preparatory meetings were held in February in Paris and another was held in the Lebanon. There were discussions about the strategic aims of the Amazigh movement in North Africa. Above all, we felt that the movement and the structure within which we were operating, the World Amazigh Congress, was somewhat weak. This spurred us to think about alternatives taking different forms, with new tools and a new strategic vision. So we agreed to hold an emergency meeting. The events that the region has witnessed accelerated the process of creating a regional framework that could play political, rather than civic, roles and a political role in dealings with governments and international NGOs working to promote democracy and development for the peoples in the region.Magharebia: Why did you announce the new group during the Touiza festival?Arrehmouch: We had planned to hold a meeting in June to create the body, but since the organisers of the Touiza festival decided to hold their seventh Mediterranean Festival of Amazigh Culture at around the same time, we seized the opportunity and they said they were willing to host our meeting. So, representatives of Amazigh movements across North Africa came to Morocco for the meeting to create the union, and this culminated in the Tangier Appeal.Magharebia: Moroccan Amazighs recently won recognition of their language in the new constitution while Tunisian and Libyan Amazighs are seeing freedom for the first time. Did the situation in the region contribute to the creation of your new organisation?Arrehmouch: We felt that the situation across the region made it a very opportune moment, especially because the Amazigh movement played an important role in the February 20 movement in Morocco. In Algeria, too, the RCD (Rally for Culture and Democracy) was the driving force behind the protests in Algiers. We saw the emergence of lively youth and academic movements in Tunisia after the revolution there. They have begun to express themselves freely and have underlined their willingness to include Amazigh organisations. In Egypt, too, people have spoken up and another political movement has emerged in Libya and is represented on the Transitional Council there.This is the geographical environment in which Amazigh voices expressing a political vision have been heard. The process was sped up by the weakness of the World Amazigh Congress (WAC) in North Africa.Magharebia: So are you presenting yourselves as an alternative to the WAC?Arrehmouch: The World Amazigh Congress must now be re-energised, pick itself up and be as dynamic as it used to be. If it can do that, we could work in tandem. However, if its leaders do not do their job, this new organisation could become an alternative to it.Magharebia: What are the first steps that you plan to take?Arrehmouch: The first step will be to go through the legal process of declaring the UNAP to the relevant authorities. This will be done both in Morocco and abroad. The next step will be to hold a meeting from 25-26 August in Tunisia to put together an action plan for the union. We also intend to organise an international forum to be attended by certain UN agencies that are working to support efforts to promote democracy and human rights. We anticipate that it will be held in the Canary Islands by the end of this year.Magharebia: Have there been requests to join the new body?Arrehmouch: We haven't yet opened the door for organisations to become affiliated with this body. In terms of policy, however, the Tangier Appeal stated that the body is open to all Amazigh forces and all NGOs helping people who are subjugated and impoverished in North Africa. For the organisation to begin operating, first of all we need to adopt bylaws and the procedure for membership applications. We're still at the stage of hammering out these issues, which will be on the agenda for the meeting that will take place in Tunisia from 25-26 Augusthttp://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/22/feature-02-----------------------------------------Moroccan civil society forms watchdog group.2011-08-22 By Siham Ali for MagharebiaReform campaigners in Morocco hope a new association will ensure authorities follow through on plans for change.Reform campaigners in Morocco hope a new association will ensure authorities follow through on plans for change. Moroccan activists, intellectuals and academics recently formed a "civic monitoring movement" designed to keep a close eye on political issues in the kingdom.The new movement plans "to align with modernising forces to build a civil state where law and social justice prevail", according to members. The group, which met for the first time August 3rd in Rabat, also hopes to promote democracy while serving in an oversight capacity.Since the adoption of the new constitution, some major issues that require civic monitoring have arisen, necessitating research and studies as well as advocacy and suitable proposals for institutions such as parliament and the government, professor and movement member Nadir Moumni said.He told Magharebia that the aim was to participate in public discussions about government policy, institutional development and identify failings in governance and rule of law."In my view, we need to begin by looking at the laws governing elections," he asserted.Sociologist Jamil Narouti lauded the initiative, saying it will lead to lobbying that could rectify failings. He said that the fact that this discussion was happening was beneficial to reform efforts. Many members of the movement, such as Khadija Rouissi, the president of Bayt Al Hikma, and Amazigh campaigner Ahmed Assid, oppose conservative ideas, he noted.Narouti also pointed out that this difference in opinions could lead to heated debates with other schools of thought, endangering an environment of healthy dialogue.Vice-president of the Party of Justice and Development Lahcen Daoudi told Magharebia that it was too early to have preconceived ideas about the movement."We judge actions and proposals, not people. All organisations are positive as long as they are created in a transparent way," he said. Lecturer Nadir Moumni said that the organisation was entirely independent of all partisan and civic institutions, created pursuant to the royal decree of 1958 on civil liberties.As for the general public, many people have hailed the creation of this new civil-society framework, which satisfies the public demand for a neutral movement that can identify failings in public policy and ask tough questions."From now on, civil society must play a monitoring and spotlighting role," commented Sara El Menouer, a 21-year-old politics student. "By creating a movement, especially during this period of numerous political challenges, citizens can have faith in the ideas that will arise out of the discussions that will be had."Hamza El Ouardi, a sales executive, hopes that the group's advocacy will bear fruit and not have its calls fall on deaf ears."If the movement receives support from several civil-society organisations and actors, it will be a major force capable of achieving many things. The next few weeks will show us whether this movement will actually be able to achieve its goals," he said.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/22/feature-03

-----------------------------------------Censorship of the internet in the MoroccoSun, 08/21/2011 - 11:35pm The policy of the Morocco in the access to Internet was until recently rather liberal, the Government has encouraged the development of the media. Nevertheless, more than two years the trend reversed and cases of censorship are becoming more and more common.

Cases of censorship are primarily the result of the telephone operator and Internet dominant Morocco Telecom (a subsidiary of Vivendi), it is practiced in a manner totally arbitrary and opaque, Morocco telecom claiming technical problems for claim. It is characterized by the absence of recourse to a court decision, although the Morocco proclaims a “State of law”.

Morocco Telecom blocked several blogging sites, such as LiveJournal. Reporters without borders says that the Morocco often censor political websites claiming independence of Western Sahara. Google Earth was also blocked by Morocco Telecom at a time for reasons that remain obscure, some hypotheses suggest that the goal would be to make the difficult location of the Royal palaces, others say that it is to hide the locations of secret prisons. This block is completely arbitrary and is outside any judicial procedure, what can that generate the most far-fetched hypotheses as to his motives.

Today, only the anonymiser.com site is censored, as Google Earth, YouTube and sites claiming the independence of Western Sahara have become available.Major sites of the Frente Polisario

November 21, 2005, the Morocco is blocking the main sites of the Polisario, namely arso.org, spsrasd.info, cahiersdusahara.com and wsahara.net. Then, soon after, he made with the anonymiser.com site when he learns that it is recommended to divert the blocking.

Today, all these sites are accessible.Google Earth

Total censorship of Google Earth to the Morocco is a case unique in the world, while some countries have asked Google to not display or flouter certain places or sensitive buildings, Morocco Telecom has chosen for mysterious reasons to ban the two sites in all.

Morocco Telecom opposed an end to not receive any request for clarification on this block, claiming denials by Google sometimes clumsy way of waves technical problems, problems completely.

This decision is made even more incomprehensible by the fact that the other sites of supplies of satellite such as Yahoo and Microsoft are always accessible.

This censorship is likely to become quickly untenable view the popularity of the two sites in question, the number constantly growing sites and software that make reference or use them, sites very often to professional. The Morocco intends to develop tourism as a strategic activity for the country, and many tourist sites use the blocked sites. The country also embarked on an ambitious policy for the advancement of the it offshoring and a call center and this attitude is likely to tarnish the image of the country as a reliable technological Hub transparent and consistent in its decisions.YouTube

May 25, 2007, the historic operator Morocco Telecom (inmate to 51% by Vivendi Universal) has blocked access to YouTube. No reason for this block was given but some and the Moroccan blogosphere (also called Blogoma), is regarded as the founding event for the fight against Internet censorship in the Morocco.link: World Articles, August 21st 2011http://www.machiineproject.com/censorship-of-the-internet-in-the-morocco/----------------------------------------- MOROCCO: TRADITIONAL MUSLIM EDUCATION. MATT SCHUMANN 08/21/11 Fez / Morocco Board News-- Since my arrival in Fes I've imagined what it would be like to enter al-Qarawiyine university. Al-Qarawiyine is why Fes is called medinat l-'ilm: 'the city of knowledge'. Constructed 1200 years ago, it was, for centuries, a great center of learning for scholars, mainly Muslim but also Jewish, from Islamic Spain, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Its prominence has declined in the past 100 years, but it is still home to a vibrant community of Islamic scholars. Al-Qarawiyine has an imposing presence in the Old Fes. Physically it is huge. It is one of the city's largest landmarks, something you notice most when forced to navigate around its perimeter, dodging donkeys and hustlers along the way. Culturally, you notice its impact in how Fessis speak. Unlike most Moroccans, native Fessis, and especially those who live in the old Medina, converse readily in Classical Arabic, the language of Islam. Their speech emphasizes the already prominent sense of religiosity that permeates the medina's alleyways. All of this emanates from Al-Qarawiyine and its centuries of religious tradition.

As a student of Islam, I couldn't help but be drawn to such a place. The image of me sitting at the foot of some great Islamic scholar, in a halqa or study circle, frequently entered my mind this year. The experience of a traditional Islamic education appealed to me, knowing that it was something I couldn't get in America. Additionally, it would give me a new and very rich understanding of Islam, the study of which I hope to make a lifelong pursuit. So I ask a friend of mine with experience studying at al-Qarawiyine to explain exactly what a traditional Islamic education would entail.

Niaz, now living in Turkey, was an English teacher at the American center in Fes and had lived in the Old Medina for a little over 5 years. Along with teaching English, Niaz pursued studies in the classical Islamic tradition with Sheikhs in and around Fes.

One day I met with him to talk about his studies. He explained to my that in Morocco, Islamic scholars follow a particular curriculum that starts with Arabic language study and moves along to different areas of specialization, just as religious law or speculative theology. As he said, "the first step is Arabic, which is the miftah u'lum ad-din, or the key to the religious sciences. Without Arabic you have nothing."

Working within the Islamic tradition requires absolute mastery of Arabic. As a religious scholar you interpret the Qu'ran, Islam's holy text, which is written in Arabic and believed to be the word of God. In order to understand this word to the extent they are able, scholars first study books on grammar, syntax, rhetoric and logic.

Mastery of these subjects prepare yourself to understand all of the more specialized subjects. Quranic commentary and Islamic law are based on linguistics and logic. Without a solid foundation in Arabic, you can't engage with the Islamic intellectual tradition. How do you ensure mastery? Memorization.

"Your time with the sheikh is spent listening to him explain the parts the text you're working on," Niaz explained, "and then you go home and memorize it. Once you memorize a complete text you move on to its commentary, and you follow that progression: learning, understanding and then memorizing."

Memorization is looked down upon in America's education system. We try to create 'independent thinkers' and 'critical thinkers' and the we perceive 'rote memorization' as impeding these goals. If you memorize, you're not thinking and you end up merely reproducing the information you've learned rather than synthesizing it into new, fresh ideas. I witnessed this firsthand in my classroom this year. My students could repeat the previous week's lecture word for word. But when asked a critical thinking question or given a task that required them to synthesize information, they struggled immensely. The Islamic ideal falls somewhere in between.

Notice how Niaz described the learning process: "learning, understanding and then memorizing." An Islamic scholar is not expect to merely reproduce what he's learned, he's expected to apply that knowledge to new and unique intellectual situations. Memorization only comes after you understand what you're learning and how to use it. That information is then internalized so that it can be more quickly synthesized with other information, external or internal, to respond to a given intellectual situation. The Islamic scholar has the potential to be a synthesizer and critical thinker because of, not despite, his reliance on memorized information.

There's something romantic about becoming this kind of intellectual: an unmediated world of information available to you at all times. No dependence on books or computers; information and ideas fused to your very being.

Technology has made an indelible impression on our relationship with information. Are the changes it has wrought necessarily good? Am I the only person who feels ashamed by my dependence on a calculator or on Google to give me the text of the Gettysburg Address? Can I truly participate in an intellectual culture if I have to look up its fundamental and most influential ideas online or in a reference book? Does that make me an independent thinker?

Needless to say, Niaz had me hooked.

Muslims believe that certain people have the gift of light from God, a certain special charisma that not only enraptures ordinary people but also guides them towards or along the straight path. Of everyone I know, Niaz has that light. It was he who helped a friend of mine convert to Islam, and it was he who helped me decide to stay in Morocc to pursue a traditional Islamic education.http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/367-matt-schumann/5394-morocco-traditional-muslim-education----------------------------------------- JUST HOW ORGANIC IS MOROCCO'S AGRICULTURE? MATT SCHUMANN 08/21/11 Meknes / Morocco Board News-- Perhaps the greatest symbol of Morocco's traditions is the souk, or market. Whether you're in Rabat's medina, steps away from the tramway, or deep in the heart of Old Fes, shopping in the souk transports you back in time, far away from modernity. For tourists, a visit to the souk is, at the least, a unique and unforgettable experience. The sights, smells and sounds are dazzling and mesmerizing. And for some, these have a deeper meaning.To the legions of Western eco-tourists who descend on Morocco every year, the souk symbolizes a way of life distant from the ills of the modern food economy. If the supermarket, with its packaged goods and processed foods symbolizes the evils of the 'food-industrial complex', the souk epitomizes 'organic': produce is piled in haphazard pyramids, as if thrown there by the farmhands who picked it. Many fruits and vegetables are speckled with clods of dirt, too 'organic' to be cleaned before sale. However, these appearances are deceiving. Despite the quaintness and charm of the souk, Morocco is far from an 'eco-gastronomy' paradise.

In his paper presented at the 2009 International Symposium on Sustainable Agricultural in Mediterranean Region, S. B. Alaoui wrote that Morocco has done little to take advantage of the country's organic farming potential. Morocco's climate is ideal for organic agriculture; its long growing season can support almost any type of crop, provided there is sufficient water. Moroccan farmers already use few chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. And manual labor is very cheap. Yet, organic farming has grown feebly and sporadically.

According to the most recent data from the World Resources Institute, the area of Morocco's cropland totals around 9,445,000 hectares, slightly less than that of California. In 2006, only 5,955 hectares were devoted to certified organic farming. More than half of these are devoted to Argan oil production which, unlike other agriculture, occurs spontaneously. Compare this with California which devoted nearly 175,000 hectares of cropland to organic farming in 2007

What has prevented Morocco from taking advantage of this potential economic growth?

Alaoui writes that organic farming not high on the government's economic agenda. Though agricultural development is a national priority, such efforts focus on increasing crop yields and water conservation. The former can encourage decidedly un-organic practices, like increased fertilizer use, and while expanding organic farming could reduce overall water consumption, there are other less resource and labor intense ways of doing so.

Additionally, Morocco has neither national standards for organic farming nor any means to certify its organic farms. Setting up a national certification system would take time and money. Guaranteeing its veracity would require significant oversight. Yet these costs are necessary if Morocco hopes to profit from its organic potential. It is the lack of such a certification system that makes it impossible for Morocco's already fledgling organic farms to export their produce to Europe.

Simply put, the Moroccan government and Moroccan farmers don't care about organic farming, and it's easy to understand why. Unlike many Western countries, Morocco is still trying to modernize its agricultural sector. The focus is on increasing efficiency, crop yield and, subsequently, profits.

While some Westerners decry the industrial food economy, Moroccans dismay not having such an infrastructure. Western tourists may view Morocco as untouched by many of the problems of a modern economy, but many Moroccans see this as a lack of economic development preventing their nation from reaching its potential.

Turning Morocco into an organic farming power may appeal to certain groups with certain ideologies. But ultimately, Morocco will pursue the actions that best serve its national interest.

Sources:

- Data on organic farming in Morocco come from Mr. Alaoui's paper: "Organic Farming in the World and a case study of Morocco"

-Data on organic farming in California comes from the USDA

-General data on Morocco's Agriculture from the World Resource Institute http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/367-matt-schumann/5392-just-how-organic-is-moroccos-agriculture----------------------------------------- HAS THE KEYNESIAN ECONOMIC THEORY FAILED? MOSTAFA CHTAINI 08/21/11 San Francisco / Morocco Board News-- Has the Keynesian economic theory, the foundation of capitalism failed? If it has, what are the causes of its failure? Is it its limitations to evolve with the way capitalism has evolved? Is it its inability to reject the manipulations by its benefactors? Is it ineffective in protecting its basic foundation against limitless human greed? Or have the regulators thrown in the towel and made the regulations to protect the economic and financial systems irrelevant, leading to the “dog eat dog” mentality plaguing the US and the World economy? It seems that it is all of the above. Keynes must be sadly watching his theory undergoing its last breath with no oxygen in sight.In the United States of America where the application of the Keynesian theory has been championed, the conservatives are undermining the Presidency and are accusing the President of destroying the economy and capitalism by being a “socialist”. The head of the US Federal Reserve Board has been called a “traitor” by a Republican presidential candidate. Compromise, the basis for democratic success, has become a taboo word. Politicians in the US house of Representative and the US Senate comprising less than 150 Americans in a country of 360 million people and a world of almost 7 billion inhabitants are sticking to their voodoo economic position of cuts in the budget spending and no taxes to generate revenues to grow the economy of the United States of America and consequently that of the World. The US and the World economic and financial development have been hijacked by a small group of law makers who are uncompromising, pledging allegiance to an individual rather than to the constitution and use religious superiority as a cover up. Meanwhile, President Obama is continuing his efforts to achieve a balanced approach of cuts and revenues through his call for “shared sacrifice.”

The polls show that the majority of the American people want jobs and no cuts. The same polls show that the Congress now has only 18% approval and the President of the United States has less than 40% approval. The Congressional Black Caucus is reviewing its support of President Obama and wants him to get “tough”. The “super congressional committee” is a Russian roulette process wherein the failure to agree on cuts and revenues will trigger automatic draconian cuts. The elderly are worried and afraid of losing their social security checks and medical care coverage. The stock market is unable to stop the roller coaster ride it has been on since the USA was downgraded by Standard and Poor.

Both Republicans and Democrats claim they want to create jobs, yet there is no plan to act on. The Republican candidates are tearing down the President as they please. The President still thinks that he can persuade the American people to see things his way. The liberals are mad at the President and want him to stop being “a nice guy” and show their deepest dislike for the Tea Party folks. Republican gerrymandering through redistricting is guarantying Republican majorities in the targeted districts of the Tea Party folks.

The newly elected Republican Governors are adamant about destroying collective bargaining and pushing the Labor Unions to the breaking point. The Unions are embarking on recalling some of the states’ legislators and governors to prevent the dissolution of the gains made by Labor since the New Deal. Unemployment is at a record high. Access to higher education is getting more expensive and difficult. Graduates have no jobs waiting for them. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars are still active. The poor represent 40 million human beings in America of which 14 millions are children

Worldwide, the Chinese, the Japanese and the Middle Easterners are worried about the US dollars and US bonds and shares of the stock market they hold. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is yelling out loud “Austerity” and the World Bank needs restructuring. The bloody uprisings in Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen are destructive. Everyone is looking at Egypt and Tunisia for the outcome of their “Arab Spring”. Is it going to be civilian or military rule? What happened to the revival of negotiations for “peace” between Israel and the Palestinians? Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy are on the verge of bankruptcy and almost broke. Their saviors Finland, Holland, Slovenia and Slovakia want cash collateral to come to the rescue.

Sadly to see that London, Liverpool and Manchester where it all began 300 years ago are burning. It is inhuman to see that the World is watching the poor being ignored and millions of African children dying of hunger and cholera abandoned to their fate.

The millionaires are no longer satisfied to be millionaires; they want to be billionaires by any means.

How can these enormous problems be resolved?

The problem is multi-facetted and will not be solved by the usual approaches: cutting governmental spending alone is not a solution nor is an inadequate increase in taxation. Finding a compromise to combine both has been opposed by the legislative allies of the rich and the powerful because they, and their rich and powerful benefactors, feel that a large segment of the poor has been taking advantage of the system, getting a free ride on welfare and paying no taxes and being irresponsible. They see the middle class as making enough gains even though low and moderate incomes have remained stagnant for decades as the income of the wealthy increased exponentially. Given the circumstances, one would understand why the housing market has collapsed and perhaps purposefully. When realtors were enticing low and moderate income people -first time buyers- to buy homes through shady lending formulas of low or no down payment with mortgages beyond their income level, in other words realtors were cheating and making false declarations, one would think that something is wrong. Something is wrong when some in the housing industry were able to find ways to avoid regulation and bundle questionable mortgage loans as investment securities that were graded AAA by rating agencies in cahoots with the issuers who then sold these securities to overseas investors who relied on the ratings. The giants of the financial market created and hoped to benefit from these schemes. When the house of cards collapsed, they forced taxpayers to bear the losses, crying crocodile tears about being in danger of bankruptcy in order to extract bail outs and stimuli from the Federal Government. The first thing they did upon receiving tax payers’ funds to save them was to increase their managers’ income and lavish perks. Something is wrong. Ibnou Khaldoun, the father of economics, Adam Smith, Keynes, Friedman and Samuelson would not have planned it this way.

Naturally, the apologists will argue that times have changed. The Soviet Union is dead and the communists are becoming capitalists and that America is the country of freedom and opportunity and everyone has to mend for themselves while each is for his own.

Will President Obama call for “shared sacrifice” be heard and adhered to? We will know in September when politics and what is good for the country will collide again in Washington D.C. ----------------------------------------- REFORM OR RADICAL CHANGE IN MOROCCO: A FALSE DEBATE ZOUHAIR BAGHOUGH 08/21/11 Casablanca / Morocco Board News--The idea of holding a debate ( organized by Cap Démocratie Maroc (Capdema) society, a debate in the lines of the theme “Reformism or Breakthrough change?“) originated from a previous epistolary discussion between Capdema President, Younes Benmoumen, and a young Annahj top activist, Abdellatif Zeroual -a member of a panel held during Capdema’s Summer University.As always with that kind of debated abstract concepts, the conclusion -if there was to be any- would be ambivalent: in essence, the real question looming ahead was: do we need reforms in Morocco, or is it radical change we are seeking? The various remarks and mano-a-mano discussions do suggest that it is, above all, a matter of perception. And perception, indeed, already framed the terms of the debate.Now that the backdrops of the debate has been delineated, let us go back to the terms themselves. It was framed, not out of malice, but because of, essentially, the prevailing sentiment things are going too slow. But then again, that is the polymorphous feature of Feb20 movement: there are too many, if not contradictory tendencies within, and from what I have heard on behalf of prominent Feb20 activists (Omar Radi, for one) the immediate agenda for the movement is to accommodate these groups and make them work with each others. Not very ambitious, and at the same time a necessary preliminary step not to be taken lightl

I was actually disappointed by Radi’s analysis of what’s reformism, and what is not. The youthful demeanour of many Feb20 belies some old-fashioned approach to political analysis: an analogy with Russia circa 1905, or the split in the Russian Social-Democratic Party earlier (1902) was, in my opinion a bit over the top and far-fetched, while it betrayed a very anachronistic way of thinking. I can understand the common features between the timid reforms we have had and the Czar‘s decision to re-establish a Duma a century ago, but that’s about it. Plus that analysis suffers from what Karl Popper referred to as “The Poverty of Historicism“: Human history is a succession of single event. Popper’s criticism does not contradict the existence of a historical trend, though, nor does it conflict with the possibility of iterative events.I believe this is to be the focal point of the bias: because there is a systematic definition with respect to historical events in other countries, we end up forgetting that Morocco has a much lower threshold for these grievances (political or others) and so, any demands climbing above the mainstream/average set of demands will be construed as radical and subversive. And the peculiar thing is to find Annahj activists labelling their PSU and PADS comrades as “soft on change”, even though they are, to many other fellow Moroccans, the spearhead of radicalism. It does not matter to be overtly republican, or to support parliamentary monarchy, both numbers are rabid radicals.The other misconception around the described duality evolves within the rapport a young activist might have with history. There is need to thread carefully in these territories, but then again, when there is a lack of historical knowledge, inexperienced activists (and would-be politicians) tend to consider themselves asWhite Knights and the founder of true activism.

That claim to be the one and only renewing power in the field has been overused: Istiqlalpushed for a one party- one monarch state; Allal El Fassi famously said: “God has united this great nation under one King, Mohamed V, and one party, Istiqlal”. In its first convention, UNFP defined itself as a lot more than a mere partisan organization engaging in petty party political. It defined itself as a movement, instead. Same rethoric can be found in 1970s radical left, the moderate (PJD) and radical(Al Adl) islamists. The rhetoric of breakthrough thinking and brand-new renewal has been overused, indeed, even by the Makhzen regime too: haven’t we celebrated, just a couple of days ago, the “Revolution of King and People”? scores of progressive discourse have been plagiarized by PR officials. A 4-centuries-old monarchy manages to capture that discourse to its own use, and successfully manages to convince many citizens that it is standing at the vanguard of change.And so, the rhetoric is not the problem. The content, however, is critical to that idea of reform/radical change. Some interesting ideas have been tossed around: Agrarian reform, regulations over mineral resources, taxation, etc… but that was considered to be “basic reforms”, i.e. that’s how radical change starts. Well, to many, many people out there, it is the thin end of the wedge, not because it is too radical, but because of that lower threshold of attitude toward reform.I did not attend the full debate, although I left at the point when a bearded gentlemen tried a nasty Ad Hominem attack, implying chain-smokers (and there were many of those around) cannot look after commonwealth, whereas they are destroying their own health. I guess some doggy-dog politics won’t die away…My assessment is very optimistic: save for some rusty ideological background, practicality prevails, and while the rhetoric still needs to be renewed and beefed-up, the idea of change is there. The kind of political regime ranks way behind the real needs of Moroccan households and their future.http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/124-zouhair-baghough-/5395-reform-or-radical-change-in-morocco-a-false-debate ----------------------------------------- In spite of regional unrest – Morocco making progress Tuesday, 23 August 2011 01:02 Global Arab Network - In spite of regional unrest and rising commodity prices that have led to an increase in the trade deficit for the year-to-date, the prospects for the Moroccan economy in 2011 are encouraging thanks to a variety of factors, including a strong harvest and broader diversification. Figures for 2010 and the first five months of 2011 also show that inflation remains very low, Global Arab Network reports according to Oxford Business Group.

The Moroccan High Planning Commission (Haut Commissariat du Plan – HCP) announced in early June that GDP grew by 3.7% in real terms in 2010, marking the 13th consecutive year of growth. The final result was 0.5 percentage points higher than the estimate the HCP had given in March and that the IMF published in its April World Economic Outlook (WEO). While agricultural GDP fell slightly, non-agricultural growth stood at 4.5%, illustrating Morocco’s increasing diversification away from the once-dominant farming sector. A 4.7% increase in the value of exported goods and services also helped underpin the expansion. The result brings mean annual growth for the past five years to 4.9%, compared to 2.9% for the previous five-year period and -0.4% in the half-decade before that, underlining the extent to which the economy has been transformed over the past 15 years.

According to the IMF’s WEO figures released in April, Morocco is set for another year of healthy expansion in 2011, with GDP expected to rise to around 3.9% in 2011. The government is more optimistic still, with the Finance Ministry forecasting 5% growth. An anticipated strong harvest, thanks to good weather early in the year, should support a high rate of growth, given the continued importance of agriculture. The government’s assessment assumed a cereals harvest of 7m tonnes but the central bank, Bank Al Maghrib, forecast in June that it would reach 7.8m tonnes.

The tourism industry also helps underwrite the expansion. Although the number of nights has dropped in most major destinations, and Ramadan has furthered dampened vacancy rates, the sector’s receipts were up 8% year-on-year for the first five months of 2011. Economic recovery in Europe also helped push remittances up by 6.8% in the year to May.

Inflation remains firmly under control, standing at just under 1% in 2010 according to IMF estimates, a figure that was largely unchanged from 2009. The consumption price index in May was unchanged from the same point in the previous year, with a 0.8% fall in the price of food having effectively cancelled out a 0.8% rise in non-food prices. However, the underlying inflation rate – which does not include the prices of goods that are regarded as volatile or those with prices set by the state – stood at 1.4% in May. While the WEO figures forecast inflation to reach 2.9% for 2011 as a whole, in June Bank Al Maghrib lowered its inflation prediction for 2011 from 2.1% to 1.4%, thanks in large part to a drop in food prices. It therefore opted to leave the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.25%.

According to the HCP, the official unemployment rate fell in the first quarter of 2011 to 9.1%, down from 10% in the same quarter of 2010 and 9.2% in the fourth quarter of 2010. Urban unemployment was down 0.4 percentage points from its level in the final quarter of 2010 to 13.3%, while the rural joblessness rate rose by 0.1 percentage points, to 4.3%.

Similarly, official figures for urban unemployment for people between the ages of 15 and 24 was down 2.3 percentage points on the previous quarter, an encouraging trend given that urban youth joblessness has been one of the most stubborn categories of unemployment. While the unemployment rate has fluctuated slightly in recent years, with unofficial estimates often suggesting higher levels of unemployment, over the longer term increased growth has successfully helped to bring joblessness down from 14-15% in the late 1990s.

While performance across a range of indicators remains strong, the economy nevertheless faces some challenges in 2011. High oil and wheat prices helped push the trade deficit for the year to May up 25% on the same period in 2010, to Dh76.6bn (€6.65bn). While a 50% increase in the value of phosphate and phosphate product sales abroad helped drive a 22% increase in exports on the first five months of 2010, to Dh69.9bn (€6.07bn), they were outpaced by a 23.7% rise in the value of imports.

Imports of oil by volume fell by just under 5% on the first five months in 2010 but nevertheless increased the import bill, due to a 31% rise in the average price of oil during the period. Wheat imports rose in volume – by 43% year-on-year – and in cost, with international prices having increased by 66%.

Despite some of its economic gains being eroded by expanding costs of imports, rising GDP and falling unemployment should see the growth trajectory continue its upward swing.http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/2011082211297/Economics/investors-eye-promising-opportunities-in-new-libya.html-----------------------------------------Morocco: Controversy over religious freedomDespite its new constitution and other reforms, Morocco is not a secular state.Aida AlamiAugust 20, 2011CASABLANCA, Morocco — The slogan displayed on the profile pictures of hundreds of Moroccan Facebook users was stark: “In Morocco, Eating Kills.”The message referred to the incident two years ago when six Moroccans were arrested for having a picnic during Ramadan in protest of a law banning eating in public during Ramadan. Two years and a new constitution later, Morocco still doesn't have provisions guaranteeing more religious freedom for its citizens.During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the debate over the introduction of more secularism is again in the spotlight because of Article 222 of the Moroccan Penal Code: It mandates a one to six month prison term for anyone "well known for their affiliation to Islam" who breaks the fast in public.As a result, Moroccans who are non-practicing Muslims are obligated to respect the fast in public, while others escape abroad to avoid the restrictions.Non-Muslims eat lunch on the terrace of a McDonald's in Rabat, Morocco, in front of a sign which reminds customers that Muslim adults are forbidden from being served at the restaurant during the day during the month of Ramadan. The sign says only children and non-Muslims will be served. In practice it means that Western foreigners will be served. Some Moroccans are campaigning for the right to eat in public during Ramadan and other secular freedoms. (Abdelhak Senna/AFP/Getty Images)“During Ramadan, Islam is forced upon people regardless of their beliefs.” ~Habib, a Moroccan engineer"I am fortunate to live abroad because during Ramadan, Islam is forced upon people regardless of their beliefs,” said Habib, a 27-year-old engineer who lives in Paris. “To most Moroccans, being Muslim is not a personal choice of faith but the identity of an entire community that one is obligated to be a part of.”MALI ( the acronym in French for Alternative Movement for Individual Liberty), the group that held the protest picnic, was formed in 2009. It campaigns for more individual freedoms. Its members have been arrested and intimidated by authorities and members of the general public since launching their first action, the picnic.“It was not Ramadan that was 'targeted' but instead, we demanded freedom of religion and conscien

Full text of HM the King’s speech on occasion of the 58th anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the people

Marrakech, Aug 20 - HM King Mohammed VI delivered, on Saturday, a speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 58thanniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People.Here follows the full text of the Royal speech;

Praise be to GodMay peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin.Dear Citizens,

Our celebration, today, of the fifty-eighth anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People is characterized by your endorsement of an advanced Constitution, which opens up promising democratic prospects for completing the construction of a modern state based on institutions and the rule of law.

The new Constitution lays the groundwork for extensive regionalization, and this marks a turning point in our history. It seeks to achieve the modernization and rationalization of state institutions through the adoption of fundamental reforms based on good local governance. These reforms are meant to boost integrated development, enhance social justice and ensure a dignified life for all Moroccans. Our greatest asset, in this respect, is the creativity and dynamism of our youth, whom we are celebrating today. Indeed, our young people are fully qualified to hold aloft the torch of the epic event of 20 August, as part of a distinctive, purely Moroccan approach in which they can fully rise to the challenges faced, in keeping with the unshakable relationship between the people and the nation’s First Servant, as well as the enduring spirit of the Revolution of the King and the People.

I consider the optimal implementation of the new Constitution to be the gateway to political action aimed at promoting development and shoring up confidence as well as collective commitment to the rule of law. It is the proper way to stimulate the economy and to foster productive investment which can help our citizens - particularly deprived segments of our population - enjoy a free, dignified life. This is the greatest challenge of all. We must all strive doubly hard to rise to that challenge through institutions that serve as the driving force for democracy and development.

At the current political juncture, the main concern should not be to simply view the upcoming elections as a legitimate opportunity to win the most seats; the real challenge is to achieve a qualitative leap and turn elections into a national campaign for the choice of the best programs and the most competent elites. The aim is to ensure the actual implementation of the Constitution gets off to a good start, and to generate strong momentum as our country stands on the verge of a crucial political transition.

Increasing trust and confidence in the forthcoming elections does not end with the consensus on good preparatory measures. In fact, all political actors ought to commit to a clear vision in order to enhance the credibility of elections and avoid issuing preconceived judgements on results even before elections are held, and casting doubt on the integrity of elections for narrow political considerations, which only serve the enemies of democracy and the proponents of skepticism and nihilism. This means the nation’s stakeholders - the government, parliament, political parties, the citizens, civil society and the media - face a real test. They have a historic responsibility to shoulder; they have to make the nation’s best interests prevail over all other considerations.

In this regard, the government departments and the judicial authorities concerned with organizing the elections must strictly comply with the law, apply the mechanisms for political and parliamentary integrity, provide for the conditions of free electoral competition, deal with political parties on an equal footing and observe a policy of positive neutrality.

They must firmly address all violations, combat the illicit use of money and votebuying which spoil elections, and fight against the abuse of power as well as the devious use of religion and the nation’s sacred values for electoral purposes. Needless to say, party activism and electoral campaigns require fair, transparent financing, which is determined by the law; and it is the law which punishes any breach of those rules and regulations.

Whatever the quality of the legislative framework or the resolve of the government departments, the role given to political parties by the new Constitution is crucial in terms of ensuring electoral integrity and preserving the sanctity of institutions. Political parties are therefore expected to compete in developing creative, realistic election platforms which meet our citizens’ real concerns They are also called upon to recommend qualified candidates who are able to live up to legislative and executive responsibility, whether they are in the Government or in the Opposition.

Parties should also encourage the participation of women and young people in order to have competent elites and to inject new blood into political life and constitutional institutions. Given the extensive powers afforded to local councils by the local democracy approach, I think political life in our country - in terms of both philosophy and practice - is about to witness a fundamental change which involves more than just government posts and seats in parliament.

Indeed, vast prospects will be opened up through the election of thousands of regional, provincial and local councilors. Regional, provincial and local councils are basic institutions for forming elites who will run public affairs. To highlight the noble essence of political commitment, political stakeholders have to view the electoral mandate as more than just a concern for seats on central, local or regional councils, given the possibility they offer of being close to the citizens’ legitimate concerns and basic needs.

To voters who, by voting freely, help express the will of the people, I want to say this: By taking part in the ballot, you are doing more than merely exercising a personal right. You are delegating, to whomever you vote for, the power to manage public affairs on your behalf. This makes it incumbent upon you to realize the particular importance of voting, a right which should not be subjected to any kind of manipulation. You should display a sense of national duty as you choose realistic programs and vote for honest, qualified candidates. To candidates, I want to say this: Now is the time to do away with the shameful electoral practices which, in the past, weakened the credibility of elected councils and undermined the noble essence of political action.

Whoever intends to stand for the upcoming elections must bear in mind that the Constitution establishes a clear link between the exercise of power and accountability. Given the status conferred by the Constitution on civil society and the media in promoting the values of responsible citizenship, these institutions are called upon to effectively play their role with respect to the legal, independent and impartial observation of elections.

Dear Citizens,

It is a fact that the modernization and democratization of state institutions hinges on the transfer of central government powers allowed by the new Constitution, in keeping with the principle of separation of powers. However, to achieve this goal, it is necessary to establish an advanced regionalization system in which certain central government powers are devolved to regions, in accordance with principles of local democracy and good governance. This should make it possible to ensure balanced, integrated solidarity-based regional development, which puts an end to the colonial motto of ‘useful and useless’ Morocco and to interregional inequalities.

To lay the structural groundwork for advanced regionalization - a major project which I view as a new revolution of the King and the people - priority should be given to the preparation of the organic law relating to it, given that it also concerns regional council elections as well as other regulatory measures needed to set up the second House.

Furthermore, the social rehabilitation fund and the inter-regional solidarity fund should quickly become operational in order to support the programs of the National Initiative for Human Development aimed at combating poverty, marginalization and social exclusion through income-generating activities and job opportunities, especially for our youth.

Our young people, who are discerning and responsible, are now at the very heart of a constitutional and political modernization project. The rights and duties stipulated by the Constitution, and the institutions of responsible citizenship it provides for, make it possible to increase our young people’s involvement in democratic reforms and development projects.

Just as I care deeply for our citizens at home, I want to pay tribute to Moroccans who live abroad for their strong attachment to their homeland, their keenness to nurture family bonds with their relatives here, and their great enthusiasm and eagerness to contribute to developing their country and defending its just causes. I should like to say how keen I am to ensure the optimal implementation of the provisions of the new Constitution, which stipulates, for the first time, that Moroccans living abroad are to enjoy the full rights of citizenship. The Constitution also calls for safeguarding their interests in their countries of residence, and for ensuring the widest possible participation of the Moroccan expatriate community in our national institutions and in the management of public affairs.

Dear Citizens,

The commemoration of the Revolution of the King and the People, which this year coincides with the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan - a period characterized by a sense of special spiritual fulfillment - vividly reminds us of the heroes of the struggle for freedom, independence and unity led by my grandfather, His Majesty King Mohammed V, and by my father, His Majesty King Hassan II. May they rest in peace.

I hereby reaffirm the mutual pledge between you and me to continue holding aloft the torch of the ever dynamic Revolution of the King and the People. The commemoration of Youth Day, which is a source of inspiration for us, reminds us of the values of solidarity, sacrifice, steadfastness and commitment to unrelenting action in order to enhance our country’s standing in a sensitive regional and international environment. Such values make it possible for us to showcase our sound, democratic model to achieve development in a spirit of unity, solidarity, confidence, hope and stability.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.

North-west Africa’s minoritySpringtime for them too?The Berbers join the Arab revoltAug 13th 2011 | RABAT | from the print edition IN MOROCCO their language has been made official. In Algeria they lead protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s regime. In Tunisia they are rediscovering a long-suppressed identity. In Libya they man the rebels’ western front in the mountains south of the capital still held by Muammar Qaddafi. Even in Egypt’s oasis of Siwa, near Libya’s border, Berbers are finding that the revolution has given them a chance to revive their cultural rights.“There is a Berber renaissance taking place across north Africa,” enthuses Mounir Kejji, a Moroccan Berber campaigner. In his country a new constitution, endorsed in a referendum on July 1st, officially recognises the Berber language for the first time, though parliament will decide what this means in practice; Arab nationalists and many Islamists have long demanded that Arabic be the sole language of administration and state education.In this section»Springtime for them too? A house divided After the divorce

Secretary of State Clinton, Members of U.S. Congress Voice Strong Support for Morocco's Democratic Reforms.Praise for Morocco's commitment to human rights, increased freedom and equality, and participatory democracyWASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Members of Congress voiced congratulations and strong support for Morocco's new Constitution, which strengthens and advances the country's commitment to human rights, freedom and equality, participatory democracy and governance.In her congratulatory message marking Morocco's July 30th National Day, Secretary Clinton expressed the United States' support "during this time of profound change in the Middle East and North Africa" for Morocco's "efforts to strengthen the rule of law, human rights and good governance." She called Morocco's peaceful July 1 referendum approving its new Constitution "an important step toward democratic reform" and said "Morocco is a longstanding friend, partner, and ally of the United States."A letter from Congress to His Majesty King Mohammed VI this week called Morocco's vote for Constitutional reforms an "important milestone" and applauded "the new liberties brought forth by the new National Council of Human Rights (CNDH) which include gender equality, the rights of children and young people, the rights of vulnerable groups, and the oversight and coordination of a national plan to promote human rights." The letter — signed by Reps. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Michael Grimm (R-NY), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Billy Long (R-MO), James Moran (D-VA), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Dennis Ross (R-FL), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), and Heath Shuler (D-NC), — said the July 1 referendum was "a more democratic and humanitarian way to serve the citizens" of Morocco, and "a considerable step toward meeting the political desires and social freedoms of your citizens."

In her July 29th Congressional Record remarks, Rep. Jackson Lee noted that Morocco has remained peaceful in the Arab Spring turmoil and urged continued U.S. support for a strong ally as it continues on the reform path. "Today," she said, "with chaos and conflict spreading in North Africa and the Middle East, it is important that the United States recognize and encourage those countries that share our democratic values and support reforms so badly needed in the region. There is no better friend and ally for America in North Africa than the Kingdom of Morocco." Jackson Lee said Morocco should be applauded for "its continuing reform process and desire to improve the lives of all Moroccans, including the Western Sahara."For a copy of the letter to King Mohammed VI from the Members of Congress, go to:http://www.moroccanamericanpolicy.org/upload/media/Letter%20from%20Congress%20Members%20on%20Morocco%20Constitutional%20Reforms%208-4-11.pdfFor FAQs on Morocco's new Constitutional reforms, go to:http://www.moroccanamericanpolicy.org/upload/media/FS_Election%20Results%208July11wMap.pdfThe Moroccan American Center for Policy (MACP) is a non-profit organization whose principal mission is to inform opinion makers, government officials and interested publics in the United States about political and social developments in Morocco and the role being played by the Kingdom of Morocco in broader strategic developments in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. For more, please visit www.moroccanamericanpolicy.org.This material is distributed by the Moroccan American Center for Policy on behalf of the Government of Morocco. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC.SOURCE Moroccan American Center for Policyhttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/secretary-of-state-clinton-members-of-us-congress-voice-strong-support-for-moroccos-democratic-reforms-126854778.html----------------------------------------Science Museum to be Set up in Fez4 August 2011Fez — The Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez has announced that it will set up a science museum in the next three years, which is expected to enable the city to become a hub for large-scale socio-economic and tourism development.In order to preserve Morocco's natural heritage, a science museum will be established soon by the University in conjunction with various national and international partners, the university said.The Museum will be dedicated to collecting and presenting galleries of natural objects dating back to several hundred million years, along with exhibitions and explanatory and didactic materials, and brochures aimed at raising awareness of the country's natural heritage.It will have several galleries. The first will be dedicated to the bones and traces of dinosaurs, marine and continental fossils, and vertebrates and invertebrates that lived in Morocco million years ago as well as extraterrestrial stones such as meteorites and a collection of fauna and florahttp://allafrica.com/stories/201108050792.html----------------------------------------Arab Spring Brings Little for Women By Abderrahim El Ouali

CASABLANCA, Aug 10, 2011 (IPS) - Since the beginning of protests in Morocco on Feb. 20 women have been at the vanguard. Many of the spokespersons of the protest movement have been women - observers and activists see this as a new phase of feminine emancipation in this North African country.

"We have waited enough. Women now are out to say it is time for justice to be made," Safaa Ferradi, a local activist, told IPS.

"The great majority of women present in our movement are of a high cultural and academic level," Rabah Nouami, a local leader of the 20th February movement in Casablanca, told IPS. "It is so honourable to see that most of the spokespersons on behalf of the movement are women. But women are not still influential at the level of decisions within the movement."

In spite of the efforts made by the State and by civil society, women remain victims of violence and discrimination.

An official study by the government High Planning Commission showed that four forms of violence are still inflicted on Moroccan women - "physical, sexual, psychological, and economic."

The new family code in this country of 32 million people came into effect in 2004. It gave women the right to divorce, to marry without paternal permission, as well a right to alimony in the case of divorce. The new code did not give women equal inheritance rights.

The problem, it seems, is not the legal texts "but the implementation of these texts," Fatima Bouhraka, a writer on women issues, told IPS. The strongest resistance to women’s rights is cultural, according to Bouhraka. Moroccan culture considers "the man as the one who commands and who must be always obeyed."

This culture is strengthened by other factors "like poverty and the ignorance of everyone’s rights and duties," Taoufiki Belaid, a member of Amnesty International (AI), told IPS. Women who are victims of violence, as well as their attackers, "ignore their rights and duties," Belaid said.

This does not mean that there are no actions being taken to increase awareness about women and their rights. Abderrahim Messoudi, who has been organising workshops about the issue in universities with a group belonging to the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH), told IPS that the problem is the minimal participation of women themselves in such activities.

Women’s indifference towards the actions of civil society is due, according to independent feminine activists, to the perception that these actions are biased. "There is no real civil society. Everybody tries to manipulate the feminine cause according to his own interests," Ferradi said.

But many disagree with this view. "Civil society has achieved in a few years what political parties were unable to do for decades," Bouhraka said. But it is necessary, according to her, to completely separate civil society associations from political parties. "The more an association is independent, the more it is trusted."

In Morocco, unhappiness with political parties is not a new thing. Only 37 percent of the electorate participated in the last general election in September 2007.

New electoral measures in Morocco call for women to occupy at least 30 of the 326 seats in parliament. But this does not satisfy Moroccan activists. "The parliament and the government will both stay mainly masculine," Bouhraka said.

According to a study by the High Planning Commission carried out in 2010, women represent only 25 percent of the working population. Women are also disproportionately illiterate - more than 50.8 percent of Moroccan women cannot read and write.

Violence, economic and social discrimination have led women to the streets to protest under the colours of the Arab Spring. "Our demands are freedom, equality, and human dignity," Ferradi said. "In our movement demands are equal for both women and men," Nouami explained.

The new Moroccan constitution, approved Jul. 1, calls for a project to create equal sharing between men and women. But, "in Morocco, the brandished slogans are a one thing, reality is another," Bouhraka stressed. "There are discreet hands which hinder any law favourable to the country and to the people." (END)http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56800----------------------------------------

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----------------------------------------Morocco News Board / For the faithful, Ramadan is a time of spiritual and physical cleansing - a month long detox that is welcomed each year. However daylight hours vary from country to country and this does cause some very real health problems and its timing may need some adjustment.The thirty day Ramadan fast between sunrise and sunset is not simply about refraining from food, drinking, sex and smoking. It is a time for prayer and reflection. However, not all Ramadans are equal.The hours between sunrise and sunset may not vary much in places like Mecca in Saudi Arabia, but spare a thought for those living elsewhere. The problem is the difference between the Islamic and Gregorian calendars. As the Islamic calendar is eleven days shorter than the Gregorian, Ramadan moves back by that number of days each year.

Why is this a problem? Well, if you are a practising Muslim living in Sweden, Norway of Finland, for example, where the sun may not set until around midnight and rise again only a few hours later, the length of the fast and the lack of real sleep becomes a major health issue.

Reporter Murad Ahmed, writing in the Times, says it is also a problem for British Muslims who complain that fasting in August with sunrise at between 3am and 4am and sunset between 8pm and 9pm, means going without food and water for 16 hours a day! As he points out, "...nutritionists will say that though this may be good for the soul, it is not great for the body".

Murad Ahmed recalls that when he first started fasting as a youngster, Ramadan was in the middle of December. "The sun set at about 4pm, perfectly timed for a meal after I got home from school".

All the best medical advice is that you need to eat breakfast to restore energy after sleeping and to drink water all day to maintain concentration. Islam has been very adaptive when it comes to Ramadan. For obvious reasons, airline pilots are not allowed to fast and there are exemptions for pregnant women, the sick, the elderly, the very young and those traveling.

The rules that made sense in Arabia back in the 7th century are being adapted and scholars have suggested that to overcome the negative health consequences of extreme fasts, people in countries such as Finland forget about local time and simply fast during the hours of daylight occurring in Mecca. Many Muslims are now adopting this sensible approach.

What is so heartening about this is that with pragmatism and flexibility, Ramadan can avoid being a health risk and remain a time of commitment and inspiration.

----------------------------------------Morocco says unemployment up to 8.7 pct by end June.Wed Aug 3, 2011RABAT (Reuters) - Unemployment in Morocco rose to 8.7 percent by the end of June compared with 8.2 percent a year earlier, as the economy lost 84,000 jobs over the 12 months, official data showed on Wednesday.While the services sector added 125,000 jobs, farming, fisheries, industry and construction had to reduce their workforce by a total 214,000 over the 12 months to June 2011, the country's planning authority (HCP) said.No reasons were given for the job losses. About 40 percent of the North African nation's workforce of 11.6 million people is employed in agriculture.Unemployment among Moroccans below the age of 34 rose to 30.2 percent by end-June from 27.7 percent a year earlier. In cities, unemployment rose to 13.5 percent from 12.7 percent, HCP said.The jobless rate during the first quarter of this year declined to 9 percent from 10 percent a year earlier.The agriculture- and tourism-reliant economy grew by 4.9 percent in the first quarter of this year, down from 5.4 percent during the same period in 2010, HCP data show.http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE7720HR20110803

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WB Delegation Visits Meknes to Strengthen Cooperation in Education FieldMeknes — A delegation composed of experts from the World Bank (WB) recently visited the Regional Academy of Education and Training (AREF) in the city of Meknes to strengthen partnership in the field of education.The visit is meant to develop a specific vision for an efficient partnership that aims at supporting and monitoring international funding institutions in terms of management.It is also part of efforts made by the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education, Staff Training and Scientific Research to boost cooperation between public and private sectors.The partnership provides for expanding "collective schools" network, grouping together training centers in a regional center and developing secondary schools of technical education.http://us.mg1.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=1837306242&clmigstart=20110721---------------------------------------- E-commerce gains ground in Morocco, says Visa

By: Staff Writer Tuesday, August 02 2011

Mohamed Touhami El Ouazzani, General Manager, Visa Morocco, Central and West Africa, said that e-commerce is becoming increasingly popular in Morocco thanks to improving internet infrastructureAt a press conference in Casablanca, Visa shared the latest business updates within the e-payment industry with business and finance editors. Speaking at the event, Mohamed Touhami El Ouazzani, General Manager, Visa Morocco, Central and West Africa, discussed the recent developments of Visa's operations in the market and shed light on current business trends including e-commerce and e-payments.“Living in a fast-paced environment, consumers worldwide seek speed, convenience and safety in their day-to-day financial transactions,” said Mohamed Touhami El Ouazzani, General Manager, Visa Morocco, Central and West Africa. "These characteristics are the main features of Visa's wide range of products including Visa debit, credit and pre-paid cards.”Based on the latest statistics released by CMI, the local processor in Morocco, the total number of circulated cards increased by 3.9 per cent over the first quarter of 2011 to more than 7.3 million cards, making the total value of card payments exceed MAD 1.7 billion. The number of card transactions jumped by over 25 per cent to exceed 39 million transactions while the value of these transactions increased by over 23 per cent amounting to more than MAD 33 billion. Moreover, the number of ATMs increased over the same period by 3.4 per cent to reach 4,700 ATMs.Connectivity and Internet use are also two main factors in today's life. Based on recent data published by Nielsen Online, the Internet penetration in Morocco was over 30 per cent of the total population at the beginning of 2010.El Ouazzani emphasised the numerous benefits of e-payments as a key driver for economies worldwide, while explaining the situation in Morocco, “E-commerce in Morocco is increasingly gaining ground due to the improving Internet infrastructures. Currently we are working closely with our clients to promote e-commerce. I am confident that both Moroccan merchants and consumers will join the global trend and enjoy the various benefits of e-commerce; with over 10 million Internet users in Morocco, the potential to grow this business is enormous.“With the increasing use of mobile phones and other electronic devices, consumers worldwide are gradually migrating to mobile and Internet payments. E-commerce transactions are becoming more popular as consumers and merchants alike realise the numerous benefits they bring. E-commerce helps merchants increase sales, decrease costs and hence raise their profit margins. Moreover, it helps them expand the size of their market across borders. On the other hand, cardholders can enjoy the safety, convenience and speed while shopping online with their Visa cards and take advantage of a wider range of shopping offers and discounts."According to a recent research released in December 2010 by the Arab Advisors Group, 63 per cent of the analysed 102 portals selected in the MENA region provide e-commerce services. The report also said that using credit and/or debit cards is the most accepted method of payment with 63 per cent of the analysed 102 portals using it. Bank/Wire transfer or cheques and Cash on Delivery options followed with 46 per cent and 44 per cent of portals, respectively.Last but not least, the summer holiday season will soon kick off and the tourism industry plays a pivotal role in boosting the national economy. The Moroccan Tourism Report 2010 released by Business Monitor International Ltd. stated that the tourism arrivals are expected to exceed eight million tourists in 2011 with an increase of seven per cent YoY. Tourism expenditure is expected to constitute 8.9 per cent of the GDP. Morocco is also bolstered by its cost advantage, stable political situation and ongoing developments within the tourism sector. With a sound e-payment infrastructure, Visa in cooperation with the financial institutions can expand the card acceptance network making it easier for tourists to pay for products and services; and with the help of e-commerce, tourists can even book their holiday online and enjoy reduced costs and better offerings. All this will help increase the numbers of inbound tourists, provide more job opportunities, inject more foreign currency into the market and ultimately fuel the economy.http://cpifinancial.net/v2/News.aspx?v=1&aid=8901&sec=Retail%20Banking

----------------------------------------The Country Annually Produces 230,000 Tons of Grapes – Minister. 1 August 2011Casablanca — Viniculture in Morocco spans over an area of 49,000 hectares of vineyards yielding an annual production of 230,000 tonnes of grapes, including 172,000 tonnes of table grapes, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Aziz Akhennouch said The Minister, who was speaking recently during the annual festival of grapes in the commune of Charrat (south of Rabat), said that 71% of the area dedicated to the production of table grapes is in the regions of Doukala, Al Haouz, Benslimane, Rabat-Salé, Khemisset and Essaouira, while the wine grape vineyards are to be found in the regions of El Hajeb, Khemisset, Meknes, Gharb and Melouis.Akhannouch highlighted the importance of the viticulture in the green Morocco plan to boost agricultural production, noting that vineyards generate no less than 196 million dirhams annually.http://allafrica.com/stories/201108020888.html----------------------------------------

Students Seek Training, Not TeachingAbderrahim El Ouali 29 July 2011Casablanca — Despite 12 years of reform, Morocco's universities continue to fall short of expectations, with students complaining that the training they get does not meet the demands of the job market.Professors in this North African country of 32 million people echoed their students' grievances, adding that Moroccan universities are poorly managed and riddled with corruption."The kind of training provided by universities remains poor and does not meet any of the educational, pedagogic, academic and intellectual conventional standards," Zakaria Rmidi, a student preparing for his master's degree in English studies, told IPS."We have not moved yet from the logic of teaching to that of training," said Abdellatif Fetheddine, head of the Department of Philosophy at Hassan II-Mohammedia University in Casablanca, in an interview with IPS.Morocco's university system has been subject to reforms since 1999 when King Hassan II decided to institute wide-ranging measures in the field of education. The reform aimed especially at adapting university training to the needs of the job market. Hassan II, however, died that same year. He had ruled Morocco for nearly four decades since 1961.But the death of the king did not stop the reforms, which were continued by his successor, Mohamed VI. In a speech on Oct. 8, 1999, the king said the purpose of the reform was "educating good citizens capable of acquiring knowledge and skills" as well as "the rationalisation of expenses reserved for education, and the protection of these public funds from any abuse or manipulation."Less than a year later on May 19, 2000, the Moroccan parliament enacted a new law granting total administrative and financial autonomy to Morocco's 15 universities.According to official figures by the Ministry of National Education, the total number of students in these universities during the academic year 2009-2010 reached 306,595.The law established a modular system of training, with the academic year divided into semesters. Also for the first time, master's degrees were created, replacing the former system where universities granted only Diplomas of In-depth studies (DEA) and Diplomas of Higher Education (DES).But these educational reforms do not satisfy students. "University education in Morocco is much more quantitative than qualitative," Rmidi explained. "Students sometimes find themselves having nine to 10 subjects within the same semester, dealing with plenty of material, studying up to 24 hours a week. They are required to be present in all the sessions and to prepare presentations on what they study."Despite this, the new system still has a long way to go before it reaches the goal of reform laid out 12 years ago. Rmidi said that because of the incompatibility with the employment market, students have "lost trust in universities as a place of knowledge and thought.""A lot of students who get their baccalaureate would prefer to go to a vocational training institute instead of going to university. Sometimes, even those who go to university can opt for another two years training in a vocational institute after they get their license degrees," Rmidi added.The problem is not only educational. Professors also complain of poor working conditions, including the lack infrastructure and facilities, Rmidi said.The causes are not necessarily financial, a case in point being the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of Ben Msik, affiliated to Hassan II-Mohammedia University in Casablanca. An official statement of accounts of the faculty, a copy of which IPS obtained, says it spent over 6.3 million dirhams (more than 800,000 dollars) in 2010 alone.The statement also showed that of this amount, more than 480,000 dirhams (60,000 dollars) were spent on catering and accommodation. The faculty has no restaurant and no residence halls for students. In contrast, the faculty spent only 633 dollars for new books for the library.The dean of the faculty refused an IPS request for an interview.Those who raise their voices against these practices have gotten into trouble. Mohamed Said Karrouk, professor of climatology in the same faculty, wrote several letters to the administration to denounce mismanagement, corruption, and falsification of documents, only to find himself dragged before a disciplinary council."They did not even open an investigation to show whether I am right or wrong," he told IPS.When resistance to reform comes from those supposed to apply it, "this reform remains only on paper," Abdelmajid Jahfa, a member of the National Syndicate of Higher Education, told IPS."I do not see absolutely any advantages of the system. What advantages exist are completely demolished by an archaic administrative system," he said."We still need to democratise more the management of the university. We need to reform the reform," Abdellatif Fetheddine said.http://us.mg1.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=1837306242&clmigstart=20110721----------------------------------------

Minister: Govt Set to Implement Morocco's New Constitution Immediately.

RABAT: The Moroccan government has been mobilized to immediately implement the provisions of the country's new Constitution, says Communications Minister and Government Spokesman Khalid Naciri.

He told a media briefing here Tuesday after the weekly Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi that the government had followed the royal logic which was in perfect inter-action with the requirements of the current situation.

At the constitutional, legal and political levels, the government is able to draft, adopt and submit draft Bills to the Parliament in order to assume its duties in accordance with democratic and constitutional parliamentary mechanisms.

However, the government has opted for making consensus before starting the parliamentary debates, said the minister.

The government believes that pre-consensus will enable it to present to the Parliament appropriate texts which can be swiftly examined, he said.

A special session of Parliament is therefore necessary, with an agenda which includes an examination of laws governing elections, Naciri said. -Bernama http://www.malaysiandigest.com/world/28469-minister-govt-set-to-implement-moroccos-new-constitution-immediately.html----------------------------------------Ecological disaster mars Morocco's Moulouya River.By Mawassi Lahcen 2011-08-11A rare bird species is disappearing as organic pollutants foul the mouth of the river.The scenic mouth of the Moulouya River, one of the most important nature reserves in Morocco and an attraction for tourists and swimmers alike, has turned desolate as the scent of decaying fish fills the air. For almost a month the last 50km of the nearly 600km-long river has been lined by thousands of dead fish.Environmental activists in the region have blamed the sugar factory, SUCRAFOR, in the town of Zaio."The scale of the disaster is limited, as it starts where the Subra River coming from Zaio pours into the Moulouya River. It is known that drainage channels emerging from the sugar factory in Zaio flow into the Subra River. Likewise, the operating period of the sugar factory starts in June with the beet harvest in the area of Berkan," president of the Humans and the Environment association Najib Bachiri told Magharebia.However, Nahid Saleh, director of the sugar factory, denied any relationship between the activity of the plant and the ecological disaster. In a meeting with heads of regional environmental organisations he reviewed investments and efforts made to minimize the negative impacts of the company on its natural surroundings. Saleh pointed out that the sugar factory installed new technology for the disposal of liquid waste by converting it into solid waste instead of having it flow into drainage channels.Meanwhile, some local residents attributed the disaster to fuel smugglers, who dispose of smuggled fuel by dumping it into the river in order to evade border guards.Some environmental experts maintain that the cause of the disaster is still unknown."We are almost certain that the death of fish resulted from the large and rapid shortage of oxygen in the river water," said Dafir Jamal Eddine, a court-certified environmental expert participating in an investigation of the disaster.Dafir ruled out fuel as the cause, explaining that fuel has a distinctive smell, floats on water and evaporates quickly. It is thus easy to identify, and it could not cause a disaster of this size due to its rapid evaporation."We believe this shortage is due to the influx of large quantities of organic matter into the river, and that its oxidation led to the absorption of oxygen available in the waters of the river," he told Magharebia.He added that analysis of samples taken from the water of the river and the dead fish is still not finished, and the results would make it possible to determine the type and origin of the organic materials and would likewise reveal whether there are other chemicals that contributed to the disaster.The region's population is in a state of panic and fear. Some began talking about threats to cattle, sheep and crops that were watered with the contaminated river water during the first days of the disaster."In recent days, a cow died in my village. One cannot say for sure that it is due to contamination of the river, but I noticed that the behaviour of cattle and sheep is unusual. And many fear the death of crops due to contamination of the water," said Elhadaoui Moustafa, a farmer in the Karpasha area traversed by the river.Elhadaoui also said that some farmers have resorted to buying water instead of using river water for their crops and livestock.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/11/feature-03----------------------------------------

Morocco forecasts GDP growth at 5%.August 12 2011Morocco said it expects its energy-importing economy to grow by between 4.7 and 5.2 percent in 2012, close to the forecast level for 2011, assuming an oil price 33 percent higher than the basis for this year's budget.In remarks carried by the official MAP news agency, Finance and Economy Minister Salaheddine Mezouar forecast 2012 inflation of 2 percent, up from 1.4 percent expected for 2011.The 2012 outlook is based on an average oil price of $100 per barrel versus $75 for the 2011 budget.The minister did not disclose forecasts for agriculture growth or the grains harvest, key in determining wheat import needs for the kingdom, which heavily subsidises food products and where 40 percent of the workforce works in farming.The state expects the burden of food and energy subsidies to fall by almost 8 percent to 40 billion dirhams ($5 billion) in 2012 compared to this year, Mezouar said.The government raised subsidies to 43 billion dirhams from an initially budgeted 17 billion dirhams for 2011 as it sought to avert any spillover from revolts rocking the Arab region.The push to calm street protests eroded Morocco's public finances and raised concern over its ability to fund key projects at a time when it is struggling to cope with high oil and grain prices.The minister did not disclose forecasts for next year's budget deficit nor did he update the GDP growth forecast for 2011, initially set at 5 percent.The protests have not sparked revolts as they did in Yemen or Tunisia, partly because the government kept trade unions on its side by agreeing to a multi-billion dollar wage hike in late-April.Mezouar said the public wage bill is expected to rise to 95 billion dirhams in 2012 as a result of that agreement. He did not give a comparative figure, but the 2011 budget forecast a public wages bill of 86 billion dirhams prior to the agreement. - Reutershttp://www.iol.co.za/business/international/morocco-forecasts-gdp-growth-at-5-1.1116742----------------------------------------Micro-Finance ‘major boon’ for Morocco’s PoorWhile in traditional banking terms, half a million dollars is not a huge amount of money, divided into micro-loans, it has the power to change the lives of hundreds of Moroccan families.Yesterday in Casablanca, Grameen-Jameel, the first social business in the Middle East, signed a loan agreement for $500,000 to help finance micro-credit association Al-Karama and support its growth.The signing took place in between Julia Assaad, General Manager of Grameen-Jameel and Mr. Abdelmajid El Gasmi, President of Al-Karama microcredit, according to CPI Financial.Founded in 1999, Al-Karama has made loans totalling almost $5 million to around 16,000 borrowers across the eastern region of Morocco since 2009. They focus on those most affected by poverty who would otherwise be unable to access credit. Their average loan is $300 and the majority of their clients are women. Al-Karama aims to extend its services to reach 60,000 clients by 2014.This follows the pattern set up by 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus. In 1976 he was the head of the Rural Economics Program at the University of Chittagong and loaned $27 from his own pocket to 42 people in the tiny Bangladeshi village of Jobra. These women needed just enough credit to purchase the raw materials for their trades. The borrowers repaid his small loans and inspired Yunus to establish the Grameen Bank Project.Since then, micro-finance has assisted millions, most of them women, to set up or expand their small businesses. It has been found that those who take out micro-loans pay them back at a higher rate than lenders from traditional institutions. The loans are secured by peer pressure. If a woman defaults on her loan, no-one in her lending circle will receive another loan.However, the micro-credit scheme is not without its critics. Studies have found that women can act as collection agents for their husbands and sons, who spend the money, while the women bear the credit risk. It can also mean that borrowers remain in the informal economy rather than seeking waged work. And the promotion of micro-credit by governments as anti-poverty programs has the potential to displace public safety-net programs and encourage cuts in public health, education and welfare programs.New York economic journalist, Gina Neff says that, “many women are using their loans to buy food rather than invest in business.”However, given the current credit squeeze, making finding finance difficult even for the urban waged, if the micro-credit system serves to assist a percentage of poorer families its merits cannot be discounted.http://mideastposts.com/2011/07/17/micro-finance-initiative-major-boom-for-poor-in-morocco/----------------------------------------Moroccan Carpet Scams: We InvestigateTales of carpet scams in Morocco, of unethical salesmen, and of mint tea overdoses are popular post-holiday dinner party chat. But are they really all as bad as that? Is every Moroccan carpet salesman a con artist and are most tourists simply gullible? When we did some digging around we discovered the truth is not that simple.Tale the firstDale (name changed) would describe himself at the time of his visit to Morocco as “naive”. It was his first trip outside Australia and, as he puts it “I really hadn’t done my homework.” Dale was travelling with his elderly mother, a formidable woman with a passion for carpets.Their initial experience with a carpet salesmen was on their first day in the Fez Medina and was enjoyable until they returned to their hotel. As the sugar-high from the mint tea wore off, they checked their receipts and calculated the exchange rates. Somehow, in the buzz and excitement, they had managed to spend three times their budget and spent around 21,000 Australian Dollars (175,000 Dirhams). “I felt physically sick at my stupidity,” Dale’s mum recalls.Now in most travel horror stories, that’s where it ends. But while naive, Dale wasn’t stupid. He contacted a friend in Fez, who rang the carpet shop and made an appointment for the following day. The next morning Dale and his mother used a guide to find the shop again and after a little haggling, had the carpets returned and the credit card bill annulled.The story ends happily with Dale’s mother going shopping again two days later, armed with a pocket calculator. As she tells it, “I bargained like a Berber and spent exactly what I intended, got the rugs I wanted and the nice man even threw in a small runner for free.”Tale the secondDeb and Dave are the folks behind the popular site The Planet D: Around the World Adventure Couple, Last winter their friends Gail Burgin and her husband, Frank Marino (who took the photographs below), travelled to Morocco and while in Fez had what can only be described as a “carpet adventure”. Luckily for us, Gail shared her experience in a guest post on Planet D.Gail described her experience as “one of the most frightening and expensive experiences of my life”. A link to the full story is below, but here is an edited extract:When you arrive in Morocco you know you must leave your Western ways and assumed certainties behind, but no matter how prepared you think you are, nothing prepares you for the carpet sellers.Abdul, our tour guide, a pleasant, knowledgeable guy, who seemed very western to us, despite wearing a traditional djellaba (caftan) and bernousse (cap), led us through a very small door into a large room with a gorgeous skylight, its walls covered floor to ceiling with carpets. Within two strides of our entering the room we are introduced to Mohamed, who seemed to appear from nowhere.In one complete breath he asks – “Where are you from? Do you like Morocco? What are your names?, he gives orders to the ceiling for mint tea, and he yells something to the walls in Arabic. In four seconds two people arrive and simultaneously throw carpets at our feet; a cacophony of colour unfurling before our eyes.Mohamed scoops up one of the carpets and brings it to my face, “Can you see the detail in this carpet? Four women worked on this carpet at the same time. Look! Look at the stitching, one woman went blind while making this carpet. If you buy this carpet, you will be helping 1000 people – a whole village!! Every stitch is done by hand. It is only 6,000!”I squeek out – 6000 dirhams? ($1,800. Canadian dollars). No, not dirhams, Euros. 6000 Euros!! That’s 8000 Canadian dollars!By this time we are surrounded by no less than six people, one person is guiding us to walk on the carpets, someone else is serving us tea, two people are continuously throwing carpets at our feet. Mohamed is IN MY FACE repeating over and over the value and provenance of the carpets, and Abdul, all pretense of westernism tossed aside, is speaking into my ear – “How much do you want to pay? 4000? 3000? You can trust these people, they have the best carpets in Morocco!!”Then I am separated from Frank who is immediately engulfed by his own team of carpet sellers. I blurt out, “How can 1000 people be involved in this carpet – I can’t believe it”.Without missing a beat, Mohamed pushes the carpet back up into my face – “Look at the stitches, look at the colours. The four women who made this carpet support eight families, LOOK AT THE STITCHES every one made by hand!! 100 people take care of the sheep, 100 people work the land, 100 people take care of the donkeys, 100 people take the wool from the sheep, 100 people spin the wool, 100 people dye the wool. THE WOMEN, THEY GO BLIND MAKING THESE CARPETS!! And Abdul keeps repeating into my ear – “Buy two carpets, you’ll get a better deal, two is better, yes, two!”I shout: “Two!! How much for two?” From across the room Frank is mouthing the word “TWO??”I say, “1000!!! We can only afford 1000 Euros.” Abdul is by my arm and he has switched sides again to support my efforts. From the high of 6000 Euros for one carpet, we are haggling over 1000 Euros for two. Mohamed retrieves Frank who is dragged forward and asked, “What is wrong with your wife, how can I sell two carpets for 1000 Euros. It has to be 2000 – I am beggaring myself, think of the blind women, 2000 it must be.” Frank and I look at each other, acknowledging that we should just give in, so he nods his head in assent and is immediately whisked off by Mohamed to pay.We ended up paying 4000 Euros or $6000 Cnd for two carpets, — it turns out it was 2000 Euros per carpet that Mohamed beggared himself for — and we comforted ourselves with the knowledge we improved the lives of a thousand Moroccans.And as the months and the sting of spending $6000 have passed by, whenever we walk on our gorgeous Moroccan carpets, we are filled with nostalgia for more travel.SO, WAS IT A SCAM?When we read the post, we were intrigued by the sense that their “carpet experience” had been a scam. While everyone who has experienced the wild theatricality of the carpet sellers will talk about the pressure and the polished selling style (“Madam, buy this side and you get the other side for free”), in the end, a good deal is when seller and buyer are both happy. So, armed with Frank Marino’s photographs, we went carpet hunting.Three local experts in Fez agree that the carpet pictured above is fine example from the High Atlas. More specifically, from the Taznakt region and probably from A’it Ougherda. They also say it would NOT have been made by four women, but by one.When it comes to the price, although there was some disagreement, all the estimates put the resale value at between 15,000 and 21,000 Moroccan dirhams (1300 Euro – 1800 Euro). As one carpet expert put it. “It could actually be a bit higher. This is a fine example and such pieces can be a little bit expensive.”At the end of the day, while Gail and Frank probably paid more than they intended, they were not totally ripped-off and have ended up with a beautiful reminder of their time in Morocco … and a great story to tell.Thanks to PlanetD for sharing, and to Si Mohammed Bouzidi for canvassing the prices and provenance for us. You can read Gail’s full story here: PlanetD Morocco.If you intend buying carpets in Morocco, we suggest you follow this link and read : The Beginners’ Guide to Buying Moroccan Carpets. (http://riadzany.blogspot.com/p/beginners-guide-to-moroccan-carpets.html)http://mideastposts.com/2011/06/24/moroccan-carpet-scams-we-investigate/----------------------------------------

HM the King Inaugurates Training Centre for Youth, "Al Massar" Down's Syndrome Space in Rabat. 8 August 2011Rabat — HM King Mohammed VI inaugurated, on Saturday in Yacoub El Mansour neighbourhood in Rabat, a centre for training and integration of the youth and the "Al Massar" Down's syndrome space, carried out by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity for 11.8 million dirhams.- The training centre will contribute to the youth's socio-professional integration through supervision of the young people who have projects, and promoting income-generating activities.-"Al Massar" space is intended to take care of children with a mental handicap.The centre for training and integration of the youth aims at contributing to the socio-professional integration of the youth by supervising those who have projects and promoting income-generating activities.It is also intended to enhance voluntary work in order to foster the culture of community solidarity among the young people.Built on 2,400 square metres, the 6-million dirham centre includes workshops for training in painting and decoration, building electricity, household electrical appliances repair, maintenance, computer science and applied computer graphics. Another workshop is dedicated to income-generating activities and vocational integration.The "Al Massar" Space, which was built on 1,500 square metres, is meant to take care of children with a mental handicap by supporting and following their school and vocational integration through learning workshops that fit their psychological and mental abilities, together with extra-curricular activities.http://allafrica.com/stories/201108091453.html----------------------------------------

Morocco tightens noose on money launderingBy Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat - 12/08/11As the first Maghreb country to join an international intelligence co-operation group, Morocco is determined to keep funds out of the hands of terrorists.

Morocco may soon be too dangerous for money launderers to operate.Through several recent international partnerships, intelligence co-operation initiatives and statutory changes, the country is accelerating efforts to permanently shut down the terror financing mechanism.Morocco just became the first Maghreb country to join the Brussels-based Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence, a consortium of agencies from 120 countries that works to share expertise, training and information in the fight against money laundering and terror financing.The northern region's cannabis trade and illegal immigration make it a hotspot for laundered money. With this new agreement, Morocco will have access to the organisation's broad array of international resources to get the problem under control.The country will also be better prepared to shut off any funds that support terrorist activity.Morocco's Financial Information Processing Unit (UTRF) will serve as the liaison to the group. The adhesion accord, signed July 15th in Armenia by unit chief Hassan Alaoui, furthers the unit's objectives.The UTRF's task is to help protect the integrity of the Moroccan economy by stamping out money laundering, the financing of terrorism and illegal financial networks.Since its creation in 2008, the unit has received 120 reports from banks and other financial institutions about suspicious activities, including transfers of unusually larg

Morocco military plane crash kills 78Continue reading the main storyRelated StoriesMorocco country profile - OverviewWestern Sahara profileAt least 78 people have been killed in a Moroccan military aircraft crash in the south of the country, the Morrocan army has said in a statement.The army said three other people were severely wounded in the crash, in what is thought to be Morocco's deadliest air disaster in decades.The C-130 Hercules aircraft crashed in Guelmine, just north of the disputed Western Sahara territory.The C-130 is said to be widely used in the Sahara.An official at the interior ministry has told the AFP news agency that troops and their families were carried on this type of plane."Above all, it was the fog and bad weather conditions that are believed to be behind this accident. But for the moment, we don't have enough information," the source said.

Morocco's referendumA very small stepThe king has offered some reforms, but the opposition is not satisfiedJul 7th 2011 | BENSLIMANE | from the print edition

Daylight saving ends in Morocco on July 31Morocco's clocks will be wound back one hour on Sunday, July 31, as daylight saving ended in the country.The change officially takes effect at 00:00, when the time will become 23:00, Morocco's Public Sector Modernization Ministry said in a statement.http://www.yacout.info/Daylight-saving-ends-in-Morocco-on-July-31_a3371.html-------------------------------------------An American Scientific caravan travels in MoroccoAs part of its initiative in science and technology for Moroccan youth, the Embassy of the United States launched a scientific caravan, led by U.S. experts from California and Hawaii to share their experiences with young Moroccans.The caravan was organized in a scientific partnership with the American NGO "Grove of Hope" including the president and founder Kamal Oudrhiri, a scientist working at the Moroccan NASA and with Moroccan partners who include: SOS Children's Village Morocco (Casablanca, Ait Ourir, Al Jadida), Entraide Nationale (Oualidiya, Rabat, Fnideq), Moroccan-American Culture Link (Beni Mellal) and the Association of Parents of High School Daoud (Tetouan) and of course, Peace Corps.



Moroccan professors affiliated with the Association of Teachers of life science and earth, the Association of Professors of physics / chemistry and volunteers of the American Peace Corps also participate in all events of the caravan. Young recipients of the award "Morocco Youth Space Camp Scholarship" in 2010 are also present to share their experiences. In addition, the 2011 edition of "Space Camp Scholarship Morocco" is taking place at the moment with two teachers and twelve young Moroccan "U.S. Space and Rocket Center" in Huntsville, Alabama, USA.



After its launch on July 2 in Dar Bouazza, Casablanca, the caravan visited Ait Ourir, Beni Mellal, El Jadida and Oualidiya. The caravan continued to Rabat, then it will be in Tetouan and Fnideq and will end July 15 after visiting eight cities in Morocco and inspiring the enthusiasm for science in the hearts of young Moroccans 1000.



For more information on this program, please contact the Public Affairs Section, Embassy of the United States, in 0537-66-80-45.http://www.yacout.info/An-American-Scientific-caravan-travels-in-Morocco_a3362.html-------------------------------------------Morocco and USA sign agreement to assist child protection centresRabat - Morocco's ministry of youth and sports and the embassy of the United States in Morocco signed, on Tuesday in Rabat, a partnership agreement to finance a project aimed at assisting child protection centres. The agreement is part of a cooperation programme between Morocco and the United States to reinforce justice for minors and support the Kingdom's reforms in the field.

Under the accord, a sum of one million dollars will be earmarked to finance a project aimed at improving child protection centres currently run by the ministry.

It also aims at providing training for the centers' staff, broadening the scope of services for the youth in these centres and improving their re-adaptation.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_and_usa_sign/view-------------------------------------------Interesting talk on Moroccan Spring http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/2011/jul/14/moroccan-spring/

-------------------------------------------MOROCCO: WHAT ABOUT THE DONKEYS? 07/16/11Rebecca Timson I thought at first that I might write about donkeys in Morocco because I see them everywhere, so I did a little research to deepen my understanding--and I quickly learned that Susan Orlean already wrote that story for Smithsonian Magazine (September 2009). She wrote about donkeys carrying the same loads I've seen on their backs:men, women and children; televisions and mattresses; lumber for construction; food for the shops and restaurants in the medina; silky fabrics; piles of fragrant mint; garbage for removal to some mysterious dumping ground. Like me, she probably saw them pulling wooden plows through rocky fields in the Middle Atlas Mountains and carts full of chickens and watermelons in the narrow winding lanes of the medina in Fes. She wrote about the wealthy American Amy Bend Bishop, who was so concerned about the condition of the 40,000 donkeys and mules working in Fes that in 1927 she established American Fondouk --a free veterinary service which was pointed out to us during our tour of the city. She also wrote a great bit about a weekly donkey market which has declined in recent years, not because fewer donkeys are being traded but because it's easier to evade taxes on such transactions if you do your business outside of the souks.

At Volubilis, on the floor of an ancient Roman house, there is a well-preserved mosaic of an athlete carrying a trophy while riding backwards on a donkey. Scholars explain this in different ways: (1) The athlete is arrogant about an easy victory, and mocks the conventions of the celebratory procession. (2) He is humble in receiving his accolades while seated on a donkey, and doesn't presume to face those who celebrate him. (3) He is performing an acrobatic feat, and might even be a sort of sacred clown impersonating an athlete.

I have little interest in or talent for discovering the absolutely correct interpretation of phenomena, but I am fascinated by the connections between perspective and personal or social history. And it turns out that there's a lot of history about riding donkeys backwards. You know you want to know about this. Think of it as a reflection on the importance of considering different points of view while traveling through Morocco.

Story Number One is about the Muslim Saint Nasruddin Hodja, who is buried in Aksehir, Turkey. On his gravestone the date of death is given as "386", which is reportedly impossible--but if you reverse the date to "683" on the Hijira calendar (1286 on the business calendar), it fits the facts as they are known. Even in death, the saint pressed the point that you have to look at things from different points of view. That is why he rode backwards on a donkey all the time. It's supposed to be both funny and wise, and he reportedly explained his choice in terms of seeing what he couldn't see if he faced the other direction like everybody else. When I traveled to Turkey with a group of teachers, one of my projects involved collecting Hodja tales.

Story Number Two is about a Christian festival celebrated during the early Middle Ages. On the Saturday after Easter, church bells summoned people for a procession to the Basilica Leterana where they welcomed the Pope with praise songs. Priests entered into round dances, singing in both Latin and Greek. A sacristan was central in the next part of this pastoral play; dressed in finery and wearing a horned crown made of flowers, he danced like a jester--jingling a wand with little bells on it and tipping his horns in various directions. This was a masked dance, and his mask was associated with the ancient idea of the underworld. At the end of his dance, he seated himself backwards on a donkey and attempted to carry coins to the Pope in a washbasin balanced on the donkey's head. An untethered fox was also given to the Pope, but of course the coins spilled and the fox escaped. This festival is often described as a continuation of pre-Christian propitiary traditions, like the Greek Bacchanals, that focused on the relaxing of strict points of view about acceptable behavior. Pope Gregory VII banned the festival, but he died in exile and the tradition has persisted in various carnivals found around the world. I've been to a couple of those carnivals.

Story Number Three: Into the eighteenth century in England and France, a man who experienced physical abuse at the hands of his wife might be ridiculed by his neighbors by being forced to ride a donkey through town--seated backwards, and holding the donkey's tail. To make sure everybody witnessed his shame, there was a great beating of pots and pans to bring everybody outdoors. Supposedly this tradition has died out, but in a rural village in France I once stumbled upon a group of women banging pans and shouting at a man riding backwards on a donkey. I never learned why.

None of these stories considers the donkey's point of view. But they get me thinking that I should be careful to avoid jumping to conclusions about what I see while I'm on the road, starting with a Roman mosaic on a Moroccan hillside. They also inspire me to attend to the similarities in stories from different times and places, and not just the differences.http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5354-morocco-what-about-the-donkeys-------------------------------------------MOROCCO: THE COFFEE CULTURE 07/19/11The composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, known for sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and solo performances, loved coffee so much he wrote the "Coffee Cantata" and immortalized the drink in the song "How sweet coffee tastes! More beautiful than a thousand kisses, sweeter than muscatel wine!" and he also wrote: "Without my morning coffee, I'm just like a piece of roasted goat fat." How he would have enjoyed sitting in a Moroccan cafe.For, despite the fact that many people associate Moroccans with mint tea, it is coffee drinking that plays a major role in Moroccan social and business life. Yes, mint tea is refreshing and yes, it is probably the subject of more tourist photographs, but Moroccans drink far more coffee. And Moroccan coffee is superb.Take a stroll past a café anywhere in Morocco and your will see coffee drinkers taking their time over an espresso. The time thing is interesting. The French or Italian habit of a quick caffeine hit, standing at a bar, on your way to work, is not the Moroccan way. Here a single espresso can be sipped for an hour while the day's business is got underway. Sit for a while and you will see that the café is also the "office" from which enterprises are run. The first impression - that of men simply wasting their time in the café - is wrong. Business is being done. People come and go, delivering messages, parcels and money.

While the café is still a mainly male domain, this, like much of contemporary Moroccan life, is changing. Women tourists have broken down the stereotype and their Moroccan sisters have been quick to follow their lead. On a recent trip to the beautiful town of Moulay Idriss, almost thirty percent of the café crowds were women. The upper terrace rooms of most cafés were traditionally the preserve of women, but now they are moving down through the "glass ceiling".

A casual observation would suggest that the women coffee drinkers tend to drink "nus nus", the half-half milky coffee that men might only drink first thing in the morning. The sight of a Moroccan women having a cigarette with her espresso is still rare in the more conservative cities such as Fez. But Marrakesh? Casablanca? Here coffee drinking democracy is in full force.If making a great cup of coffee is a barista's art, then Morocco is a land of artists. The coffee in many instances is Arabica grown in Côte d'Ivoire. But the best coffee in Morocco is more than simply a good bean well roasted. For the connoisseur there is spiced coffee. In the souqs of Morocco are small stallholders making a living selling coffee and spices. For thirty dirhams (about $3.50) you can purchase half a kilo of Arabica beans that are then ground with a mixture of up to nine spices. These include; nutmeg, black pepper corns, cassia (Cinnamon) bark, sesame and cumin seeds. One of the delights in drinking this spiced coffee is that each shop seems to have a slightly different mixture.

Given the quality of Moroccan coffee, it seems surprising that the large coffee chains should make an inroad into Morocco. Imagine our surprise to find a Facebook page entitled "Bring Starbucks to Morocco!!!" (their exclamation marks, not ours). The group has 450 members all keen to drink fancy coffee. And, even more surprising, the founder of the page claims links to the World Health Organisation. Of course, Starbucks is an acquired taste, but it is a world away from a real Moroccan coffee in both taste and cost.

Then there is the health issue. According to France's le Post, "Un cappucino frappé qui équivaut au quart de la ration calorique d'une femme en bonne santé, c'est possible chez Starbucks. Sur lefigaro.fr, on apprend ainsi que leFrappuccino en version 50 cl, produit phare de la marque, contient entre 450 et 550 calories en moyenne. Colossal." You do not need to understand French to comprehend that 550 calories is... is, er... well, "colossal'!

And if Starbucks wasn't enough, the latest news from the coffee front is that the Canadian retailer, The Second Cup Coffee Company, has plans to open four new locations in Morocco Mall, Casablanca, with its regional franchise partner, Groupe Amarg, in pursuit of its global expansion plans. The Morocco Mall is also a Starbucks site.

The, company, which has presence in 16 countries across the world, said the new locations are the first four of 20 coffee cafés to open in key locations in Morocco and they will be run in conjunction with Moroccan partner Groupe Amarg. Speaking on behalf of Groupe Amarg, Zouhiar Idrissi said, "We are delighted to be given the opportunity to demonstrate to everyone in Morocco what Canadians have known for decades - that Second Cup is simply the best coffee cafe chain. This is a brand that has a great core product, and we have been enthused by the whole Second Cup team and their passion."

Second Cup International president Jim Ragas said the new locations are scheduled for opening in the Morocco Mall in October, 2011. "Second Cup believes that having strong local owners as operators is instrumental to delivering a superior guest-experience," Ragas said.

According to Groupe Amarg, the Second Cup experience will cater to the Moroccans who are looking for a premium café experience driven by value.

The coffee retailer's international expansion, which started in 2003, has opened cafés in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Turkey, the US, Cyprus, Romania and Lebanon.

The company offers espresso-based beverages and iced drinks, signature foods, indulgent treats and premium beverages. We suppose they will also have spiced coffee.

While it is certainly right that Moroccans can choose to have any kind of coffee they like, what is sad is that many visitors may head for the familiar chains and miss out on a cup of real Moroccan coffee in a street café. It is a bit like visiting Morocco and only eating at McDonalds. We could go on, but right now it is time to head to the café for a nus nus. For, in the words of the great coffee lover, Johann Sebastian Bach, without a cup of coffee, "I'm just like a piece of roasted goat fat." Oh, and it will only cost me five dirhams.Article firs published at View From Fezhttp://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5358-morocco-the-coffee-culture------------------------------------------- Morocco succeeded in resisting global slowdown thanks to FDI, privatization receipts, OECD Morocco succeeded in resisting the global slowdown thanks to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and privatization receipts, head of the Private Sector Development Division at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Anthony O'Sullivan said, underlining that the Kingdom showed commitment to economic openness by concluding several free trade agreement.

"By the increase of the FDI sixfold in five years, in addition to the receipts of privatization, we got results despite the fact that Morocco is impacted by the downturn like the rest of the region's countries," O'Sullivan told French-speaking paper "Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb".

This country set up an anti-poverty program called the INDH to help the underprivileged, and developed its tertiary sector which stands for 60% of the GDP, thus reducing its dependence on agriculture, he added, recalling reforms implemented to improve the business climate, mainly the creation of the National Committee for Business Environment, the Moroccan Investment Development Agency and regional investment centers.

He went on saying that Morocco is among the countries of the region which have many development plans in relation to the different sectors: plan Emergence, vision 2020 for tourism, green Morocco plan, digital Morocco 2013 plan, and the energy plan. "All these plans complement each other and seek to promote growth and employment."

He highlighted the interest Morocco takes in infrastructure development including building the Tanger Med port, tourist centers, airports and highways, developing the electricity, water and telecommunication sectors, and slashing taxes in favor of businesses with a code of good governance. HTTP://WWW.YACOUT.INFO/MOROCCO-SUCCEEDED-IN-RESISTING-GLOBAL-SLOWDOWN-THANKS-TO-FDI-PRIVATIZATION-RECEIPTS-OECD_A3392.HTML------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------Morocco fights corruption through education.By Siham Ali 2011-07-17Schools are the new battleground in Morocco's anti-corruption strategy. The Moroccan education ministry and the kingdom's main corruption watchdog body are working together on plans to integrate ethics into school curricula.The Central Authority for the Prevention of Corruption (ICPC) and the education ministry signed an agreement on July 11th that establishes a framework for co-operation to drive home the issue through education.Authorities also plan a national competition to encourage students to participate in anti-corruption measures.The aim of the partnership with the ICPC is to instil positive values in pupils at the heart of Moroccan society, using new strategies and improved educational programmes, Education Minister Ahmed Akhchichine said. There was a general conviction that negative behaviour could not be changed without some kind of educational plan, he said.Akhchichine said there would be a new contract between schools and society, adding that educational institutions have a key role to play in the fight against corruption by engaging in debate and dialogue with the upcoming generation.Education encourages the emergence of a generation that is capable of fighting corruption and restoring the principles of integrity and accountability, ICPC chairman Abdesselam Aboudrar said. He explained that his organisation would offer citizenship education based on the values of transparency, responsibility and ethics.Sociologist Yousra Jemali lauded the initiative, saying Morocco's corruption problem was firmly embedded in people's thinking and attitudes. The idea, she said, will be to work with schools to correct a number of misguided attitudes, such as the readiness to accept blackmailing by state officials in order to receive administrative documents."Moroccans tend to camouflage corruption by using other words, such as 'gift' or 'tadouira'. Schools are being asked to change that notion," Jemali said.The culture of blackmailing must be stamped out from an early age and children must be steeped in positive values based on integrity and honesty, teacher Souhaila Bouchtoui said. She added that adults must give a concrete demonstration of corruption's negative repercussions on the country's development.Results from the 2010 Global Corruption Barometer showed that the problem was widespread in Morocco, extending from institutions to the public at large. A third of the heads of households surveyed admitted to handing over bribes when using public services.In the most recent report from Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, Morocco was in 85th position out of 178 countries. The judicial system and civil service were the most corrupt institutions, followed by the police service, according to the organisation.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/07/17/feature-01

-------------------------------------------Moroccan jobs, education top post-election challenges.By Mawassi Lahcen for Magharebia 2011-07-22Ahead of Morocco's first election under the new constitution, MP and entrepreneur Saloua Karkri Belkeziz answers some tough questions about how far and how fast change will come to the kingdom.Moroccans are counting on the next government to fix the country's economic and social problems, the worst of which is unemployment.Saloua Karkri Belkeziz is uniquely positioned to discuss what voters may expect from the first election under the new constitution. As an independent parliamentarian, she knows government. As the founder of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Morocco (AFEM) and the head of the General Confederation of Moroccan Businesses (CGEM), she also knows jobs.Magharebia: Is Morocco ready for the upcoming poll?Belkeziz: The new constitution gave broad powers to the head of government and gave voters the right to select the person who will assume this post. Therefore, I think Moroccan political parties shouldn't just present their platforms: they should present candidates who can assume this responsibility.I also think that the Moroccan parties, as well as the state and civil society, should take time to prepare well in order to ensure broad participation in the election and make it a success. That is why I disagree with some of the political forces that call for speeding up the election and holding it next October.The main question now, in my opinion, is whether we will accept a head of government who only represents 10% or 15% of all Moroccans?I think that March 2012 will be a suitable date, as it will enable the current government to complete its mandate, and then hold it to account for its management of public affairs. The time period between now and March 2012 will give political parties and the state an interval to introduce the necessary regulatory reforms to make the election a success.Magharebia: Will new voters turn out to cast their ballots?Belkeziz: The parties must open their doors for young people and women. It will be easier to regain young people's confidence and motivate them to take part in politics.There are about 7 million people at the voting age who didn't put their names on the electoral rolls. I think we should give those people the opportunity to take part in the election.The horizons that the new constitution is opening will give a new taste and flavour and meaning to politics in Morocco, as it will open the field for political activists to reach decision-making positions through elections and enable them to implement their ideas and programmes.The next government must consist of at least 2 or 3 parties that have a joint programme and a unified and comprehensive view of the issues, unlike what we see today. We want a strong, credible government that is based on citizens' votes and really represents them. We want a government that is capable of dealing with challenges and a government that meets the requirements established under the new construction. Magharebia: The next head of government will have broad powers under the new constitution. What do you see as the greatest challenges facing Morocco?Belkeziz: The next government will have to deal with unemployment, education and health, because what young people are looking for is dignity. Dignity starts with providing a decent job that guarantees social stability. By "a decent job", I mean one that ensures social protection.Right now there are only about 2.5 million workers who have health coverage. This situation just can't continue. All workers should enjoy social and health coverage.The rate of unemployment is very high and is expected to exacerbate in the next months, especially as the expected economic growth rate is less than 5%. It's true that the unemployment rate got down to below 9.5%, but we shouldn't forget that this figure includes unemployment statistics in rural areas.In urban areas, the unemployment rate is around 19%.During the third quarter of this year, the rate is expected to rise with the school graduation, as thousands of young people will join the lines of job-seekers.Reforming the constitution alone is not enough to solve these problems. The constitution just gives the general framework, but the most important thing is what the next government will do.Whatever the case, the next government will find itself faced with a heavy legacy. The current government will leave behind very tough conditions. Magharebia: So what can be done about jobs?Belkeziz: As far as I'm concerned, I think that job creation should be mainly in the private sector, in the productive sectors, not only through government. In addition, employment at the civil administrative level should respond to real needs, meaning that we should have competent people who can provide quality services for citizens and not just become employees who receive salaries. But this needs political courage and a change in mentalities.Magharebia: How much can we depend on the private sector to create jobs?Belkeziz: The problem in the private sector is the unsuitability of education for employment needs. In addition, employment in the private sector requires experience, a condition that many young job-seekers - especially fresh graduates - don't have.We just can't wait for a solution to the problem of suitability of education. There are thousands of young people for whom we need to find solutions.The government must continue to support training and integration programmes at companies. Moreover, a suitable atmosphere for the incorporation of companies must be created. The number of companies that are incorporated in Morocco every year is still very limited. This requires a radical reform of the business atmosphere and the encouragement of enterprise and entrepreneurship in young people.Magharebia: There is talk about a self-employment law, but nothing has happened yet. What's the delay?Belkeziz: There is actually a self-employment law, but political competition between different ministers delayed its implementation. Each one wants to keep it to use it during the electoral campaign. This law is very important because it will enable many young people who have vocational skills to create simple enterprises without needing to wait for complex measures to form companies. In this way, they can engage in their trades and crafts in a structured and organised framework that provides them with social protection and health coverage.Magharebia: Education is another top challenge, you said earlier. How do you see the solution?Belkeziz: As to education, the main problem is the language; we can't just continue to educate young people in one language while we work in another.It's not logical that young people study in the Arabic language up to the baccalaureate level and then be required to proceed with their high education in French. Upon graduation, we find ourselves faced with young people who don’t master any languages.We studied under a good system, and we were learning languages, including Arabic, and at the same time, we were studying technical and scientific subjects in French. And at the same time, public education was strong. The problem is that this trend towards private education involves social discrimination and exclusion, as only well-to-do people can afford quality education for their children.I think that we should reconsider the subsidy that the government is providing to private education, and to re-direct this subsidy to the family instead of giving tax privileges or other benefits to private education institutions. These institutions are enterprises and their aim is to make profits. Therefore, they must pay taxes.We need to support families that are forced to send their children to private schools because the state didn't provide public education at the required quality and level. We can do this by deducting the expenses that families spend on private education from income tax.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/reportage/2011/07/22/reportage-01 -------------------------------------------Morocco extends tech program for college studentsJul 22nd, 2011 | By Jahd Khalil | Category: TechThe Moroccan government extended a program to provide technology to the country’s postgraduate students, the Dutch research firm Telecompaper reported this week.The Digital Morocco 2013 program subsidizes 85 percent of the purchase cost of a laptop computer, as well as providing one year of broadband Internet.In a meeting July 11, Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi as well as other ministers discussed the program as well as other future initiatives.The service is provided by the Universal Telecommunications Service Management committee, or Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications (ANRT) ANRT.The initiative does not cover all students, right now only engineering students can utilize the program.In addition to the subsidies for technology costs, ANRT seeks to outfit universities with wireless free Internet (Wi-Fi) on campus.http://bikyamasr.com/wordpress/?p=37083

-------------------------------------------New constitution 'will bring greater openness and democracy to Morocco': CongresswomanWashington - The New Moroccan constitution, approved by a landslide majority following a referendum on July 1, "will bring greater openness and democracy to Morocco," US Congresswoman Shelley Berkley said on Wednesday."I am encouraged by the recent referendum held in Morocco that approved the constitutional changes proposed by King Mohamed VI,” Berkely, the Democratic Representative who represents the Nevada First Congressional District, said in a statement.

These reforms enable Morocco to be welcomed “into the community of world democracies”, added Berkely.

"The U.S. should help the Moroccan government in every way we can to ensure" the transition toward democratic governance “happens in a safe and constructive environment that strengthens this important alliance and brings greater stability to the region,” the US Congresswoman went on to say.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/home/new_constitution__wi/view------------------------------------------- G8 willing to assist Morocco implement reform programmeParis - G8 member states voiced willingness to assist Morocco "to rapidly implement" its reform programme.In a statement issued on Monday on behalf of the G8 member states, the French Presidency of the group welcome the results of the constitutional referendum, which heralds “new era” for Morocco.

“Through a peaceful democratic process, important changes were brought about in the Moroccan institutional system,” the same source underscored.

“Reflecting the aspirations expressed by the Moroccan people over the last months, the new constitution brought significant progress in terms of government accountability and action, the rule of law, human and social rights protection as well as the promotion of individual liberties for men and women,” the statement added.

The G8 members “encourage the comprehensive and rapid implementation of the Moroccan reform programme on the basis of sustainable dialogue with a wide range of political trends,” voicing “commitment to assist in this direction.”

In this respect the G8 express willingness to benefit Morocco from the Deauville Partnership, which aims at supporting Arab countries achieve democratic transitionhttp://www.map.ma/eng/sections/home/g8_willing_to_assist/view

-------------------------------------------Arabic the New Language of FacebookSince it was launched in 2009, use of the Arabic Facebook interface has skyrocketed to reach some 10 million users today. At the moment, they represent about a third of all Facebook users in the Arab world, but it’s expected that within a year Arabic will overtake English to become the most popular Facebook language in the region. Spot On Public Relations, a Middle Eastern publicity agency specializing in on-line social media, found that two times as many people log on to Facebook in the Middle East and North Africa than purchase a daily newspaper.“What’s fascinating for us is not Facebook’s overall growth in the Middle East but its growth in Arabic,” Alexander McNabb, director of Spot On PR told The Media Line.According to their study, Arabic Facebook has grown about 175% a year, double the overall rate of the mushrooming use of Facebook worldwide. In some countries, like Algeria, it grew a whopping 423% annually.“Until recently, many marketers pretty much took for granted that the region’s Facebook users were English-speaking Arabs or expatriates, using Facebook in English and representing a fairly elite group of on-line consumers. It has become apparent that this is now far from being true,” the study found. “We can expect Arabic to become the most popular Facebook langue in the region within a year.”The Arabic platform’s 10 million users make up about 35% of the region’s Facebook subscribers, up from 24% in May 2010.http://www.yacout.info/Arabic-the-New-Language-of-Facebook_a3365.html------------------------------------------------All year surfing in Taghazout, MoroccoTaghazout serves up an endless supply of surf all year round, discovers Jahn VannisselroyThere’s nothing quite like a faceful of offshore ocean spray to let you know you’re alive. But then there’s also nothing like sliding on to a smooth early morning wave, riding the liquid glass on an uncrowded break with 
a handful of other surfers and the slow-rising sun as your only companions.I would sit and contemplate all this, but there’s no time; more peaks are lumbering towards the beach at Panoramas in Taghazout. Forget thinking about the dream – I’m living it.Surfing lessonsMy Surf Maroc guide Zac, a Taghazout local with a style as wild as the afro atop his head, constantly chirps at me in broken English.“Look up earlier,” he chides. “Trust yourself. Feel the board underneath your feet. You know it’s there, just point where you want to go.”I launch myself into wave after wave, my fatboy board the perfect vehicle for hitching a ride on these small slices of oceanic perfection. Every ride is met with more approving words from Zac. From anyone else it would be wearing, but 
when you surf as well as he does, your advice means something.I watch as he slashes his way down the line, smashing the wave’s lip and then cutting back to meet the peak. He pulls 
a neat 360 in the whitewash and then, 
as he paddles back out, motions to me.

“Come further out,” he calls. You’re ready now.”SteeringBeyond the impact zone, there’s just a few of us. Aside from Zac, at 30 I’m the oldest by at least a decade; the line-up is made up of a group of Taghazout grommets, none yet even thinking about shaving.They’re rippers and I have to be on my game to even think about catching a wave. But it doesn’t take long for me to find 
my spot in the hierarchy and score some good rides. Zac’s advice is paying off. The board floats beneath my feet as I learn to subtly distribute my weight and steer it along the green wall.“No class for these boys today?” I ask Zac after I’m snaked for another wave. “No man,” he replies with a grin. “The beach is their school today … maybe everyday.”The beachThe sun rises higher, bringing crowds 
– mostly novices going through the ‘learn-to-stand-up-on-the-beach-first’ routine.By the time they hit the water, I’ve been out there for two hours and ready for a bit of onshore time to regenerate.As a camel trots by, ridden by an eight-year-old in the foolhardy style of one who has never tasted pain, polite hawkers offer their wares, only too happy to chat and learn about the world outside Morocco 
– even though their offers are declined.The groms are also in. They gather round hoping Zac can hook them up a sandwich. He does. Hopefully that’s bought me some waves in the afternoon session.We surf ‘til mid-afternoon when the swell drops off. No work, no school – the groms definitely have the right idea.DinnerBack at the stunning Surf Maroc HQ, the sun is setting above the villa’s top balcony. I watch it from an almost upside-down position under the tutelage of Lindsay, an extremely lithe Canadian yoga instructor.A solid stretching session – some time to clear the mind and focus only on my breathing – would seem the perfect end 
to the day. But it’s not over yet.The Surf Maroc team has prepared their nightly feast. Hunger can be a horrible poison but these solid meals are the antidote. Our multi-national tribe of wave warriors gathers to break bread and share tales of the day’s spills and thrills.As the pastel-orange sky fades to black, the ocean becomes a soundtrack to sleep. My weary head hits the pillow, happy in the knowledge that I’ll do it all again tomorrow ... and every day this week.

All levels welcomeNo matter what your level of surfing, there’s a wave for you in Taghazout.From the beach breaks at Panoramas and La Delle (for learners/ intermediates) to the long rides and barrels of Killers and the exposed reef and fast wave at Boilers (for experienced riders), there’s never a shortage of swell.Surf Maroc provides transport to the beach and instructors know where to go to suit your level of experience.On your day off, talk to the team about a day trip to the nearby Paradise Valley for bush walking and cliff diving.Essential KnowledgeWhen to go: All year round.

Getting there: Fly into Agadir with easyJet (from £34.99).

Getting around: Surf Maroc provides daily transport to the beach.

Visas: Available at the airport.

Currency: Dirham. 1 GBP = 12 MAD. LANGUAGE Arabic, French and English.

Going out: Taghazout is a ‘dry’ town - which means there is no alcohol served. You can bring booze into the village but must drink it in a private residence. There are cafes open late at night.

Accommodation: Surf Maroc offers 
packages from £169.

See: surfmaroc.co.ukJahn Vannisselroy was hosted by Surf Maroc (surfmaroc.co.uk) Morocco’s leading surf company. It has provided unrivalled surfing holidays, top service and great value at stunning beaches for more than eight years. From £169 pp/pw.

read more: http://www.tntmagazine.com/tnt-today/archive/2011/07/18/all-year-surfing-in-taghazout-morocco.aspx#ixzz1Sx1vYtOl

-------------------------------------------From the souks of mediaeval Islamic cities to the splendour of the Atlas mountainsPublished: 17/07/2011 Newspaper section: BrunchMOUNTAINS AND DESERTFrom Saharan dunes to the peaks of the High Atlas, Morocco could have been tailor-made for travellers. Lyrical landscapes carpet this sublime slice of North Africa like the richly coloured and patterned rugs you'll lust after in local cooperatives. The mountains _ not just the famous High Atlas but also the Rif and suntanned ranges leading to Saharan oases _ offer simple, breathtaking pleasures. Night skies glistening in the thin air; views over a fluffy cloudbank from the Tizi nTest pass. On lower ground, there are rugged coastlines, waterfalls and caves in forested hills, and the mighty desert.TRADITIONAL LIFEThe varied terrain may inform your dreams, but it shapes the very lives of Morocco's Berbers, Arabs and Saharawis. Despite encroaching modernity, with motorways joining mosques and kasbahs as man-made features of the landscape, Moroccan people remain closely connected to the environment. The nomadic southern blue men brave the desert's burning expanses in robes and turbans, with mobile phones in hand. Likewise, traditional life continues _ with tweaks _ in the techniques of Berber carpet makers; in date cooperatives; in medina spice trading; and in the lifestyles in ports such as Essaouira and mountain hamlets.MOROCCAN ACTIVITIESMeeting the Moroccan people involves nothing more than sitting in a cafe and waiting for your mint tea to brew. The trick is to leave enough time to watch the world go by with the locals when there's so much else to fit in _ hiking up North Africa's highest peak, learning to roll couscous, camel trekking, shopping in the souqs, getting lost in the medina and sweating in the hammam. Between activities, you can sleep in the famous riads, relax on panoramic terraces and grand squares, and mop up tajines flavoured with saffron and argan.ANCIENT MEDINASOften exotic, sometimes overwhelming and always unexpected, these ancient centres are bursting with Maghrebi mystique and madness _ the perfect complement to the serene countryside. When you hit town and join the crowds, you follow a fine tradition of nomads and traders stretching back centuries. Unesco has bestowed World Heritage status on medinas including Fez, the world's largest living mediaeval Islamic city, and the carnivalesque Djemaa el-Fna in Marrakesh. The terrorist bomb on the square in April, 2011, was a tragic episode in its history, but travellers should not be discouraged from visiting this welcoming, tolerant country.This is an edited extract from 'Morocco', by James Bainbridge, et al. Lonely Planet 2011. lonelyplanet.com.

For more information visit www.lonelyplanet.com.http://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/intertrips/247415/morocco-much-more-than-just-an-adventure------------------------------------------- MOROCCO: WHAT NEXT AFTER REFERENDUM?ZOUHAIR BAGHOUGH07/16/11Jed Bartlet's favorite catchphrase applies fully to the post-referendum environment in Morocco. Both domestically and abroad, Makhzen authorities have reasserted their strength and mastery of the national political agenda. I will certainly have an opportunity to go back on more details regarding the turnout, its geographical distribution and how its significance is more important as a symbol than their intrinsic levels. First off, let us have a look at the various feedbacks to our Basri-era phenomenal figure of 73.46% and:Rabat – Le nombre des votants qui se sont prononcés en faveur du projet de nouvelle constitution a atteint 9.653.492, soit 98,50 pc, selon les résultats provisoires du référendum constitutionnel du vendredi, a indiqué, samedi, le ministre de l’Intérieur, M. Taieb cherqaoui. [...] Selon les résultats provisoires du référendum tel que proclamés par les 39.969 bureaux de vote mis en place sur l’ensemble du territoire national, le nombre des inscrits a été de 13.451.404 électeurs, dont 9.881.922 votants, soit un taux de participation de 73,46 pc, a ajouté le ministre. (MAP Communiqué)– Rabat. the total number of voters supporting the new draft constitution amounted to 9,653,492, i.e. 98.5% following provisional results from Referendum Day held on Friday. Interior Minister Taieb Cherqaoui announced on Saturday. [...] provisional results are proclaimed accross the 39.969 polling stations spread across the nation. Total number of voters amounted to 13,451,404 among which 9,881,922 showed up, reaching a turnout of 73.46%French foreign minister Alain Juppé supported the Referendum results in these terms:“Selon les résultats partiels donnés par le Ministère de l’intérieur marocain, le pourcentage des votants qui se sont prononcés en faveur du projet de nouvelle constitution a été de 98,49 pour cent des personnes inscrites sur les listes électorales. Le nombre des votants s’est élevé à 9.228.020, soit un taux de participation de 72,65 pour cent.Nous devons bien entendu attendre les chiffres définitifs, mais il apparait d’ores et déjà que le peuple marocain a pris une décision claire et historique. [...] La révision de la constitution a été conduite à partir de consultations étendues, associant tous les partis politiques, les syndicats et une large palette de représentants de la société civile.Nous saluons la forte participation du peuple marocain à ce référendum. Elle a donné lieu à des débats animés et substantiels, reflétés dans les médias et notamment sur internet.[...]La France se tient naturellement aux cotés du Maroc pour l’accompagner dans cette nouvelle ère et forme des vœux pour que la mise en œuvre de cette nouvelle constitution s’accompagne de nouveaux progrès et de nouvelles réussites.”As for the United States State Department, the language was equally praising and very supportive of the Referendum, but more cautious and overall non-committal to the whole process, indeed:The United States welcomes Morocco’s July 1 constitutional referendum. We support the Moroccan people and leaders in their efforts to strengthen the rule of law, raise human rights standards, promote good governance, and work toward long-term democratic reform that incorporates checks and balances. We look forward to the full implementation of the new constitution as a step toward the fulfilment of the aspirations and rights of all Moroccans.Short, succinct and positively abstract. The State Department commits to nothing and keeps its options open.Finally, the European Union press release doesn’t deviate from the quasi-unanimous praises of our referendum:“We welcome the positive outcome of the referendum on the new Constitution in Morocco and commend the peaceful and democratic spirit surrounding the vote,” EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and neighbourhood policy commissioner Stefan Fuele said in a joint statement. [...]“The reforms proposed in it constitute a significant response to the legitimate aspirations of the Moroccan people and are consistent with Morocco’s Advanced Status with the EU,” the said. “Now we encourage the swift and effective implementation of this reform agenda,” the statement said.[...] “The European Union is ready to fully support Morocco in this endeavour.”So in diplomatic terms, our significant partners are basically accepting the result, and this international support -some might consider it to be a blank check- makes the regime more secure and confirms its hegemony over the Moroccan political discourse.This is even more obvious domestically: even though charges of ballot-stuffing and incoherent figures tarnished the referendum’s credibility, lambda Moroccans will not gainsay the result. The typical Moroccan voter (Male, Father of three children and living in a rural or sub-urban area) is more than likely to have voted for the constitution, not because what they would have read was interesting and appealing to their grievances, but because of multifarious factors: their social environment does not allow for criticism, individual decision-making or the use of Cartesian logics. Do I sound elitist and full of contempt? Perhaps I do. But the figures speak for themselves: the highest turnout figures were recorded in regions like Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira (92.19%) Guelmim-Es Smara (86.76%) Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia el Hamra (84.05%) and Doukkala-Abda (80.06%) All three regions are very tribal, and rely heavily on Makhzen administration for favours and other privileges, thus the higher outcome compared to national turnout. Conversely, low turnout in Casablanca and Rabat (respectively 57.17% and 72.39%) are thus because of its more individualistic, or shall we say more community-oriented settings, plus local administration has less leverage over its denizens, and so less likely to persuade them to vote (one way or the other).The pro-democracy platform needs to pack up and look for new issues to campaign on, simply because the showdown that took place ever since February 20th is coming to an end, and not the movement’s advantage. The referendum might have been fixed, perhaps there will never be a solid body of evidence to suggest a nation-wide ballot-stuffing, and the absence of impartial scrutiny has a lot to do with it -perhaps if the retained option was a No-vote instead of an all-out boycott, there would have been some civic control over referendum proceedings. Furthermore, and because of the comparatively few people who took to the streets last week and today only confirm Moroccan apathy -and implicit acceptance- towards the referendum results.The whiff of fresh air brought by the Feb20 demonstrations into the hermetical Moroccan political house, it seems, is losing speed. The long overdue New Politics many of us have been awaiting is yet again postponed to an unspecified date. Subsequently, there is a need to turn the public’s attention to more relevant issues: the national economy and the economics of national debt; the crumbling standards in public sector departments like Health and Education. More down to earth, issues that matter to the public are few and pressing: employment, standards of living and education for the future generations.Paradoxically, these are the issues that explain the already existing and dangerously exacerbated social tensions between the haves and havenots. In between, our very own “squeezed middle” are the ones paying for these tensions, whether in demonstrations or just as a scapegoat for social resentment. I wish there was some sociological review of Feb20 prominent members; I would bet good money that many of these are of Middle-Class background, and those attacking them -the so-called “Baltagyas”- are from lower income and social classes. In any case, waging a political agenda does not seem to gather a lot of durable support, and that is why something else needs to be done.Constitutional reforms can no longer be used as flag to rally dissatisfied individuals and communities. Rather, a more down-to-earth set of agenda focused on these immediate needs can win favours and support to build on more political and strategic grievances later on.http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/124-zouhair-baghough-/5353-morocco-what-next-after-referendum------------------------------------------- Morocco's Democratic Changes Fail to Appease AllBy AIDA ALAMIPublished: July 20, 2011RABAT, MOROCCO — A stressed middle-aged woman in a taxi in Casablanca looked with disdain at thousands of protesters on a main avenue. “We are fed up with them,” she told the driver. “Can’t they just leave us in peace. They wanted a new constitution. They got it. What else do they want?“They are fighting for our rights,” he replied. “I hope they keep on marching until ou

US-Morocco Treaty Partnership at 225J. Peter Pham | July 15, 2011Today marks the 225th anniversary of the longest unbroken treaty relationship to which the United States is a party. On July 15, 1786 (18 Ramadan 1200), in Marrakech, American agent Thomas Barclay was handed the final protocol of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship by his Moroccan counterpart Taher Ben Abdelhack Fennish. Certified translations of the articles would be incorporated in a document eventually signed by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams as ministers plenipotentiary and ratified by Congress the following year on July 18, 1787. The long-term success of the partnership which emerged from the treaty contains lessons which are still relevant as Washington seeks to strengthen or forge links with other African countries, especially those along the Atlantic coast of the continent. First, without necessarily being exclusive, relations have to be direct; subcontracting them out to other partners, who may or may not be disinterested, is not viable. Although Sultan Mohammed III ben Abdallah al-Khatib was the first foreign sovereign to recognize the independence of the United States when, in December 1777, he included America in the list of countries to whom Morocco’s ports were open, the relationship nearly floundered when Benjamin Franklin was convinced by his Parisian hosts to ignore the overtures of Etienne d’Audibert Caille, a merchant in Sale whom the monarch entrusted with initiating contact with the new country. Fortunately, Caille was persistent and went over Franklin’s head and appealed to the Second Continental Congress which, after some delay, commissioned Jefferson and Adams to negotiate a treaty, recognizing the value of the offer of diplomatic and economic relations to a young nation still struggling for acceptance in the international community. Second, relationships are more likely to be sustainable when they are comprehensive. Although primitive by the standards of today’s technical precision, the 1786 treaty covered everything from diplomatic relations (“the Consuls of the United States of America shall reside in any Sea Port of our Dominions that they shall think proper; and they shall be respected and enjoy all the Privileges which the Consuls of any other Nation enjoy”) to non-hostility (“if either of the Parties shall be at War with any Nation whatever, the other Party shall not take a Commission from the Enemy”) to access to markets (“if any Vessel of either Party shall put into a Port of the other and have occasion for Provisions or other Supplies, they shall be furnished without any interruption or molestation”) on the basis of “most favored nation” (“the Commerce with the United States shall be on the same footing as is the Commerce with Spain or as that with the most favored Nation for the time being”). Third, security interests help to consolidate other ties. The final article to be attached to the treaty was a security provision that was most beneficial to the young American nation at a time when its merchant shipping was often preyed upon by various European warships: “If any Vessel belonging to the United States shall be in any of the Ports of His Majesty’s Dominions, or within Gunshot of his Forts, she shall be protected as much as possible and no Vessel whatever belonging either to Moorish or Christian Powers with whom the United States may be at War, shall be permitted to follow or engage her, as we now deem the Citizens of America our good Friends.” This modest promise of protection has over the centuries evolved to the point where Morocco is one of just over a dozen countries to enjoy the designation of “Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States.” Fourth, relations prosper when each side sees opportunity for economic growth with the other. It was no accident that one of George Washington’s earliest diplomatic messages was addressed to Mohammed III, both explaining the hiatus in communications due to the ratification of the US Constitution and touting the potential of the new republic: “It gives me pleasure to have this opportunity of assuring your majesty that I shall not cease to promote every measure that may conduce to the friendship and harmony which so happily subsist between your empire and these…This young nation, just recovering from the waste and desolation of long war, has not, as yet, had time to acquire riches by agriculture or commerce. But our soil is beautiful, and our people industrious, and we have reason to flatter ourselves that we shall gradually become useful to our friends.” The friendship treaty’s guarantee of minimal government interference with commercial activities (“Merchants shall not be compelled to buy or Sell any kind of Goods but such as they shall think proper”) enabled a thriving trade to develop—so much so that, in 2004, a free trade agreement was entered into by the two countries. The treaty relationship between the United States and Morocco was by no means assured, especially given the various obstacles that had to be overcome in order to even sign the accord, much less to permanently renew it in 1836. Nevertheless, more than two centuries after its signing, the pact has proven to have justified both the farsightedness of Mohammed III and the efforts of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. If today the balance has shifted in favor of what Morocco gains from close ties with an America that has grown immensely since the treaty of friendship was negotiated by Barclay and Fennish, nonetheless it remains a vital asset for the United States to continue having the kingdom as moderate – indeed, reformist – ally in the Maghreb as well as a political and commercial springboard for links presently being forged in the geostrategically increasingly important areas along the Africa’s Atlantic coast. J. Peter Pham is director of the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center at the Atlantic Council.http://acus.org/new_atlanticist/us-morocco-treaty-partnership-225------------------------------------------------Boosting cooperation - 56 % increase in Morocco's exports to USA- Ahmed Gamal Monday, 11 July 2011Global Arab Network - Morocco's exports to the United States rose 56% in 2010 over 2009, with food products making up 18% of these exports, Moroccan minister of foreign trade announced.

Abdellatif Maâzouz, who inaugurated the Moroccan pavilion at the 57th Summer Fancy Food Show (July 9-12), highlighted the innovative character and the high quality of the Moroccan products exhibited in the show by 26 Moroccan firms.

He insisted that the US market gives enormous opportunities for the Moroccan exports, especially with the Free Trade Agreement signed between the two countries, which entered into force in 2006.

The Moroccan products exhibited in this show include fruits and vegetables, sauce, condiments, sea products, olive and argan oil and safran.

The show, which is being held for the first time in Washington, features some 20 seminars and thematic workshops.

Means to boost agri-food exports

Moroccan minister of foreign trade held, in Washington, a series of meetings with U.S. officials and stakeholders active in the sector of supermarket distribution.

Held on the sidelines of the 57th Summer Fancy Food Show, the talks aimed at promoting Moroccan exports of agri-food and agricultural products to the United States.

Abdellatif Maazouz, who started on Sunday a four-day working visit to the United States, is slated to hold talks with officials of the US department of commerce to explore avenues for reinforcing trade and partnership.http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/2011071111150/Economics/boosting-cooperation-56-increase-in-moroccos-exports-to-usa.html------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------The other Morocco, 'behind the sun'.Achraf El Bahi Jul 15, 2011 "If you think this is Morocco, you know nothing," a neighbourhood drifter yelled in the old medina of Marrakech, as he pointed at a fancy car."There are Moroccans you've never seen, they speak a language you won't understand, and have a way of life you can't even imagine. They live behind the sun, in a Morocco you've never known," he rattled on.Hyperbolic as it is, his statement still serves as an apt portrayal of one of Morocco's most serious problems: the country's centre of power is out of step with the regions it governs.While many Moroccans are happy to live in the kingdom's big cities, which benefit from the attention of the central government, those in the regions - in the north-east and the south, for instance - are barely keeping their heads above water.The root of this problem goes back to the colonial period. In the first half of the 20th century, the map of the country was divided into two sections by French colonisers - the "useful" and the "useless" Morocco - the "useful" part of the country was fertile, rich in fisheries and minerals, thus worthy of development. The "useless" was not.French strategists, more interested in exploitation than in the country's long-term growth, saw no reason to build infrastructure linking deprived areas to the rest of the Moorish kingdom. Since gaining independence from France in 1956, this so-called "useless" Morocco remains underdeveloped and secondary."There were real tensions over power between the monarchy and the nationalist movement - the country's political and economic elite - after Morocco's independence," said Mustapha Qadery, a historical anthropology scholar and author of A Nationalism of Self-Contempt, a book on Moroccan politics recently published in Arabic and French."But there was one thing both sides agreed on: the centralisation of power was key to ensure control over the state after the French had left. So they adopted the French model, which was based on the idea that 'there is the capital, and there is the rest'. Never mind that it was the worst government model in Europe," Qadery noted, speaking on the phone from Virginia State University, where he is currently a scholar in residence.Predictably, regional affairs could not be properly run from Rabat, the capital. Though the country is not massive, at best, officials did not fully understand the true needs of rural communities and, at worst, did not care about them. This was at a historical juncture where the idea of local government was made to sound like a threat to national integrity."Whoever called for regionalism at that critical transitional period was portrayed as a separatist by the nationalist movement, the only class in Moroccan society that thrived under the French protectorate, and wanted to make sure it'll keep on thriving after France was gone," Qadery said.Populations miles away from the centre saw that walis (provincial governors) were not fitting representatives of their interests, given they were not elected and, perhaps worse, were often foreign to the region they were appointed to serve.A few exceptions aside, underprivileged regions remained so. And since the underdevelopment of a region entails the underdevelopment of a community, this chronic aversion to decentralised power has left large local populations with no proper education, health care or human development opportunities - the "forgotten Morocco" some like to call it.So when the country's constitutional reforms were announced by King Mohammed VI last month, amid justified international media attention, many people in these marginal areas (where illiteracy is endemic) had no clue as to what the fuss was all about. The irony is that, for the first time, a draft constitution in Morocco addressed their situation without too much equivocation.It reserved a whole section for "regionalism", a system that "hinges on the principles of independent management" and "ensures the involvement of the concerned communities in running their own affairs", to quote Article 136 of the draft text. In Ben Guerir, for instance, a small town 50 kilometres north of the city of Marrakech, many of those who voted for the new constitution in a July 1 referendum did not know what the word "constitution" meant.Khalid Mir, a 51-year-old unemployed local man with a high school education, said on referendum day that he was not going to vote. Sitting with friends next to the cart of an ambulant meat vendor at the local souq, Mir said he took that decision because he did not understand what the new constitution was about."I'm not sure what a constitution, in general, is made of, so I won't vote. I'm not saying yes, and I'm not saying no," he declared.Nevertheless, the introduction of regionalism in this new and more assertive form has the potential to turn things around. On paper, it carries the promise of bringing public services closer to marginalised communities and galvanising dormant territories, while alleviating the administrative strain on big cities and blunting rural migration.On top of that, it has a significant symbolic dimension, according to Qadery, who also teaches a graduate course in French on theories of the state at Rabat's Mohammed V University. "It marks the country's reconciliation with its own history," he pointed out. "State rule in Morocco was premised on the idea of regionalism for centuries, until the colonial period changed that. The country is now taking a first step towards redressing an incorrect situation. The next right thing to do would be, when the time is ripe, to proclaim 'local governments'; give entities the freedom and the responsibility to fully, not partially, govern themselves."For his part, Abdellah Bouano, a Moroccan member of parliament with the opposition Justice and Development Party, described the constitutional provisions under regionalism as "a positive step". Speaking from the capital, he said a form of economic regionalism started in Morocco in 1974, then took on a political character in 1996. But it was not effective because the heads of regional councils were never truly empowered."Only now, with the new constitution, is the region entitled to intervene in a number of sectors that directly impact the local community, and that includes planning and budgeting for human and cultural development, infrastructure, schools, hospitals, tourism and so on," Bouano explained."Before, the region as a territorial entity did not play more than a consultative role in the management of its own affairs; real power was in the hands of the walis, who had the key prerogative to disburse financial resources. Now this power would be vested in elected regional chiefs. The long-term goal is to establish local governments; we're not there yet," he added.There is yet another facet to Morocco's push for regionalism: the Sahara issue. The autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2006 for the Western Sahara, whereby the territory disputed between the kingdom and the Polisario Front would gain independence under the kingdom's sovereignty, has played a role in making regionalism occupy a more prominent place in the new constitution."It wouldn't be right if the Sahara were to be granted a large autonomy, while other Moroccan territorial entities are not given sufficient self-management powers. You don't want the Sahara to be the odd one out," Bouano observed.One thing is clear though: there is no political system out there that will suit all Moroccans. Instead, they must knit one with their own hands, one that accommodates their many asymmetries, stresses their commonalities and eases their differences.Achraf El Bahi is the lead translator at The National.http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/africa/the-other-morocco-behind-the-sun?pageCount=2------------------------------------------------A Side Of Sewage With Dinner In MoroccoTafline Laylin | July 14th, 2011Last night, hundreds of tourists that descended upon the popular La place Jemâa el Fna in Marrakech were greeted with a stinking treat. Right next to the open air restaurant that later served me a small Moroccan salad, potato cakes, and delicious mint tea, (see a recipe for Moroccan Anise bread here) and where Henna painters, storytellers, and snake charmers spend their evenings luring tourists to their small patch of concrete, a blocked drain overflowed. And nobody rushed to the scene to clean it up.Located in Africa’s Northwestern corner, Morocco has a sewage problem. This is no secret to anyone on the street or on high, and the issue is being addressed with a certain urgency. In the meantime, though, raw sewage continues to run amock not only in poor, rural areas, but also in urban areas that experience high tourist traffic.The Régie Autonome de Distribution d’Eau et d’Electricité de Marrakech (RADEEMA) was established in 1971 to manage Marrakech’s water and electricity supply. Then in 1998, it was tasked with restructuring the city’s water sanitation facilities and closing injection points that discharge untreated water into the surrounding environment.According to Eco2Data, Marrakech produces approximately 90,720 m3 of wastewater every day. With limited infrastructure to cope with it, RADEEMA’s job of ensuring that the surrounding environment is not contaminated with untreated sewage is no easy task.Poop in the seaRoughly 60% of the country’s 546 million m3 of wastewater lands up in the Atlantic Ocean untreated, which is harmful to fish – an important domestic and export commodity. And the cost of cleaning up this and agricultural contamination amounts to at least $0.5 billion every year.In Marrakech alone, it is estimated that 2,000 hectares of agricultural land, which produce cereals and fruit, are watered with raw sewage. Fresh water resources are quickly dwindling in Morocco, as elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa region, particularly in the drier, southern parts of the country, so farmers are resorting to what resources they do have.So, what’s the solution to this sh#tty problem? Under the Horizon 2020 program spearheaded by the European Union, which has contributed 90 million euros towards Morocco’s national sanitation program, 34 high level wastewater managers and decision makers attended a training program in Rabat earlier this year. There they were exposed to best practices that are expected to be passed (and hopefully not flushed) down the management chain.Plan and programThe country has a long way to go, but unlike Egypt, for example, where raw sewage flows freely into the Nile river, Morocco’s government has a plan.According to Global Water Intel:In 2005, Morocco only treated 10% of its municipal effluent, despite the fact that 70% of the population was connected to the sewerage network. Faced with mounting pollution problems, the country launched a national wastewater strategy, Plan National de l’Assainissement (PNA), with the longterm objectives of treating 60% of effluent and connecting 80% of the population to the sewerage network by 2020http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/07/sewage-with-dinner/-------------------------------------------------

France funds solar project in Morocco with € 100.3 million.- Reda Darwish Sunday, 10 July 2011Global Arab Network - The French Agency for Development (AFD) decided to give Morocco an appropriation of € 100.3 million in order to "support the implementation of its solar energy plan and the construction of a solar power plant in Ouarzazate."

The sum is composed of a loan of €100 million and a donation of €300,000.

The AFD underlined the importance of the plan, launched in 2009 with the aim of raising the capacity of power production from solar energy to a minimum of 2000 MW by 2020.

In this regard, it said that while Morocco imports 97% of its energy needs, "which puts a strain on its balance of trade and its budget," it "has, however, one of the most abundant solar resource in the world."

Morocco, France sign MoU to promote investments

Rabat - Morocco's Investment promotion agency (AMDI) and the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Morocco (CFIM) signed, in Rabat, to strengthen bilateral partnership.

The MoU is designed to further foster partnership in terms of promoting investments through the exchange of information and expertise between the two countries.

Signed by Director General of AMDI and CFIM’s President, the MoU is part of the momentum witnessed in the French-Moroccan relations.

The signing was preceded by a conference on French investments in Morocco, during which investment opportunities and the advantages offered by the Kingdom were highlighted. (MAP)http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/2011071011147/Energy/france-funds-solar-project-in-morocco-with-1003-million.html

------------------------------------------------A souk for Bradford? Grand idea, bring it on!Plan announced for an Arab market to join the Yorkshire city's many other draws. It's a good one, quite apart from tourism. Remember that Morrison's started as a Bradford market stall.Here's an idea in keeping with the Northerner's campaign to protect and re-energise markets in our three regions: the Bradford charity QED-UK is putting forward plans to liven up the city with a souk.You could argue that we've got one already, with the cabins at John Street Market and frequent street stalls, specially for food, but Mohammed Ali of QED – a very long-standing campaigner for Bradford's well-being – wants to go way beyond that.He says: "A souk would boost the region's economy, create jobs and attract visitors from all over the world. Traditional Arab market places where goods are bought and sold in a bright, colourful, noisy labyrinth – are a strong tourism feature in countries such as Dubai and Morocco."If you've been to Istanbul, you'll get the idea too – think of the Grand Bazaar where no excuse will get you out of a purchase. "You don't like any of these colours; wait, my cousin has all the other ones." It may not click immediately with traditional British reserve, but these days we soon get over that.Ali adds: "Rather than dreary shopping malls, souks are colourful, noisy, fascinating, inspired places to be. There's a unique, authentic, raw quality to souks. It's such an exciting idea for Bradford." QED has put in an outline bid to the Government's regional growth fund for a 60,000 sq ft space, with room for small businesses to design, make, demonstrate and alter products – another characteristic of Arab souks.Ali says: "It's time Bradford was re-energised with a radically innovative approach. We're hoping there will be a ground swell of support for our proposals. A souk is a fantastic way to bring visitors to the north of England from all over the world to experience a unique shopping experience. It's a chance to really celebrate the diverse culture the city offers and to put Bradford firmly on the map in a positive, thriving way."He's signed up chartered accountants Clough and Co, commercial property agency Andrew Idle Associates, construction consultants Rex Proctor and Partners and Watson Batty Architects. All other support welcomed. Me, I'd house it in the sad old Odeon. It already looks the part with those lovely domes.http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/jul/11/bradford-souk-mohammed-ali-qed-regional-growth-fun-morocco-dubai-odeon

------------------------------------------------Agadir's Timitar Festival highlights Berber comebackSylvia Smith Jul 12, 2011 As Hassan moves gracefully across the stage dressed in doublet and hose, he emerges from the shadows and is reflected against the dark background of the former kasbah of Tiznit. The dim lights and sound effects used in Tinu, a choreographed play based on the collection of short stories by the Amazigh writer Mohamed Ouagrar, add to a sense of history.After the play ends, the audience at this year's Timitar festival in Agadir, Morocco, bursts in to spontaneous applause, standing up to express approval of the way this production promotes the cultural significance of the Berber people.Tinu, which means "My Beloved" in the Amazigh (or Berber) language, is about a fictitious ruler of the Amazigh who outlaws love. It is a highly romantic tale and the young actor speaks his words with confidence both on stage as well as in everyday life. He is a symbol of the renewed determination to bring this once marginalised group within Moroccan society to the fore. "I am not now and will never be satisfied until we Berbers take our rightful position in society," he tells me in Tashelheit, the local Berber language in the Souss Massa Draa region. "We are proud because we are the original inhabitants of north Africa and now we have our language officially recognised."Thanks to the constitutional reforms that were voted in via a referendum at the beginning of July, Berber is now recognised alongside Arabic as an official language in Morocco. Although not generally recognised as a significant force within Morocco until recently, the culture of the Amazigh (Imazighen is the singular and means freeman) has been the vehicle allowing artistic expression and the language itself to thrive. As a language, Amazigh is one of the earliest known, yet it has survived unwritten until recently. Even today, at weddings and other family gatherings poets and minstrels keep Berber history, heroic figures and traditional tales alive and relevant.According to Abdullah Aourik, an artist and the publisher of the monthly magazine Agadir O'flla, the Amazigh translation of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot most successfuly expresses the endless struggle of the Amazigh for equality. "I was born in Agadir and survived the earthquake that destroyed the city in 1960," he says. "I'm delighted to see that my language is no longer considered an anachronism. But in the new constitution it is mentioned as the second official language and that seems to mean we are still second-class citizens. We are the majority and our culture was the original way of living throughout north Africa."In fact, Amazigh is constantly heard in Morocco. It is included in almost every sentence uttered on the streets and its prevalence is what makes the Moroccan dialect so difficult to understand by speakers of classical Arabic - even though Arabic has been the only official language since the Arabs swept across north Africa bringing the language with them. But Amazigh is no longer viewed as backward-looking.To understand the reach of the Berbers and their language, he tells me that the language is spoken from the oasis of Siwa in Egypt, near the border with Libya, as far as the Canary Islands. And from the Mediterranean to the Niger River in the south. "Ibn Battuta [the fourteenth-century Islamic scholar and traveller] was Berber. Not to mention the footballer Zinedine Zidane. We reckon there are more than 50 million of us," he says. "But we still have to get a special court order here in Morocco if we want to give our children an Amazigh first name."Across north Africa the same music, art and way of life is shared by countless others who may not consider themselves Berber but who have roots in this ancient civilisation. This common culture is celebrated each year at the festival Timitar, held in the Berber heartland of Agadir. This year's festival took place from June 22 to 25, just before the referendum.The festival puts the most outstanding performers in the Amazigh constellation centre stage, allowing them to be seen singing and playing alongside international artists such as Youssou N'Dour, Selif Keita and Alpha Blondy. Timitar means sign, and the festival is one of the most important gatherings of Amazigh. It is a symbol that new young artists are coming up and the culture is far from forgotten, even if it is changing.Brahim Mazned, who has been Timitar's artistic director since its inception eight years ago, is adamant that the cultural aspect of the festival boosted the determination that the language should be on the school curriculum as well as taught at university level. "We sponsor local artists so that they can record good-quality CDs," he explains. "We have a strong cultural message that is communicated through song lyrics and we have to ensure that Amazigh is part of the globalised world."Timitar is a series of huge, free, open-air concerts that showcase such Amazigh militants as the singer Fatima Tabaamrant, who is in her fifties. Born in the mountainous region of Ait Bamram, she learnt to read and write only recently. But she has composed all her songs and is known as a rayissa - or poetess. "Of course we are pleased with the news that finally we are officially accepted, but this is just the start," she confirms.At this year's Timitar festival it is clear that she has lost none of her power to move a massive audience. The crowd, which numbers more than 150,000 squeezed in to Agadir's main square, goes wild when she comes on stage. They sing along to anthems waving the Amazigh flag.Tabaamrant and well-known bands such as Oudaden have been a source of inspiration to the new generation of Amazigh singers. But while she and those of her generation involved in the early Amazigh movement stick to more traditional instruments and use the symbols of nature to put their message across, young bands have transformed the way Berber is listened to and the way it is expressed. Downloads and iPods are common and singers have turned to rap and hip-hop to demand equality.Rap2Bled is a rap band from just outside Agadir and they sing in Tamazight, the generic name for Amazigh languages. They sing only to promote the Berber identity.One of their videos features a graffiti artist writing on a wall using the characters and symbols that have been adopted as an alphabet so as to write down the previously oral language. The signs are said to have been taken from magic spells found in Touareg tombs and caves.Mazned is all in favour of modernising the movement. "My new plan is to have an initiative to compose reggae in Amazigh," he explains. "We are part of this modern world, not some irrelevant villagers who are stuck back in the dark ages."http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/agadirs-timitar-festival-highlights-berber-comeback?pageCount=0------------------------------------------------- Offering Slow, Small Changes, Morocco’s King Stays in Power.By NADIM AUDIPublished: July 10, 2011RABAT, Morocco — With the pace of democratic change stalled or staggering under violent crackdowns in the Middle East and North Africa, Morocco’s recent decision to alter its Constitution provides what some see as an alternative to the bloody confrontations that have marked the Arab Spring.Morocco’s decision — in the form of a referendum to give more powers to elected leaders — was offered as a unique answer to the insistent calls for democratic change that have swept through Arab countries since Tunisians unexpectedly toppled their longtime dictator in January.For now the electoral victory in Morocco remains largely symbolic. King Mohammed VI proposed the referendum himself, but the revisions to the Constitution it allowed ensure that he maintains nearly absolute political power and unquestioned control over the military. And the Constitution’s ability to bring real change to this centuries-old monarchy will largely depend on how the text is applied to everyday politics.But supporters of the new Constitution argue that moving slowly may be the surest way to achieve sustainable change, and analysts say that even baby steps may be enough to inspire others in the region to follow suit eventually. At the least, the events in Morocco provide a striking counterpoint to those in Egypt and Tunisia, where leaders’ concessions appeared to work against them, emboldening protesters.“It’s a peaceful revolution, and the major difference with other countries in the region is that protesters never called for the fall of the regime,” said Mokhtar El Ghambou, who is helping to found Rabat International University. “There was no bloodshed. I think it shows there are two options; the first one is radical change, the second is change with continuity.”For some, that is a good thing. For others, Morocco’s example is troubling, providing ammunition for rulers and counterrevolutionaries intent on breaking the momentum for sweeping reform that was in protesters’ favor for months.“If the Egyptian revolution fails to bring change, with places like Morocco in mind, there will be a big backlash against the revolutions,” Mr. El Ghambou said.Morocco’s evolution was inspired by many of the same issues that birthed the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia.The kingdom, on the western edge of North Africa, has a large population of restless young people, many of them unemployed, and the country is troubled by a level of nepotism reminiscent of Tunisia’s and a yawning gap between rich and poor.At first, the nation’s reaction to the stunning news from Tunisia and Egypt tracked with those of others in the region. Protesters took to the streets with their grievances, and the government cracked down, sometimes violently.But the narrative diverged from there. Government troops beat demonstrators, but did not fire on them, and the protesters themselves were more interested on pushing their king toward a true constitutional monarchy than pushing him out.Mohammed VI already had a well of good will to draw on. He is considered forward-thinking and a gentler leader than his father, King Hassan II. Early in his reign he took steps to modernize the kingdom, including promoting a family law that raised the age for women to marry and allowed them to seek a divorce.With the rise of radical Islam, however, the king slowed the pace of change, frustrating many of his subjects. Over time, he was also accused of tolerating corruption and of allowing advisers and former schoolmates to amass fortunes from state contracts.He began to propose major changes again only after protests roiled major Moroccan cities this year. He proposed the constitutional changes that went to a vote on July 1, and pardoned scores of prisoners who the opposition said were jailed for their political beliefs.Under the new provisions, which fell short of demands for a real constitutional monarchy, the prime minister will still be appointed by the king, but will now need to be chosen from the party with the parliamentary majority. In a change from the past, the prime minister will be charged with appointing government ministers, but the king still needs to approve those choices.The constitutional changes — and the reality that 98 percent of an unusually high turnout of voters approved them — has left some Moroccans, especially on the left, disillusioned.“The king gives the impression of giving the keys to the prime minister, while keeping a copy in his pocket,” wrote Karim Boukhari, editor and publisher of the francophone weekly Tel Quel. “Morocco deserves much better, and right now.”Members of the February 20 Movement for Change, which coordinated the country’s demonstrations, have vowed to keep up weekly protests.“This text is not acceptable, it was cooked up in the hallways of the palace,” said Zineb El Rhazoui, a journalist and human rights advocate, who is active in the protest movement. “It’s all cosmetic.”Whether Morocco’s example can be replicated is an open question. Relative to its neighbors, the country was more open to reform.Analysts said that other monarchies, including those in the gulf, were unlikely to follow suit in good part because their populations were both wealthier and more conservative, and therefore less likely to agitate for democracy.The leaders of two other Arab countries, Jordan and Algeria, have at least suggested political reforms, but it is unclear if they will move ahead.The situation in Jordan more closely mirrors Morocco’s: it is a monarchy with close ties to the United States, and King Abdullah II has recently reshuffled his cabinet to try to appease protesters. But analysts said regional realities might doom more significant changes, especially as Syria descends further into chaos, with the government unable to quell unrest despite a fierce crackdown.“They’re closely watching the situation in neighboring Syria, and are very worried about being destabilized by events there,” said Muhammad Abbas Nagi of the Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, a government-financed research center. “They’re not comfortable with what could happen if they start answering the protesters’ calls for change.”It is also in Jordan’s economic interest to maintain close ties with countries like Saudi Arabia, which balks at change in the region and sent troops into Bahrain to support the monarchy after weeks of protests. A recent offer to consider including Jordan as a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council has been perceived as an effort to buttress the monarchy and keep Jordan in the fold.But even if no country follows Morocco’s example in the near future, the king’s ability, at least so far, to satisfy critics and still maintain power presents an alternative for reformers searching for new ways to wrest power from leaders who have clung to their positions for decades..“On one side, you have Libya, which is exactly where Arab populations want to avoid going; on the other, you have this Moroccan counterpoint, which showed it was possible to absorb discontent through reforms,” said Haoues Seniguer, a professor and researcher at Lyon’s Institute for Political Studies. “What is certain is that some governments might be inspired by this successful strategy to diffuse protests.”In the end, whether others follow Morocco’s lead may depend in part on whether the country’s experiment turns out to be a true template for change.One of the first tests of the king’s commitment to reform will come after parliamentary elections, expected this fall. Detractors will be watching closely to see whether the elections are fair and whether he chooses as prime minister someone anxious for reform or someone who is merely acceptable to the winning party.For the king’s many supporters, the changes may be imperfect, but they are the best way forward.“People in Egypt are still throwing rocks at each other, and we already have a new Constitution,” said Rachid Benmami, 55, as he sat in a coffeehouse in Casablanca, Morocco’s economic capital. “The king knows what’s good for his people,” he said, removing an aging picture of Mohammed VI from his wallet.“We thank God for our king,” he said as he kissed the picture.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/world/africa/11morocco.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

------------------------------------------------Shared Maghreb identity builds momentum for UMABy Siham Ali 2011-07-10Maghreb residents are beginning to embrace a regional identity.After more than two decades, the Maghreb Union (UMA) may finally be ready to complete its institutions and compete on a global scale.The popular momentum is there to make it happen, observers note. Especially in Morocco.The [Arab] Maghreb Union offers advantages to every member country involved, economist Najib Boulif told Magharebia, adding that each country would stand to gain by an amount equal to 5-6% of its GDP."When the flow of trade is increased, monetary union is implemented and the movement of money and people is made easier, this will give a boost to the regional economy," he said.Morocco's economy needs to open up more towards other Arab markets, according to MP Lahcen Daoudi.Moreover, he said, the countries of the Maghreb share the same set of values, the same way of thinking and the same language."It's a sentimental link. Moroccan identity is made up of several components, including Muslim values, Arab values and Maghreb characteristics. The latter are much stronger and closer to us," Daoudi said."You can't deny geography or change history," agreed sociologist Ali Chaabani said. "There are several things in common: the language, the religion, feelings and cultural and artistic expression. For instance, when you listen to an Algerian singer, it's as though you could just as easily be listening to a Moroccan singer."Despite their similarities, citizens of the Maghreb do not feel as though they belong to the same society when they are in their home countries, Chaabani said. When they go abroad, however, the feeling of kinship emerges.Ahmed Cherrat, a senior manager, echoed that sentiment, saying when he was on business trips abroad, Maghreb citizens got along best with each other."We feel as though we come from the same region. People aren't interested in petty politicking," Cherrat said.Siham Atlass, a student in Montpellier, France said that when she was in Morocco, she was unaware of the degree of cultural and social affinity within the Maghreb."I knew we shared the same values, but I never imagined we had the same identity," she said."The Tunisian and Algerian students I've met in France are no different from Moroccans. We're open-minded."http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/07/10/feature-01-------------------------------------------------Uncertain future for Morocco's unlikely force for changeIssandr el Amrani Jul 11, 2011 A t the beginning of the month, as the results of Morocco's constitutional referendum trickled in, a group of young activists sat in a small apartment in central Rabat. Journalists and bloggers traded stories from the day, the more courageous activists proudly showing scars they had received during clashes at recent protests. When the television announced that the preliminary tally of votes showed that at least 98 per cent of voters backed a new constitution, the room erupted in cheers and laughter.These weren't activists who had backed the referendum, as most political parties in Morocco did. They were from the February 20 movement, a loose coalition of critics of the Moroccan regime that had called for a boycott of a referendum that everyone believed would pass. What the ragtag group was cheering was that the score, reminiscent of previous elections under the reign of Hassan II, King Mohammed's father, would help discredit a process they had opposed from the very beginning.The February 20 movement marks a new departure in Moroccan politics. Since 1999, when King Mohammed succeeded his father, who had reigned over the country for 38 years with an iron fist, most were hopeful that a real transition to democracy was underway. This had been partly ushered in by the late king in the last years of his reign, when he convinced a historic opposition party, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (known as USFP, its French acronym) to form a government that could put the country on the path to democracy.There were some notable successes, such as the Arab world's first truth and reconciliation commission, which looked into past human rights abuses; the reintegration of former political prisoners; and one of the most progressive personal status laws in the region. But by the mid-2000s, this transitional experiment began to be seen as a failure. The new king's advisers continued to hold sway over politics, and grew increasingly rapacious over the economy. In the last parliamentary elections in 2007, less than 37 per cent of those eligible turned out to vote (the opposition says the real figure is closer to 20 per cent).February 20 emerged from this disillusionment with politics. At the beginning of the year, a group of activists - mostly leftists close to human rights groups - were transfixed by what was happening in Tunisia and Egypt. They began a Facebook group directed at King Mohammed, addressing him on the questions they felt the political class was not addressing: Morocco's failing education system, poor health care, decrepit transport infrastructure and the growing inequality between the mass of the population (Morocco has the lowest development indicators in the Arab world after Yemen) and the elite, which had profited handsomely from a decade of fairly robust economic growth and a dramatic rise in real estate speculation. Some prominent businessmen even joined the fray, condemning abuses of power by the king's entourage.By mid-February of this year, just as Egypt's Hosni Mubarak was toppled, the activists on Facebook aired a video of themselves calling for a protest for change. The video, ably produced and straight to the point, spread like wildfire. Tens of thousands joined the Facebook group, which renamed itself February 20, the day of the first protest. By March 20, there were simultaneous protests in over 100 towns. They tended to be led by leftist activists and independent liberals, but also received major backing from Justice and Spirituality, Morocco's largest Islamist movement (which is banned for its critique of the monarchy, most notably the king's official religious role as Commander of the Faithful), as well as the youth wings of various political parties. It was the biggest wave of political activism the country had seen in decades.Within weeks of the first protest, the king reacted. On March 9, he launched a reform process that led to the new constitution passed on July 1. Constitutional reform had long been a demand of the Moroccan opposition, but it was not a central demand of February 20. Nonetheless, the royal initiative fragmented the movement. Political parties that had supported it distanced themselves from it, particularly as it was seen to become more radical and refused to participate in the king's constitutional commission, demanding instead an independent constituent assembly.Early sympathisers became nervous about February 20's alliance with Justice and Spirituality, whose conservative views occasionally came out in demonstrations in which they often made up half of the protesters, aligning themselves in neat ranks unlike the disorganised groupings of the young Facebook activists.With the monarchy having won the first round by upstaging protesters and focusing on constitutional reform, many now wonder what the future of the movement will be. "We're back to February 19," says one member. Some predict its Islamist and secularist components will have increasing difficulty working together.But others are less gloomy: they are content, for now, with the knowledge that without their movement, the government would have not even thought that a new constitution was necessary or released political prisoners in recent months. Nor would have new online publications, often run by exiled dissident journalists, cropped up to serve the new interest in political commentary. Whatever the future of February 20, if political life finally shows some signs of activity, Moroccans will have this unlikely coalition to thank.Issandr El Amrani is an independent journalist based in Cairo. He blogs at www.arabist.nethttp://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/uncertain-future-for-moroccos-unlikely-force-for-change?pageCount=0

------------------------------------------------MOROCCO: CONSTITUTIONAL SLEIGHT OF HAND AHMED TAIBI07/13/11The Moroccan Association for Human Rights – Association Marocaine des Droits Humains (AMDH) made public today, Tuesday July 12th, a pointed report on the July 1st constitutional referendum. It noted the government orchestrated grave transgressions that undermined the electoral process and influenced the electorate leading to a 98.5% in favor of the new constitution. The report decried the extensive use of television, radio, and newspapers, as well as taxpayers’ money, public property, and apolitical venues such as mosques by governmental entities to saturate the opinion pool with a discourse favorable to the agenda of a few and mute the undogmatic grassroots opposition whose public support has grown exponentially since the 20th of February. The government’s partisanship is contrary to the democratic principles boded by the new constitution. As to human rights, the association conveyed its skepticism of the government’s willingness to uphold its obligation to foster a state of law and condemned its disingenuous efforts to curtail abuses against those who oppose the status quo.

Justice Monitor of Morocco, another watchdog, leveled harsher criticism against the government in a statement to the media. They denounced the unethical and sometimes unlawful campaign the government launched to mobilized the population in favor of the new constitution. Their investigation and analysis indicated the number of voters and the tally of favorable votes the government blared out were grossly inflated and should not be considered seriously. The watchdog argues that the Moroccan electorate is estimated at twenty-four million; of those and according to voters registrar, less than thirteen million hold a voter’s card. It assesses that the July 1st referendum turnout could not have surpassed 20% and by no means expresses the will of the majority of Moroccans. Additionally, the watchdog raised serious misgivings about the electoral process and uncovered irregularities in the way voters lists have been compiled and maintained and voters cards have been handled.

Many Moroccan journalists, political analysts, and bloggers, myself included, have reported on the flagrant perversion of democracy the government has been trying to impose on the people. Just recently, Taieb Fassi Fihri, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Khalid Naciri, Minister of Communication and the government’s official spokesman, in interviews with international and national media, carried on their bovine insistence that the post-July 1st Morocco is more democratic and nationally cohesive. Moroccans understand that the situation will not improve so long as the same nepotistic and avaricious potentates with total disregard for the law and the will of the nation. They have literally made the prospect of democracy in Morocco walk the plank.

A. T. B. © 2011 http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/60-ahmed-tb/5351-morocco-constitutional-sleight-of-hand-------------------------------------------------MOROCCO’S NEW CONSTITUTION: WHAT NEXT? 07/13/11Nabil Arrach, Ph.D, Washington / Morocco Board News-- The referendum passed with a majority of 98.5% in support of the new Constitution. Morocco’s traditional allies including France, the European Union, and the United States expressed support calling the reforms “a clear commitment to democracy” and describing Morocco as a model of democracy in the region. On the other hand, a pro-democracy movement on February 20th inspired by the Arab Spring, questioned the transparency of the referendum and called for more protests. The referendum was marked by heavy participation of the Moroccan authority, not as a neutral body as it should have been according to the Constitution (Article11), but rather as an active advocator in support of the proposed Constitution. The opposition, in and outside political parties, criticized the Moroccan authority for politicizing the Mosques and the official media. According to the opposition, the Imams were campaigning for a “yes” during Fridays’ prayers, while the local media inc

A Middle East model: Moroccan king's quiet reforms. July 5, 2011Morocco moved in democracy's direction over the weekend, but unlike this winter's much ballyhooed revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, the world -- including the Obama administration -- barely noticed. Spring? Where?In a referendum in which, impressively, three quarters of voting-age Moroccans participated, the country adopted significant reforms. Under the new rules, which passed with 97 percent of the vote, King Mohammed VI is to keep ultimate control over the army and remains the supreme religious authority -- but on most issues he now must "consult" with an elected prime minister.The reforms don't establish the kind of constitutional monarchy that, say, Sweden or Great Britain enjoy. But Morocco's experiment in transferring some powers to elected officials is unique in a region in which unelected (or faux-elected) rulers tend to grab, rather than cede, powers.Also included are more rights for women and minorities -- another rarity in the Arab Mideast. Berber, for example, will become an official national language alongside Arabic.The 44-year-old king, who acceded in 1999, started experimenting with reforms much before the so-called Arab Spring. Events in Tunisia and Egypt, however, prompted him to hasten the process.Unlike former Tunisian ruler Zine El Abidene Ben Ali and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who were almost universally despised by their countrymen, King Mohammed is revered even by Moroccans who are calling for deeper reforms than he's offering.The thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators who took to the streets after the weekend's referendum have a point when they demand further reforms. Too much corruption chokes the Moroccan economy, and despite some new press freedoms, criticizing the monarch is still frowned upon. As Mohammed is likely to soon discover, a bit of democracy is a slippery slope toward much more democracy.Nevertheless, his nod to liberalization could transform for the better several corners in a region in which hope is rare in this summer of discontent.As the Moroccan-born Columbia University Mideast researcher Younes Abouyoun says, the king's "controlled evolutionary approach" could become a blueprint for regional change.Jordan's King Abdullah may be forced to adopt similar measures soon. Bahrainis are already demanding that their king follow suit. And Berbers in neighboring Algeria want similar rights as their Moroccan brethren.Morocco's evolution may be a more promising path to democracy than the "Arab Spring" revolutions -- certainly less violent than, say, in Syria and Libya.And look at Egypt. Over the winter, everyone from President Obama on down marveled at the prospect of a new democracy ruled by the likes of a young Google executive, Wael Ghonim, who'd spent much of his life over here. In reality, however, the front-runner in Egypt's presidential race is a 74-year-old former Arab League chief, Amre Moussa, who more than anyone symbolizes the old Mideast order.And that's before we even contemplate the dangers that fundamentalist Islamists (and their evil twin, the terror masters) would take over.Fearing that such forces are much too well-organized for anyone else to compete in a fair election, Egypt's ruling military authorities are now reportedly considering a delay in the presidential vote, which is scheduled for September.Morocco, meanwhile, has long been on our side in the fight against Islamist terror, combating such forces as al Qaeda in the Maghreb and fundamentalists who've infiltrated groups seeking independence from Morocco in Western Sahara.The Obama administration has talked up the revolutions that toppled American allies in Egypt and Tunisia. These, we learned, represented progress toward true Arab democracy. We heard no similar enthusiasm from Washington over the weekend, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a pro-forma statement, saying that we "welcome" Morocco's referendum results.At the same time, King Mohammed sent America a July 4 love letter. "In 1777, Morocco was the first nation to recognize US independence," he wrote, reiterating his own commitment to "the principles of democracy" and "the fight against all forms of extremism."Yes, we've heard such sentiments from Arab leaders before -- not all genuine. And no, Morocco's referendum is nothing like America's momentous revolutionary approach to governance, as celebrated on July 4.But Morocco took a significant step that could become a model for transition toward democracy (and affinity with the West) in the region. We should make a bigger deal out of it than we have so far.Twitter: @bennyavni

Read more:http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/middle_east_model_eaPXQiAI1vlC9qIoBofoaI#ixzz1RL5hQvyb----------------------------------------Mt. Toubkal: Chasing Berbers to the Top of North AfricaTafline Laylin | July 4th, 2011“You should know that I haven’t hiked in a while,” I told Mohammed, my Berber guide for a two day trek to the highest point in North Africa. He nodded and grinned, understanding nary a word. I allowed myself to feel reassured knowing full well that he should have said, “lady – go hike a few smaller trails and then come back.” Instead, we set out at 9am the following morning for our 14 mile, 7, 826 foot climb from Imlil, a small village in the nook of the Atlas Mountains south of Marrakech, to Mt. Toubkal – the top of the range.In my former incarnation as a tour leader, the hike to Toubkal, which in Tamazight literally means the highest point of the region, would have been a breeze (except for the altitude, which effects even the most seasoned hiker.) As a sedentary freelance writer afraid to leave the computer for more than a few minutes, going up went remarkably well. Coming back, not so much.The owners of my gîte, Azdour Abdellali, arranged everything. They waited late Friday evening for the taxi to drop me off in Imlil, had tea waiting for me in their three-storey home (with a terrace that boasts some of the best views imaginable), served a delicious tagine for dinner, fed me again in the morning, arranged my guide, and essentially made sure that I was taken care of from start to grueling finish.Immediately after leaving the gîte, the climb began, first on to a cleared dirt road and through another Berber village just above Imlil, and then to the rocky banks of the Mizane River.From there we began to make serious elevation changes that left me not breathless, but dizzy. Dizzy enough to stay away from the edge.Making way for hardworking mules arranged with colorful baskets carrying tents, backpacks, and other camping gear, or supplies for the various pitstops along the route, Mohammed and I made our way through the valley to Sidi Chamarouch in good time. He kept a cigarette dangling from his lips up and down the summit (and to my silent dismay, flicked the butts).Like weary travelers trekking to greener pastures, we stopped at shops along the way that sold junk food, apparel, jewels, and bottled beverages kept cool by a “Berber refrigerator.” These were wonderful opportunities to have conversation with the men who tended them and ensured that we were rested before continuing on.One young man worked as a translator for Peace Corps volunteers and explained how a half Thai student left his post early because he couldn’t get along with the group (gossip happens everywhere!) His penchant for language is not unusual, however. Most of the Berbers we met are remarkably adept at languages: many speak Arabic, English, French, Spanish, and Tamazight.It wasn’t long before we hit the morraine’s rocky green and pink slopes, where a real, live Berber shepherd tended his flock of sheep, and then the Refuge Toubkal established by the French Alpine Club as a base camp. We rested here for the night in order to adjust to the noticeable change in altitude.At least 80 people were gathered at the Refuge, including several bright Moroccan university students, two pink-faced Scottish families, hardcore French and Spanish trekkers, a beautiful German family that belong on an advertisement for Swiss chocolate, and of course the many local people who kept this operation running as smooth as can be expected.We left the following morning at 5.30am to ensure that we would have a clear vista at the summit. My guide illuminated our way across a plank bridge, under which the Mazine river gushed angrily, using a cell phone light. And then we hit the scree and boulders and a few precipitous edges. On one particularly steep ledge, my legs already exhausted of power, I sucked face with snowpack while the guide led me to the other end. The summit can only be described as surreal. After several “what the hell am I doing moments,” and a final frightening push, we were at the top of North Africa, marked by a large “iron triangle” placed there in 1923 by Marquis de Segonzac, Vincent Berger and Hubert Dolbeau. Arriving was full of clean air and crystal perspective, and I genuinely feel renewed, but I would be Herodotus if I didn’t also explain how the sexy German hiker looked at me with unbridled pity and told me to trust my guide on the way back down. He must have noticed the apprehension written on my face that I thought was a silent struggle.With several hours of hiking ahead of us, Mohammed and I set off. Going down was not only more difficult because of gravity and loose scree, but constantly stepping down is very hard on the knees – especially if, like me, your leg muscles have been neglected. I wished for hiking sticks, and towards the end, prayed for flat ground. But because it was worth it and because I had no other choice, I persevered. Perseverance conquers was my high school motto after all.http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/07/mt-toubkal-morocco/

---------------------------------------- Students experience political change in Morocco.By Isaac E. Gwin Saturday, July 2, 2011RABAT, MOROCCO — During the course of the past several months, numerous countries of the Middle East and Northern Africa, including those of Tunisia and Egypt, have experienced sweeping and dramatic reforms.Citizens took to the streets in protest of their overbearing, authoritarian governments. This Arab Spring, the name given to the revolutions that have touched much of the Arab world, has brought about a time of collective initiative aimed at fundamentally changing the lives of all those involved.The North African country of Morocco, encouraged through the influence of the Arab Spring, is primed to undertake its own political and social reforms as its citizens prepare to vote on Friday afternoon to instate a newly amended constitution.Five KU students currently studying abroad in Morocco will have the opportunity to witness first-hand what this historical moment will mean for the country.The protests and demonstrations put forth Feb. 20 in the capital city of Rabat, with thousands demanding changes to the constitution and limitations on the monarchy, received the attention of King Mohammed VI, who in response promised to consider their grievances.The result has been the some 80 clauses that will be voted on by the people to be added to the constitution, of which include the relinquishing of powers to the parliament, constitutionalization of human rights and the official recognition of the Amazigh, or Berber, language and cultural identify.“This can be seen as the beginning of a gradual move toward more democratization in the future, although, for some these immediate changes are simply not enough,” said Driss Maghraoui, history professor at Al Akhawayn Univeristy in Ifrane, Morocco. “The major concentration of power will still lie with the king. He still has the role of commander of the faithful. He is still the supreme commander of the military. He will also maintain his ability to remove the prime minister. But still for others this is seen as an important step in the right direction.”The history of voting in Morocco has been one of floundering participation. With reportedly corrupt parties and rigged elections, most Moroccans have shied away from the voting process, or even political dialogue altogether.“Unfortunately, this is the voting situation in Morocco,” Maghraoui said. "The level of corruption in the past has deterred many from wanting to vote because they know it will not do any good. This was especially true prior to the rule of the current monarch. This regime has been slightly more transparent, though many of the political parties have been discredited. People also know that the King ultimately still has the power. This is something though that I think this regime would like to change. If people don’t go out to vote it will not look good for them.”The reforms in the new constitution and the push towards democracy have sparked political debate among many college-aged Moroccans who have begun to consider what role they will play in the future of their country and how they will ultimately continue its growth.“Morocco needs active people,” Zineb Abbad El Andaloussi, a senior at Al Akhawayn, said. "The problem is that our social system is all over the place. Our middle class is almost non-existent. Families are either super rich or super poor, and if you can’t afford to take your kids to school then they will not receive the knowledge necessary to participate in the growth of our country. I ultimately want a transfer of power to the people, but we don’t know who these people are yet and what they would do with this power. Education is what it is going to take to take people out of the dark so they can form and act on their own opinions and not just do what they are told.”It remains to be seen what will come of Friday’s election in Morocco, but one thing is certain, it has fundamentally started the wheels of change.“I am anxious to see how this election will go, how many people will actually go and vote, and see if these changes will actually be introduced or not,” said Mehdi Lazrak, a senior at Al Akhawayn. “I really hope this election will get more people involved politically, because it seems that most Moroccans, including myself before this election, really don’t want to have anything to do with politics. The face of Morocco is changing and we all should help to make it what we want.”As a student studying abroad in a foreign country, the opportunity to witness these kinds of fundamental changes is quite unique.For Brandon Holland, a senior from Minneapolis studying Arabic this summer at Al Akhawayn Univeristy, Morocco has come to represent a home away from home, and one he is anxious to see what the future will hold for.“The desire for political change is undeniable here, Holland said. “It’s really interesting to see how the king has handled everything. It hasn’t been a situation like we’ve seen in Egypt with Mubarak or in Libya with Gaddafi. He has kept it mostly peaceful. I have to commend King Mohammed VI for giving these reforms. He’s politically savvy enough to keep things from escalating. It’s all incredibly interesting and I really hope things turn out well here. I really do love this country.”— Isaac E. Gwin is a correspondent for The Kansan studying at Al Akhawayn Univeristy in Ifrane, Morocco.http://www.kansan.com/news/2011/jul/02/students-experience-political-change-morocco/

---------------------------------------- MOROCCAN CHICKEN BASTILA: STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE . NORA FITZGERALD 07/05/11Marrakech / Morocco Board News--Bastila is a Moroccan dish made from chicken, eggs and almonds, layered and wrapped in phylo dough. The word comes from Spanish “pastilla” which I am assuming refers to the thin crispy layers of dough. Who knows if this dish still exists in Spain, but “history” (i.e. wikipedia) tells us that the Moors brought this dish with them when they were driven out of Spain in the late 1400′s. Today it is served ubiquitously at special occasions, usually as an appetizer ahead of a meat dish.I’ve been wracking my brains for ideas to help some of the struggling ladies I know, which is hard to do since my brain actually liquefied and oozed out of my ears a long time ago in this 110 degree heat. But thankfullyI retained that 10 percent of our brains that we actually use. So it dawned on me that knowing how to make bastila is a potentially marketable skill. In Morocco, women who know how to make it can get commissioned by their neighbors or by local catering companies. It’s something they can do at home and at their own pace. But for a large number of Moroccan women, there are two basic challenges when it comes to a home industry like making bastila. One is illiteracy. So they can’t read recipes, something most of us take for granted. Another challenge is not being able to afford the ingredients in order to practice a few times. These things pose such a huge mental block that women won’t even try.I wanted to find a way to overcome both challenges. The idea came to have a series of cooking classes, free to the participants, funded by outside donations. We held the first one last Sunday, at the school I work at CLC Morocco (www.clcmorocco.org). When our school cook, Khadija, heard about the project, she immediately volunteered to teach the class. Khadija is great cook, but more than that she has a fun-loving confident personality that puts even the shyest and most awkward among us at ease. As for the participants, we started with a small group of 5 women, some of whom I’ve blogged about here, so if you’ve been reading, you have an idea of the challenges these women face.As they worked, I took pictures in order to make a picture recipe book that the women can follow another time. Seeing and participating in making the dish the first time would give them the initial confidence they would need to try it again.First they prepared and laid out all the ingredients. From left to right, top: powdered sugar and regular, 1 kg almonds, 1 kg onions, 2 chickens; middle row: 1 gram saffron threads, fake saffron food coloring, 3 cinnamon sticks, peppe, ginger, chopped coriander, smen (ghee), and 1 kg of the bastila sheets called warqa in Arabic; last row: Ras el Hanout spice mix, salt, 3-4 garlic cloves, oil, melted butter. Missing from this picture are 15 eggs and orange blossom water.I have to warn you, making bastila is a long process. It’s a labor of love that I don’t actually expect you or myself to make. But just for fun, here’s how it’s done.First, the chicken is set to stew with lots of salt, pepper, ground ginger, ras el hanout (about 2 large spoons each, Moroccan cooks don’t give exact measurements). There is also a good cup of oil, about a quarter cup of smen (gheen), the onions, garlic, saffron and coriander. Khadija told us that some people prefer to leave the coriander whole in a small bouquet, then fish it out at the end. She prefers to add it chopped, but she said “you do it however you want”. That is basically the philosophy behind Moroccan cooking, measurements are eyeballed, the dish is tasted at various intervals and tweeked, and no two cooks will make the same exact recipe. Stir the chicken in the pot. It’s going to smell really good really quick, but don’t start to falter, although your mouth may start to water, the end is *not* in sight. Good yellow chicken. Moroccans will not tolerate white chicken. While the chicken is cooking, you can work on the almonds, see bellow.

When it’s good and cooked, the chicken is removed from the sauce, left to cool and de-boned. Stage one complete.Next, skim off a small bowlful of the sauce, add it to the chicken to avoid dryness. Now start the egg stage. About 12 or so eggs will be broken straight into the sauce and stirred.Keep stirring until they look like this. Then transfer them to a colander and let all the excess water drain out. Stage 2 complete.The almonds now. These take a while so it’s best if you do this step the day before. It’s tedious and depressing to do this alone, be warned, so call your friends and make it a bastila-making party. In our cooking class, there were like 5 ladies plus Khadija plus me working, cleaning, laughing (in my case, snapping photos and running out for random ingredients that we ran out of) and it still took about 2-3 hours from start to finish. The almonds need to be washed, boiled, skinned, dried, and fried. If you know Moroccan cooking, then you know what I mean. For the bastila, Khadija’s method was to take the now prepared almonds and add cinnamon (1 large spoon), regular sugar (a bowlful, to taste, personally I like mine good and sweet), a few tablespoons of orange blossom water. Then the almonds are pulsed in a food processor until they are coarsely ground. Then Khadija added a good half a cup or so of melted butter. Mmm!Stage 3 complete. Now on to the great assembling of the bastila. Here you have 2 things on hand, a bowlful of melted butter (check your diet at the door) and a bowl with 2 beaten eggs (remember the eggs are the glue that keeps the bastila sheets together). In Morocco, we order bastila sheets at the local bakery the day before.First butter the pan. Lay the first sheet down, half hanging out of the pan.Add four more overlapping sheet, brushing egg in between them, and brushing butter on top. A fifth sheet is added in the center, egged and buttered.Now take your chicken and eggs and mix them up (who cares which came first, hehe). Lay them down for the first layer. It should be a good 1.5 – 2.5 inches thick. With the amounts we used, we had a good third left over (we made little bastilas out of the leftover filling).Place a bastila sheet over that layer. Not everyone does this, some prefer to just add the almonds directly.Now add the coarsely ground almonds.Now add another bastila sheet smack dab in the middle, and start to fold all the flaps over. Always egg and butter.At the very end, you add one last bastila sheet to cover the whole thing. Tuck it in nicely all around and butter the top.Put it in to cook, about 45 minutes, until the bastila is golden brown and crispy. At this point I sort of dropped the ball on photos and did not get a PHOTO OF THE FINISHED BASTILA. Doh! At the end, you decorate it with powdered sugar and cinnamon. It is so good, I’d place it among the top 5 best Moroccan dishes. Oh yeah, and you can’t get it in restaurants, well, not really, unless you go to those swanky places that serve pigeon bastila at exorbitant prices. Homemade is always better!But you can sort of see it in this picture along with the apprentice cooks. It was such an enjoyable day. I think the ladies learned a lot from Khadija (she’s second from left here). She has had lots of experience cooking for riads and for catering services, so she has the confidence it takes. These women on the other hand, have worked mostly as maids, receiving orders, so maybe do not have that confidence. The cost of the ingredients for this dish and the fruit tarts they made afterwards was about 300 dirhams (40 dollars). It’s not a lot, but in Morocco it can be a week’s salary. Someone had given me this money and said, do something for the ladies. This turned out to be an awesome use of the money. Khadija also insisted that we buy the ladies proper white uniforms, which made them feel like real students. And these ladies who are so used to serving others, their employers and families, well on this day they were the guests of honor, since we all sat down and ate the bastila together. For me, it was a perfect day combining several of my favorite things (things I have not yet figured out how to get paid for doing, lol): networking, planning, empowering women, photography, eating and finally breaking through the blogger’s block! Go here for Photos:http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/361/5346

----------------------------------------UN Women report: Access to justice in Morocco.Lucy Lamble / guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 6 July 2011As UN Women releases its report on justice, a leading authority on women's rights in Morocco explains why the new constitution recognising gender equality is key to reformMorocco is at an interesting moment. Inspired by events elsewhere in the region, the 20 February protests by the Movement for Dignityled to last week's referendum on constitutional reforms proposed by King Mohammed VI. The changes mean executive powers will rest with a prime minister but allow the king to remain head of the military, religious authorities and judiciary. But what does this mean for women in Morocco?Despite these moves towards political reform, there are still significant barriers for women seeking justice. Some reflect women's position in society; others the way the justice system works, with questions raised about judicial independence, corruption and, above all, the slowness of procedures.Rabéa Naciri is former president of the Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc, one of the largest non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Morocco focused on women's rights, and now sits on its steering committee. She is also a professor at the University of Rabat and served on the progress advisory group for the UN Women justice report published on Wednesday.For her, the barriers are clear. "Many women aren't literate and so obviously their understanding of the judicial system is weak. Poverty is an issue too – legal fees, transport costs, the means to get around. In fact, many women don't have freedom of movement. As well as the social issues, there's also cultural practice. For example, it can bring shame if a woman takes a member of her family or her spouse to court – it can be a difficult experience to go through and can be perceived badly."There's also the attitude and outlook of the legal professionals. "I don't mean to generalise, but some have a tendency to take sides and moralise. The whole patriarchal system kicks in. Some will position themselves against the woman as they don't believe she should be asking for a divorce. Even if she has the right to ask for a divorce, if her husband doesn't beat her and still provides for the family, magistrates may be against divorce and make women provide concrete reasons to justify it."Since the Family Code was adopted in 2004, efforts have been made by the state and the government to provide better access to justice especially through family tribunals – steps such as information centres for women, training for lawyers on women's rights and recruiting social workers to advise and support women. But the bulk of the work is being done by NGOs - women's organisations and feminist groups - which have set up their own advice centres in addition to the government ones.These services are still thin on the ground but are a crucial support, according to Naciri, who describes the implementation of the Family Code as "a social and political challenge for Morocco", especially on issues like violence. Official statistics show that, as is so often the case, those who carry out violence are usually the husbands. What is needed now is a network of services for women who've suffered discrimination and violence, to guide them through the whole process from the complaint to the police, through medical checks and right to the courts, says Naciri.She is quick to recognise that there has been progress but argues that Morocco still lacks the human and financial resources to really offer women access to justice. It's particularly difficult to find support in small towns. Even where there's a centre, it may not always have the means or the legal expertise to adequately support these women.Some police forces and tribunals are trying to set up partnerships so that women are supported by NGOs but, as Naciri argues, "It's all very well NGOs filling the vacuum but the state does have a responsibility to open information centres so that women have the access and support they need to go through the process. There's still not really the understanding of the difficulties, especially in smaller towns."Alimony and child support are essential but often overlooked. If a woman is thrown out of the family home, the law says the husband must meet the woman's material needs. But if a woman doesn't have a job, in a crisis, unless the husband or family give her money, she has no way of surviving and taking care of her children. So how can she report a violent husband if she's not sure the case will ever reach a resolution? If the process will ultimately lead to a divorce and the husband doesn't accept her case, how are and her children to survive? The danger is that only women of independent means can afford to divorce. All this creates a situation where only a tiny proportion of cases actually get to court.Given the political and cultural resistance experienced by many Moroccan women's groups, how genuine is the state backing for reform and gender equality? Naciri believes "where there's political will, the money will follow. Several political initiatives have been taken but it's more thanks to international support, not the state budget, it's bodies like the EU and UN Women who work with women's organisations on legal, governance and access issues. All the work done for women's access to justice is supported by organisations like these. It starts with government programmes but it's implemented by NGOs – for me, that's a sign that there's no political will really".There is, however, one important gesture. The state now backs a fund for alimony and child support. The fund will pay maintenance until the state can reclaim the money from the husband, if he has the means.The new constitution is key – pro gender equality and anti-discrimination with a strengthened legal system. The previous one didn't recognise equality between women and men in civil law. On paper, at least, it has potential: affirmative action to reinforce the presence of women in magistrates' courts, in the civil service, everywhere in the state. Women's equality has been recognised explicitly in civil, economic and political terms. "We'll be watching it all closely,' says Naciri, "human rights and women's organisations will have to monitor to be sure it's all implemented".Naciri is hopeful that Morocco is entering a new era with this constitution, exploring fresh ways of doing things and with parliament answerable to the people."We're not a democratic country yet, but we are beginning to lay down the foundations for good governance and the new constitution is bringing a lot of improvements. What's crucial is how the new constitution is implemented over the next five years – new laws, new policies, a new judiciary system and the new electoral code – making the long hoped-for reform a reality."http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2011/jul/06/un-women-morocco-justice

---------------------------------------- Moroccan Berbers Unmoved by Constitutional ReformsBy Michael Martin | July 4, 2011For Moroccan Berbers, the king's recent constitutional rewrite is all rhetoric. Literally.Driven to reform by protests earlier this year that were inspired by the fall of the Tunisian and Egyptian presidents, King Mohamed VI has successfully rewritten the constitution. Changes were made official in a landslide vote last Friday at some 40,000 polling stations across the country.Now thousands of protestors are taking to Moroccan streets again, unimpressed by reforms that effectively relinquish a slew of royal powers to elected officials. Some 4,000 marched the streets of Rabat, Morocco's capital, and another 20,000 marched in Casablanca, according to one Reuters report. Included in the reforms was a gesture to appease Berber activists. Berber language or Tamzight was raised from national language to official language status, meaning that it will now be taught in Moroccan schools in addition to Modern Standard Arabic.But the nation's Berbers say the gesture won't help their political marginalization in what they believe is an Arab-dominated government."This is a symbolic measure. But there are still those in government who have long worked against the integration of Amazighs (the Berber word for themselves) politically and these measures won't do much about them," said Ahmed Adghirni, the front man for the Berber struggle in Morocco, in a phone interview from Rabat, Morocco's capital.Adghirni started the Parti Démocratique Amazigh Marocain (PDAM), a political party to represent Moroccan Berbers in 2005, although his gestures to represent Berbers politically started in 1993.The party was banned in 2007 and formally dissolved by Morocco's judiciary in 2008, on the grounds that race-based parties are illegal in the North African nation. Shortly after, the party reunited under the name Parti Ecologiste Marocain, but remains virtually inactive in Moroccan government."The activists in my party are trying to safeguard our rights. We are deprived of participation in Moroccan politics. We are looking for a favorable political climate to continue with our activities," said Adghirni.Although they are largely unimpressed by the constitutional changes, Berber activists expect some improvement in their integration into mainstream Moroccan society."There are some Berber people in the Atlas mountains that come to live in the cities, but they can't make it in Moroccan cities, because they can't speak [Arabic]. Now the Arabs in Morocco need to learn Berber as they do Arabic," said Slimane, a 23-year-old Berber activist and documentarian in Marrakech, who declined to publish his full name out of fear of retribution from anti-Berber Arab Islamists.Both Slimane and Adghirni are practicing Muslims.Despite the indisputable benefits, Slimane says that an official Berber language won't change popular Moroccan Arab attitudes towards Berbers."The Berbers are the ice cream in society -- not taken seriously, but a kind of novelty," he said, explaining that while Berber culture is sold to international tourists in jewelry and couscous platters, Morocco has made no gestures to ensure their political representation.Berbers consider themselves the indigenous people of North Africa and predate the Arab conquest of North Africa. Berber populations stretch from Morocco to Egypt and as far into Sub-Saharan Africa as Nigeria.Official Moroccan figures say Berbers make up 40 percent of the nation's population, but analysts say the number ranges from 60 to 70 percent. Berber activists say that Moroccan government statistics attempt to downplay the number of Berbers in the country to maintain an Arab majority.Unlike Slimane, some Berber activists are outraged by the gesture to quiet Berbers with what they call a token change in the Moroccan constitution."This is a trick to calm Berber organizations," said Hassan from eastern Morocco.Although the Berber's movement for integration and respect in Moroccan society has long preceded the recent Arab spring, the Jasmine Revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt provoked a series of protests this year, calling for democracy, and more specifically, political representation of Morocco's majority-cum-minority.Hassan said that Berber activists are not convinced by the king's gesture toward change."Morocco is a Berber country," he said, "not Arab. This is only the beginning of the Berber fight. There won't be any respect for us unless we are represented in government."Berber militants like Hassan are calling for self-rule."There won't be any more legitimacy [in the current government] unless it's run under a Berber system."But Adghirni, the Berber political representative, has been weathered by death threats from pan-Arabist Islamist organizations. "Sometimes I think about leaving Morocco, because my personal life and my rights are constantly menaced," said Adghirni. "But I have a duty to my people -- The Berber activists and everyday people. I'm obliged to stand by them."http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/173891/20110704/morocco-protest-rally-constitutional-reform-opposition-king-mohamed-vi-berber-amazigh-imazighen.htm

----------------------------------------Cisco opens networking academy in MoroccoMonday, July 4th, 2011 .The Moroccan government and Cisco have partnered to launch a regional Cisco Networking Academy program aimed at developing communication skills and technology education in the north African country.The ministry of education said the move was aimed at providing greater educational training in the ICT sector.“We are honored that the Ministry of National Education has chosen to collaborate with Cisco in its efforts to ultimately provide ICT skills to improve career and economic opportunities for everyone in Morocco. The Cisco Networking Academy provides a vital long-term solution in the form of creating a highly skilled and well trained local work force. This is critical for accelerating and sustaining economic growth,” Hassan Bahej, general manager, Cisco Morocco.“The Department is committed to providing up-to-date ICT skills training to administrators and trainers as well as education on the most appropriate methods of training delivery,” says Belqasmi, general secretary of State, Ministry of National Education.“We are very impressed with the Cisco Networking Academy program curriculum and satisfied that it meets the strategic direction of the Ministry. We are therefore very pleased to be working with Cisco to facilitate the introduction of the academy program into the continuing education system of the Department.”“With Morocco experiencing tremendous IT growth, it is critically important that we equip our citizens with the right skills to enable them to respond to the changing needs of our society,” says Belqasmi.The Networking Academy program in Morocco has trained nearly 21,000 candidates since its inception in 2001. It continues to go from strength to strength, witnessing a 10 percent increase in student numbers year on year and currently boasting 73 academies and 90 certified Instructors. There 8553 students enrolled in the program in Morocco of who 35% are female.http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2011/07/cisco-opens-networking-academy-in-morocco/

---------------------------------------- MOROCCO: ON FISCAL POLICY. ZOUHAIR BAGHOUGH 07/03/11New York / Morocco Board News-- Sometimes, reading the budget from top to bottom does not tell much about the policy the government of the day is set on pursuing. So other documents come in handy, like the fiscal expenses report attached to the budget law; It shows how articulate government policy is in its effort to stir the economic variables deemed to be important in a certain direction, so as to achieve a certain policy objective.It might be interesting to have a look to these figures, because it is a cause of concern for me: it seems the Finance Ministry cannot make up their mind on the proper policies, especially“Il en résulte un indice de croissance pro-pauvres inférieur à l’unité (0,930) et un taux de croissance d’équivalent pauvreté de 44,7% inférieur, de son côté, au taux de croissance observé (48,0%). Rappelons que lorsque l’indice de croissance pro-pauvres est compris entre 0 et 1, les riches bénéficient plus que proportionnellement de la croissance que les pauvres. C’est exactement ce qui s’est passé entre 1985 et 2007″. (p.2)Suffice to say that what holds for extreme levels of poverty is particularly true when it comes to the difficulty, for the real middle class in Morocco (and the lower, working classes too) to benefit this growth. That supply-side economics of his makes the 2002 and 2007 governments more pro-Business than ever, but with no obvious positive effects on the vast majority of ordinary Moroccans.The 2011 Budget bill has passed a deficit of MAD 12.13 Bn, a rather modest figure when compared to earlier deficits (but already topped by the unexpected increases in expenses, mainly on subsidies and wages) though it hides some policy decisions that do not seem to be very sound, or if they were, are quite ideological and socially very divisive. Among others, there were MAD 4.2 Bn income tax cuts in 2010 (and an effective MAD 7.6 Bn) only half of which benefited to middle and lower-class households; These cuts are not economically beneficial to the majority, especially when those economic sectors that benefit from these tax cuts (whether on income tax or others) are not productive: over the last couple of years, certain fiscal measures have been taken to boost real estate in Morocco. In 2010, real estate tax deduction amounted to MAD 4.438 Bn that is 15% of all the MAD 29.8 Bn tax cuts plan in 2010 (scheduled for the 2011 Budget) The 39 measures that enabled these cuts benefited only up to MAD 1.3 Bn in social housing (while other cuts benefit to the well-off) while the rest goes in the pockets of property and real estate developers, large housing owners and corporations. The problem does not reside in these categories benefiting from these tax cuts, the real problem is the hypocrisy surrounding the social housing project. This is but one instance of the amateurish at best -if not outright carelessness on the government’s behalf- in assessing the effects of implemented policies.On average from 2003 to 2011, tax cuts and loopholes amounted to MAD 21.75 Bn;Real Estate and Agriculture get an average share of 30% of these measures, while education gets at most MAD 100 Million while the financial sector receives on average a Billion a year. The trend of this concentrated distribution increases markedly with 2007.As for Agriculture, it is understood the sector employs a large workforce -thus requiring a particular social policy designed to insure the balances in this potentially volatile part of Morocco are left untouched (a left-wing government would try to improve them in favour of the peasants against thecambradores) governments since 2006 have been cutting taxes on agriculture at increasingly higher paces, from a MAD 1Bn exemption in 2003 to MAD 4 Bn.But then again, doesn’t this square with the idea that government taxation should not fall on this fragile sector? Of course it does, unless these measures were actually helping the affluent farmers, those who can afford dozens of thousands acres of land, mechanized techniques and large markets, both abroad and domestically. As for the small peasant with a few dozens of acres, these tax breaks mean nothing. On the other hand, tax breaks can also be applied, so as to improve the domestic purchasing power (at least, that’s the official argument behind these cuts) it seems that the Finance Ministry has fully assimilated the supply-side economics, since their tax policy also believes in a trickle-down economy, whereby a decrease in costs (and in this particular case, VAT taxes) can generate a lower price for consumers. While this argument might hold -when buttressed with some serious econometric computations, we in Morocco do not observe this, and the starkest example is that of subsidies: indeed, edible oil, sugar, milk and other strategic commodities are subsidised, and yet manufacturing companies are recording high levels of profit, and prices are not always low.Consider the 32 measures targeting Agriculture and Fishery sectors:Exonération à l’intérieur et à l’importation d’engins et filets de pêche destinés aux professionnels de la pêche maritime. Art.92 (I-3°);123Exonération à l’intérieur et à l’importation des engrais. Art.92 (I-4°);123Exonération à l’intérieur et à l’importation de matériels destinés à usage exclusivement agricole. Art.92(I- 5°);123Exonération des ventes aux compagnies de navigation, aux pêcheurs professionnels et aux armateurs de la pêche de produits destinés à être incorporés dans les bâtiments de mer. Art.92(I-34°)Application du taux réduit de 7% avec droit à déduction sur les aliments destinés à l’alimentation du bétail et des animaux de basse-cour. Art.99(1°); 121Exonération à l’importation des bateaux de tout tonnage servant à la pêche maritime, les engins et filets de pêche, les rogues de morues et appâts destinés aux bateaux pêcheurs ainsi que les appareils aéronautiques destinés aux armateurs et aux professionnels de la pêche en haute mer et utilisés exclusivement pour le repérage des bancs de poissons. Art.123(9°)Exonération à l’importation des Animaux vivants de race pure des espèces équidés, bovine et ovine ainsi que les caprins, les camélidés, les autruches et les oeufs à couver des autruches. Art.123(12°)And the list goes on. It seems these tax breaks are very much subsidizing imports of specific items the vast majority of farmers and fishermen cannot afford. Of course, there are some commendable measures to be recorded, like those:Exonération de la vente des dattes conditionnées produites au Maroc ainsi que les raisins secs et les figues sèches. Art.91(I-A-4°)Exonération de l’huile d’olive et des sousproduits de la trituration des olives fabriqués par des unités artisanales. Art.91(I-A-7°)Application du taux de 14% sur le beurre à l’exclusion du beurre de fabrication artisanale. Art.99(3-a°);121But that’s about it. And these amount to very little in terms of fiscal expenses, compared to the potential gains when imports taxes are applied to the item delineated above. The same can be said of the fiat exemption until 2014 of the whole Agricultural output from any taxation; such a measure, while seemingly populist and caring, benefits mainly to the wealthy farmers, and adds up to the double-exemption this population benefits from: tax exemption when importing these items the Budget bill considers vital for farming, tax exemption on exports -their main market- and finally, tax exemption on income they derive from these businesses.The list of strange and unjust exemption is long; suffice to say that this unsound fiscal policy, added to the debt the Moroccan government is taking on to defuse social discontentment, do not allow for optimistic outlook. On financial markets, the Kingdom’s CDS Debt -a good measurement has climbed some 50 basis points up since the beginning of 2011, and is now at the same level it was during the 2009, while it almost doubled over one year. It is also worth mentioning that the fundamentals of Moroccan debt are not the ones to worry about, nor the current level of CDS (compared to other countries like Greece or Ireland) but rather the discrepancies between terms: while all maturities move across time in the same direction, the shorter maturities seem to be more sensitive than the longer ones. It does vindicate the idea that somehow, fiscal and debt policies do not seem to be motivated by any kind of long-term strategy, but the one to prevail, even at the price of abysmal budgeting and subsequent austerity plans.Best of luck to the next Finance Minister. Oualalou’s and Mezouar’s respective legacies are a tribute to a pro-wealthy policies… and to the present potential mess lurking in the shadows and ready to burst off. Great show Ministers, you have done very well.http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/124-zouhair-baghough-/5340-morocco-on-fiscal-policy

----------------------------------------For Morocco's February 20 reform movement, new constitution means rebirth.John Thorne Jul 6, 2011 RABAT // At first glance, the landslide vote for a new constitution in Morocco would appear to be a setback for the country's vibrant but disorganised political opposition.After all, it appears to accomplish through the ballot box what demonstrations in the street, led by protesters from the February 20 movement, have so far failed to do: gain widespread public support.But analysts and supporters of the February 20 reform movement say that street politics are increasingly vital to democratic reform, with the movement placed to push leaders to exploit the slim margin for change afforded by the new constitution."For me it was a new birth of the movement," said Montasser Drissi, 19, a co-founder of February 20 from Rabat, following renewed protests on Sunday in several cities. "I saw people from parties that support the movement but don't normally go to the street."The movement has struggled to rally numbers in recent months. Police have violently dispersed some marches while constitution supporters have mounted counter-demonstrations at others, in a few cases hurling stones.Morocco's communication minister, Khalid Naciri, said that further demonstrations by February 20 would be permitted, calling it proof of Morocco's democratic spirit.However, the movement suffers from weak organisation, said Fouad Abdelmoumni, a Rabat business consultant and member of the Coalition for Parliamentary Monarchy, a grouping of political parties and activists that supports February 20."They're learning to co-ordinate their activities and I think they'll make progress," he said, adding that February 20 has already invigorated politics by empowering smaller parties.Those parties are part of an unlikely support committee for the movement that also includes trade unionists, human rights groups and Al Adl wal Ihssane, a moderate Islamist movement.Activities are decided city by city, by show of hands at public meetings. Mr Drissi wants to preserve that ethos of direct democracy while setting up neighbourhood committees to drum up more support."I see neighbourhood committees as an important step toward bigger protests, maybe even sit-ins," he said.The February 20 movement got going via Facebook in January, organising demonstrations to condemn corruption and demand limits to the power of King Mohammed VI.In March, the king appointed a commission to draft reforms, with the new constitution unveiled on June 17 and approved in a referendum that officials said brought a 98.5 per cent "yes" vote and 73.46 per cent turnout.King Mohammed has said that the new constitution strengthens democracy. The prime minister must be chosen from the winning party in elections, and has a greater role in forming the cabinet. The king is also called to consult more with elected leaders before making executive decisions.Morocco is only starting on the road to reform, and what's happening there would not translate well to other states; Morocco is not a country like the others. Still, change is change, and change is coming. Achraf El BahiOpponents have called its reforms cosmetic, as they largely preserve the king's power as head of state, while granting him direct control of military, security, judicial and religious affairs. "We were told that we'd have a new constitution, but it's just like the last one," said Karima el Faqih, 33, a civil servant who marched in Rabat on Sunday with other protesters.On Sunday, rank upon rank of protesters advanced down Rabat's central promenade. When they drew along

Morocco, US sign child protection accord. 2011-06-29Morocco and the US on Tuesday (June 28th) inked a partnership accord for the support of child protection centres, Le Matin reported. The US funds will help expand social services and training in the facilities, including psychological and drug treatment programmes for Moroccan youths. "The United States is proud to support Morocco's efforts to improve the juvenile justice system, especially the centres of child protection that are managed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports," US Ambassador Samuel Kaplan said at the Rabat signing ceremony.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/06/29/newsbrief-03---------------------------------------------Morocco to offer 20,000 textile jobs. 2011-06-27Morocco will train and integrate some 20,000 young people for jobs in the clothing and textile sectors, Le Matinreported on Saturday (June 25th). The initiative follows a partnership agreement between the Office of Vocational Training and Labour Promotion (OFPPT) and the Moroccan Textile and Clothing Industry Association (AMITH). Vocational training will be offered in Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Fes and Marrakech.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/06/27/newsbrief-04---------------------------------------------Morocco is key testing ground for Desertec solar-farm project. April Yee Jun 26, 2011 Morocco is to be the testing ground for a planned €400 billion renewable energy network to criss-cross the Mediterranean.Desertec, the name of the initiative to connect solar and wind farms in the Middle East to European consumers, this month signed up its first government partner for a solar farm that will export power to Europe through an undersea electricity line.The partnership is with a public-private body called the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen)."Our cooperation with Masen may spark a new era of cross-continent cooperation," says Paul van Son, the chief executive of Dii, the consortium of more than 50 companies behind Desertec.The Moroccan project is a key test for Desertec, which has won the support of the corporate world but has yet to gain large-scale backing from governments. It is counting on nations from both sides of the Mediterranean to build the power plants, lay down the transmission lines and, most crucially, put down the cash.Morocco, the only North African nation without oil resources, is seen as a promising site for renewables because of its abundant sunshine and its government's eagerness to embrace solar energy.In 2009 the kingdom unveiled a US$9bn (Dh33.05bn) plan to build five solar plants that would produce 2,000 megawatts of electricity - equal to the total generation capacity of Casablanca. Those plants could produce more than a third of the nation's capacity by 2020, according to the government.With a civil war dragging on in Libya and post-revolutionary governments in Egypt and Tunisia, Morocco is seen as a relatively stable alternative to its neighbours. There have been protests in the country but no change in its leadership.The UAE is also eyeing the Moroccan market.In December, the government-owned Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, also known as Taqa, selected Morocco as the location for its first potential venture in renewable energy through a bid to build a 500mw solar plant as part of a consortium.That plant is to be the first step in the Desertec plan, with Masen now selecting builders and investors for the solar farm scheduled to be completed by 2015. By then the site could feed 340mw a day to Spain, reversing the direction of the Spain-Morocco power line."We think in the long term that Morocco can become one of the net exporters to the Spanish market," says Isidoro Tapia Ramirez, the general secretary of the Spanish Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving, Spain's renewable energy agency.ayee@thenational.aehttp://www.thenational.ae/business/energy/morocco-is-key-testing-ground-for-desertec-solar-farm-project--------------------------------------------Morocco’s GDP Grows 4.9% in First Quarter, Government Says.By Vivian Salama - Jul 1, 2011Morocco’s gross domestic product grew an annual 4.9 percent in the first quarter, accelerating from 2 percent the previous three months, the state statistics office in Rabat said today.The North African kingdom’s economy, which depends on tourism for about 10 percent of GDP, grew 0.8 percent from the previous quarter.http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-01/morocco-s-gdp-grows-4-9-in-first-quarter-government-says.html---------------------------------------------A reader comments that Morocco would benefit from a literacy projectLetters to the Editor Jun 30, 2011 Achraf El Bahi's opinion piece Morocco's reforms reflect real divisions within the society (June 29) was a great article. I really commend him for it.In my opinion, King Mohammed VI ultimately understands the burden of power. He understands that when things go bad, he will be the one to blame. This is why creating a strong governing institution will serve to alleviate the blame, ever so slightly. With a strong executive that makes decisions, you will have an institution that becomes a target. This ultimately is democracy; it demands accountability.At the end of the day, I think Morocco will become a true constitutional monarchy such as Spain or Britain. But it certainly isn't ready today. As Mr El Bahi mentioned in his article, about 50 per cent of Moroccans are illiterate.How does one expect to implement a full democracy when half the population can't even read or write? Morocco will eventually get there but, unlike the prime minister Abbas El Fassi, I think it will take more like 20 years rather than 10. Democracy is a very delicate recipe, and one of its main ingredients is literacy.As for all proponents of the "democracy now" camp, I would suggest that they concentrate on improving the literacy rate of the country. With more pressure and more projects aimed at driving that figure up, the end goal becomes a lot more achievable. Complaining about the current "imperfect" situation will not help anyone.Morocco just embarked on a long and tiring journey, but the scenery out the windows is absolutely beautiful and the destination is very exciting.http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/feedback/a-reader-comments-that-morocco-would-benefit-from-a-literacy-project---------------------------------------------Moroccan Berbers Call Constitutional Reforms A 'Trick'By Michael Martin | July 1, 2011North Africa is not a homogenous bloc of Arab societies, struggling in unison for one pan-Arab cause.(Photo: REUTERS / Youssef Boudlal)

People from Amazigh, north of Morocco, hold a Amazigh flag and a banner, as they gather for a protest in Casablanca April 24, 2011. Thousands took to the streets of Morocco on Sunday in peaceful demonstrations to demand sweeping reforms and an end to political detention, the third day of mass protests since they began in February. The banner reads, "the Amazigh language is a statutory rightand acquired."U.S. media coverage of the Arab Spring in Tunisia and Egypt has largely ignored the mass movement of North Africa's ethnic minorities.Moroccan Berbers have been on the streets all along, protesting in what they are calling a new Printemps Amazigh or Berber Spring, not to be confused with its Arab counterpart.Moroccans voted on constitutional reforms today at some 40,000 polling stations across the nation. There is little doubt that the vote will come out in favor of Moroccan King Mohamed VI's gestures toward change.Among the reforms, the constitutional review will raise the Berber language or Tamzight to official language status, meaning that the language will now be taught in Moroccan schools in addition to Modern Standard Arabic.But the nation's Berbers say the gesture won't help their political marginalization by what they believe is an Arab-dominated government."This is a symbolic measure. But there are still those in government who have long worked against the integration of Amazighs (the Berber word for Berber) politically and these measures won't do much about them," said Ahmed Adghirni, the front man for the Berber struggle in Morocco, in a phone interview from Rabat, Morocco's capital.Adghirni started the Parti Démocratique Amazigh Marocain (PDAM), a political party to represent MoroccanBerbers in 2005, although his gestures to represent Berbers politically started in 1993.The party was banned in 2007 and formally dissolved by Morocco's judiciary in 2008, on the grounds that race-based parties are illegal. Shortly after, the party reunited under the name Parti Ecologiste Marocain, but remains virtually inactive in Moroccan government."The activists in my party are trying to safeguard our rights. We are deprived of participation in Moroccan politics. We are looking for a favorable political climate to continue with our activities," said Adghirni.Although they are largely unimpressed by the constitutional changes, Berber activists expect some improvement in their integration into mainstream Moroccan society."There are some Berber people in the Atlas mountains that come to live in the cities, but they can't make it in Moroccan cities, because they can't speak [Arabic]. Now the Arabs in Morocco need to learn Berber as they do Arabic," said Slimane, a 23-year-old Berber activist and documentarian in Marrakech, who declined to publish his full name out of fear of retribution from the anti-Berber Arab Islamists who have threatened Ahmed Adghirni's life on several occasions.Both Slimane and Adghirni are practicing Muslims.Despite the indisputable benefits, Slimane says that an official Berber language won't change popular Moroccan Arab attitudes towards Berbers."The Berbers are the ice cream in society -- not taken seriously, but a kind of novelty," he said, explaining that while Berber culture is sold to international tourists in jewelry and couscous platters, Morocco has made no gestures to ensure their political representation.Berbers consider themselves the indigenous people of North Africa and predate the Arab conquest of North Africa. Berber populations stretch from Morocco to Egypt and as far into Sub-Saharan Africa as Nigeria.Official Moroccan figures say Berbers make up 40 percent of the nation's population, but analysts say the number ranges from 60 to 70 percent. Berber activists say that Moroccan government statistics attempt to downplay the number of Berbers in the country to maintain an Arab majority.Unlike Slimane, some Berber activists are outraged by the gesture to quiet Berber activists with what they call a token change in the Moroccan constitution."This is a trick to calm Berber organizations," said Hassan from East Morocco. Although the Berber's movement for integration and respect in Moroccan society has long outrun the recent Arab spring, the Jasmine Revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt provoked a series of protests this year, calling for democracy, and more specifically, political representation of Morocco's majority-cum-minority.Hassan said that Berber activists are not convinced by the king's gesture toward change."Morocco is a Berber country," he said, "not Arab.""This is only the beginning of the Berber fight. There won't be any respect for us unless we are represented in government."Berber militants like Hassan are calling for Berber self-rule."There won't be any more legitimacy [in the current government] unless it's run under a Berber system."But Adghirni, the Berber political representative, has been weathered by death threats from pan-Arabist Islamist organizations. He says that he sometimes considers leaving Morocco altogether."Sometimes I think about leaving Morocco, because my personal life and my rights are constantly menaced," said Adghirni."But I have a duty to my people -- The Berber activists and everyday people. I'm obliged to stand by them."http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/173022/20110701/constitution-reform-vote-morocco-berber-amazigh-tamzight-language-official-king-mohammed-vi.htm--------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------Tourists upset Morocco Barbary macaque monkeys.By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC NatureThe most innocuous interactions with tourists can upset endangered Barbary macaques, say scientists.A study revealed that macaques at a site regularly visited by tourists showed signs of anxiety when people got too close, fed them or tried to attract their attention for a photograph.The scientists monitored the monkeys' behaviour and also tested the animals' droppings for stress hormones.The results are published in the journal Biological Conservation."There's been a lot of interest, recently, in tourism and how it affects wild animal populations," explained Dr Stuart Semple, a scientist who specialises in the study of primates at the University of Roehampton in London, UK."But while there are studies that show tourism does affect animal behaviour, we've tried to look at it much more directly, and to actually measure their levels of anxiety."Laetitia Marechal, also from Roehampton, led the study.She and her colleagues studied 50 days of tourist-monkey interactions at Ifrane National Park in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco.A population of macaques here has become habituated to the regular visits of tourists for at least five years."The more tourists there were, the more anxious the macaques would become," said Dr Semple."Just like humans, macaques scratch themselves when they're nervous or anxious, so we use this [scratching behaviour] as a measure of their level of anxiety."The researchers divided the interactions into three categories: feeding; neutral, which included taking photographs of the monkeys; and aggression, including the less common incidences of tourists throwing things at the macaques or physically striking them."All three types of interactions seemed to make the monkeys anxious," said Dr Semple."We were unsuprised by the aggression and the feeding, but we were surprised that tourists doing the usual tourist thing upset the animals."The next stage of the study looked for chemical evidence of stress in the macaques' droppings."We collected fecal samples and measured the levels of stress hormones in them," explained Dr Semple. "When you become anxious, your body doesn't necessarily become physically stressed, so this was an important measurement."The results suggested that only the aggressive interactions with tourists cause the monkeys to become physically stressed. But Dr Semple says that, for the well-being of these intelligent animals, tourists should avoid making them nervous or anxious."It would be very straightforward to develop some general guidelines," he told BBC Nature. "For example, not allowing tourists to get too close to the animals and asking people to keep noise levels down a little bit. Just a few simple things."This could actually make the experience [of viewing wildlife] much better for people as they would be able to enjoy the animals as they behaved in a much more natural way."http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13892428---------------------------------------------Magical, mystical Morocco. Written by Jacki Witlen Jun. 24, 2011|Before we left for Morocco, many of our friends asked if we were worried about traveling to Northern Africa now. Our immediate answer was "no" - we've always traveled with abandon. But it was horrific for us to learn that less than a month later the pulsating central square of the old medina Djemaa el Fna in Marrakech where we had just wandered, shopped, ate and were entertained was bombed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those

affected by the insanity of madmen.

"Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves," "Aladdin and his Magic Lamp," camel caravans in the Sahara, riding like the wind Lawrence of Arabia style over golden sands were some visions we expected of Morocco.

What we discovered was this small North African country was definitely exotic and topographically more diverse than we expected. Our travels took us north to the Rif Mountains where we first learned about the fiercely independent and self-sufficient Berbers who have survived countless generations and have preserved some of

North Africa's richest traditions.

Driving through the imposing Atlas Mountains reminded us of our Rocky Mountains. As we continued traveling

southeast, we were treated to another color palette for our senses - the ocher adobe cities in the Oases and the high walled fortress Kasbahs that blend with the sand-colored landscape. Fertile soil and lush rolling green hills added yet another dimension.

The journey continued until we reached the vast sand seas of Erg Chebbi in the Sahara and were privileged to meet the nomadic Imazighen - men of the land, or "Free Men" - who inhabit the dessert.

We experienced new cultural discoveries daily and were enthralled by the bustling medieval cities, especially Fes, with its labyrinth of 9,000 winding alleyways and were awestruck by the tranquility of the Sahara - a timeless sea of sand - that seems to stretch to infinity and from where you can almost touch the Milky Way.

All our senses were on overload as we navigated winding marketplaces and walked side by side with livestock and merchants haggling prices for cows, bulls, horses, sheep, goats and camels. There is

the constant background chorus - "Balek! Balek!" (Watch out! Watch out!) from donkey handlers whose charge carry enormous loads from adobe to bales of hay.

The cities are a circus for ears and eyes. Morocco is undoubtedly a country that travels by four-legged creatures pulling rickety carts and wagons in their day-to-day lives. From squatty potties to hunting for the treasures of Aladdin deep in the treasure-troves of dark alleys of the souks, Jay and I feel privileged for the opportunity to visit faraway places and always return home grateful.

The traditional clothing worn by men and women is interesting and unique. Women wear silky colorful hijabs and matching coats and seem to enjoy a sense of style. The men’s clothing is very special with pointed hood and large pockets made of different fabrics depending on the weather. When we inquired about the significance of the hood, we were told it was for everything from keeping the rain/sun out of faces to holding oranges and goods from the market.

The Touareg Tribe, the “Blue Men” from the Sahara, wear distinctively colorful gold embroidered caftans of blue or white with intricately wound turbans on their heads. Snap. What a picture.

So what would a Witlen travelogue look like if we didn’t share stories about the food, the markets and the wine? Drinking alcohol in a Muslim country isn’t an easy accomplishment. Suffice it to say that many a meal was paired with water. Yikes!

However, hearty travelers that we are, we put ourselves into survival mode and managed to drink some fairly awful wine and some well-thought out Ketel One brought from home.

Moroccan cooking is a blend of subtle spices, including cinnamon, tumeric, paprika and black pepper, which creates a sweet and savory effect. Olives, eggplant, root vegetables, prunes, nuts, apricots and chicken (made into tagines or cous cous are staples). We found the food substantial and enjoyable. Jay feasted on goat head,

which he gave very favorable reviews. Very memorable and highly recommended is the barbecue, in which the smaller villages specialize. You pick your meat hanging from a hook and pay by the kilo from the butcher who grinds it together with a slab of fat to make into meatballs for kebabs, cooked over a coal-driven oil tank grill and

fanned with cardboard to ensure the meat is well-flavored with smoke. This was interesting, tasty and eaten with the first three fingers of your right hand (for sanitation purposes).

Here are just some of our lasting impressions of Morocco:The Kasbahs. The souks. The sounds of

the call to prayer in a small village the morning after a hearty rain while listening to roosters crow waking up the valley.Literally running through the alleyways in Fes after being disconnected with our group because we lagged behind for a shopping experience.

A definite wow was observing the process, as old as time, of men hand-tanning and dying goat, camel and cow hides in huge vats of poppy, cumin, saffron and indigo, and the odors which accompanied this process from pigeon droppings and urine that break down the hides.

Overlooking thousands of date palm trees in a valley oasis. Gray-blue skies and a rumble of clouds on the low horizon as we walked to a nomadic tent in the Atlas Mountains. Four-wheel jeep riding through vast amounts of volcanic nothingness and coming upon what we were searching for – the golden sands of the Sahara – and our

dessert camp. Awe inspiring.

Watching a woman draw water from a well in the middle of the Sahara is a scene straight from the “Ten Commandments.” The sight of glowing globe-shaped light bulbs illuminating 100 colorful food tents as the smoke from food stations wafts above at the nighttime food market in Marrakech, together with the sounds of hawkers, the back light of the mosque and the square’s intensely spectacular food circus atmosphere.

Last but certainly not least is sharing a meal with a woman of the dessert with nothing but eye contact and a few local words for communication. “Zuina” (beautiful) I say to our dinner companion as she looked at me with dark black-rimmed kohl eyes above her traditional covering and pointed to me with henna painted fingers – “Zuina.”

We’d like to say “Shukran” (thank you) for allowing us to share a bit of our story with you. “Salam” (peace).http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20110626/XPLORE/106260307/Magical-mystical-Morocco?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cs---------------------------------------------Will Morocco Be the Arab Spring's Great Success—Or Great Failure?By Max Fisher Max Fisher - Max Fisher is an associate editor at The Atlantic, where he edits and writes for the International channel. Follow him on Twitter.Jul 1 2011,Today's national referendum on a new constitution could be the first step toward a European-style government, or toward stifling Morocco's pro-democracy movement.Morocco, they say, is different. When post-World WarII independence movements across North Africa were toppling European-imposed monarchies, Morocco's independence party declared its allegiance to the king, Mohamed V. When colonial-era France deposed the king and replaced him with a puppet, the puppet, apparently unable to bear betraying the beloved monarch, quickly abdicated, recognizing Mohamed V as the true leader. And when the Arab spring protests spread across North Africa and the Middle East, only Morocco's leadership seemed ready to respond with a peaceful, gradual liberalization of political autocracy. King Mohamed VI, grandson of Mohamed V, recently announced a transition that he said will "make Morocco a state that will distinguish itself by its democratic course."

The country begins down that new course today, with a national referendum on a new constitution. Morocco, as always, is taking a uniquely Moroccan approach. Mohamed VI, who remains quite popular with large stretches of society, but who is nonetheless exactly as autocratic as his title implies, appears legitimately eager to deliver some kind of reform. Like his fellow Arab leaders, he initially ignored the pro-democracy protesters who rose up in his country on February 20. But when the demonstrations became impossible to ignore, Mohamed VI's response has been to try and meet some of their demands, rather than to crush them by force. He hand-picked an assembly of scholars (some of them legitimately independent and sincerely pro-democratic) and asked them to draft a new constitution that would meet with his, and the country's, approval.It's good to be the kingThe new constitution that Moroccans vote on today will invest unprecedented power in the civilian, democratically elected government; it will slowly liberalize a repressive political culture; and it will maintain the king's position as ruler over the country. Though the prime minister will have a wide range of executive powers and though he must be a member of which democratically elected party holds the most seats, he is still selected from that party by the king, and many of powers require royal approval. Though the judiciary will become independent, the military will remain under total royal authority. And though religious freedom will be granted, Morocco will remain an officially Islamic state, with the king as the supreme religious leader. The long-oppressed ethnic Berbers would finally enjoy new rights, as would Moroccan women, but the press would remain forbidden from criticizing the king. In each new reform, there is the potential both for real liberalization and for, if the king wishes it, commitment to the status quo.

It's possible -- though unlikely -- that turnout could be low, as it was during the 2007 Parliamentary elections. (Who cares about picking leaders for a Parliament with little real power?) It's also possible that the youth and February 20 movements could succeed in persuading people to boycott the referendum, which they see as only legitimizing an autocratic government they insist must end. But Moroccans, many of whom have been demonstrating in support of the king, appear poised to follow Mohamed VI's guidance and approve the new constitution.

What happens next will be, as with so many things in Morocco, up to the king. Whatever his actual intentions, he gives the impression of wanting to follow the Western European model of constitutional monarchies that gradually cede power to a civilian government. While those governments are today some of the most democratic in the world, they didn't get there overnight. Great Britain took six and a half centuries between the Magna Carta, which began the process, and the Representation of the People Act of 1884, which finally extended a meaningful suffrage to a majority of Britons. Of course, Britain's process was so slow in large part because democracy was the exception and because of external pressures to remain autocratic; today, democracy is the norm, and Morocco is under enormous pressure from the European governments on which it is so reliant to democratize.

It's impossible to know whether the 47-year old Mohamed VI really wants to liberalize his country, or simply to give the impression of liberalization so as to keep his people and Western governments happy. In word, he has shown little sign of embracing democracy. "People have not stopped ... comparing me with King Juan Carlo," Mohamed VI said, in a September 4, 2001, interview, of the Spanish king who led the transition to democracy in the 1970s. "The Spanish monarchy has nothing in common with the Moroccan monarchy. ... Moroccans want a strong, democratic, and executive monarchy."

But Mohamed VI has, in fact, enacted some real reforms during his 12 years of rule, and he's done it in ways that look remarkably similar to the same process he is leading today. In 2000, he appointed an advisory council (much like the council that wrote the new constitution) to explore the possibility of liberalizing Morocco's gender laws, which, like so many in the region, were extremely restrictive. In 2003, they unveiled a sweeping list of reforms -- greater legal autonomy for women, more progressive divorce laws, abolishing old laws that required women to seek a father or husband's approval for legal decisions, etc. -- which Mohamed VI quickly pushed to become law.

Allowing the king to lead Morocco's transition away from a system that benefits him most, while a far more stable process than the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, is risky. Ostensibly, today will begin Morocco's first step toward a democratic, constitutional monarchy. If all goes as planned, Morocco could become the great, quiet success story of the Arab Spring: the only country to democratize in partnership with, rather than despite, the government. But if the process stalls -- whether because Mohamed VI loses his will, because democratic institutions fail, or, most likely, because the reforms are not enough to truly democratize -- then Morocco will have quietly stifled its protest movement, making it one of the great failures of the Arab Spring. Whichever happens, Morocco's path will be, as always, uniquely, exceptionally Moroccan.http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/07/will-morocco-be-the-arab-springs-great-success-or-great-failure/241286/---------------------------------------------The Monarchy ModelMorocco's King Mohammed VI shows the Middle East's autocrats how to hold on to power.By Shadi HamidPosted Friday, July 1, 2011The lesson Arab autocrats seemed to learn from Egypt and Tunisia was almost the exact opposite of what democracy advocates were hoping for. Instead of using less force, leaders across the region have been using more of it, reaching unusual levels of brutality. Shocking reports of mass rape and torture have emerged in Syria and Libya, where thousands have been killed. In Bahrain, a close U.S. ally and home of the Navy's Fifth Fleet, thousands have been arrested or dismissed from their jobs. Indeed, the "Arab spring" has turned into what political scientist Gregory Gause colorfully calls the "winter of Arab discontent."In a season of growing disillusion—and disastrous televised speeches—the king of Morocco's June 17 national address stood out. It wasn't a great speech, and it fell well short of protesters' demands. But it was a substantive engagement with the opposition. The 47-year-old monarch did not demean his own people or place the blame on foreign conspirators. Instead, he announced a new constitution—one that has the potential to reshape the country's politics. While retaining effective veto power over major decisions, he pledged to empower elected institutions. The prime minister, drawn from the ranks of the largest party in parliament, would have the authority to appoint and fire ministers, as well as to dissolve parliament.Morocco is offering the rest of the Arab world a different "model." And it is one that other monarchs will be watching closely. It is not a model of true democratic transition toward British-style "constitutional monarchy," as Moroccan Prime Minister Abbas al-Fasi recently claimed. There is little evidence to suggest King Mohammed VI is ready to merely reign and not rule. The Moroccan monarchy has a long history of failing to deliver on its promises of reform.But this is precisely its appeal: To preserve power, you sometimes have to give some of it up. We can call this the "pre-emptive" model of reform. Here, autocrats take protests seriously. They announce big, high-profile reforms—whether it's moving toward elected governments or rejiggered constitutions. They release political prisoners and appoint real commissions that come up with real recommendations. They give people hope by using all the right buzzwords: change, democracy, reform, institutions, accountability. In doing so, this time around, the Moroccan regime has managed to seize the initiative and steal some momentum from the Feb. 20 protest movement—the loose coalition of leftists, liberals, and Islamists that has brought tens of thousands of Moroccans out into the streets. With a resounding "yes" vote in the July 1 constitutional referendum, the monarchy will be able to say that the mass of Moroccans stand behind the crown, further underlining regime legitimacy in a time of uncertainty.Pre-emption is a strategy particularly suited to popular monarchies with reserves of historic and religious legitimacy. As the late King Hassan, Mohammed's father, once said, "I will never be put into an equation." The region's monarchs—in stark contrast to the presidents—stand above the fray, acting as umpires rather than partisans.As attractive as such a model may be for embattled autocrats, it is not revolution-proof. Once changes are set in motion, they are difficult to control. With more political space, opposition groups will be in a better position to build support and mobilize their followers. They may be more emboldened to challenge the king directly. In their seminal Transitions From Authoritarian Rule, political scientists Philippe Schmitter and Guillermo O'Donnell write of the "extraordinary uncertainty of the transition with its numerous surprises." For those holding on to power, surprises can be dangerous. Where does it end?In Europe, kings and queens were once dominant. But with gradually empowered parliaments, elected officials and notables began to assert themselves at the expense of monarchs. These contests for power became pitched battles. Many of them, unfolding over decades, were punctuated by instability and bloodshed—with Russia's October Revolution and the "Terror" of the French Revolution as only the most prominent examples. More recently, too, the peaceful transformation of monarchies has been a rare event. But just because it rarely happened in the past does not necessarily mean it won't happen in the future.Prospects for reform in Morocco will depend not just on the king and his generous devolving of power but also on other forces in society that will fight for greater freedom and democracy, eventually turning to challenge the king on his own turf. For now, though, such a scenario is difficult to envision. Morocco's established political parties are careful, timid, and overly deferential to the king. As it stands, then, Morocco's pre-emptive model of reform seems good for autocrats, perhaps less so for those who wish to oppose them.http://www.slate.com/id/2298194/---------------------------------------------Morocco's jobless rate fell by 4% over last decadeRabat - Morocco's unemployment rate fell by more than 4% over the last decade, dropping to 9.1% in 2010 from 13.4% in 2000, said Thursday in Rabat Morocco's Employment and Vocational Training Minister, Jamal Rhmani. Rhmani told the 1st Forum on Employment, initiated by the Mohammed V University, that jobless rate dropped to 9.1% in the first quarter of 2011, a 0.9% year-on-year drop.

Unemployment among youths (15-34) fell to 14.8% in 2010 from 20% in 2000, added the Minister.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_s_jobless_ra/view---------------------------------------------HRH Princess Lalla Asmaa chairs deaf children's school-year graduation ceremonyRabat - HRH Princess Lalla Asmaa presided, Wednesday in Rabat, over the graduation ceremony of the 2010-2011 school year of the Lalla Asmaa Foundation for Deaf Children. Speaking on this occasion, Fouad Bouayad, President of the Lalla Asmaa Foundation for Deaf Children, highlighted the foundation's pioneering role in offering primary education to this social category to promote their social and professional integration.

“Digital hearing aid, cochlear implant, and electronic voice transmission systems make education and re-education easier for deaf children and allow them a better integration in schools,” he said, adding that the vocational training classes (plastic art, computer science, cooking, sewing, embroidery and hairdressing) “will allow them to have a socio-professional integration of quality.”

He also said that the next graduation ceremony will take place in the new Princess Lalla Asmaa centre for deaf children and youths in Madinat Al Irfane (Rabat), whose foundation stone was laid by HM King Mohammed VI last August 18.

Bouayad recalled that this new facility, the first of its kind in Morocco will allow the students of the foundation to have access to primary studies up to high school and will provide vocational training.

He stressed that “this new environment requires us to develop a new educational strategy for in the short term, suitable for the 200 students of the new center, adding that with “our almost 40-year experience and the new structure, the Centre will become a national platform model for children and young deaf.”

HRH Princess Lalla Asmaa handed awards and hearing aids to the foundation’s students and visited an exhibition by deaf children.

At the same time, an award of excellence was handed to Her Royal Highness for Lalla Asmaa Foundation for Deaf Children by Past District Governor Lions Clubs International District 416 Morocco.

Several senior Moroccan officials attended the event, including Health Minister, Yasmina Baddou, Education Minister, Ahmed Akhchichine, Social Development, Family and Solidarity Minister, Nouzha Skalli.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/home/hrh_princess_lalla_a7317/view##########################################################

Morocco votes on King Mohammed's reformsKing Mohammed VI has promised greater democracy for the people of MoroccoContinue reading the main storyRelated StoriesQ&A: Morocco referendum'Watershed for the country'Is Morocco next for mass uprising?Moroccans are going to the polls to vote on a series of constitutional amendments and reforms.The proposals, put forward by King Mohammed VI, would give the prime minister and parliament more power.Analysts say that he is widely expected to win the vote, though low turnout could spark demands for bolder changes.His reforms come in response to protests inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings, which ousted leaders in Tunisia and Egypt.Morocco's own youth-based February 20 movement organised weeks of pro-reform demonstrations and brought thousands on to the streets. They have urged their supporters to boycott the vote.'Date with history'The vote represents the first constitutional referendum under the king's 12-year rule and has been described by one Moroccan newspaper as "a date with history".The king himself has described the reforms as: "a decisive historic transition".Under the draft constitution, the king remains as the head of state, the military, and the Islamic faith in Morocco, but the prime minister - to be chosen from the largest party elected to parliament - would take over as head of the government.The reforms, the king has pledged, would reinforce the independence of the judiciary, boost efforts to tackle corruption, guarantee freedom of expression and gender rights and make Berber an official language.The new constitution has been backed by the country's main political parties, unions, civic groups, religious leaders and media throughout the campaign."The majority will approve the reform. What's really at stake is voter turnout," said Lahcen Daodi of the moderate Islamist Justice and Development opposition party (PJD), which supports the reform.The turnout at the last parliamentary polls in 2007 stood at just 37%, the lowest recorded.The reform plan has been welcomed abroad, with the European Union saying it "signals a clear commitment to democracy".But it fails to meet the demands of a full constitutional monarchy sought by many protesters. Many activists have been sceptical about the king's promises of change, saying Morocco's 400-year-old monarchy has a long history of enacting superficial reforms.Morocco has been facing severe economic challenges with high unemployment and rising levels of poverty.King Mohammed, 47, acceded to the throne in 1999 following the death of his father, Hassan II, and now heads the Arab world's longest-serving dynasty.More on This StoryRelated StoriesQ&A: Morocco referendum 29 JUNE 2011, AFRICA'Watershed for the country' 18 JUNE 2011, AFRICAIs Morocco next for mass uprising? 12 APRIL 2011, AFRICACountry profile: Morocco 29 APRIL 2011, COUNTRY PROFILESMorocco king pledges major reform 09 MARCH 2011, AFRICA'Five dead' after Morocco rallies 21 FEBRUARY 2011, AFRICA

The Future of Arab Democracy? 06/23/11By Avi Spiegel (RPCV/Morocco)Political Science Professor, Fellow of International Security and Law, Middle East AnalystWhen the king of Morocco announced plans for a new constitution last week, Fox News hailed it as "revolutionary." A leader of the largest Islamist party in Morocco's parliament, the Party of Justice and Development, called it a "huge step for democracy." The official Moroccan press agency opted for the term "landmark for democracy."With Libya at war, Syria mired in brutality and Egypt and Tunisia in a holding pattern, it's hard not to be smitten by an Arab leader who, in the relative calm of stability, takes to television and announces a new constitution, the first in 15 years. But this effort sadly falls dramatically short of real reform. The protesters on the streets of Morocco these past three months have not been asking for incremental, administrative change (the kind this new draft promises). Instead, they have been calling for a brand new political system, one where the king ruled symbolically, and the elected government did something revolutionary: It governed.The Moroccan regime is selling this new draft constitution by celebrating the birth of a new "constitutional monarchy," but buzzwords are meaningless without accompanying reform. Early on in his term, King Mohammed VI referred to himself as the "Democratic Executive Monarchy." His father and predecessor, King Hassan II (who ruled for 38 years) often opted for the label "Hassanian Democracy." The promise of democracy was heralded, but never fulfilled.The king of Morocco's main working office is located behind the towering ramparts of the royal palace in downtown Rabat. Two government departments are also headquartered behind these walls: the Royal Armed Forces and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. This architecture provides, in raw structural terms, a window into Moroccan rule: the king as commander of the military and "commander of the faithful." The new draft constitution will not alter this fundamental setup. In fact, it cements the monarch's omnipotence, securing his place as military, religious and political leader. An old Moroccan saying reflects this continued reality: "Three things cannot be overcome: fire, flood and the Makhzen (palace)." The constitution could have offered a political system strong enough to check the raw power of the monarchy. But it didn't.News reports have honed in on one amendment in particular. The king promised that the prime minister would actually come from the top finishing party (this hasn't always been the case). CNN called this the new constitution's "most radical change." But after the 2002 elections, the king already said that he would do this. Sure enough, following the last elections, in 2007, he appointed the head of the Istiqlal party (the top vote getter) to that position. Such a move did little to enhance the office then and, sadly, it will do little now.Yes, the parties will now have more legislative maneuvering room -- more influence within committees, more say in appointments -- but the king still hovers above all. (The graph at this link displays this power structure better than any written description ever could.) The new prime minister -- the office that some had falsely promised would be a "super prime minister" -- will be busier. But there is a catch: most of the time, he will still need the king's sign off. The PM can dissolve the lower house of parliament, but only after getting approval from the king. The king will still chair the Council of Ministers, but can delegate to the PM only if he abides by a certain agenda. The king will also still have final say on most major appointments, including that of influential governors.The process by which this new constitution came about is itself telling. The king unilaterally appointed the draft writing committee, personally handpicking the representatives. He then diverted from their rumored findings, and set the date for referendum on his own. Moroccans were supposed to have until September to study and make up their mind about the draft; now they have less than two weeks. An entire nation (including the more than 40 percent who are illiterate) will have to digest 180 new articles in less than 13 days.The debate over the constitution promises to be one sided. Press freedoms in Morocco remain severely restricted. A week before the king's speech, a popular journalist was sentenced to one year in prison for publishing articles that offended the monarchy. (Two days after the speech, protesters campaigning for even greater reforms were allegedly beaten by pro-government forces.)Many in Morocco, particularly current members of the establishment, have suggested that the changes are a move in the right direction. One politician said that the country will probably need another constitution in 15 years, but that it should take things slowly and not rush democracy. But this smacks of pre-Arab Spring paternalism: that young Arabs somehow aren't yet ready for democracy. Protesters have made it clear that this is simply not the case.Why be so tough on Morocco? Shouldn't we applaud reform in any form -- take change any way we can get it? The U.S. has spent the last decade effusively praising Morocco -- each of the last four administrations dubbed it the model of reform. But is this really the most the Arab world should strive for: a watered-down authoritarian system with an accompanying constitution to support it? Is this the future of Arab democracy?Perhaps because Morocco is relatively calmer than its neighbors, it has often gotten a pass. In the 1990s, it didn't break out into full-scale civil war (like Algeria), so it was a model of tranquility. In early 2011, its leader didn't slaughter protesters, so it was a model of restraint. Now, as its monarch becomes the first in the region to propose his own constitutional reform, it's supposedly a model of democracy. But relative success is just that: relative. We should expect more from a country that aims to be a model.Avi Spiegel, a former Fulbright Scholar and Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, is an assistant professor of political science at the University of San Diego and a fellow at the Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas, Austin. He is currently writing a book on young Islamists and the Arab Spring.

----------------------------------------Kansas women in the Sahara Desert? It must be reality TV.By AARON BARNHART The Kansas City Star Gilles MingassonSisters Kelsey Fuller, Mackenzie Fuller and Lindsey Haymond battle desert dunes in the first episode of “Expedition Impossible.” The sisters, who call themselves Team Kansas, traveled to Morocco to compete in the show.For the Fuller sisters of Overland Park, what started out as a quest to get on “The Bachelor” ended up in the middle of the Sahara Desert, looking up at a ridiculously steep sand dune.“I turned to my sisters and said, ‘This is a joke, right?’ ” recalled Kelsey Fuller, 22.Instead of finding out how they could get their hearts broken on national TV, the Fullers stumbled upon a webpage advertising tryouts for the first-ever edition of “Expedition Impossible,” an ABC reality series from the man behind “Survivor,” Mark Burnett.“Next thing you know, we’re making a video over Thanksgiving,” said Kelsey’s 27-year-old sister, Lindsey Haymond.ABC wants you to know that “Expedition Impossible” is so not “The Amazing Race” — except it kinda is, with a few “Survivor” atmospherics thrown in, like the dash through the desert.Calling themselves Team Kansas — the junior partner, 18-year-old Mackenzie, skipped prom at Blue Valley Northwest to compete — they qualified for the series, which filmed this spring in Morocco. Not that it felt like spring. As we join them in tonight’s episode, we find the Fullers in 102-degree heat as they struggle up the “sand dune of death,” only to discover a team of camels awaiting them on the other side.“We don’t have camels in Kansas!” one of the sisters is overheard saying. Which is exactly the kind of sound bite you expect to hear during a reality competition show in the desert involving Americans.Television has this magical ability to make short people look like NBA stars, but not Team Kansas. It’s clear the sisters have their work cut out for them.“There was all this required gear, and we three girls were expected to carry the same as the boys,” said Haymond, a high school teacher in Houston. “We thought we could lighten our packs, but no.”Kelsey Fuller tried to fall on her sword, volunteering that “I was the weakest link,” but big sister overruled her.“I’m the oldest, I took charge, and I wound up making the dumb mistakes,” Haymond said. “My sisters bailed me out.”With two strong personalities on the link, Mackenzie Fuller let her sisters do most of the talking during our interview. She did offer this: “I’m the youngest competitor by far.”And not to spoil anything, but she and her sibs do put some of the guys twice their size to shame in stage one.“I think KC will be proud of us,” Kelsey Fuller said. “This was the experience of a lifetime, and we couldn’t imagine doing it without each other.”Tonight ‘Expedition Impossible’ premieres at 8 p.m. on ABC.To reach Aaron Barnhart, call 816-234-4790 or send email to aaron@tvbarn.com. Read more from Aaron on his blog, TVBarn.com.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/22/2965914/overland-park-sisters-compete.html#ixzz1QJb9cDQO----------------------------------------MOROCCO: PSST, Y'WANT BUY A CARPET? HELEN RANGERFez / Morocco Board News-- Tales of carpet scams in Morocco, of unethical salesmen, and of mint tea overdoses are popular post-holiday dinner party chat. But are they really all as bad as that? Is every Moroccan carpet salesman a con artist and are most tourists simply gullible? When we did some digging around we discovered the truth is not that simple. Tale the firstDale (name changed) would describe himself at the time of his visit to Morocco as "naive". It was his first trip outside Australia and, as he puts it "I really hadn't done my homework." Dale was travelling with his elderly mother, a formidable woman with a passion for carpets.

Their initial experience with a carpet salesmen was on their first day in the Fez Medina and was enjoyable until they returned to their hotel. As the sugar-high from the mint tea wore off, they checked their receipts and calculated the exchange rates. Somehow, in the buzz and excitement, they had managed to spend three times their budget and spent around 21,000 Australian Dollars (175,000 Dirhams). "I felt physically sick at my stupidity," Dale's mum recalls.Now in most travel horror stories, that's where it ends. But while naive, Dale wasn't stupid. He contacted a friend in Fez, who rang the carpet shop and made an appointment for the following day. The next morning Dale and his mother used a guide to find the shop again and after a little haggling, had the carpets returned and the credit card bill annulled.

The story ends happily with Dale's mother going shopping again two days later, armed with a pocket calculator. As she tells it, "I bargained like a Berber andspent exactly what I intended, got the rugs I wanted and the nice man even threw in a small runner for free."

Tale the second

Deb and Dave are the folks behind the popular site The Planet D: Around the World Adventure Couple, Last winter their friends Gail Burgin and her husband, Frank Marino (who took the photographs below), travelled to Morocco and while in Fez had what can only be described as a "carpet adventure". Luckily for us, Gail shared her experience in a guest post on Planet D.

Gail described her experience as "one of the most frightening and expensive experiences of my life". A link to the full story is below, but here is an edited extract:

When you arrive in Morocco you know you must leave your Western ways and assumed certainties behind, but no matter how prepared you think you are, nothing prepares you for the carpet sellers.

Abdul, our tour guide, a pleasant, knowledgeable guy, who seemed very western to us, despite wearing a traditional djellaba (caftan) and bernousse (cap), led us through a very small door into a large room with a gorgeous skylight, its walls covered floor to ceiling with carpets. Within two strides of our entering the room we are introduced to Mohamed, who seemed to appear from nowhere.

In one complete breath he asks – “Where are you from? Do you like Morocco? What are your names?, he gives orders to the ceiling for mint tea, and he yells something to the walls in Arabic. In four seconds two people arrive and simultaneously throw carpets at our feet; a cacophony of colour unfurling before our eyes.Mohamed scoops up one of the carpets and brings it to my face, “Can you see the detail in this carpet? Four women worked on this carpet at the same time. Look! Look at the stitching, one woman went blind while making this carpet. If you buy this carpet, you will be helping 1000 people – a whole village!! Every stitch is done by hand. It is only 6,000!”

I squeek out – 6000 dirhams? ($1,800. Canadian dollars). No, not dirhams, Euros. 6000 Euros!! That’s 8000 Canadian dollars!

By this time we are surrounded by no less than six people, one person is guiding us to walk on the carpets, someone else is serving us tea, two people are continuously throwing carpets at our feet. Mohamed is IN MY FACE repeating over and over the value and provenance of the carpets, and Abdul, all pretense of westernism tossed aside, is speaking into my ear – “How much do you want to pay? 4000? 3000? You can trust these people, they have the best carpets in Morocco!!”

Then I am separated from Frank who is immediately engulfed by his own team of carpet sellers. I blurt out, “How can 1000 people be involved in this carpet – I can’t believe it”.

Without missing a beat, Mohamed pushes the carpet back up into my face – “Look at the stitches, look at the colours. The four women who made this carpet support eight families, LOOK AT THE STITCHES every one made by hand!! 100 people take care of the sheep, 100 people work the land, 100 people take care of the donkeys, 100 people take the wool from the sheep, 100 people spin the wool, 100 people dye the wool. THE WOMEN, THEY GO BLIND MAKING THESE CARPETS!! And Abdul keeps repeating into my ear – “Buy two carpets, you’ll get a better deal, two is better, yes, two!”

I shout: “Two!! How much for two?” From across the room Frank is mouthing the word “TWO??”

I say, “1000!!! We can only afford 1000 Euros.” Abdul is by my arm and he has switched sides again to support my efforts. From the high of 6000 Euros for one carpet, we are haggling over 1000 Euros for two. Mohamed retrieves Frank who is dragged forward and asked, “What is wrong with your wife, how can I sell two carpets for 1000 Euros. It has to be 2000 – I am beggaring myself, think of the blind women, 2000 it must be.” Frank and I look at each other, acknowledging that we should just give in, so he nods his head in assent and is immediately whisked off by Mohamed to pay.

We ended up paying 4000 Euros or $6000 Cnd for two carpets, — it turns out it was 2000 Euros per carpet that Mohamed beggared himself for — and we comforted ourselves with the knowledge we improved the lives of a thousand Moroccans. (I wish)And as the months and the sting of spending $6000 have passed by, whenever we walk on our gorgeous Moroccan carpets, we are filled with nostalgia for more travel.

SO, WAS IT A SCAM?When we read the post, we were intrigued by the sense that their "carpet experience" had been a scam. While everyone who has experienced the wild theatricality of the carpet sellers will talk about the pressure and the polished selling style ("Madam, buy this side and you get the other side for free"), in the end, a good deal is when seller and buyer are both happy. So, armed with Frank Marino's photographs, we went carpet hunting.

Three local experts in Fez agree that the carpet pictured above is fine example from the High Atlas. More specifically, from the Taznakt region and probably from A'it Ougherda. They also say it would NOT have been made by four women, but by one.

When it comes to the price, although there was some disagreement, all the estimates put the resale value at between 15,000 and 21,000 Moroccan dirhams (1300 Euro - 1800 Euro). As one carpet expert put it. "It could actually be a bit higher. This is a fine example and such pieces can be a little bit expensive."

At the end of the day, while Gail and Frank probably paid more than they intended, they were not totally ripped-off and have ended up with a beautiful reminder of their time in Morocco ... and a great story to tell.http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/372-helen-ranger/5321-morocco-psst-ywant-buy-a-carpet----------------------------------------LIFE AFTER IMMIGRATION LOTTERY JACKPOT 06/21/11Joe Sciarrillo San Francisco / Morocco Board News-- Benyounes, a soft-spoken, slender man with olive skin, speaks of his experience as an immigrant coming to San Francisco as if he’s reciting poetry, reminiscing on his adjustment to his new life in the Bay Area. He shares memories of bustling in the kitchen of Volare Pizzeria on Haight Street, serving slices of pizza over the hot oven, while welcoming customers in his native Moroccan accent to “Enjoy while it’s hot.”Since leaving Volare Pizzeria, Benyounes has moved on to search for teaching jobs, similar to his profession in Morocco as a high school chemistry and physics teacher, but openings are limited, and many only hire applicants who are fluent in English.

Like countless other immigrants in the Bay Area, Benyounes’s story is similar to many who hop between jobs in the service sector while searching for the right fit. Yet when he reflects on his personal journey, he looks you in the eye and recalls his rocky struggles, first with unemployment in San Francisco to the odds he faces now competing for jobs in the U.S’s economic recession.

In 2006, Benyounes arrived from Morocco to San Francisco on the Diversity Visa Lottery with his wife and two boys. Soon after, Benyounes came to the African Immigrant & Refugee Resource Center seeking assistance with employment and housing. More importantly, he was looking to connect with friends to guide and support him in navigating his new home. The obstacles began to mount when his family could no longer comfortably stay at his sister-in-law’s house after the first month. Tempers flared between his relatives, sparked by conflicting expectations on living arrangements, and personal differences. The complex social dynamics of living in an unfamiliar city with new expectations were just his first barriers. He left with his two children to go back to Rabat, Morocco in February of 2007, so they could live in a more stable environment with his sister. Shortly splitting from his wife, in the Bay Area, he returned alone to San Francisco a few weeks later. Although a part of him seemed to remain in Morocco, he began a new journey as a single man in San Francisco.

After returning from Morocco, having spent thousands of dollars on plane tickets, Benyounes’s first steps were to apply for a Social Security card, a California ID, and start everything short of a new life. He began coming to the African Immigrant & Refugee Resource Center in March of 2007 and explained to the caseworkers his frustration in finding affordable housing and livable paying jobs that do not require high-levels of English. The Center provided listings of affordable housing and signed him up for several housing wait-lits. Instead, he preferred to avoid the backlog of public housing and found a more comfortable, personal setting at a Tenderloin apartment with an Algerian friend. The Center referred him to a technological training at Cartridge World, but no related jobs panned out.

One of this biggest obstacles was navigating through the red tape and bureaucratic barriers to employment, housing, and qualifying for certain medical benefits as a legal permanent resident. Yet, he was gaining a familiarity with such obstacles after having gone through the rough fourteen month process of the Diversity Visa Lottery. The United States Department grants roughly 50,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States through this lottery. Most participants come from Asia and Africa, and must meet specific educational or occupational requirements. Having taught high school chemistry and physics for years, Benoyoune met the criteria and in 2006 was able to apply with his wife and two children, allowing them to work and reside in the U.S. as legal permanent residents. For the 2008 Diversity Visa Lottery (which refers to the lottery that took place in the fall of 2006, and allows visa recipients to enter the U.S. in 2008), more than 10 million individuals participated. Benyounes constantly reminds himself that his family has already overcome the odds in coming to the U.S.

While attending prayer services at the Attawhid mosque on Sutter and Polk in the Tenderloin, Benyounes met Abdel Mokrani, the Volare Pizzeria manager. He recalls their first encounter in 2007, “I was looking for any work - part time. Abdel needed someone to open and to start the oven and clean up. I made fish one day for him - he found out I was a good chef so he pushed me to try cooking pizza. He even gave me his secrets (for sauce and pasta) and I improved them because I’m a chemist.” Together, Benyounes and Abdel altered and improved their recipes as well as the restaurant’s interior and exterior design.

Benyounes reflects in French on the unexpected skills he has picked up, “Je ne savais rien,” meaning that he had no experience in managing a restaurant whatsoever, crediting Islam and his spirituality for this. “You must have, above all, faith,” explaining that patience is one of its main virtues. Patience, he attests, is the first thing that helped him when it seemed all solutions and support were gone as a newly arrived immigrant in the U.S.

Volare Pizzeria stands out as one of the many city hot spots that is run and staffed by African immigrants. Most staff are North Africans or maghreb, which makes it a resource for news, celebrations and connections among San Francisco’s maghreb community. In fact, the number of Africans in San Francisco still remains “countless” and unknown because there is little conclusive census data - only extensive statistics on the number of residents who consider themselves “Black.” In fact, several staff of Volare Pizzeria joined the San Francisco Immigrant Legal & Education Network on APril 16, 2008, at City Hall to meet with Supervisors to explain the language and social service needs of the growing African population.

“I need to learn English, to help my position as manager,” Benyounes states just after one month and a half on the job. Often times working along at the pizzeria in the late nights, managing the cashier and kitchen, he would find time to practice his English. “I study English when it’s slow…I practice English with customers. I understand a little but it’d hard.” He notes that picking up on the slang of customers and nearby residents has been the hardest part of the language. With his eyes bright and wide, as if revealing a piece of hidden wisdom, he exclaims, “I noticed that Americans are really polite…that really makes me happy. When they know I don’t understand [what they're saying], they try to help me.”

Benyounes insisted “on peut jamais rester sans faire ren, il y a toujours travail” - there’s always more to do at work. “I never thought I’d be giving so much of my life to pizza!” Though he has moved on to look for higher-level jobs, his eyes squint with melancholy, speaking with gratitude about the support he has received at Volare Pizzeria and the a new community center called the African Advocacy Network.“I can’t tell you how much this has done for me. They are some of my only friends (in the U.S.). They’re my soutien (support).”This article is a series of stories highlighting the different experiences of immigrants in San Francisco. Story written by Joe Sciarrillo of the African Advocacy Network.http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5318-life-after-the-immigration-lottery-jackpot----------------------------------------Morocco’s leading fertiliser producer is expanding its activities in east and west Africa.The world’s largest exporter of fertiliser, the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), has had a productive, if trying, month.On 8 March, OCP signed a deal to provide Kenyan company MEA with 100,000tn of fertiliser each year. Continuing Moroccan companies’ moves into sub-Saharan Africa, OCP also signed a deal to help create a map of soil fertility in Mali, with an eye to providing the necessary chemicals to boost production. 
Malian businessmen recently purchased 25,000tn of fertiliser from OCP, signalling the beginning of a longer-term relationship between Malian agriculture and the company. Privatised in 2008, OCP is in expansionary mode, with the aim of creating 10 new production units over the next decade. It has co-production agreements with Brazilian, Indian and Pakistani companies.
Morocco holds three-quarters of the world’s phosphate supplies and controls 40% of global exports.In these days of tighter oil and food prices, it is a strategic asset, which may explain the muscular police intervention to break up a sit-in organised by the children of OCP pensioners protesting that local jobs were being given to outsiders. More than 60 people were injured and 200 arrests were made during the confrontation outside the offices of the company in Khourigba on 15 March.http://www.theafricareport.com/archives2/business/5163320-morocco-plans-for-the-greening-of-africa.html----------------------------------------Morocco's young activists urge referendum boycott.RABAT, Jun 22, 2011 (AFP) - Morocco's pro-reform February 20 Movement on Wednesday urged a boycott of the constitutional referendum proposed by King Mohammed VI and called for peaceful nationwide protests."We call for a boycott of this draft constitution which we reject," the youth-based group said in a statement on its Facebook page, restating its demands for "dignity, democracy and social justice by peaceful means."It called for peaceful protest demonstrations in several cities on Sunday."We call on citizens to rally peacefully across Morocco to protest against this plan which does not meet the conditions of a democratic constitution," it added.In a speech to parliament Friday, King Mohammed VI proposed to devolve some of his wide-ranging political powers to the prime minister and parliament, among other changes.Under the new draft constitution to be put to a referendum on July 1, the king would remain head of state and the military and still appoint ambassadors and diplomats, while retaining the right to name top officials of unspecified "strategic" administrations.Most political parties have reacted favourably to the proposed reforms, which would boost the powers of the prime minister while preserving the king's pivotal political and religious role.Campaigning for the referendum kicked off Tuesday and will end on June 30.Communications Minister Khalid Naciri said that all political parties participating in the referendum will be able to speak freely to state-owned media.Most political parties have urged a "yes" vote. But three leftist parties have called for a boycott.The February 20 Movement, which was inspired by popular uprisings that toppled the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt, was named after the date of Morocco's first nationwide protest in a series of demonstrations this year.After the February 20 protests, the king pledged major reforms including a strengthening of the independence of the judiciary and separation of the government and royal house.ob/ga © Copyright AFP 2011.

Access to this article is subject to specific terms and condition.http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidANA20110622T125827ZRGT89/Moroccos_young_activists_urge_referendum_boycott----------------------------------------Trekking in Morocco next Adventure Program.Program is June 20 06/18/2011By Kurtis Kelly Special to the Trail-GazetteT he Estes Valley Library`s summer series titled "Our Wonderful World" continues this Monday, June 20 with a presentation by local resident and traveler Kathleen Bennett titled "Trekking in Morocco" . The event will be held at the Park Village Playhouse at National Park Village at 7 p.m. Admission is free."For Westerners, Morocco holds an immediate and enduring fascination," posts the website Rough Guides. "The country`s physical make-up is also extraordinary: from a Mediterranean coast, through four mountain ranges, to the empty sand and scrub of the Sahara."Through images and narrative, Bennett`s presentation will take attendees through the adventures of her trek into Morocco`s Rif and High Atlas Mountains. Using as bases the Berber villages of Chefchaouen in the North, Imlil and Agouti in the South, Bennett journeyed with guide and mule, reaching Morocco`s highest village, Tacheddirt. Other hikes included Morocco`s beautiful Todra and Dades Gorges en route to Erg Chebbi for a camel safari into the Sahara Desert. Interspersed between treks, Bennett explored the Roman city Volubilis and the ancient medinas of the imperial cities Fes, Meknes, and Marrakesh. In the seaport city Tangier, she had a chance meeting with travel writer Rick Steves before sailing to Algeciras.Bennett`s presentation will include many tips for adventurous and economical solo travel in Morocco.With safaris in 82 countries to date, Bennett frequently combines adventure travel with volunteer teaching. While working for three years in Kenya, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya twice, and trekked in Uganda`s Mountains of the Moon. She recently returned from a teaching assignment in Ghana. She holds Instrument and Commercial Pilot licenses and works to support women pursuing aviation careers.The "Our Wonderful World" series celebrates the learning and understanding of our planet through the stories and images of those who have ventured to extraordinary destinations. The library extends a special thank-you to National Park Village and Scott Webermeier for generously providing this summer`s event space. The Playhouse is located at the corner of Moraine Avenue and Marys Lake Road. For more information about upcoming programs in the Our Wonderful World program series, visit EstesValleyLibrary.org or call (970) 586-8116.

http://www.eptrail.com/ci_18280443---------------------------------------- Children's book review: 'Mirror' compares 2 boys' lives3:13 AM, May. 30, 2011 Ingeniously designed and impeccably executed, Jeannie Baker's new picture book for children, “Mirror,” is a marvel. It tells two stories. One story shows a day in the life of a boy in Australia. One story shows a day in the life of a boy in Morocco.The book opens like a standard Western book, the book cover being flipped from left to right. Once the book is open, readers discover that the book's binding is not traditional. There are no pages attached to the spine of the book.Rather, the Australian's story is bound on the far left. The pages turn like a standard Western book. The Moroccan story is bound on the far right. As a result, the pages flip from right to left. The idea is for readers to turn two pages at once, one page for the Australian boy, the corresponding page for the Moroccan boy.Since the stories are told entirely through pictures, readers can at a glance see the differences and similarities between the boys' lives.The two boys live in two different countries and are accustomed to different daily routines. As different as the boys' lives are from one another, they do have things in common.Both of them wake up in the morning to the warm familiarity of parents and siblings. Both participate in the preparation and eating of their morning meal.The boys' lives are not just a series of parallels, though. Baker creates a compelling portrait of how each boy's life affects the other boy's life. As the Australian boy and his dad get in the car and go the store, the Moroccan boy and his dad get on their donkey and head to the market.The Australian boy and his dad are shopping for a rug to go in front of the fireplace. The Moroccan boy and his dad are taking a rug they made to the market to sell. Their rug ends up in the Australian store where the boy and his dad see it, love it, and then buy it.The illustrations in the book are photographs of collages Baker made using mixed media. She uses natural and artificial elements such as sand, dirt, plastic, tin, paint and pieces of fabric. Baker fills each of the two worlds with captivating details: light and shadows, merchandise for sale, crowds of people.Landscapes, townscapes and people are textured and colorful. Baker eyes each world with respect and love. She conveys the natural beauty of each country as well as the beauty and dignity of the people in each country.Baker's “Mirror” is a compelling, unforgettable tribute to the fact that the world is full of diverse wonders, yet it is still one world.Look for this book in the Buncombe County Public Libraries. Visit www.buncombecounty.org for more information and for a schedule of weekly story times at each library location.http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110609/LIVING/306090002/Children-s-Book-Review-Mirror-tells-Arab-Australian-boys-stories?odyssey=mod%7cnewswell%7ctext%7cLiving%7cs---------------------------------------- MOROCCO: THE DEBT BURDENZOUHAIR BAGHOUGH 06/24/11 New York / Morocco Boad News-- The times of thrift and fiscal prudence are long gone. In its effort to defuse social discontentment, the government spent billions of Dirhams either by subsidizing further strategic commodities, or by increasing dramatically wages in the public sector. The result of these unexpected expenses led to further borrowings, and the time might come very soon when the unfortunate government of the day will be compelled to implement austerity plan measures, to slash some -if not all- of these subsidies, or to privatize more assets to pay up for interest on this unexpected debt, all of which would have been the result of unsound economic policies no one will be ultimately responsible for. Parallel to these public spending cuts, the social cost in terms of purchasing power losses and unemployment will exacerbate further existing social tensions.Morocco has come a long way: the IMF-led painful structural adjustments plan the country submitted to in 1983 because of its abysmal deficit and debt record left economic decision-makers from then on very adverse to any debt-financing scheme, or at least to be adverse to any foreign borrowings; There were even times when relatively high domestic public debt was a sound economic policy that prevented inflationary pressures from getting out of control, and thus preventing ‘hot money’ foreign currency flowing in, with all its subsequent disastrous implications witnessed during the Singapore ’97 crisis for instance. That explains a successful policy in bringing down the size of public debt, but at the expense of any real economic growth, as the World Bank itself recognized:“Toward the end of the 1980s, the Bank was excessively bullish it its assessments of Morocco’s economic future. Progress in public enterprise and financial sector reforms was considered excellent. [...] The Bank’s overoptimism continued through 1993, despite the fact that there had been hardly any economic growth since 1990. Growth slowed from almost 5 percent a year in the second half of the 1980s to 2 percent in the early 1990s”.And though great efforts have been made in upgrading the Moroccan economic structure, a potential austerity plan applied to the economy is most likely to finish off these sectors that have not been entirely reformed, namely private investment, rural areas, health and education. Furthermore, the economic growth -our official panacea for all structural economic growth hardships- has been too low to sustain real wealth creation. The consensus around Morocco’s economic growth potential is estimated around 5-6%. The 2011 Budget estimate for nominal growth is 5% with a 2% inflation, that is about 3% real growth. A poor showing indeed, considering how other comparable emerging countries manage to score higher growth figures. An austerity plan will most likely bring us into depression, an economic outcome too gloomy to contemplate, and yet very likely if the government continues in their folly trying to buy off loyalties and peace of mind.Is the austerity plan likely in Morocco? Haven’t we managed to borrow the whooping sum of € 1 Billion a year ago? Aren’t the financial markets confident in our sound economic policies? not quite.Consider the level of public debt in Morocco: According to the Finance Ministry’s debt figures, total public debt represents 49.3% of GDP (late 2010) much less than the 80.5% level recorded two decades ago. The foreign-held public debt -our subject of interest- accounts for about half of it i.e. 22.4% of GDP, an 8% increase compared to the 2009 period, an increase in total contradiction with the decade-long average trend of a 9% annual decrease. Now, these figures are nothing like those recorded in the early 1980s (when foreign-held debt was 110.9% of GDP in 1983) and the potential danger is certainly not that of a debt crisis where the Moroccan government would be unable to honour its debt. The danger looms domestically, because of the constraint national foreign currency holdings represent, economic authorities will be obliged to halve many public spendings; and because much of the budget is about non-productive expenses, the axe will primarily fall on the subsidies.One of the reasons why Morocco’s rating is not Investment-Grade across all rating agencies is due to its weakness on foreign currency. The latest Bank Al Maghrib figures on that matter testify on our economy’s inability to field enough foreign currency to sustain economic resilience. Foreign holdings as of June 2011 are about MAD 182.8 Bn, a 6% dent compared to the MAD 194 Bn reserves held on December 2010. Already the effect of these policies can be felt on these reserves; the pressure on the foreign reserves can be linked to the public debt: indeed, as the graph shows, Morocco resorts more and more often to foreign debt, and so since 2005: even though domestic debt remains the preferred debt vehicle for government spendings, foreign-held debt stock have increased 33% over the last 5 years, compared to the 12% for domestic stock over the same period.This, of course, is due to the gluttonous borrowings the Finance Ministry has engaged in to pay for many expenses: the new military acquisitions, the various “Grand Design” workshops, the subsidies, etc. have taken the annual domestic public borrowings from MAD 42 Bn in 2005 to MAD 54.2 Bn in 2011 an average of 4.34% annual increase, a commensurate variation to nominal GDP growth’s, about 4.84%. On the other hand, the budget circa 2005 records an additional MAD 7 Bn of foreign borrowings, compared to the MAD 18.05 Bn in 2011, a far larger annual increase of 17.1% a year. This is evidence that government spending resorts more and more to foreign borrowing, thus building on an increasing stock of foreign debt.The debt is also getting more expensive to pay back: even though the ‘super-borrowing’ of June-September carried only a 4.57% coupon interest, the overall foreign debt paid since 2007 has steadily gone up with an increasing interest/principal ratio, while the economy does not grow fast enough to create enough exports and attract foreign investments, in order to match the required payments.The debt problem has also another feature, perhaps more concerning: the short-term debt (exclusively domestic) increases at inflationary proportions. The same Finance Ministry figures attest to that: early 2007, overall short-term debt amounted to MAD 15.3 Bn. Projections for debt service mid 2011 are MAD 18.22 Bn. This is due to the fallacy of low interest paid on short-term debt: 3-months treasury bonds pay a coupon of 3.44% while 5 years bond yield 3.94%. Though it is cheaper for the government to pay for short money, it also compels it to continue to borrow short in order to meet its most urgent expenses, and these have been quite numerous these last days.Debt on itself is not such a bad thing: it can help public authorities benefit from leverage effect when important investments such as infrastructure upgrade or education and research facilities spendings are involved; They can provide value by expanding potential growth. But when subsidies equate the amount spent on public investment (about MAD 53.85 Bn for investment, about MAD 45 Bn for subsidies) the only outcome is future austerity plan and economic depression. Of course, these can be avoided, provided a deep-range fiscal reform, including an end on amnesty over agricultural taxes (who benefit to those owning more than 10,000 ha) and the tax breaks that benefit annually up to MAD 7 Bn, exclusively to the 10-20% richest individuals and households in Morocco.http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/124/5325----------------------------------------Morocco's monarchical MicawberismKing Mohamed VI of Morocco silences the doom-mongerers and softens his stance on democratisation and political reform, notesGamal NkrumahThe first major Moroccan monarchical nationwide televised statement since the Arab Spring was subdued but deadly serious. The spirit of comity and royal courteousness is unlikely to last long if a popular pro-democracy uprising on the scale of those that occurred in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Yemen erupts.However, if the royal composure does continue in face of increasing demands for democratic reforms, it will strengthen the political clout of Morocco's King Mohamed VI and tighten his grip over his country. So far the king has not flinched and his compatriots have not cringed.The Arab monarchies are drawn into an ever closer embrace. To a large extent it is a relationship of common interests, a marriage of convenience. Morocco and Saudi Arabia are very different political entities. Morocco is a 400-year-old dynasty and the current king acceded the throne in 1999 after the death of his dictatorial father king Hassan II.On the face of it the two kingdoms have a few things in common such as the religious authority of the monarch and his sanctimonious role. However, the authorities in Rabat, the royal Moroccan capital feigned surprise when the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) last month invited Morocco to officially join the oil-rich monarchies together with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Morocco was a reluctant GCC candidate because it has its eye on European-style institutions.For Morocco, the message from the metaphor of being courted by rival suitors is clear. Europe is eager to extend its reach into Africa. Saudi Arabia, at the helm of the Arab oil-fuelled supertanker, wants to consolidate the conservative club of Arab royalty. It is up to Morocco to decide which suitor will prevail in Morocco's quest for economic upliftment, what role it will play in its voyage to the panacea, and to what extent it wants to pay for the ride.The first sign of a softening in the royal attitude came as it emerged that the king vowed that "Morocco's new style of government would reflect the will of the people through the ballot box." The king insisted on sweeping constitutional reforms that pleased his Western allies -- and were no doubt drawn up with their able assistance. United States State Department spokesman PJ Crawley applauded Mohamed VI as "a reformer responding to his people's aspirations". The pro-democracy activists, however, complained that the constitutional reforms propounded by King Mohamed VI were not enough, and were merely cosmetic.What Morocco so desperately needs is stimulus and not rectitude. Though the drive may still seem quixotic to many Morocco-watchers, the Moroccan monarch has in recent months unveiled a series of measures that aim to provide his people with greater citizenship rights, civil liberties, better infrastructure and higher living standards. The king is reasonably comfortable with his retinue of experienced technocrats running the day-to-day affairs of the Arab world's westernmost kingdom.The oil-rich Gulf Arab states are the biggest benefactors of the impoverished kingdom, with a burgeoning population of 34 million people, 60 per cent of them under 20 years of age. Western powers, including the former colonial master France and Morocco's chief political ally the United States of America have been surprisingly reluctant to cough up proper grants or direct lending to help shore up Morocco's battered public finances. The kingdom is economically dependent on earnings from tourism and remittances from Moroccan workers abroad. The poverty-stricken majority of Moroccans insist on greater social justice.Now the Moroccan monarch appears belatedly to be drawing the logical consequences of such demands for better employment opportunities and social welfare provision. This awareness came across loud and clear in his speech this week in which he promised to improve social, political and economic conditions in the kingdom. Many observers saw this as an unprecedented step forward. Morocco in their reckoning could emerge as the ultimate emerging market of the Arab Maghreb.King Mohamed VI's posture could pose a challenge for him later in his reign. Morocco cannot afford to pretend to be a Middle Eastern autocracy. Moroccans yearn to be a budding Mediterranean democracy. The country is firmly on African soil, but it has long aspired to merge into the European continent. Its Arab credentials are questionable as the majority of the Moroccan people are non-Arab Amazigh even though Arabic is the official language.Sceptics will be watching to see whether the king sticks to his word. The draft constitution proposed by Mohamed VI "provides for the promotion of all linguistic and cultural expression in Morocco," the king assured his Amazigh subjects.One telling moment was when he referred to economic reforms that are seen as more important than the cultural rights of country's ethnic groups. Even as political reforms are slow to reach Rabat, financial reform is even slower.But the tougher test for him is to frame radical democratic policies. The problem is that the king's ideas are ultimately static in content while his opponents are fast growing impatient with the slow pace of change. The reason for the U-turn is the ideological light in which the reform plans were cast. Morocco is not immune to the Arab uprisings sweeping North Africa and the Middle East.Key advisors to the king believe that it is better now to press on with what are marketed as the radical democratisation changes proposed by the king than to wait for the Arab Spring to catch up with Morocco. Conceivably this could work with the king's blessing. The king has moved to the left, though cautiously, to avoid renewed accusations of flip-flopping.As always it is in the changing detail that the devil resides. Resource-poor Morocco is reluctant to proceed on the road to ruination that some other Arab states are taking. The exodus of Moroccans seeking better employment opportunities in greener pastures across the Mediterranean continues to be a major irritant with Europe.The challenge now for Morocco is that while rightly wanting to build on what has already been achieved, it retains the distinctive features of its own parochial monarchical system. The Moroccans' devotion to their monarchy is not matched by a constitutional monarchical system that meets European standards.Morocco is still uncertain how far removed from the Saudi Arabian model it should become and conversely how close to the Spanish model it must be.It remains to be seen exactly how the legislation the king proposes will now change the country's political system. However, it is clear enough that many crucial parts of the Old Guard are on the chopping block. What matters is the direction of change.This turns the king's original democratisation thrust on its head. The pace the Moroccan opposition parties and pro-democracy activists aimed for was always excessive as far as the king and his entourage were concerned. King Mohamed VI pledged that he intended to carry out a ground-breaking institutional restructuring. His subjects are waiting patiently to see what he will do and how he will go about executing change and instituting reforms."Something will turn up" Charles Dickens had the incessant optimist Wilkins Micawber postulate in the Victorian's classic David Copperfield. At times it has seemed as if Micawberism has defined the response of the Moroccan monarchy to the Arab Spring. Fearing the impact of the spread of the Arab pro-democracy uprisings, the king is forced to pledge reform. There is nothing wrong with this strategy if Rabat truly believes that it is capable of instituting radical democratic changes. But whether this belief is justified is another matter. In the past, the ki

Braintree Couple Volunteers at Morocco Special Olympics for Peace Corps.Jacqueline and Jim Stewart helped at the Special Olympics Games in Tangier, Morocco last month.By Joseph Markman | Email the author | June 15, 2011For Jacqueline and Jim Stewart, volunteering with the Peace Corps halfway across the world from their hometown of Braintree means teaching English and helping with community health initiatives. But last month it also meant hanging a gold medal around the neck of a 12-year-old Moroccan boy who had just won a 50-meter race with his four-wheeled walker.The Stewarts were among more than 20 American Peace Corps volunteers who helped 250 athletes with intellectual disabilities compete at the Special Olympics games in Tangier, Morocco on May 25."It was rewarding to see the children excited about the competition,” Jacqueline Stewart, whose husband Jim handed the boy his medal, said in a statement. “Some were just happy to finish and it wasn’t about winning. The affection they have for one another was really wonderful.”It was the first time that the Peace Corps participated in an official capacity with the Moroccan games. The Special Olympics were created by Peace Corps’ founding Director Sargent Shriver’s wife, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, in 1968. The Corps were established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961.Earlier this year, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams and Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver designed to increase opportunities to support youth and people with intellectual disabilities through innovative programs around the world, according to a statement from the Corps.Since 1961, more than 7,690 Massachusetts residents have served in the Peace Corps and the Stewarts are among 272 currently serving overseashttp://braintree.patch.com/articles/braintree-couple-volunteers-at-morocco-special-olympics-for-peace-corps---------------------------------------------- The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) announced that it has planted a record number of 121,600 fruit trees during the January to May 2011 planting season in Morocco's Toubkal region of the High Atlas Mountains and in rural areas outside of Ben Guerir. The plantings raise the Foundation's One Million Tree Campaign to one third of the long-term goal set in 2006.

The announcement came as the season ended with 120,000 almond and walnut plantings in community-managed nurseries neighboring the Toubkal National Park and 1,600 olive plantings in communities near Ben Guerir. 320,000 trees have been planted since the One Million Tree campaign started in 2006, benefiting approximately 30,000 people.

The tree plantings benefit rural villages by providing a sustainable crop that doubles household incomes when the trees are mature. The trees guard against erosion, protecting mountain and arid communities, and are economical to maintain as well as environmentally sustainable because they do not require the use of pesticides and can be replenished by saplings they produce. Finally, planting fruit saplings in community-managed nurseries is the most cost efficient way to meet the major need for trees in Morocco's transitioning rural economy.

The 2011 plantings were made possible by generous contributions to the One Million Tree campaign in 2010-2011, combined with local contributions of land for community-managed nurseries and labor. Donors included the Caterpillar Foundation, the Earth Day Network, Infocore, the OCP Group, and hundreds of individuals. In 2011, HAF signed an agreement with the Regional Office of Waters and Forests in Marrakech to provide land for a community nursery in the Asni Commune of Toubkal. HAF also gratefully acknowledges the continued support of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States, H.E. Aziz Mekouar, and the Faculty of Law, Economics and Social Sciences of Hassan II University in Mohammedia.

HAF, which was founded in 2000 by former Peace Corps Volunteers, continues to benefit from former Volunteers and is grateful to the family and friends of Kate Jeans-Gail and Tom Tolen, who established funds in their memory to continue to benefit the people of Morocco.

The High Atlas Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to establish development projects in rural communities of Morocco that are designed and managed by local people, in partnership with government and nongovernment agencies. The High Atlas Foundation currently supports projects in the areas of fruit tree agriculture, potable water, irrigation, participatory development training, women and girls cooperatives, and youth and educational development.

For more information and to view photos of the One Million Tree Campaign please visit: http://www.highatlasfoundation.org.----------------------------------------------From Morocco: European adventures inspire comparisons of cultures.Tuesday, June 14, 2011 (PCV) Alexandra Cash, I recently took my second vacation while here in Morocco. But it was my first vacation to Europe. Last month I went to Paris, France for seven days. Morocco’s close proximity to Europe ensures very low flight costs and as a Peace Corps volunteer I get 24 vacation days annually. I couldn’t think of a better time to experience Paris.

Cynthia, another Peace Corps volunteer, and I had been planning our trip since January. Over time I looked forward to the event that had been written on my calendar, researched places to go, and tips for enjoying your time in Paris.

When the week in May finally came I was very ready for a break and for a change of routine and pace.

I really feel that our experience was different, having come from 21 month of living in Morocco, rather than if we would have come straight from the U.S.A.



I was so pleased with all aspects of Parisian culture. I felt little to no culture shock. I felt completely at home. Even though I knew I wasn’t in American culture I knew I wasn’t far from it.



I was so happy to be in a clean and beautiful city surrounded by trees, flowers, and grass. Green space is something that I miss so much and just the taste I got while in France got me excited knowing what I am going home to.

Attractions like the Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Versailles Palace are just some of the places that I got to visit to see beautiful things and interesting culture.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower was one of the lasting memories of my trip because when I stood with it in my view I couldn’t help but know I was in Paris!

Cynthia and I did a lot of comparing of cultures while in Paris. Not of American and French but Moroccan and French. Having lived here for over a year and a half we really felt like it was our culture we were talking about and we had enough observations and knowledge to make comparisons.

Some of the things that we talked about mostly were how much we fit in, how comfortable we felt wearing skirts and tank tops, and how we were exposed to a much wider selection of foods than we are in Morocco.

Being in Paris, where I felt completely comfortable, was a great reminder that even though I’ve changed in Morocco I still am who I always was. In my own element I can feel the same.

We stayed in a youth hostel so we were among other 20 somethings who were also embarking on trips of European travel. It was actually my first time being exposed to this culture of young adults and it was a fun experience meeting people from all over the world. I admit on this trip I got a little bite from the travel bug. This won’t be the end of my European travel for now as I still have more vacations days to spend and want to take advantage of the inexpensive ticket prices from Morocco.

My next adventures will take me to Spain and the UK. Inshallah (God willing)

Born and raised in Jackson, Michigan Alexandra Cash is a graduate of Jackson High School, Jackson Community College, and Michigan State University. At MSU she earned a degree in journalism with a focus in international relations. Alexandra is currently serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small town near Casablanca in Morocco, North Africa. She will be working in youth development until November 2011.http://www.mlive.com/living/jackson/index.ssf/2011/06/from_morocco_european_adventur.html----------------------------------------------After the Arab Spring: the view from MoroccoThe Casablanca-based writer and film-maker visits MarrakechTahir Shah The Guardian, Saturday 18 June 2011Square deal … the courtyard of an atmospheric riad in Marrakech. Photograph: AlamyMorocco is a kingdom very different from its neighbours. There's no deranged dictator or marshal law and, most of the time, the tourist favourite makes the news for all the right reasons. The Arab Spring has passed Morocco by, but that doesn't mean the kingdom hasn't had its share of trouble.On 28 April, the popular Café Argana in the heart of Marrakech was ripped apart by a terrorist bomb. Both tourists and locals were killed in an event that sent shockwaves through the country, the region, and beyond. The immediate result was that the city suffered terribly from cancellations. After all, tourism is based on perceived safety.Last week I drove to Marrakech from my home in Casablanca, to see the effect of the explosion for myself. I had been sitting at Café Argana just five days before the bomb, and had been amazed then at the huge numbers of European tourists. In the great square of Djemaa el-Fna, which the cafe overlooks, the visitors were packed in cheek by jowl.Visiting again, I was shocked by the complete change in this former tourist honeypot. Gone were the crowds of lobster-red British and the French people. Where they had been shuffling forward past the acrobats and storytellers, the sun-baked flagstones were bare.I got talking to a snake-charmer wearing a thick woollen djellaba robe. He had a fatigued-looking cobra hooked around his neck, and the roughest hands I've ever seen. "Tourists are like pigeons," he said, jabbing a thumb out to the square. "One bang and they all fly away – roost somewhere else. But like all birds they'll be back. I promise you that."At the edge of the square, a policeman offered me a glass of sweet mint tea. In a thick accent, he whispered: "Tell your countrymen that Marrakech is the safest place in the world. Marrakech good. No problem in Marrakech!"As I wandered around, I realised that he was quite right. After all, there's nowhere so safe as a city in the wake of an isolated terrorist bomb. Tourism is Marrakech's bread and butter, so no stone has been left unturned in keeping foreign visitors safe.But, even better still, with tourists cancelling in their droves, there's nowhere that can boast more impressive deals. Boutiquey little riads in the medina's labyrinth are offering prices of lifetime, as are some of the high-end hotels in the new town.At Winston Churchill's glorious old favourite, La Mamounia – renovated to perfection two years ago – I met a couple from Bath. They had matching Panamas and perma-tans. The husband, Rory, glanced listlessly up from his newspaper. "Safe as houses out here old boy," he said in a clipped tone. "Got in last night. Bloody brilliant. Booked as soon as we heard about the bomb."I asked Rory if he wasn't just a little bit nervous. "Nervous of what?" he replied with a gasp. "If I want to be nervous of something, I'll attempt to cross the road at Marble Arch."• See ilove-marrakesh.com/index_en.html for details of riads, many of which may be willing to negotiate discounts at the momenthttp://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/jun/18/marrakech-morocco-arab-spring-tourism----------------------------------------------Morocco: Protesters say king's reforms 'not enough'Pro-democracy activists in Morocco have said constitutional reforms proposed by King Mohammed VI do not go far enough.Members of the February 20 said they would still hold a planned protest on Sunday calling for greater changes to the country's political system.The proposed reforms include giving the prime minister and parliament more executive authority and recognising the minority Berber language.But King Mohammed will retain key powers and remains head of the army.A new article within the constitution also formalised his role as the highest religious authority in the country.In a television address on Friday, the king said the measures would entrench democratic institutions and protect rights.The proposals will be put to a referendum on 1 July, but many activists have reacted with scepticism, saying Morocco's 400-year-old monarchy has a long history of enacting superficial reforms.'All celebrating'The youth-based February 20 movement, which has carried out weekly pro-democracy marches around the country, said it would continue to call for "a truly democratic constitution and a parliamentary monarchy".The proposals will be put to a referendum on 1 July.That is a very swift timetable, which is bound to make the opposition think the king is trying to push through the reforms without proper discussion.Initial response has been mixed - some welcoming the ideas, others suggesting they are purely cosmetic."The plan as proposed by the king yesterday does not respond to our demands for a true separation of powers," said a spokesman in Rabat."We will protest peacefully on Sunday against this plan."Others in Morocco welcomed the king's speech, saying it represented a major advance for the country."The kingdom of Morocco has joined the list of democratic countries," said one man out celebrating in Rabat."Today as Moroccan youths, we're all celebrating our new constitution from the city of Tangier to the city of Lagouira."The proposal to officially recognise Berber - or Amazig - as an official language, alongside Arabic, has also been welcomed. The Berbers were Morocco's first inhabitants and make up some 60% of the population, but have complained of widespread discrimination.Like many countries across the Middle East and North Africa, Morocco has seen a growing call for major reforms to its political system in the past year.The country has also been facing severe economic challenges with high unemployment and rising levels of poverty.King Mohammed, 47, acceded to the throne in 1999 following the death of his father, Hassan II, and now heads the Arab world's longest-serving dynasty.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13821553---------------------------------------------- Morocco King Proposes Limited Steps to Democracy.By STEVEN ERLANGER Published: June 17, 2011In a major effort to try to respond to calls for more democracy and accountability, King Mohammed VI of Morocco announced proposed constitutional changes on Friday night that would reduce his own nearly absolute powers and name a prime minister from the largest party elected to Parliament as head of the executive branch.But his plans fall considerably short of the constitutional monarchy that many protesters have demanded and leave the king with absolute control over the military and religious matters.The proposals will be put to a national referendum on July 1 instead of in September as originally planned.The prime minister, who would be formally called “president of the government,” would be able to appoint government officials and ministers and would have the power to dissolve Parliament. The judiciary would be an independent branch; the king has headed the council that approves all judges.It would mean a “government emerging through direct universal suffrage,” the king said in an eagerly awaited speech on national television. The changes, he said, will “make Morocco a state that will distinguish itself by its democratic course.”The king would remain head of the Islamic faith in Morocco and be called “commander of the faithful.” But a reference to the king in the current Constitution as “sacred” would be replaced by the expression: “The integrity of the person of the king should not be violated.” Islam would remain the state religion, but there would be a new guarantee of religious freedom.The king, who is 47 and has been in power since 1999, has been facing growing pressure to respond to calls for democratic change and a constitutional monarchy from the February 20 Movement for Change, which began on Facebook and has carried out a series of rallies in major cities. While thousands attended the rallies, they did not compare in size to those elsewhere in the Arab world, and there has been relatively little violence or state repression of the demonstrators.As the Arab Spring has rolled through the Middle East and North Africa, monarchies have withstood the demand for change better than secular autocrats. And Morocco, on the western edge of the region, has not escaped the demand for change. The king, who is considered a reformer and a more gentle ruler than his feared father, King Hassan II, has been criticized for stalling far-reaching reforms after terrorist bombings in Casablanca in 2003.He has also been accused of allowing the advisers and former schoolmates around him to become wealthy from state contracts and monopolies, and of tolerating corruption.But the proposals he unveiled on Friday were a considerable effort to try to get ahead of the calls for change.In the last few months, he released some 200 Islamist prisoners who had been jailed in the roundups that followed the 2003 bombings.The final draft of the reformed Constitution explicitly grants the government executive powers. Government ministers, ambassadors and provincial governors would be appointed by the prime minister, subject to the approval of the king. The prime minister could dissolve the lower house of Parliament after consulting the king, House speaker and head of the Constitutional Court.And in another response to demands from protesters, Berber will be made an official language alongside Arabic.The king said that the constitutional reform “confirms the features and mechanisms of the parliamentary nature of the Moroccan political system” and lays the foundation for an “efficient, rational constitutional system whose core elements are the balance, independence and separation of powers, and whose foremost goal is the freedom and dignity of citizens.”The proposed changes did not satisfy all the protesters, who say they will continue to hold rallies pressing for more change, including one scheduled for Sunday.Najib Chawki, an activist from the February 20 Movement, told Reuters that the reform “does not respond to the essence of our demands, which is establishing a parliamentary monarchy. We are basically moving from a de facto absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.”But many Moroccans will see the changes as a judicious effort by the king to promote a gradual move toward democratic accountability. Mohammed Nabil Benabdallah, secretary general of the small Party of Progress and Socialism, said they show Morocco is entering a new era.“There will be a new balance of powers,” he told Bloomberg News. “It paves the way toward the establishment of a democratic state.”http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/18/world/africa/18morocco.html?_r=1----------------------------------------------Marrakech Express. 06/14/11They told us not to go.Not to Morocco, they said. Not now.With uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa, Morocco might not have seemed like the obvious choice for a "girl's trip," at least to some."Morocco is different," they assured us at DAI Travel and Austin Lehman Adventures, who both designed fantastic custom tours for us, insisting that Moroccans are peace-loving people. But things were heating up.Four weeks before we left, a café in Marrakech's busy Djemaa el-Fna was bombed, killing 16 people. Days later, Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALS. Really? we joked. They had 10 years to find him, but they had to do it right before our trip?Resisting the temptation to chicken out, we opted for an abbreviated (three-day) trip to Marrakech via Paris. After all, we were five women; why not throw in some hedonistic shopping and 5-star restaurants -- especially as the whole world was falling apart anyway.Air France took us as far as Paris in Premier Voyageur, roomier than coach, yet still a far cry from Business Class, where the foie gras and real china beckoned. In Paris, no reservation was impossible with the help of Yves Abitbol of MyConcierge, but after a few days of shopping and dining in places like Derriere, Chez Georges and L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon we were ready for le vrai Maroc. We loved Royal Air Maroc, with its friendly flight attendants serving Parisian macarons, and our three-hour flight included something rarely seen on American carriers: a meal.Marrakech has been booming for years, and there are scores of hotels and riads to choose from, but I only wanted to stay in one place:La Mamounia, the mythical 1920s luxury hotel where Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and celebrities, such as the Rolling Stones stayed decades before us. From this recently renovated fairytale venue, surrounded by 17 acres of gardens, we could explore the gritty souks and take a day trip to the High Atlas Mountains, yet still return to the lap of luxury, where a hamam and a fabulous meal awaited. It's perfect for those who want to experience Marrakech, but prefer a protected experience.When we arrived, six gorgeous doormen in traditional garb swept open the palatial doors with broad smiles; then we were ushered to a seating area in the exquisite lobby, where fresh dates and almond milk scented with orange blossoms awaited, the traditional Moroccan welcome. Our suite, filled with fresh fruit and local sweets, was extravagant -- two sitting rooms, a bedroom, two bathrooms, a walk-in closet and two dressing areas. What more could we want?Our first stop was -- what else -- a camel ride in the Palmeraie near the outskirts of Marrakech. Our guide Khadija and driver Abdul tried to keep straight faces as we hoisted ourselves upon five one-humped dromedaries like the tourists we were. "Hold on tight," they warned, as my camel lurched to his feet, pitching me forward. I clung to the metal "reins," wondering how bad of an idea this was. I glanced at Arianne, who was holding on for dear life, and we cracked up, mostly from anxiety, but also aware of how ridiculous we were. "Whose idea was this?" we laughed, thankful that the Sahara was too far away for that overnight trek we'd considered.We dove into the throng of the Jemaa el-Fna Square, our lives passing before us as we dodged donkeys, motorcycles and carriages on the "pedestrian" square. Our senses stirred with the exotic scents, sights and sounds of snake charmers, "water men" and storytellers, along with locals selling everything from aphrodisiacs to orange juice. A toothless old man threw a monkey onto Pilar's shoulder, and she and Lorraine had their photos snapped with giant snakes wrapped around their necks. Betsy and I longed to try the calamari at one of the many food stalls, but thought better of it, opting for sugary beignets from a young boy instead. We'd heard that the hawkers were aggressive, but truth be told, they're no worse than those in Fisherman's Wharf.

The sight of the bombed Argana Cafe was unnerving, especially when we climbed the stairs of an identical café across the square to take in the view of the Katoubia minaret, now pink in the setting sun. But we'd chosen faith over fear, so I closed my eyes and listened to the hauntingly beautiful call to prayer.That night we dined on cinnamon scented b'stilla and fragrant chicken tagine in the lush gardens of Le Marocain, pretending not to notice the armed guards who roamed the lavish property with bomb sniffing dogs.After a heavenly night in our suite, we headed to Yves Saint Laurent's lush walled Jardin Marjorelle, followed by a tour of the 19th century Bahia Palace, and then ... shopping. Though Khadija knows the hottest boutiques for leather, rugs and argan oil, we couldn't wait to get to the souks, where we would have been lost without her. She saw to it that we found the "best, the finest" in Moroccan slippers, spices, kaftans, wooden boxes, tea glasses and more as we were swept into the madness of the souks, knowing that we were paying more than the locals for everything no matter how well we bargained.A day trip to the Berber villages of the High Atlas Mountains was the perfect antidote to shopping, with a picturesque lunch at Domaine de La Roseraie, a resort engulfed in thousands of garden roses overlooking the valley. Too tired to make rational decisions, we ordered cheese soufflés and French onion soup, and got what we deserved: bland food, but for the insanely delicious Moroccan black olives and bread. En route back to Marrakech, we met an elderly Berber woman decked out in a colorful mix of Western clothes, her beautiful smile reminding us that serenity costs nothing.At Le Tobsil, a four-star riad restaurant set inside a labyrinth of ancient walls, candle-lit tables strewn with rose petals and the mesmerizing sound of Gnaoua musicians set the mood as we were served course after course of traditional food and wine.Our eyes were full as we said goodbye to Khadija and Abdul who, by now, had become more than just guides, but friends. In Moroccan style, we shook hands and touched our hearts. In American style, we hugged them close.I often joke that as a child, I was raised on a steady diet of fear. For me, traveling to an exotic destination despite recent world events is facing fear head on.Why go to Morocco now? For the same reasons we travel anywhere, at any time. We travel to expand our worlds, and to open our minds and hearts. They told us not to go, but they were wrong.Now ... where shall we not go next?http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-evans-gardner/morocco-travel-tips-_b_875714.html ----------------------------------------------Watch the First 14 Minutes of 'Expedition Impossible' John Kubicek

Senior Writer, BuddyTV Friday, June 17, 2011ABC's new reality competition Expedition Impossible premieres Thursday, June 23 at 9pm, but right now you can check out the first 14 minutes to get a taste for what's to come. Thirteen teams of three trek through Morocco completing stages and arriving at a checkpoint, all to win $150,000.

If you think that sounds like a cheap Amazing Race knock-off, you're right. While watching Expedition Impossible, I kept thinking that the producers have to know that it's a carbon copy of The Amazing Race. Sure, there are three people on each team instead of two and the whole thing takes place in Morocco, but everything else is pure TAR.The only problem is that it feels like a watered-down version of the Emmy-winning reality show. What makes The Amazing Race so great is that the teams have strong personal connections. On Expedition Impossible, the teams all feel like stock characters.

There are the New York fireman, the high maintenance Latinas and the good, ol' country boys. Some teams have special gimmicks, like the one with a grandpa or the team with a blind guy who climbed Mount Everest. Then there's the team with two gay guys in knee-high teal socks who claim they're not stereotypical, but who have the audacity to call themselves "Fab 3." Sorry, but that's as stereotypical a name as the gay team could've possibly chosen.

The premiere also has camels, and anyone who's ever watched The Amazing Race knows that stubborn animals are TAR's bread and butter. I suppose if Amazing Race fans are really desperate for something to watch, Expedition Impossible can serve as a snack before dinner, but that's as much praise as I can give it.

The most unfortunate part may be the fact that Expedition Impossible takes place in Morocco, which the show tries to build up as some dangerous and exotic location. It might carry more weight if the Real Housewives of New York City hadn't just finished their own Moroccan vacation, complete with camel rides. If the Countess can do it, I have to assume that this expedition is very, very possible.http://www.buddytv.com/articles/expedition-impossible/watch-the-first-14-minutes-of-40676.aspx####################################################

Morocco's king 'to unveil constitutional reforms'King Mohammed VI has promised greater democracy for the people of MoroccoContinue reading the main storyRelated StoriesIs Morocco next in line for mass uprisings? Morocco king pledges major reform 'Five dead' after Morocco rallies Morocco's King Mohammed VI is expected to announce constitutional amendments in a landmark televised speech.The reforms will reduce his political and religious powers, according to AFP and Reuters news agencies which have seen drafts of the speech.In March the king promised "comprehensive constitutional reform" in the north African country.Thousands of Moroccan pro-democracy protesters staged protests in February similar to those in Tunisia and Egypt.Some activists have urged caution, saying that Morocco's 400-year-old monarchy has a long history of enacting superficial reforms.The speech is due to be aired at 2100 local time (2000 GMT).The proposals - drawn up by a reform panel appointed by King Mohammed - will see the prime minister become "president of the government", AFP says.The prime minister will be able to appoint government officials, taking over a role previously held only by the king, and be able to debate state policy at weekly government council meetings in the absence of the king, the draft says.'Key power-broker'Under the existing constitution, only the cabinet chaired by the king can decide state policy.However, the monarch will remain a key power-broker in the security, military and religious fields, Reuters adds.The proposals will be put to a referendum in July.In March, King Mohammed promised to promote greater democracy by strengthening the roles of the prime minister, parliament and the judiciary.He said more powers would be given to Morocco's regions to "help consolidate our model of democracy and development".Morocco has been facing severe economic problems with high unemployment and rising levels of poverty.

A google search of “Morocco’s Housing Bubble” reveals no hits. Which is surprising considering the reality on the ground. Houses pop up from the dusty land continuously never to be occupied. The windows are put in, the walls painted but no one ever moves in. The moonscape around Marrakech is patchwork of one housing development after another, all of them empty. This does not necessarily mean that there is housing bubble. Many Moroccan nationals work abroad but own a home in their ancestral village. Remittances are a large part of the Moroccan economy. The exchange rate of euros to dhrm is very favorable, which means Moroccans can buy homes that they might only see once a year for a week during the big holiday. So while the developers may be selling them faster then they are built, the fact remains that a multitude of houses in Morocco are owned but empty. The following article provides some insight:

Morocco c.bank says housing market not stagnatingThu Apr 29, 2010 12:51pm GMT

By Tom PfeifferRABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's property market is likely to pick up in coming months, the central bank told Reuters, playing down fears of prolonged stagnation that could hold back economic growth in the north African country.The price slowdown "has been quite brief and (the market) should very probably continue to resume its dynamism in the coming quarters," the central bank, known as Bank Al Maghrib, said in emailed replies, received on Wednesday, to questions from Reuters.It said prices have begun rising again and the sector should "continue to present important investment opportunities given that most ... analyses suggest that demand significantly exceeds supply, especially in social and mid-income housing."A Moroccan construction boom continued during the global economic downturn, helping prop up the economy even as local exporters faced slumping demand from recession-hit Europe.Most of the building activity is in real estate after banking reforms gave middle-income families easier access to mortgages and thousands of apartment blocks sprang up to replace slums in the kingdom's teeming northern cities.Housing growth has also underpinned the Casablanca stock market as local investors poured money into local real estate companies such as Addoha, which now accounts for over 10 percent of the bourse's capitalisation, according to traders.Property prices have stagnated and sales have slowed since late 2008. Local analysts have voiced concern that prices were stagnating now because, prior to the end of 2008, Morocco had been experiencing a property bubble.But the bank rejected that, saying that a 7 percent rise in property prices between the first quarter of 2006 and the third quarter of 2008 "is below that seen at the international level in the same period."The rise over that period "in no way reflects an overheating of the property market," the bank said. "It is explained, in our view, by a catch-up effect."CUT MORE BAD DEBTStrong lending growth that has underpinned real estate projects in recent years continued in January, with mortgage lending still up 13 percent compared to a year earlier, according to central bank figures.More Moroccans have been encouraged to open bank accounts and borrow as the banking network grew to reach more of the 34 million population.Banks have been able to lend at lower rates and remain profitable because their bad debts have tumbled to around 5.5 percent, from a high of 19 percent in 2004 that was a hangover from risky lending in the 1990s.Moroccan banks should continue to "further lower their levels of bad debts and reinforce their equity base," the central bank said.Analysts have suggested that Moroccan banks are still too weak to finance some major projects in the local economy.Asked if more mergers were needed among Moroccan lenders, the central bank said the sector was "characterised by a relatively high concentration of actors, the top three banks controlling 66 percent of the market"."This concentration and consolidation of financial resources allowed the reinforcement of banks' capacity to finance the economy and the emergence of important financial groups that adopted strategies to deploy on the continent and in Europe."

© Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved

In This Week’s News: · Peace Corps Volunteers Partner with Special Olympics Athletes in Morocco · Fez sacred music Festival celebrates wisdom.· Renewable energy to boost Morocco jobs.· UNAIDS: HRH Princess Lalla Salma takes part in First Ladies' meeting in NY· Morocco, WB sign $4 mln-donation agreement to integrate climate change in development of Morocco's Green Plan· Best things to do in Morocco· Sacred Music Sparks Dialogue at Fes Festival. · Game of Thrones· MOROCCO: Reform as a path to a genuine constitutional monarchy· Peaceful anti-government protests allowed to proceed, more planned· MOROCCO NEW CONSTITUTION: BACK TO SQUARE ONE· Young Moroccans show political maturity.

Peace Corps Volunteers Partner with Special Olympics Athletes in Morocco June 08, 2011

Washington, D.C., June 8, 2011 – More than 20 Americans serving as Peace Corps volunteers supported 250 athletes with intellectual disabilities at the Special Olympics games in Tangier, Morocco on May 25, 2011. The athletes competed in track & field, table tennis, bocce, or gymnastics. Volunteers supervised the competition, kept score, cheered, and awarded medals at the closing ceremony of the games.

"It was rewarding to see the children excited about the competition,” said Peace Corps volunteer Jacqueline Stewart who is serving with her husband Jim Stewart. “Some were just happy to finish and it wasn’t about winning. The affection they have for one another was really wonderful.” Jacqueline Stewart and Jim Stewart are from Braintree, Ma. Jim Stewart, noted that one of the highlights of the games was cheering on a 12-year-old boy who completed a 50-meter race with his four-wheel walker. At the closing ceremony, Jim awarded him with a gold medal.

This is the first time Peace Corps volunteers in Morocco have participated in the Special Olympics, which was created by Peace Corps’ founding Director Sargent Shriver’s wife, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Early this year, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams and Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver designed to increase opportunities to support youth and people with intellectual disabilities through innovative programs around the world. “It was an emotional day for me because it reminded me of my family,” said volunteer Sarah Hollemans of Grand Rapids, Mich., whose oldest brother has cerebral palsy. “There were times when I teared up. Just seeing one kid reminded me of my brother. I’m glad Peace Corps volunteers are joining the effort to promote the Special Olympics in communities in Morocco because people with disabilities are an underserved population.”

In addition to Morocco, Peace Corps volunteers are participating in Special Olympics initiatives in countries such as Ecuador and Peru. In Washington, D.C., twelve staff members from Peace Corps headquarters volunteered at the Special Olympics D.C. summer games held at Catholic University on May 24, 2011. Staff supervised the softball throw and standing long jump competition and awarded medals at the closing ceremony.

About Special Olympics:Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics Movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to nearly 3.5 million athletes in over 170 countries in all regions of the world, providing year-round sports training, athletic competition and other related programs. Special Olympics now takes place every day, changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in places like China and from regions like the Middle East to the community playgrounds and ballfields in every small neighborhood’s backyard. Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy and friendship. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org.

About the Peace Corps: President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961, by executive order. Throughout 2011, Peace Corps is commemorating 50 years of promoting peace and friendship around the world. Historically, more than 200,000 Americans have served with the Peace Corps to promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of 139 host countries. Today, 8,655 volunteers are working with local communities in 77 host countries. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.-----------------------------------------

Fez sacred music Festival celebrates wisdom.By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Fez – 10/06/11International artists and philosophers gathered in the ochre city to celebrate wisdom, serenity and love.The 17th Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, which runs through June 12th, continues to draw a dazzling array of renowned artists and thinkers from across the globe.The atmosphere of multicultural harmony and peace reigns at the ten-day event. Sufi nights, concerts, awareness workshops and art exhibitions take participants on a colourful journey of chant, rhythm and culture as they explore the "ultimate meaning of existence" and "wisdom of the world".The festival has now established itself as one of the international cultural scene's must-see events, said director Faouzi Skelli. It is no longer simply a place where culture is consumed but an outlet for creativity and new experiences, with the involvement of famous and rising artists from East and West, he said.According to Skelli, the forum itself – a kind of "spiritual Davos" – is an ideal venue to observe the ever-changing world which surrounds us, to shed new light on it from various cultures and sources of wisdom, and perhaps to bestow on it greater serenity and understanding.Wisdom is a "dialogue between reason and passion", according to French philosopher Edgar Morin. The most important thing is to make a major effort to understand otherness, to see one's own complexity, recognise and criticise one's own character and conquer fear of others."We find ourselves in an age which is far from being wise, given that we are witnessing excesses, cultural drift and hyper-complexities to which we have no answers," Morocco's roving ambassador Assia Bensaleh said.She pointed out that wisdom is an evolutional concept, not only over time but over space as well. "The most violent conflicts have arisen from the fact that each person thinks they have the monopoly on wisdom," Bensaleh added.Lebanese artist Julia Boutros, who captivated the audience on June 5th, described her message as a humanitarian one, aimed at building better nations in hopes of a bright future for the next generation."We live in difficult times, and I don't think anyone can predict the future, or what awaits them," she said. "So each of us has a duty to act sensibly to unite the country, and not to divide it."This festival enables artists to meet and to be creative, said Robert Fedida, founder of the Hevrat David Hamelech choir. He spoke of his "unbreakable connection" with Morocco, which inspired him to "set up a Judeo-Andalusian choir in Strasbourg".For many, the event was also an opportunity to discuss the historic changes engulfing the Arab world."It's a metamorphosis for Maghreb and Arab youth," Mahmoud Cherki, a student from Meknes, told Magharebia. "We now know that we can bring weight to bear and have a role at the heart of society. We simply need to believe it and get down to work."http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/06/10/feature-07

-----------------------------------------Renewable energy to boost Morocco jobs.By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 08/06/11Morocco hopes the clean energy sector will give a new impetus to its economy and generate jobs.More than 50,000 clean energy jobs will be created in Morocco by 2020, with a quarter of them in the wind and solar power sectors, the government recently announced.Renewable energies will account for 42% of Morocco's electricity generation capacity by 2020, Energy Minister Amina Benkhadra said at a May 31st conference in Oujda. The government will invest 73 billion dirhams (6.4 billion euros) to install a new power output of 3,640 MW by 2015.To meet the demands of the job market, Morocco looks to train a new generation of alternative energy experts."We're going to discuss the issue with the various parties concerned, including universities, in order to address our needs in terms of human resources," the minister said.Participants in the conference signed an agreement to create a training institute for renewable energies and energy efficiency. The accord stipulates the creation of a vocational training system tailored to the needs of businesses in the clean energy sector. It also provides for financing preliminary studies, supporting technical expertise and creating training facilities.A number of Moroccan universities started offering graduate and postgraduate courses in renewable energy in order to promote the training of skilled workers in the domain, the department of higher education said."For several years, the government has understood the scale of the shortage of specialised expertise," said economist Mohamed Nadiri. "Accordingly, several institutes have been created to support the country's new economic orientation."Young people are becoming increasingly aware of the new needs of the job market and are trying their best to choose university subjects that will stand them in good stead.This sector is highly promising as it comprises several areas that are currently developing, said Amine, a graduate student in renewable energies and energy systems."I'd never thought about this industry before," he told Magharebia. "The ambitions that the government has set out since 2009 have encouraged many students to change direction. It must be said that these goals are very ambitious and will help to boost the economy and create jobs for young people. New power stations will be commissioned over the next few years."Karim El Ouardi, a student who has passed the baccalaureate, has already chosen his path as he is planning to study subjects that will orient him towards the energy systems sector."My parents and my older brother advised me to do this," he said. "I'm convinced it's right, because I couldn't even hope to choose a sector that is in higher demand in the job market."http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/06/08/feature-07

-----------------------------------------UNAIDS: HRH Princess Lalla Salma takes part in First Ladies' meeting in NYNew York (UN) - HRH Princess Lalla Salma took part, on Wednesday at the UN's headquarters in New York, in a meeting of First Ladies on "Eliminating new HIV infections in infants by 2015".Thirty First Ladies from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean attended the event to mobilize support to achieve the goal of zero new HIV infections among children by 2015.

The meeting was held during the first day of the UN high-level meeting on AIDS scheduled June 8-10.

The Kingdom of Morocco is represented in this event by HRH Princess Lalla Salma.

The Moroccan delegation includes also Health Minister Yasmina Baddou, Morocco's permanent representative to the UN Mohamed Loulichki, chairwoman of the Moroccan Association to fight AIDS Hakima Himmich and chairwoman of the pan-African organization to fight AIDS (OPALS) Nadia Bezad.

The debate was co-chaired by Ban Soon-taek, wife of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Azeb Mesfin, First Lady of Ethiopia and President of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS. Around 1,000 babies are infected with HIV each day, 90 per cent of whom are in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV is also the leading cause of maternal mortality in developing countries.

The First Ladies agreed to advocate for comprehensive access to maternal and child health services and to advance 10 action steps on return to their respective countries to ensure that children are born free from HIV and to promote life-saving HIV services for women and children. Among the 10 steps is supporting efforts to increase the number of centres providing free maternal, newborn and child health services, including treatment to prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to children.

“Women and girls must be at the centre of the AIDS response,” said Michel Sidibé. “When women protect themselves from HIV, they protect a whole new generation from HIV.”

http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/home/unaids__hrh_princess/view-----------------------------------------

UNAIDS says Morocco 'a model' in terms of preventionNew York (UN) - Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibé lauded, on Thursday in New York, Morocco's achievements in terms of fighting AIDS, saying that the Kingdom is a "model in terms of prevention and treatment in the region." Morocco succeeded, over the past few years, in asserting itself as a model for the Maghreb, Africa and the Middle-East in terms of progress made in the disease treatment and prevention, Sidibé told MAP following a meeting with HRH Princess Lalla Salma at the UN's headquarters, on the sidelines of the high-level meeting on AIDS (June 8-10).

The Kingdom is represented in this meeting by HRH Princess Lalla Salma.

The Executive Director hailed HM King Mohammed VI's personal commitment to this matter.

He also applauded the action by HRH Princess Lalla Salma, Chairwoman of the Lalla Salma Association for the Fight against Cancer and goodwill Ambassador of World Health Organization (WHO), which bears the message of the fight against AIDS.

The meeting was attended by Health Minister Yasmina Baddou, Morocco's permanent representative to the UN Mohamed Loulichki, chairwoman of the Moroccan Association to fight AIDS Hakima Himmich and chairwoman of the pan-African organization to fight AIDS (OPALS) Nadia Bezad.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/home/unaids_says_morocco/view

-----------------------------------------Morocco, WB sign $4 mln-donation agreement to integrate climate change in development of Morocco's Green PlanRabat - Morocco and the World Bank (WB) signed, on Wednesday in Rabat, an agreement related to a donation for financing the project of integrating climate change in the development of Morocco's Green plan (PMV). The donation, totalling 4.3 million dollars, is granted by the World Environment Fund (WEF). Signed by Economy Minister Salaheddine Mezouar, Director of the Maghreb Department in the World Bank Simon Gray and head of the Agricultural Development Agency Ahmed Hajjaji, the agreement is meant to foster the capacity of Moroccan farmers to adjust to the impact of climate change within the framework of the PMV. Approved on May 17, the donation aims to integrate measures of adjustment to climate change in projects carried out as part of the PMV through reinforcing the capacities of public and private institutions and farmers. It is destined for small-scale farmers in the regions of Chaouia-Ouardigha, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer, Tadla-Azilal, Doukkala-Abda and Gharb-Cherarda-Beni Hssen.

http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_wb_sign_4/view-----------------------------------------Best things to do in Morocco. Jun 06 2011The top ten things to do in Morocco.1. Cook a tagine in EssaouiraThe laid-back beach town of Essaouira is the perfect spot to learn how to prepare a tasty Moroccan tagine, a flavoursome stew slow cooked in a conical-shaped dish also called a tagine, cleverly designed to seal in the spicy fragrances.

Take a four-hour workshop in authentic yet sleek L’Atelier Madada (lateliermadada.com) in the lofty grounds of boutique hotel Madada Mogador. Suss out how to make the perfect cup of mint tea, laced with lashings of sugar, a vital part of Moroccan culture served after every meal.

After cooking the richly-flavoured tagine and indulging in the fruits of your labour, enjoy a tour of the hippy town’s fish and spice souk (market), chock full of olive mountains, highly patterned tagine dishes, caged chickens and suspicious looking medicines – herbal Viagra anyone?

Much of what’s on offer is not for the faint-hearted: think blood-smeared decapitated rams’ heads. Escape the gore by retreating to one of the market’s small spice shops, stocked with an array of glass jars filled with heady spices, henna dyes and sweet smelling perfume sticks, such as gazelle musk, taken from behind the animal’s ear. Once the cooking class is over, explore the coastal town’s bohemian shops, sandy beaches and art galleries.2. Surf in TaghazoutA 25-minute drive north of Agadir, Taghazout is a mecca for surfers as it boasts an enormous stretch of coastline and 330 days of sunshine a year with temperatures rarely dropping below a toasty 20 degrees.

Surf spots aren’t as swamped as those in Europe and the US, and the warm water and consistent waves makes for a pleasant ride. Whether you’re a novice or a super-star surfer, Taghazout has a break for you.

Hash Point is known as the lazy man’s spot because it’s an easy right-hander that breaks near the shore, ideal for those who loathe paddling, while the Super Wedge offers small fun waves.

Stay at surf camp Taghazout villa, set on the water’s edge at Hash Point, which offers surf guiding. See surfmaroc.co.uk.3. Haggle in the souksMarrakech’s lively souks are a maze of small shops that curl around the backstreets of main square Djemaa el Fna.

A whirl of patterned rugs, gaudy slippers, spices, chess sets and hand-crafted crockery, the markets are best explored at night when pretty lanterns light the way. Don’t be shy about haggling; it’s an essential, and expected, part of the process. Shopkeepers will often want you to enjoy a cup of mint tea with them as you come to an agreement on a price.

Effective discount plays are to say you’re from Africa or Eastern Europe and a student. Walking away can often bring a price down dramatically too. Beware of pushy market sellers who try to corner you in their shop in an attempt to force you to buy. Never be bullied into buying something you don’t want!5. Get scrubbed clean in a hammamDon’t expect an entirely soothing experience when visiting a hammam (traditional steam bath), which can be found in luxury hotels and riads.

You’ll be given a no-holds-barred scrubbing with black soap, which will wipe away any trace of dirt or tan, before having a bucket of water thrown over you, and then sweating it all out in the sauna.

The experience is normally topped off with a soothing massage, so you leave feeling rejuvenated and super-clean.6. Visit a film locationFamously known as the Hollywood of Morocco, Ouarzazate is home to the Moroccan Film Studios where epic films, such as The Jewel Of The Nile, Cleopatra, Lawrence Of Arabia and some scenes for Star Wars were shot in its desert-like landscape. Visitors can go on a guided tour of the film sets. Also meriting exploration is the fortified city of Ait Benhaddou, an 11th century Unesco-protected kasbah which provided the backdrop for Russell Crowe’s swashbuckling Gladiator movie.

The well-preserved town marks the start of the road of a thousand Kasbahs, known as one of the world’s oldest trading routes. It’s freckled with ancient Kasbahs with buildings built from mud and straw, while olive and date palmeries break up the dry desert landscape, along with small markets selling prickly pears and watermelons.Sex And The City 2 was filmed in the recently opened Mandarin Oriental Jhan Rahma Hotel, in Marrakech, although the movie was set in Abu Dhabi.7. Hike in the High Atlas MountainsEscape the tourist hordes and hustlers in Marrakech by heading to Morocco’s mighty High Atlas mountains, home to terraced crops, snaking rivers and Berber villages.The wild and rugged peaks of North Africa’s highest mountain range, some of which top 4000m, can be reached from Marrakech in two hours, and can be explored by hiking, mountain biking or horse riding. Visit as a day trip from Marrakech or spend a few days trekking through rugged terrain and camping in rustic Berber tents.

8. Stay in a RiadBeautifully decked out with colourful cushions, lanterns and mosaic-tiled floors, riads are traditional Moroccan houses set around a courtyard and are normally situated near the souks in the middle of the medina. Many have rooftop terraces with reclining seats, which afford views of the medina. Riads cater for everyone from budget to money-is-no-object travellers.

In cheaper riads, expect rooms to be small and simple with a curtain (if you’re lucky) separating the bathroom and bedroom. If you find the prospect of no bathroom door terrifying, you can either banish your other half/buddy from the room when you need the loo or start singing when on the throne.Luxury riads offer hammams, terrace pools, whirlpool baths and plush rooms (with bathroom doors). Book through hostelworld.com or hostelbookers.com.9. Explore Djemaa el FnaDjemaa el Fna is the pulsing heart of Marrakech, a big square that’s chock-a-block with snake charmers, leashed monkeys (which will somehow find their way on to your back) and storytellers.

At night, the square is filled with plumes of cooking smoke infused with sizzling aromas from the open-air food market made up of pop-up stalls with gas fires, where cooks are dressed from head to toe in white, and cheery waiters will vie for your custom with promises of “Asda price” tucker. Eating here is a no frills-affair – you will sit on plastic benches, but the food is delicious and the prices are low. Food ranges from brochettes (meat skewers), salads and couscous to fish and snails. Agree a price up-front to avoid getting ripped off.10. Visit Todra GorgeThe looming cliffs of Todra Gorge, in the High Atlas Mountains, make a rugged contrast to the lush-green landscape. Watch your back for oncoming motorbikes and mules if you walk through the canyon at its narrowest point, surrounded by 300m cliffs. The soaring rock face can also be explored on a horse-riding excursion.Essential informationWhen to go: Spring and autumn is the best time to visit, as summer can be scorching. Getting there: Fly to Marrakech with Ryanair or easyJet. Get more info: visitmorocco.com- Janine Kelso

read more: http://www.tntmagazine.com/tnt-today/archive/2011/06/06/best-things-to-do-in-morocco.aspx#ixzz1OyfNbuyk-----------------------------------------Sacred Music Sparks Dialogue at Fes Festival. 06/ 7/11The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music is in full swing in Morocco. Launched after the first Gulf War, this renowned musical event is now in its 17th year and, despite the troubles of our times, draws a large audience from around the world.The ideals and ambitions are no less than world peace and understanding. But there are some hard elements here in Fes that lend these utopian hopes some reality. Music does stir the soul, and you could not find a better illustration of humanity's diversity and rich history than in its sacred music. Ancient music from India and Sardinia, contemporary music and film from Africa, Brazil, Europe, and the United States are all on the packed program of this festival that runs from June 3-12. So the idea is that savoring the diversity of music will inspire people to see difference differently and more positively. The diversity of spirituality commands a new look at what religion means, individually and to humanity.And the city of Fes holds proudly to its role as a spiritual capital of Morocco and, even more, as the keeper of the ideal of Andalusia, where knowledge and wisdom flourished and peoples from different religions lived in harmony. After 1492, Muslims and Jews fled to Morocco, many to Fes, and the traditions of music and art have flourished ever since in this city that blends past and present.Integrated in the Fes Festival since 2001 is a forum that also has high aspirations. The forum is held outside (as is most of the festival, except when it pours rain as it did last night) at the Baatha Museum courtyard under the branches of an ancient and enormous barbary oak. There's something magical in listening to a political activist from Egypt debate a French philosopher with birds singing and leaves gently trickling down.But the idea is not debate but to do something that is so tough in today's world: to bring very different, often passionately opposed ideas and people together in a civilized atmosphere where they will listen. The idea is that the inspiration of sacred music amid the beauty and rich history of Fes will make people think differently about tough problems, whether relations among religious communities, environment, social justice, or democracy and governance. People speak as individuals and listen as individuals. Miraculously, the formula often works, and new ideas and relationships are hallmarks of the forum's history. The forum was dormant for four years but is now revived. It's perhaps a dream to set a place where ideas can be freely exchanged, passion and wisdom blended, inspired by the spiritual and the profane and voices from all corners of the world. But it's a dream well worth pursuing.The Fes Festival this year has as its theme a 12th century poem, "The Conference of the Birds," by the Persian poet Farid ud-Din Attar. Its message is wisdom, and the search for wisdom over different stages, disappointments and hope. That's the theme woven through the festival's programs.Part of the forum since its inception, I am absorbed in the five days of morning exchanges, with the task of summarizing each day's explorations and themes. Subsequent posts will take the five themes, day by day.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katherine-marshall/sacred-music-sparks-dialo_b_872006.html

-----------------------------------------Game of Thrones. BY JAMES TRAUB | JUNE 10, 2011Morocco is the Arab world's last chance to prove that monarchs can reform their countries without getting thrown out of them.

Is reform possible in the Arab world? Is there, that is, a fourth path beyond revolution, repression, and the wholesale bribery deployed by the wealthy Gulf states? If peaceful evolution is possible anywhere, it is in Morocco. And we won't have to wait more than a week or two for the first clues about which way Morocco will go.The Arab Spring reached Morocco on Feb. 20, when over 100,000 demonstrators, mostly educated young people, took to the streets in 53 cities to demand change. King Mohammed VI, 47, one of the generation of allegedly progressive young rulers in the region, allowed the protests to unfold unimpeded. The demonstrations continued, and on March 9 the king took the extraordinary step of appearing on television to promise constitutional reforms which, if actually implemented, would place real restraints on his powers.This is precisely how those of us who wrote in years past about democratization in the Arab World imagined that change would one day come: pressure from below -- and outside -- would lead to reform from above. That was the premise behind President George W. Bush's "Freedom Agenda," and calls for the United States and other Western states to support indigenous reform movements in the region. But that premise turned out to be wrong. Leaders like Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and King Hamad bin Khalifa in Bahrain recognized that real reform jeopardized their rule; they were prepared to open the valves just wide enough to let off steam, and then jam them shut the moment citizens began to imagine that they could actually shape their own destiny.And that, in turn, is why the choices in the Middle East have dwindled to revolution, repression, and bribery. Since no leader has been prepared to even begin to go down a path that could lead to his downfall, citizens have realized that real reform requires regime change. They've succeeded in Egypt and Tunisia; been checked, so far, by overwhelming violence in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain; and remained silent in Saudi Arabia. Only in Jordan and Morocco, both ruled by new generation monarchs, has there been meaningful hope for liberalization. And Jordan's King Abdullah has been far vaguer about the path of change than has Mohammed VI.In his March 9 speech, the king promised "comprehensive reforms." The prime minister would henceforth be chosen by the winning party, not by the palace. The parliament would gain "new powers that enable it to discharge its representative, legislative, and regulatory mission." The judiciary, currently run by the Judicial Supreme Council under the control of the king, would be granted "the status of an independent power." New mechanisms would be established to strengthen political parties, now widely deemed moribund. And the king announced that he was impaneling a committee of legal scholars to produce a draft constitution not by some remote future date, but by June.The king's speech provoked every possible degree of optimism and pessimism from Moroccans and Morocco experts. Tahar ben Jelloun, the country's leading novelist, told me that he viewed the speech as "historic -- the first time the monarchy has laid out a vision of reform." If the changes the king proposed are in fact adopted, ben Jelloun says, Morocco's next elections will be "totally free," and will lead to the appointment of a prime minister with the same broad powers enjoyed by the prime minister of France (a less-than-encouraging analogy, given the way President Nicolas Sarkozy runs roughshod over his own government).Of course, what was once touted as the new generation in the Arab world, whether the young kings of Jordan and Morocco or second-generation autocrats like Bashar al-Assad of Syria, have almost always disappointed the hopes they've raised. Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Center, says, "Mohammed has promised substantive reforms time and again, and has always portrayed himself as a modernizing reformer and democratizer. But he's never lived up to that; it's been largely cosmetic." Hamid sees the king's speech as more of the same.http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/06/10/game_of_thrones

-----------------------------------------MOROCCO: Reform as a path to a genuine constitutional monarchy. June 7, 2011 When King Mohammed VI announced broad changes to Morocco’s constitution in March, he signaled a shift from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy. The new, elected government that results from these changes will be accountable to parliament, have an independent judiciary, offer a more decentralized governance system, provide broader individual liberties and offer women the same chance of winning elected office as men.The changes came suddenly. Before massive protests erupted in Morocco on Feb. 20 — part of the upheaval that has swept across North Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East — the political scene seemed stagnant; no political party was pressing for constitutional changes.On that day, however, protesters in more than 50 Moroccan cities called to set boundaries on the king’s powers and hand over the executive prerogatives to an elected government that voters can hold accountable. The king apparently received the message, although he did not make any explicit reference to the protests in his speech.The announced constitutional reforms open new opportunities for political life in Morocco. Seven significant suggested changes included in the reforms would do the following:Shift executive power from the king to the prime minister. The prime minister will serve as the head of the executive branch and is fully responsible for the government, the civil service and the implementation of the government’s agenda.In the current constitution, the prime minister is responsible only for coordinating activities among the ministers of government. With the prime minister selected from the political party that enjoys a majority in parliament, parties will need to develop their economic and social platforms.Shift power from the king to electors. The revisions will change the process of naming the prime minister, who under the current constitution is appointed by the king regardless of election results. Expand the scope of the legislative domain and provide parliament with new powers. The legislative domain is explicitly restricted in the current constitution. Any legal issue not explicitly mentioned as being part of the domain of law belongs to the regulatory field, and can be handled by governmental decrees.The legislative process grants dominance to the executive branch over parliament. The government controls the agenda of parliament and gives priority to bills it submits to parliament over those initiated by members of parliament. Finally, the government can legislate between regular parliamentary sessions. As such, the constitution has allowed the parliament to delegate its legislative power to the government.Strengthen the judiciary and guarantee its independence. Morocco’s constitution sets out the principle of judicial independence. In practice, however, the judiciary is subject to executive influence.The king serves as chairman of the Judiciary Supreme Council that is mandated to manage judges’ careers (nomination, promotion, mobility and disciplinary sanctions). In addition, the Ministry of Justice sets the agenda for the council’s quarterly meetings and submits the council’s recommendations to the king, who issues final decisions.Shift power and resources from the center to the regions. The revisions will empower regional councils that are directly elected by voters instead of regional representatives of the executive (mainly the Ministry of Interior).Promote participation by women in managing public affairs and promote their political rights. The new constitution is expected to favor equal access by men and women to elected office. It would likely include mechanisms to promote women’s representation in parliament and on local councils, and to guarantee a certain number of seats for women in parliament.Strengthen the rule of law, expand personal freedoms and ensure human rights in political, economic, social and cultural areas. The preamble of the constitution is expected to explicitly affirm Morocco’s commitment to human rights as universally recognized. Morocco’s Amazigh identity will also be mentioned in the constitution and the Amazigh language will be made an official national language in addition to Arabic.The planned changes will not lead to a parliamentary constitution in Morocco, but they will introduce the separation of powers and reduce the king’s all-powerful role in government. As a result, political parties and civil society should remain vigilant about the changes and seize the opportunity of regional upheaval to push for additional reforms.Political parties play a pivotal role in any well-functioning constitutional democracy. They should allow a new generation of political leaders to emerge and open their doors to youth who no longer trust politics or parties. Compared to those of other countries in the region, Morocco’s political system has become much more open over the last decade, but political leaders lacked a strategic vision and adopted a purely opportunistic behavior, trading requests for political reforms for ministerial portfolios and other private benefits. They cannot blame the regime for all of their woes.Now that youth outside the political parties have pushed for constitutional changes, political parties must heed the message. No effective democracy can be achieved with closed, archaic and fragmented political parties. It’s time for them to change along with Morocco’s constitution. -- Lahcen Achy in Beirut

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2011/06/morocco-reform-can-lead-to-a-genuine-constitutional-monarchy.html-----------------------------------------

Peaceful anti-government protests allowed to proceed, more plannedJune 6, 2011 Anti-government protests against Morocco's monarchy in the North African country's two largest cities were allowed to proceed and ended without violence Sunday.

About 60,000 protesters gathered in a main square in Casablanca, activists said, but no riot police showed up to limit the crowd, as they have at previous demonstrations.

Riot police were also absent at protests in the capital of Rabat, where videos posted online showed thousands marching down a main road leading to parliament, chanting, “The people want to overthrow tyranny! The people want to overthrow corruption!”The demonstrators are marching now to parliament," blogger Mamfakinch wrote at about 1 p.m. while live blogging the protests. "No intervention by police, who merely regulate the marchers."The king appears to be taking a softer stand against the demonstrators than in recent weeks, when riot police clashed with protesting crowds, allegedly beating them with batons. It appears to be an effort to limit activists' broadening support as they attempt an Arab Spring uprising similar to those of Tunisia and Egypt.Activists emphasized online, however, that the lack of violence should not be confused with a lack of repression."These protests are taking place today at the same time the Makhzen [the Moroccan regime] are launching a campaign of unprecedented defamation and disinformation against the movement," Mamfakinch said.Police were seen watching from a distance as the crowds marched in Rabat and Casablanca, called on the government to resign and demanded better jobs, education and healthcare.Some demonstrators said undercover police mingled with the crowds.

Protesters in both cities waved posters of Kamal Amari, who on Thursday died from wounds he suffered during clashes with police on May 29 in Safi, about 200 miles south of Rabat.“Martyr rest, will continue fighting,” they chanted.Protesters could also be seen in online videos assembling in Safi to honor Amari and rally against the government.Dozens of injuries have been reported as a result of the weekly protests in recent months. The demonstrations have been mostly organized by the February 20 movement, a coalition of secularists, leftists, Islamists and independents. The group is planning similar demonstrations next weekend, according to postings online.-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske in Cairohttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2011/06/morocco-peaceful-anti-government-protests-allowed-to-proceed-more-planned.html

-----------------------------------------MOROCCO NEW CONSTITUTION: BACK TO SQUARE ONE 06/10/11 Arezki daoud

Washington / Morocco Board News--- The Moroccan people are holding their breath on what's coming on the political front. Insiders involved in the political reform with front seat view of a proposed draft of the new constitution promised by the King say this one is a "game changer." Many even go as far as calling it "revolutionary." But how revolutionary is this draft document? For those seeking smooth transition to democracy, they are going to be hugely disappointed.In many critical areas, it seems as if the reform commission used a thesaurus to change words to make it sound like a real change is happening. But the reality is otherwise. The King will continue to rule, may be not so directly now yet certainly via proxy.For example the King will now become the "Supreme Representative of the State," instead of the "Supreme Representative of the Nation." Well what does that mean in real terms? As far I can interpret, he will continue to call the shots no matter what, in fact solidifying the Monarchy's control of all State affairs.

Then it is said that the Amazigh language will be national language. Then again neighboring Algeria has had the Amazigh language recognized in its constitution for several years. Yet, a visit to Amazigh land in the Kabylie region of Algeria and one can see blatant discrimination against the Amazigh people in the hands of those who represent the State. So let's not be fooled, recognizing Amazigh language means nothing if not followed with actions on the ground and that means economic resources to those people.

Now further into language semantics: the draft constitution proposes to erase the term Prime Minister and replace it by President of the Government (President du Gouvernment). Let's be real here, this is just a exercise in synonyms shifting and if the King is the "Supreme Representative of the State," changing the name would mean nothing, except that one person will be called Mr. President. Furthermore, the famous Article 19 is maintained with some changes called by the authors as "revolutionary" as well, but which I consider window dressing. Article 19 still insists that the King is the Commander of the Faithfull because of the "historical legitimacy" to the benefit of the Monarchy, whatever that means. But the draft constitution says the King can remain source of new laws (called Dahir) but only in religious matters. That may be true, yet the fact that no movement by the new President can be made without Royal consent is indicative that the King will continue to call the shot and will make decision by proxy.

OK I don't mean to be all negative. I do recognize that the fact that Mr. President will come from the political party with the highest number of votes in the legislative elections is somewhat a better idea that what we have been used to. In this case, the President may be more tempted to report to the voters and that's a good thing. But something suggests that we are not getting the full story. What's the link between the President and the "Supreme Representative of the State." Is the latter like the British monarch? Or does he (always a man) have the ability to impose policies and government decision. The truth is the real power still remains that of the King.

Still on the positive front, the cabinet and the Walis (Provincial Governors) will be appointed by the President. How this will happen and what is the role of the Monarchy remains to be seen as well. One more problem in this picture is about the other proposed idea of decentralizing government put forth by the King himself, an idea that calls for the regions to decide on who would govern them at the local level. If the President is now trusted to appoint the Walis, with Royal consent, then should we expect the King's regionalization initiative to be scrapped?

Well, here's the truth: nothing the President will want to do would happen without the explicit agreement of the King. That's been in the constitution forever, and it is in the proposed "revision." And so we are back to square one.

As for the parliament, its legislative coverage will theoretically expand from 9 areas to 40. The Chamber of Representatives will be able to form Commissions of Inquiries if 20% of its members agree. Motions to Censure and the removal of the government can be approved with only 33% of the body. Personally, I think this is excessive, a policy clearly meant to weaken the President and his cabinet. Here again, the Executive branch is stuck between the Monarchy, without which nothing can be done, and the Parliament, which acts as a deadly threat that can clearly be used by the King to reset the agenda and remove the threat, if any.

Meanwhile, it appears the Monarchy is slated to gain some more power, ironically in the name of "less power." For instance the Justice Minister will no longer preside on behalf of the King over the nation's highest judiciary body, the Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature (CSM). Instead, the function will swing back to the Monarchy. But the good news there is that female judges for the first time will be allowed to join the CSM, and so we give the Commission some credit on that front.

How will these changes be greeted in Morocco? Very simple: millions will be disappointed and their fight for democracy will go on. Millions of others, typical conservative pro-Monarchists will support it, calling it "revolutionary." Outside of Morocco, the typical reactions from the likes of Paris and Washington would be the usual congratulatory statements of a democracy on the move, and some in these governments will privately express their displeasure for the lack of progress, but only privately.

In the final analysis, unless the King comes forward with new changes in draft 1, we are anticipating sustained tension on the Moroccan political scene going forward, not the likes we see in Siyria or Yemen, but much more subtle movements. The momentum built by the youth pro-democracy movement will not slow and might be reignited by these latest announcements. We conclude that at this stage the response of the commission appointed by the Monarchy as lackluster as a lot more remains to be changed.http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/64-author/5284-new-constitution-draft-much-ado-about-nothing

-----------------------------------------Young Moroccans show political maturity.By Siham Ali 2011-06-05A government-organised survey revealed that young people have an unexpected and growing interest in politics.

Moroccan youths feel capable of taking their destiny into their own hands and are eager to play a significant role in their country’s reform process, a new poll indicates.Two-thirds of young Moroccans are dissatisfied with what politicians are doing, according to the poll released at the May 23rd-24th youth meeting in Bouznika. Respondents to the youth ministry’s survey also said that politicians look out for their own interests and do not understand the problems of the kingdom's youth."The dinosaurs in our political parties now have to make way for young people after many years of marginalisation of young people," said Hatim Ouardani, a 21-year-old student. "The political stage, which is suffering from many unhealthy practices, can only turn over a new page if young people play a bigger role."Contrary to what people used to believe, youths are no longer shunning politics; they just need to be given the opportunity to show what they can do, Ouardani added."We want young people to be able to access politics and decision-making posts on the strength of their abilities. To this end, they must be supported by experienced people," said 26-year-old bank clerk Farida Hamdaoui.According to Hamdaoui, efforts made by today's leading political figures should not be undone. Instead, she said, a balance between the aims of the various parties is needed so that people can focus on new priorities, including eliminating corruption and creating representative institutions."Since February 20th, it has become clear that young people have something to say about politics and the direction Morocco is heading in," said political analyst Mohamed Saadi. This, he argues, is why politicians are talking more about young people and the role they must play in all strategies, not only as beneficiaries but also as a source of ideas.Labour Party Secretary-General Abdelkrim Benatiq said he favoured the full involvement of young people in the political reform process. He said they are an important factor in the change equation and they must keep a watchful eye on the transparency of the upcoming elections."We must believe in the creative abilities of young people and offer them a climate that encourages discussion and creativity," Youth and Sport Minister Moncef Belkhayat said May 23rd at the Bouznika conference. The minister also said he believes that young people can make an effective contribution to innovation and economic development.

MOROCCO: DANGER OF SLIPPAGE 06/01/11

Washington / Morocco Board News-- The next Protests by the Feb-20th Youth Group are supposed to be held next Sunday, June 5, Across the country. The group is calling the "citizens to protest against repression" and "to demand democratic reforms". The protests will take place two weeks before the advisory committee, appointed last March by Morocco's King Mohammed VI, to provide proposals for a constitutional reform.The Feb-20 Group is calling "all democratic forces [...]of citizens to participate massively in the peaceful demonstrations on Sunday, June 5th, everywhere in Morocco, and even in some Western countries… " Several political parties, trade unions and NGOs are supporting the demonstrators who are protesting against , among other things, "the repression of peaceful demonstrations that have become routine [...] and to continue to support legitimate democratic demands of the Feb-20th Group" said a press release.

Fear of further slippage

Although peaceful, the protests could lead to violent excesses by over reaching demonstrators, or over zealous law enforcement forces. Last Monday, the European Commission expressed its concern over violence against demonstrators, during Sunday protests in Casablanca and Tangier, in particular. "We are concerned by the violence that has been used during demonstrators in Morocco, this weekend" said Natasha Butler, spokesman for the European Neighborhood Policy.

Following a suspicious bombing in Marrakech that killed several tourists and locals, the government has shown an ever increasing hard line policy against dissent. An editor of the largest daily has been jailed and accused of various offenses, the demonstrators are systematically chased and clubbed. The government spokesman said that the Islamists and leftists are piggybacking on the current wave of protests and using it for their own purposes and hurting the country' economy.

There is an ever increasing danger of serious slippage with the current policy of repression. It may provide a fortuitous spark to radicalize the majority of protesters who are, so far, calling for democratic reforms and not an end to the regime as in Libya and Syria.Last week's reports have shown officers clubbing a woman holding a child. Such scenes showcase how easy it is for events to go out of control and for a seminal and powerful scene to happen and to be instantly transmitted for everyone, which will lead to an increased radicalization, and a larger dissent among the public. Recent development in neighboring countries have shown that increased repression often leads to bigger opposition because the wall of fear has crumbled across the region.http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5266

MOROCCAN DEMOCRATIC REFORM: BETWEEN THE BATON AND THE KING’S SPEECH| juni 2, 2011 There is a consensus among Moroccans that the brutal clampdown of demonstrators was ordered by Moroccan Interior Minister Taieb Cherkaoui who in turn received his guidance from his King. Many believed that after Mohammed VI’s bulleted speech outlining his schedule for an attempted constitutional reform, the situation would show improvement. The wave of demonstrations rumbling through the main streets of many Moroccan cities today indicates that the woes of Moroccans are deep and intractable and the government and the political parties are dispassionate and guileful; now that the stone wall of fear has tumbled down, grievances that have long been stifled are bubbling at the surface. Resentment against a government no longer trusted, nor feared by the people, runs high.

Most see the King ‘speech and government officials’ promises for the soon-to-be-implemented reforms as nothing more than temporizing. At a time of economic austerity and political upheaval, Moroccans are galled by a butt-shaking Shakira who pockets a million dollars for a fifteen minutes appearance on Mawazin; it may not be true, but that is the word in the street – hada ‘ar, hada ‘ar, Shakira dat melyar (this is a shame, this is a shame, shakira was paid a million) people chanted in shar’e eshjar (officially know as Driss Elharti street) in Casablanca. Moroccan are no longer duped by the government’s diversionary methods; in comparison to previous years, Mawazin 2011 was largely boycotted; Argana restaurant bombing in Marrakesh failed to rally the people behind the government; the Algeria vs. Morocco soccer game this coming weekend will not succeed in besotting the population.The political parties failed to take the initiative; they are reeled by the sudden change and waited too long to align themselves with the popular reformist movement. It is clear that they have never had a vision. The appearance of their representatives before Abdellatif Menouni and the eighteen members the Consultative Commission for the Review of the Constitution to present their proposals was a contest in political impotency; their vision was unambitious and unimaginative. The little credibility they had shriveled like a penis in frigid water.Against such mounting, sullen defiance, the Moroccan authorities responded in the feral fashion that has always been integral to the pathology of dictatorship. It unleashed its baton-wielding philistines to club the demonstrators into obsequiousness; it deployed its basij style security force to kick defenseless women and bash the heads of their teenage kids with the heels of their government issued boots. They cordon the peaceful crowd in a well practiced maneuver and run them through a gauntlet of raining sticks, fists, and kicks as if they were a herd of cows that had run amok. These so called security forces, shielded from accountability, are capable of the most criminal acts to terrorize the people; they are the ones that, much like it happened in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, and Yemen, will shed their uniforms and mingle with the populace to snipe demonstrators, kidnap and rape women, and burglarize institutions if directed to do so by their commanders. They do not question orders and, much like the ruthless usurpers that command them, they dehumanize the population to better mortify it. You can hear it in the insults they indiscriminately bark out. It was reported that in a Ramadan day in 2008, before he shot and then kicked Tariq Mouhib, a uniformed police officer who pulled him over for a mundane traffic violation, Hassan Yacoubi, the husband of the aunt of king Mohammed VI, Lalla Aicha, had said to him:” you and your lot are nothing by flies. How dare you pull me over?” (Hassan Yacoubi was never presented to justice for his crime.) Indeed, that is how Morocco’s government intent on denying the Moroccan people a breakthrough to dignified living sees the country’s young reformists. These potentates orchestrating the defenestration of democracy are the ones we are awaiting on to implement reforms.The more the government uses violence to suppress demonstrations, the more the people will take to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction. We are not far from the day when young demonstrators will stop running, and instead clench their fists on the throats of those uniformed brutes and their walkie-talkie totting commanders. The odds for a peaceful transition are slim. I fear the worst is yet to come.http://www.nl-aid.org/continent/northern-africa/moroccan-democratic-reform-between-the-baton-and-the-king%E2%80%99s-speech/

-------------------------------------Morocco: From Souks to the Seaside. June 3, 2011 All photos: Lucy DixonNestled in the North-Western most tip of Africa, Morocco undoubtedly offers something for everyone. Due to its rich and varied history, the scenery, culture and infrastructure alters dramatically depending on region. Be it the traditional Berber dynasties, the arrival of the Arabs, or the French colonisation between 1912 and 1956, Morocco bears the scars of a dynamic and ever-changing past.The tourist industry is still in its youth, reflected in the cost of travel and leisure. Currency is in Moroccan dirhams, and there are approximately 12.9 dirhams to one pound. Nothing in Morocco has a set price, so a holiday here will be sure to increase anyone’s ability to strike a bargain. Along the streets and winding corners of the medina, refuse to eat at a restaurant for above 40 dirhams, as it is almost guaranteed the waiter will give in.Spend nothing above 60 dirhams for a four person taxi, where luggage will be precariously balanced in roof baskets. For the female traveller, be warned of any offers of camels proposed to your male friends in exchange for ownership of you; they will be numerous. Ideal for a group (although not if you are intending to drink as Morocco is a Muslim country, so alcohol is scarce), Morocco is diverse, inexpensive and culturally rich.Be it the traditional Berber dynasties, the ­arrival of the Arabs, or the French colonisation between 1912 and 1956, Morocco bears the scars of a dynamic and ever-changing past – but the tourist industry is still in its youth.The most common city to fly to, Marrakech can be quite overwhelming on first impressions. The main square, Jamaa el-Fna, exudes an atmosphere reminiscent of an annual street festival rather than an everyday market place. It is one of the biggest of its kind in the world, and features everything from monkey trainers and women sitting on stools selling henna tattoos to caleches (horse-drawn carriages) and orange juice stalls.By night, the square transforms into a bright and fiery hub of burning incense, coloured lanterns and dancing. Temporary stalls line part of the square and are erected each evening to form mobile restaurants, where the customers watch food being cooked on open air barbeques, the steam billowing up into the night.The best place to stay is as close to Jamaa el-Fna as possible; again, there are endless guesthouses, or riads as they are called, but staying so close to the main square in the main city of the country drives the rates to between £17 and £40, depending on the level of luxury you are seeking. Situated north-west of the medina, these are a must see, and entry is 30 dirhams.Marrakech is also the best place to organise excursions into the tip of the Western Sahara, with numerous companies offering trips of between two days and two weeks into the desert. These can cost anywhere upwards of £50 including food – make sure you browse websites and pre-book to find the best prices. With traditional Berber camps housing you overnight, local men teaching ancient songs on drums around a warming fire, steaming delicious tagines and lying on the sand dunes spotting constellations in the clearest night sky you will ever see, these trips are not to be missed. Of course, the camel rides usually included add to the enjoyment, even if they are painful in the following days (especially for the men).The coastal resort of Essaouira is a perfect getaway from the bustle of Marrakech. There is no train line as yet, so the best way to get there is either by coach (about 70 dirhams one way, and be sure to book in advance as they fill up quickly).Relatively unspoiled by tourism, Essaouira is ideal to experience authentic Moroccan culture in a relaxed, seaside setting. The architecture blends French style and Moroccan colour – whitewashed buildings with bright blue shutters line every street up to five storeys high. Essaouira is also known for its art scene, with several small galleries through the town.You’re likely to spend time strolling leisurely through the souks passing donkeys carrying goods, or browsing ornate teapots, Berber carpets and spices such as saffron. You can walk along the old ramparts which used to form the port in the sixteenth century, when Essaouira was a key stop off in Atlantic trading. The current port is a hub of activity, with all kinds of seafood being sold along the harbour-side. Whole fish can get quite expensive, but a dish should cost around 40 dirhams after some healthy bargaining.The beach is just along from the port, stretching for miles around the bay. Although lovely to walk along, be warned: Essaouira is not called the windy capital of Africa for nothing, as howling gales driving in from the Atlantic causes the sand to blow horizontally for a large proportion of the year. Essaouira may also be a good place if you want to try out a hammam – the public baths for Moroccans – separated strictly by gender. Usually organised through your hostel owner, tourists have to pay a premium to be allowed in, but an hour’s massage and wash should cost around 70 dirhams and involve a full body massage with a local expert. This is definitely an experience you may not ever get (or want) to repeat, as the partial nudity means you’ll become a lot more acquainted with not only your friends, but many other Moroccans too.Seven hours by train from Marrakech, the city of Fes stands inland in the north of the country. With an approximate population of one million, it consists of three main parts: the old medina inside the ancient city walls, new Fes containing the Jewish quarter (the mellah) and the Ville Nouveau, created by the French.The old medina is by far the most charming and beautiful part of the city. Endless riads line the narrow winding streets and generally cost between £12 and £25 per night. Many are small family run properties, with extremely welcoming owners.Day trips into the Middle Atlas mountains only have to take a day, costing around 200 dirhams (approximately £17). The endangered monkey, the Barbary Macaque, lives in the forests here and in places are so tame that you can feed them from your hand.Navigating the supposed 9,400 winding streets that make up the old medina of Fes is another potential hazard. Hiring a tour guide is highly advised, and inexpensive at around 20 dirhams for a morning.http://www.nouse.co.uk/2011/06/03/morocco%E2%80%88from-souks-to-the-seaside/-------------------------------------

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-------------------------------------Quincy Jones produces Arabic charity record.From Rima Maktabi, CNN June 1, 2011

Rabat, Morocco (CNN) -- Quincy Jones has joined some of the biggest names in Arab music to produce a charity single aimed at helping a new generation of artists and musicians.Jones, the veteran music producer who has worked with Michael Jackson, Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra, worked on the single called "Bokra" -- an Arabic version of his song "Tomorrow (A Better You, A Better Me)" -- with Badr Jafar, an Emirati social entrepreneur.The artists involved include Lebanese star Majida El Roumi, who wrote the lyrics; Moroccan-born Grammy-winning producer RedOne, who co-produced the track with Jones; Kadim Al Sahir, from Iraq; Saber El Rebai from Tunisia; Amr Diab, from Egypt and Asma Lmnawar, from Morocco.It is 26 years since Jones produced the iconic record "We Are The World," which sold tens of millions of copies to raise money for victims of famine in Africa. A contemporary version of the song was also released last year to aid the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

Jones, who first toured the Middle East and North Africa in 1953 with the jazz musician Lionel Hampton, said: "I have long been a vocal proponent of music and the arts being a great asset in building bridges between people and cultures."He added: "I believe that given a choice, people want to live in a world of peace and prosperity, and it is my hope that this song will serve as a clarion call for the people of the Middle East and North Africa who share that desire for peace, hope, unity and a better tomorrow to come together to achieve that dream."The money raised will help finance educational arts and culture scholarships and projects for children in the Middle East and North Africa.Jafar said in a press release: "This song comes at such an important time for the Middle East and brings together the region's leading talent to produce a song of inspiration and hope for all."There is no better time in the region's history than now for us to be producing a song of this magnitude, and we have the very best people in the industry behind it."The Arabic lyrics, written by Roumi, are aimed to provide a beacon of solidarity and hope for the region, the organizers said.I have long been a proponent of music being a great asset in building bridges between people and cultures.--Quincy Jones, music producerRedOne, the co-producer who has worked with artists such as Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, and Enrique Iglesias, told CNN: "It's such an honor to have been chosen by Quincy Jones to join the team and recreate this legendary song."We will be trying this new thing, inspire young people, the new generation thinking about peace, thinking about a better tomorrow."The song was recorded in Rabat, Morocco, during the 10th edition of the Mawazine Festival Rhythms of the World.Kadim Al Sahir, an Iraqi singer and composer who fled the violence in his own country, said the project was an opportunity to bridge divisions across the Middle East.Al Sahir said it's not the first time he's worked with Jones, adding "he called me personally to ask for my help in doing the song in Arabic with an Eastern melody. I was happy then because I enjoy songs composed for humanity."The team is also creating a music video for the song, as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary that will trace the "Tomorrow/Bokra" project, incorporating footage from various countries in the region where artists involved will be performing."Bokra" is expected to be released after Ramadan, which will run throughout August.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/06/01/quincy.jones.bokra/index.html--------------------------------------------------------------------------A Weekend in Essaouira, Morocco. By Myrisa LukeThe handsome barman, wearing a bow-tie and serving cocktails in the Orson Welles Bar, is the spitting image of Humphrey Bogart. My friend and I are at the Hotel des Isles, on the first night of our weekend in Essaouira, on Morocco’s Atlantic coast.

“Here is Orson Welles standing at this bar, when he was filming Othello,” he says, pointing to a black and white photograph above the bar. The film won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1952. “And this is him with his daughter, when he came back to visit afterwards. We love him because he loved Essaouira.”

The bar is a gem, and must be preserved, even though the hotel, the first of several built along the beach promenade, is currently being renovated. Further down the coast is the new Mogador Resort, with a Gary Player design golf course and views over the Atlantic.

Out to sea are the Purple Islands, now an uninhabited bird sanctuary. Centuries ago, the islanders extracted a dye from Murex sea snails to make the prized imperial purple cloth for the Roman Empire.Stormy WeatherNext morning, we head towards the main square, Place Moulay Hassan, for a walking tour of the medina. Mohamed, our guide, leads the way, the black tassel on his red Fez hat rotating, beige selham cloak swaying, and his footsteps revealing decorated insoles in his yellow babouche slippers.

Through the streets of the medina or walled city we go; then up a ramp to the circular north tower of the Skala de la Ville. Three miles of ramparts surround the citadel of Mogador, as it was called when built by the Portuguese in the 15th century. Along the wide walkway, cannons line up, pointing out to sea.The sky is a forbidding gray, instead of the usual friendly blue. Seagulls coast on the alizés, or coastal breezes, whipping up the Atlantic Ocean. Thundering waves crash against the walls beneath us, lash out and rise up higher than twice the height of jagged rocks, spitting drops of water at us.

We return to the medina, a laid-back, bohemian kind of place that attracts local and international artists, musicians, and film makers. The movie “Alexander” was filmed here in 2004, followed by Kingdom of Heaven in 2005. Shops, workshops, and art galleries line the streets of the old Jewish quarter and old diplomatic area. “This was Orson Welles’s favorite hammam,” Mohamed tells us on a street corner, “where Iago was filmed killing Rodrigo in Othello.”

Traditional arts and crafts of the region are displayed in the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah Museum, named after the sultan who built the medina in the 18th century. It is one of the easiest medinas to find your way around in Morocco, because it is designed on a grid system. The medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a combination of Moroccan and European styles, white walls, windows painted blue, and limestone trims.

In the days when camel caravans arrived here from Timbuktu by way of Marrakesh, merchants would stay in the old caravanserai where the courtyard is paved with different sizes of pebbles arranged in patterns. Mohamed demonstrates how, after long hours standing on their feet, traders would rock to and fro on the pebbles to give themselves a foot massage, or relieve an aching back. The cafés around the courtyard are good places to enjoy a mint tea break.The slate gray sky is getting darker by the minute. It starts bucketing down. Plans to see the fishing port, or go riding with turbaned horsemen on the beach have to be canceled. The Atlantic is now a raging, elemental force of nature. The beach is buried under wave after wave of foaming surf, crashing in and spilling over onto the road, and the Purple Islands seem like a figment of the imagination, lost behind an impenetrable curtain of mist and rain.By nightfall, the storm is over. Rachid, a Moroccan friend, invites us to a smart party in a marquee on the beach.The evening’s highlight is a performance by gnaoua musicians, who belong to a religious brotherhood. Rachid translates some lyrics. “O my God, you know what I have in my heart.” It is said that their music can send people into a trance.

Singing joyous songs and playing compelling music are six gnaoua dressed in blue, wearing caps decorated with cowrie shells. Their leader is Hamid Al Kesri, one of the most popular guembri (three-stringed bass instrument) players. His deep, resonant voice combines with the notes from his three-stringed guembri, to sound like one sublime musical instrument.

A gnaoua leaps off the stage, down to the dance floor; gliding from side to side as if his feet are roller-skates. For a while, six guest musicians from different countries join them on stage.

It is an exhilarating experience. People are dancing and jumping up and down on the dance floor. This must be a taste of what it is like, when The Gnaoua and World Music Festival are held here in June each year.Wind and kite surfers are back on our final day, taking advantage of the sea breezes, skimming the waves off the beach. We explore the medina at leisure, and chat with friendly shopkeepers selling jewelry, rugs, wooden boxes, and carved and inlaid objects made from fragrant thuja wood.

Along an alley just inside the city walls, we stop and admire the work of tailors and artisans making musical instruments. The Espace Othello art gallery and riads with inviting courtyards draw us in through open doorways.

The walls of Hisham’s apothecary shop, near the fish market, are lined with clear jars of herbs, spices, and pigments. He offers us tea, and fetches a tray, a teapot of hot water, and glasses. Then he drops a bit of this and that into the pot. It tastes harmless and pleasant enough for us to happily accept a second glass.

Before leaving, we discuss perfumes, special spice mixtures created by his mother, and pigments (used to color paints and dye wool or cloth) with evocative names like Mogador Blue.

Baskets of snails and the day’s catch of moray eels, rays, and bream are spread out on the fish market stalls. On the way out, Ahmed stops us for a chat, urging us to buy his solid perfumes with these words of wisdom: “Amber is for women to attract men. Musk is for men to attract women.”

It is night when we leave Essaouira, as it was when we arrived. On our two-hour journey here by bus across the plain from Marrakesh, the sunset lingered on for well over an hour with the sky ablaze, darkening, lighting up again. Rekindling like the embers of a fire, red, orange, and charcoal gray.Tonight, we drive past the beach where groups of people stroll up and down the long, wide, curved, and spot-lit strip of sand; past the hotel where the barman looks so much like Bogart, on the way to Casablanca to catch our flight back home.

Myrisa Luke caught the travel bug at an early age. She is a travel writer whose work and photographs have been published in the U.K., America, Australia and Canada.http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/57138/99999999/1/1/-------------------------------------

Global Beat Fusion: How Morocco Can Inspire the World.Saturday, 28 May 2011When Americans reflect on Morocco in 2011, the initial image brought to mind will most likely fall on April 28, when 16 people were killed in Marrakech during a suicide bombing at the touristy Argana Café. Reports of Al Qaeda were invoked in this usually stable country, and though having denied any involvement, Islamic terror reigned once again during the American 24-hour news cycle. It's the sad reality of a predatory media environment that covers almost exclusively messages of doom and destruction while generally ignoring great strides forward. One of the main dangers of this mental association game -- Islamic country=terrorism -- is that when amazing displays of humanity emerge, they fall on deaf ears. urrently celebrating the tenth anniversary of the momentous Mawazine Festival in the capital city of Rabat, in which two million people converge to celebrate indigenous Moroccan music (such as Gnawa, Berber and Sahawari), Arab pop, and a broad swath of sounds from all over Africa, Asia, Europe and America, Morocco has plenty to teach the Muslim world, as well as America and our current relationship with the arts. The small country in North Africa not only avoided the Arab Spring (outside of a few regional protests), but may also prove to be a blueprint for the future of the Islamic world.Most festival officials and random Moroccans that I met while spending four days covering Mawazine this week referenced the forward thinking policies of King Mohammed VI as an explanation as to why the country remained relatively quiet during this heated season of revolts and unrest. After assuming this role in 1999, following the death of his father, at the young age of 36, Mohammed's tenure has included a series of rewritten laws that promote gender and social equality. He has also ramped up his nation's economy (I was told of 5% annual growth) with a strong emphasis on infrastructure. When protesters peacefully crowded around Parliament in February (an elected body that assumes a good deal of power) and demanded constitutional changes, the king declared he would concede to such amendments, including limitations to his own power. Egyptian and Libyan leaders have much to learn from such an attitude. The changes might not be fast enough for some, but they are being set into motion without bombs or armies.Read more:http://www.morocconewsline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=475&Itemid=1-------------------------------------

Royal Air Maroc is the national airline of Morocco run out of its hub in Casablanca. As an airline it is a microcosm of Morocco, what it values and honors is what Moroccans value and honor, what it regards as unimportant is what Moroccans feel to be unimportant.

The first thing that Royal Air Maroc considers to be unimportant is punctuality. Flights are frequently more then two hours behind schedule. This is not surprising to find in a society where time is considered to be flexible. In the larger scheme of things this de-emphasis on punctuality is only a problem if you have a connecting flight to catch.

Royal Air Maroc also considers general airline safety procedures, common throughout Europe and America, to be unimportant. Stewardesses will never ask you to put on your seatbelt, close your tray table or put your seat in the upright position for take off. In fact, they might not even ask you to be seated for take off. Moreover, luggage in the isles and overhead bins being open throughout the flight are par for the course. While this de-emphasis on safety measures which most other airlines regard as essential is worrying, Royal Air Maroc makes up for it in other ways.

What Royal Air Maroc values more then anything is food. No set of stewardesses anywhere else in the world can bring out more food more quickly. It is an impressive feat. The carts literally fly down the isles, their polite pushers willing to run over anything that tries to come in between them and their client’s full bellies.

The thought that there are airlines in the world that regularly commit the sacrilege of not including meals, or charging separately for them, or taking more then ten minuets to serve the entire plane is intolerable, incomprehensible to Royal Air Maroc.

All and all, Royal Air Maroc would be a much better airline if it were on time. The souk bus mentality of “O just catch the next one” doesn’t work so well when there is one flight a day. On the other hand, all other airlines would be much better if they focused on procedure a little less, and on food a little more.

Still, at the end of the day, if you don’t want to end up sleeping in an airport, chose a different airline.

Oldest Peace Corps volunteer returns home to Sebastian after 27 months in MoroccoBy Ashley Blanchard May 27, 2011 SEBASTIAN — Muriel Johnston remembers when Kennedy inaugurated the Peace Corps program 50 years ago.At the time, she was at-home with several young children. Although she considered it a wonderful program, it was something she thought she would never do.But when she was 84 years old, she added it to her bucket list.In the fall of 2008 one of her daughters suggested she apply to the Peace Corps. Little did she know that her daughter Eileen had already researched the application process and found there was a special program for candidates older than age 50.The average age in the Peace Corps is 27, and only 5 percent of the volunteers are older than age 50."I never thought in my wildest dreams that they would accept me because of my age," said Johnson. "I thought it was just for college graduates."The Sebastian resident and mother to six returned home last month from a two-year assignment in Morocco. At age 86, she is the oldest volunteer to have served in the Peace Corps.The application process was complicated and grueling. A complete physical was required. In October 2008, Johnston got the call to go to Morocco in February 2009. Her stint would be 27 months, with a three-month training period and a two-year placement.People would ask her why she wanted to do this at her age."I wanted to accept the challenge and know that I could do something worthwhile no matter how small," she said.Johnston spent three months learning the land while staying with a host family. It eventually became her permanent assignment, and she got her own place There.By American standards, Johnston was roughing it.Although she had electricity and tap water in the kitchen and water room, her daily routine was primitive. She took bucket baths by heating a pot of water and pouring it into a bucket.The public bath was a social outing for the locals. Johnston would pay the equivalent of 13 cents to wash her hair there. There was no heat and central air in her home, despite temperatures ranging from 48 to 108 degrees.Tanant, Morocco is very compact with the center of town designated by a taxi stand and bus stop. There is a post office, medical clinic and shops, but in just two blocks there's country with livestock. Johnston is a vegetarian, so she enjoyed the local produce for about $1.30 a week. Since there were no movies in town and she did not own a television, she read and cross stitched in her free time."I was part of group whose purpose was to help raise the population's hygiene standards. Many of the residents are third or fourth generation of nomads — a gypsy lifestyle — so brushing teeth and washing hands were foreign to them," said Johnston.Some of her time was spent visiting classrooms and educating children on oral hygiene, giving out toothbrushes and toothpastes. To some, she was affectionately called the Toothbrush Lady.Originally, Johnston thought she would work with a local doctor who had a Peace Corps volunteer 10 years ago. Unfortunately, a month after she arrived he was transferred to another town.A new doctor, a recent graduate, had never heard of the Peace Corps and although he wanted to improve his English, he wasn't prepared to use her talents.She engaged with a local school to promote global hand washing day, Oct. 15. From there, she was able to facilitate much needed repair work to the lunchroom, which had no water, electricity or nearby bathrooms.Her proudest accomplishment was the establishment of a school library with the school's headmaster."Through the efforts of a Vero Beach book club called The Novelties I was able to purchase books in French and Arabic for over 500 students in grades first through eighth," said Johnston.Since Johnston's official retirement age of 62, she has traveled to more than 30 countries. In reflecting on her most recent trip and experience, she encourages others to volunteer."Once the mystery is gone you are no longer afraid," she said. "I found that the people of Morocco want the same things that we want, better lives for their kids and to improve their lifestyle each day."Johnston said she is in the "recovery stage," having been out of the country for 27 months. She is looking forward to meeting her great grandchild that was born on May 3rd in California and to seeing family at a mini-reunion in June.For any volunteer the greatest reward is to have mattered."I really felt like I made a difference there," said Johnston.http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/may/27/oldest-peace-corps-volunteer-returns-home-to-27/----------------------------------------Artisans of Al-MaghribWander through the colorful souqs of a Moroccan artisan community. Hear how Peace Corps Volunteer Rob Revere advised artists and craft cooperatives on developing their businesses and accomplishing their goals.http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/multimedia/slideshows/mrc_revere.cfm ----------------------------------------USAID provides potable water to Moroccan villages. By Naoufel Cherkaoui 2011-05-26A new aid programme from the US government looks to help Moroccan charities create sustainable economic development in rural areas.The US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Tuesday (May 24th) launched a grant programme for Moroccan and American NGOs in Rabat. The plan aims to help charity organisations foster sustainable development in rural areas."I'm very excited today, considering that such initiatives are a great way to strengthen the partnership between the United States and Morocco," US Ambassador to Morocco Samuel Kaplan told Magharebia. The "Development Grants Program" covers the period between 2011 and 2014.The ambassador added, "On the one hand, the US offers funding and on the other, inhabitants of those areas demonstrate a spirit of true leadership. The co-operation between USAID, the US Peace Corps and the Moroccan government helps a lot in that direction. It must be emphasised that with time, the output of that work has made it to the local level under the supervision of NGOs that care about population groups.""USAID has launched a request for proposals to support projects across the world. Four associations have been accepted in Morocco," explained Said Mahzoun, head of the Aghbalou Association for Development and the Preservation of the Environment.Mahzoun said American assistance would "help establish very important programmes in the area of Midelt"."We will renovate some of the old facilities concerned with water purification, and will extend the network of water purification," the NGO official said. "We will also erect plants to clean waste water before passing it to the course of the river."The head of the charity association in Midelt told Magharebia that their objective was to "reduce the phenomenon of girls dropping out of school in villages, as they are typically charged with searching for drinking water for their families. Therefore, by providing families with potable water, we will mitigate that problem on the one hand, and also provide those communities with healthy water to dodge the risks of drinking untreated water."For his part, John Groarke, the Director of USAID in Morocco, said, "Last September, during a speech at the United Nations, President Barack Obama announced the new US global development. According to that policy, countries such as Morocco are in charge of their own development, which programmes such as the one we launched today, allows for and whereby those countries determine their priorities in that direction. As we know, the field of water purification is very important in development."Abdul Aziz Al-Allawi, president of the Tislit Association for Development in Al Haouz province, told Magharebia that his group's project was "the first of its kind across the region in the area of water purification and reusing it in agriculture, so that 1,200 people would benefit from it. The assistance we received from USAID totals 12 million dirhams, while the contribution our association and its partners offered was 3 million dirhams.""The overall goal of our project is to improve the living conditions of villagers through the constant purification of used water, by working to preserve the environment through protecting ground water from pollution, particularly if we knew that sanitation in rural areas is traditionally handled, while people use wells as a source of drinking water. Our goals also include trying to minimise the dangers resulting from the pollution which affects the digestive system especially in children," Al-Allawi added.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/05/26/feature-03----------------------------------------Viera High teacher reflects on Morocco exchange visit. May. 22, 2011 Viera High School English teacher Bill Ringer traveled to Morocco to visit a high school there as part of an international exchange program.Ringer was one of 110 educators from across the nation selected for the exchange program, run by the State Department.During Ringer's two-week stay, he visited Missour Mixed High He discussed teaching practices with the school's leaders and other educators.FLORIDA TODAY caught up with Ringer to ask about his visit.QUESTION: How did your exchange trip to Morocco come about?RINGER: I love to learn and travel -- so I research and seek out opportunities where I can combine the two. I found this program a few years ago, applied, and was awarded this grant-funded opportunity.Q: How does the Morocco high school system compare to the U.S.?RINGER: Similarities of their system to ours are that students have to pass national exams to graduate so they must take certain courses (there are no electives, so students can only take the courses that are tested), and teachers there are very dedicated to helping students succeed.Most subjects are the same as here (math, science, English), except that students there also study French, Arabic, and philosophy (all are tested for graduation).Q: What are some differences?RINGER: Nearly all of their students are eager and willing to learn; in fact, student enthusiasm for learning was energizing after 16 years of teaching here and trying my best to teach and "entertain" to keep students involved.When I asked students what they liked best about their school, every single student said, "Our teachers."Also, their system is less organized; honestly, the daily schedule, to me, was quite confusing. Some classes met just two times a week, others more often, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, and never in the same classroom.Q: What did you learn from the experience that you will incorporate into your classroom?RINGER: I learned that language and learning and intellectual curiosity are universal and that communication is what we, as humans, do best. IQ: Was this a one-time visit or will you be going to Morocco on a regular basis?RINGER: It is a one-time visit, although my host teacher is currently seeking "sister-school" grant funding to perhaps visit Brevard.http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110522/NEWS13/105220314/Viera-High-teacher-reflects-Morocco-exchange-visit

----------------------------------------Morocco holds youth meetings. By Naoufel Cherkaoui 2011-05-25As part of its youth empowerment programme, the Moroccan government brought together scores of young people to listen to their demands and act on them. .Thousands of youths gathered in the coastal town of Bouznika May 23rd-24th to partake in the first series of national debates aimed at adopting a strategy for Morocco's rising generation."The government took responsibility and had a discussion with young people who make up more than 35% of the society," Youth and Sports Minister Moncef Belkhayat said."We initiated today a work programme by signing ten significant agreements with some ministries," he added.According to Belkhayat, the accords envision a mechanism for ensuring social security for youths between ages 18-25. They also provide for creating health centres to tackle youths' problems such as drug addiction and constructing sports stadiums. Furthermore, it was agreed to double theAccording to General Confederation of Moroccan Businesses (CGEM) chief Mohamed Hourani, the debate was marked by "common optimism shared by youths and the government"."The signed agreements have credibility," he added. "The concerned parties must work on bringing these projects to fruition.""During the debate, we have seen strong expectations of young people, especially with regards to jobs," Employment Minister Jamal Rhmani told Magharebia. "Their proportion of the labour force in 2016 will reach 65%."Moroccan youths are "aware that the employment market is developing, which requires good education," he added.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/05/25/feature-03----------------------------------------Morocco's Youth Want Their Own Form of Change By Helene Zuber in RabatYoung people across Morocco are demanding change and more democratic freedoms. King Mohammed VI has allowed for reform of the country's constitution, but a bomb attack last month in Marrakech which left 17 dead threatens progress.Najib Chaouki and his friends arranged over Facebook to meet near Témara, on the outskirts of the Moroccan capital Rabat. The plan was to meet on Sunday, May 15, for a picnic in front of the country's domestic intelligence service headquarters. They wanted to protest the police state in their country.Témara is a place the government doesn't like to talk about. This is where the CIA and the British MI5 are believed to have brought and brutally tortured suspected terrorists after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.Chaouki, 32, a blogger from Rabat, and his fellow protesters, who mobilize tens of thousands of demonstrators each month, were proud of their plan. "We wanted to inform the public about the intelligence service's illegal tactics," the young man with the long, dark curls explains.They didn't get that far. Special police units were already waiting for the young people in the early morning. Chaouki was in a supermarket when plainclothes policemen outside began beating the new arrivals with clubs. The officers pursued about 100 young women and men for two hours, even chasing them onto the rooftops of surrounding buildings. Ten of the protesters ended up in the hospital with injuries.King Mohammed VI's ReformsThe failed picnic shows that three months after young Moroccans first called for demonstrations on Feb. 20, expanding the Arab pro-democracy movement to their country, the freedom to publicly express opinions is still under threat there.The events on May 15 also represented a serious setback along the path to a liberal society, since King Mohammed VI promised in early March to establish a more democratic system and a state governed by the rule of law. The king appointed a national council for human rights and created a commission to develop a new constitution. He declared his willingness to take the steps he considered necessary for Morocco to achieve peacefully what Tunisia and Egypt were only able to attain by deposing those in power.But all that was before two bombs, apparently remotely detonated, exploded in the famous tourist café Argana at the well-known Djemaa el-Fna square in the heart of Marrakech on April 28, killing 17 people. Police have since arrested seven suspects -- al-Qaida sympathizers, according to information from the Moroccan interior ministry.But just as with the suicide attacks in Casablanca eight years ago, here, too, rumors began circulating immediately that the country's intelligence service had a hand in the matter. The rumors suggest that these hardliners, intent on holding onto their own power, weren't pleased when the king released about 100 prisoners in mid-April, including several who had been convicted as terrorists.A Movement Under ThreatSince then, the pro-democracy movement seems to be under threat again, but young Moroccans won't let themselves be driven back off the streets that easily. "They've overcome the wall of fear," says Fahd Iraqi, editor-in-chief of the critical political magazine Tel Quel, which supports the young demonstrators' demands."We're pacifists," states Chaouki, who completed high school in Germany and studied there. Young Moroccans' largest complaint is not with the monarchy. Unlike their contemporaries in neighboring countries, they aren't calling for the overthrow of their ruler. Mohammed VI can remain head of state as far as they're concerned -- he just should not continue to govern as well.This is the unusual aspect of the Moroccan Spring: The movement doesn't aim to overthrow a leader, and yet it is revolutionary. The king sees himself as a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, making him both the highest leader of believers and a secular ruler.This absolute power, which the country's rebellious youth would like to see curtailed, has nonetheless allowed the king to implement overdue reforms -- going against resistance from Morocco's rigid political system and Islamists when necessary. He pushed through a family law reform that gave women equal rights, and he pursued reconciliation with the country's left-wing opposition, long brutally repressed under his father, Hassan II.Making Change From WithinNow Mohammed VI has announced a revision to the constitution: In the future, the king will no longer be able to appoint whomever he likes as head of the government. Instead, the leader will come from the party that wins in free elections. The king also wants to further the separation of powers and make the judiciary independent. "Be creative" was the monarch's recommendation to the members of a new constitutional commission, which he filled with representatives from civil society, academia and human rights groups.The battle against corruption also has the king's blessing. Revelations concerning the political class's habit of lining its own pockets, which were contained in US embassy cables released by the Internet platform WikiLeaks, provoked a great deal of resentment among Moroccans, prompting young protesters to demand the most brazen of these opportunists be removed from positions close to the monarch. They achieved one success when the king appointed Abdesselam Aboudrar, founder of the Moroccan branch of Transparency International, to be the president of a government agency that will take action against corruption.In the 1970s, Aboudrar attempted to overthrow the monarchy together with other left-wing activists, then survived five years in a secret prison in the basement of a police station in Casablanca. Now the engineer and financial expert believes he can accelerate reforms by working together with the king.Morocco's problem isn't so much the monarch's extensive power, says this one-time enemy of the state, but the political parties themselves. The same members of the "Makhzen," the ruling elite, keep handing out posts to members of the government's 20 most important groups, and they've lost voters' trust. In the country's 2007 parliamentary elections, 63 percent of those eligible to vote did not do so.Part 2: 'The Time for Self-Censorship Is Over'Businessman Omar Balafrej, 37, a former member of Morocco's socialist party, says he's pleased that the king's changes to the constitution have given the parties a share of responsibility. It's high time, he says, for a young generation of politicians to show "courage to make far-reaching change."What Balafrej likes about the movement of Feb. 20 is that young people are getting involved in politics. "The time for self-censorship is over," he says. "Now we can criticize everything." He's not worried about the future: "If the constitutional reform doesn't go far enough for us, we can reject it."For the time being, these unlikely partners -- the young protesters and the king who likes to style himself a reformer from above -- rely on one another. They're the only agents of change among the rigid political parties.And unlike in other Arab countries, Morocco's rebels must work on the assumption that the majority of the country's 31 million inhabitants are very much content with a patriarchal king watching over the country. More than 75 percent of the population is under 35 years old, making them members of the "M6" generation who have reached adulthood during Mohammed VI's reign.Talking to Young People Through RadioThis generation's attitude towards life is particularly familiar to the team that has spent the last five years operating Moroccan young people's favorite radio station, Hit Radio. One million listeners tune in every day to Hit Radio's programs, produced by a small crew of young men and women in Rabat's hip neighborhood of Agdal.Station founder Younès Boumehdi, 40, says he was the first to give young people in the Arab world the opportunity to speak openly on the radio about topics important to them. In particular, his radio station is known for rap performed in Darija, the powerful everyday language of the people, and Bouhmedi believes these performances anticipated the young rebels' complaints and demands.A marketing specialist who earned his degree in Paris, Bouhmedi knows that most of his listeners don't favor fighting in the streets. "We don't want chaos," they write on Facebook. Members of the M6 generation don't want to jeopardize the freedoms they've earned -- but they also want to see change continue.Translated from the German by Ella Ornsteinhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,764898,00.html----------------------------------------Showdown in Morocco. Hisham al-Miraat Thursday, May 26, 2011The makhzen refers to an ancient institution in Morocco -- the extended power apparatus close to the Moroccan monarchy, made up of a network of power and privilege. It allows the King to act as an absolute monarch and the de facto head of the executive. Beneath the give and take of everyday politics, the makhzen has always been the ultimate guarantor of the status quo. For three months, the pro-democracy youth movement, known as "February 20," has been advocating against that status quo. Protests have not been targeting the monarchy directly, but instead have been urging for reform that would yield a system in which the King reigns but does not rule.What started as a small group on Facebook earlier this year, has since grown into a nationwide movement made up of a loose coalition of leftists, liberals and members of the conservative Islamist right. Inspired by the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings and powered by new media, the movement convinced hundreds of thousands to take to the streets. The demonstrations held week in, week out, were remarkably peaceful. In response, King Mohammed VI promised a package of constitutional reforms to be submitted to a referendum in June. But as protesters, unconvinced by the King's promise, vow to keep up pressure on the regime, authorities seem increasingly impatient and determined to break up protests violently, paving the way toward escalation and confrontation with the street. The middle class is joining the mass of demonstrators, moving the protests beyond the core of mobilized youth. Their target is the makhzen -- which has become a code word for the monarchy's abuses of power and monopoly over large sectors of the economy.Protests are not new in Morocco. During the Cold War years, leftists who dared to stand up and denounce the regime's abuses of power saw the wrath of the makhzen befall them. Those who were lucky enough not to have disappeared suffered the worst abuses, or were thrown into secret prisons in the middle of the desert. But in the age of Internet and new information technologies, the regime knows well that its actions are closely watched and that the indiscriminate repression of the "Years of Lead" (a name commonly used in Morocco to refer to the dark era of repression under late King Hassan II) are virtually impossible to hide from the public eye. This partly explains the inconsistency of its handling of the tension in the street.From the start, the protest movement indentified key areas where reform is much needed: poverty, corruption, injustice and the control of political and economic life by the monarch's close entourage and some privileged families accused of misuse of public funds. The regime's response was tempered and conciliatory at first. In an attempt to quell popular anger, King Mohammed VI gave a speech on March 9 in which he announced the appointment of a committee to revise the Moroccan Constitution, pledging to relinquish parts of his prerogatives, while setting the outlines of permissible change. The status of the monarchy was to remain untouched, while the King was to supervise the reform process.The proposed reform plan did not convince everyone and many decided to continue their protests. Skeptical youth doubted that the process initiated by the King was compatible with fundamental popular demands, such as the drafting of a whole new constitution by an elected assembly. Protesters have also been calling for the dissolution of the parliament, the dismissal of the current government, the release of all political prisoners, the clear separation of powers and the trial of officials involved in cases of torture and corruption. Amid continuing street protests, the palace offered a series of reforms, including the release of 190 political prisoners, mainly Islamist and human rights activists.But then on April 28 a terrorist bomb attack hit a popular restaurant in the heart of Marrakech, killing 17 people. The country was plunged into a state of shock. Beyond the unanimous condemnation, the timing of the attack raised many questions. The fear of a security clampdown and a freeze of liberties were the main concerns of pro-democracy advocates. Their fear is justified. The makhzenhas traditionally actively sought to nurture an image of stability -- an exception to the turmoil in the Arab world. That strategy has worked for a time for the regime: Morocco is routinely praised by western officials as an ally of the West in a rather hostile region. The country holds an advanced status with the European Union; it has signed a free trade agreement with the U.S.; it is actively cooperating with the Americans in their global "War on Terror," and it enjoys the status of a Major Non-NATO Ally. The specter of terrorism has long been a useful card for gaining external support.Police violence in recent days has escalated. On May 15, peaceful demonstrators who wanted to protest in front of an alleged secret detention center in Temara (dubbed Guan-Temara by protesters) near the capital Rabat faced repression. A week later, anti-riot police systematically and violently disrupted peaceful gatherings in public squares. This may be the sign that the regime is shifting its attitude toward the street and taking a much more hardline stance. As with other Arab regimes, the makhzen faces a dilemma: if it clamps down hard on peaceful protesters, it risks loosing its reputation as a model of democratic reform in a region often perceived in the West as averse to the liberal ideals of democracy. If it loosens up, then it will have to face the challenge to its own existence posed by a determined and organized street.The "February 20" youth movement is vowing to keep up street pressure, rejecting the King's offer of token reform. If the regime insists on denying the people their rights of assembly and free expression, then the country will be heading toward the unknown. Against the backdrop of the Arab revolutions, change looks inevitable. It is still in the power of the monarchy to ensure a peaceful transition and at the same time ensure its own survival. The more the makhzen drags its feet, the more it runs the risk of undermining the stability of the country and, at the end of the day, its own existence.Hisham al-Miraat is the co-founder of Talk Morocco and a contributing author for Global Voiceshttp://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/05/26/showdown_in_morocco----------------------------------------MOROCCO GOVERNANCE: TRADITIONAL VERSUS MODERNMOSTAFA CHTAINI 05/23/11San Francisco / Morocco Board News--- To those of us who are concerned about the evolution of political development in the last 60 years in the developing world, and the current political changes taking place in North Africa and the Middle East, one important question is this: Can we modernize without losing the best of our traditions? I will try to shed some light on what the social sciences have been defining as political and economic development and modernization for us to understand the implications of where we are heading on this path to “modernization.”

Developed countries in the West assume that the development that they have experienced can be and should be emulated by developing countries. But what they omit in this invitation is the fact that their political development was based on economic development, which in turn was based on slavery, colonialism, and neo-colonialism. Countries that are now seeking development and its benefits have experienced the negative impact of these three economic systems. Some will argue that we shouldn’t dwell on the past, but as William Faulkner said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

Today in the developing world several dynamics are taking place. These dynamics are assumed to be factors of change and political development in the Western mode, which is welcomed by the social sciences. Let’s see why. Capitalism as an economic system imposes structures which undermine the traditional sector, representing the masses, for the sake of upholding the modern sector, representing “modern man.” This modern-traditional dichotomy viewed from the perspective of development is the backbone of the “continuum theory” –one of the dominant schools of thought in the Western social sciences. According to the continuum theory, development proceeds in a continuous, linear progression from “traditional” to “modern”. The basic tool of inquiry is the accumulation of data applied toward a state of being “developed” which is projected as some universal, pre-determined state.

The continuum theory characterizes developed and underdeveloped countries as “traditional” or “modern” and defines “development” as the abandonment of one set of characteristics in favor of the other. Social scientists, such as Max Weber and Talcott Parsons, look at pairs of pattern variables to analyze social action or social systems. These variables include achievement and ascription, specificity and diffuseness, universalism and particularity, effective-neutrality and affectivity, and self-orientation and collective-orientation. According to this model, the developed country would be achievement-oriented, and the individual or system within it would focus attention on achieved aspects of a person rather than his or her ascribed qualities, i.e., sex, status, etc. Roles in the developed society would be, according to the model, functionally specific rather than diffuse, characterized by the specific obligations of a contract rather than wider obligation of family loyalty. A developed society and the individual and system actions within it would be guided by universally accepted percepts rather than ones relating to a particular situation or person; interactions would be characterized by effective-neutrality and self-orientation rather than by emotion and a concern for the common good.

In addition to defining the characteristics of traditional and modern societies, social scientists, such as Walt Rostow, advance the theory that economic development is a transition through stages. According to Rostow, “It is possible to identify all societies, in their economic dimensions, as lying within five categories: the traditional society, the precondition for take-off, the take-off, the drive to maturity, and the age of high-mass consumption.” According to Walt Rostow, underdeveloped countries today find themselves in a historical stage through which presently developed countries have already passed.

Within the assumptions of the continuum theory, according to Herman Kahn, the diffusion model asserts that “development occurs largely through the spread of certain cultural patterns and material benefits from developed to the underdeveloped areas; and that within each underdeveloped nation a similar diffusion occurs from the modern to the traditional sectors.” He also states “that maintaining the present world economic, technological and political environment is the perfect way for “richer” nations to accelerate the rate of development in “poorer” nations. The best “developer” is the transnational corporation, (that is, the corporation owned and controlled by one nation with access to many others).” According to Kahn, the transnational corporation is a good institutional builder.

This theory makes even more explicit the notion of the “dual society” that pervades in the social sciences in the West today and the assumption that development means assimilation of the “traditional” by the “modern”. The diffusion theory sums up development as the input of material goods (technology and capital) or cultural and social goods (values and institutions) through foreign aid and investment.

These approaches have their critics. Thomas Balough criticizes the Kahn approach for its acceptance of international oligopoly and its belief that the price mechanism produces optimal resource allocation, even taking into account such things as social and environmental costs. In his words it is “ludicrous to think of the transnational corporation as playing a positive role in economic or international development since its aim is to get as much as possible for as little as possible.”

Given the traditional-modern dichotomy and the goal of the continuum theory, which is stability, the structural-functional equilibrium model becomes the mechanism through which stability is assumed attainable. How is this stability achieved? According to Samuel Huntington, stability results from old, well-established, complex, coherent, and adaptable institutions which create power and expand their scope within and beyond their peripheries.

Social science’s mode of applying a structural-functional analysis typically involves a comparison of political institutions with “traditional” at one end of the spectrum and “modern” at the other, various “transitional” categorizations in between.

The study of comparative politics is assumed feasible when societies are viewed as political system. Gabriel Almond defines political system as the system of interactions “which performs the function of integration and adaptation (both internally and vis-à-vis other societies) by means of the employment, or threat of employment, of more or less legitimate physical compulsion,”

Lucien Pye viewed the process of extending the nation-state system to all societies as a process in four stages:

(1.) The initial efforts to persuade traditional authorities to adhere to international standards,

(2.) Colonial administration and foreign rule,

(3.) Indirect assistance and foreign aid,

(4.) Extension of the nation-state system by creating internal political forces.

This brings us to the concept of political culture. Pye and Sidney Verba have defined political culture as “the system of empirical beliefs, experience, symbols, and values which defines the situation in which political action takes place. It encompasses both the political ideas and the operating norms of a polity.”

The Euro-American-centered political scientists define a developed political system as one which is structurally differentiated (i.e., where distinct structures perform increasingly specialized functions, analogous to the division of labor and role specialization which accompanied European urbanization, migration, and industrialization) and one in which participation in politics takes the form of interest groups aggregating and articulating interests through coalitions and political parties.

Thus we go from political development to political cultural development and both implicitly or explicitly equate development with movement toward “modernization” and “Westernization,” thus becoming ethnocentrically monopolized.
The question for the developing world is who are we, what are we, and where are we going?http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/120/5255---------------------------------------- Travel: Morocco23 May 2011 By claire smithIt's a foggy night in Casablanca and a storm is rattling the windows of Rick's Cafe. Flashes of lightning illuminate the big ships in the harbour while on a screen in a corner Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart are wrangling over letters of transit.Of course Rick's was a fictional place - and the 1942 film was not even made in Morocco - but here in modern-day Casablanca the most famous bar in the movies has been brought to life.

It's the creation of American retired diplomat Kathy Kriger - who dresses in a shirt and waistcoat and introduces herself to guests as "Madame Rick", who bought a run-down art deco mansion next to the docks in 2002 and set about reproducing the ambience of Bogart's gin joint. She bought original film posters to decorate the walls and created a cool white interior, dressed with palm trees and full of shadows cast by Moroccan lanternshttp://www.scotsman.com/features/Travel-Morocco.6771721.jp----------------------------------------Desert dreaming in Morocco. May 25, 2011 IT was sitting on the sand dune, looking south over the endless sands of the Sahara, that I finally ‘got’ why people come to the desert.From my sandy perch near Erg Chigaga, the largest dune in Morocco and only an hour from the border with Algeria, hundreds of smaller dunes stretched to the horizon. The silence was total.The only sound that I could hear was the blood pumping in my ears and my breathing, a little heavy after my climb up the newly christened ‘Dune GB’.This is why people come to the desert, I mused. This is why so many of the great religions talk about periods in the wilderness. So their followers can find themselves. The solitude. The silence. To look deeply into themselves. Simply, as Hamlet would put it, ‘To be’.But then I paused from my revery, turned my baseball cap backwards, adjusted my straps and with an ungainly bunny hop, thundered uncontrolably down the side of Dune GB on a snowboard. Dinner at Camp was waiting and I wanted to be on time.I was on the edge of the Sahara as the guest of two old friends Nick Garsten and Diane Taylor of Desert Camp Morocco.Both accomplished travellers, the couple had sold their hotel in Cape Town and were looking at setting up a riad in Marrakech as a new adventure.All that changed when Diane met Mohamed – whose nickname is Bobo – trekking in the Atlas Mountains.Bobo told Diane about the dunes of Erg Chigaga and the backpacker camps in the area and Diane came up with her own unique concept: a luxury upmarket camp in the desert.You will, of course, be familiar with the old travellers’ adage that ‘getting there is half the fun’.Well with any trip that involves Morocco, getting there is all the fun.To describe the adventures that befell photographer Kevin and myself on the first part of our journey would take an extra couple of articles.The shortened tale involves avoiding a car crashing outside Algeciras, cancelled ferries in Tarifa, torrential rain, catching the last ferry to Ceuta, crossing the border into Morocco in scenes from a Terry Gilliam movie, a terrifying 90 minute cab ride from Ceuta to Tangier courtesy of the Maghreb’s answer to Fernando Alonso, rocking up at the Gare du Tanger to be told that the sleeping compartmet had been derailed, a 10-hour overnight train to Marrakech in a compartment with no door or heating.Yes, and then there was the teenager next to me playing a mixture of Lady Gaga and French rap on her mobile. Oh dear.It would be somewhat of an understatement to say that we were relieved to arrive in Marrakech, although even that wasn’t without its problems. Events were unfolding in Cairo and neighbouring Tunisia, and we had been warned to ‘look out for riots and general unrest in the city’. Hmmmm.Read more here:http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2011/05/25/morocco-desert-dreaming/

The Gulf Co-operation CouncilA club fit for kingsA Gulf club is set to beef itself upMay 19th 2011 | RABAT | from the print editionThe Gulfies want to hug Morocco’s hoodieBUFFETED by the wind of democratic change but determined not be blown over by it, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has surprised the rest of the Arab world by declaring that it would accept a request by Jordan to join the club and would encourage Morocco to do the same.The reaction, especially in Morocco, which had never asked to join, was one of bemused incomprehension. The government in Rabat was respectful but cool, noting Morocco’s commitment to the Maghreb Arab Union. Jokes were traded on Twitter, with a #funnygcc hashtag, wondering how the different cultures of the Arab world’s easternmost and westernmost people would get on. Moroccan women worried half in jest whether, as in Saudi Arabia, they would no longer be allowed to drive. The republic of Yemen, by contrast, has been asking in vain for membership since 1999.Abdullatif al-Zayani, the GCC’s secretary-general, a Bahraini who has been trying to mediate an end to the turmoil in Yemen, disclosed few details of the club’s planned enlargement. But the aims were evident. For one thing, the GCC sees itself as a bulwark against Iran, which all the club’s members, led by its most powerful, Saudi Arabia, view as a rising threat. Jordan’s King Abdullah II was the first Arab leader to speak darkly, in 2004, of a “Shia crescent”; Morocco’s King Muhammad VI cut off diplomatic relations with Tehran in 2009, accusing the Islamic Republic of trying to spread its sect of Islam in his stoutly Sunni kingdom. Aside from Oman, whose sultan follows Islam’s Ibadi school, all GCC members are Sunni-ruled. Jordan and Morocco have also given security support to GCC countries. A Jordanian contingent joined the recent Saudi-led intervention to suppress Shia protesters in Bahrain, and Moroccans have long provided brains and brawn to the UAE’s emirs.Related topicsSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGulf Co-operation CouncilMoroccoThere is an economic angle, too. Morocco and Jordan are relatively poor—and lack oil. The rich Gulf states have backed both with billions in aid. For Moroccans and Jordanians, many of whom work in the Gulf, the open borders and labour markets enjoyed by the GCC’s current sextet, which plans a customs union by 2015, is another lure, though today’s GCC members will not give the newcomers all the same privileges from the start.Monarchical solidarity is, of course, the ultimate bond, at a time when the republican dynasties of Egypt, Libya, Syria and Tunisia have come unstuck or look shaky. A common joke these days is that the GCC should be renamed the “Gulf Counter-Revolutionary Club”.from the print edition | Middle East & AfricaFrom The Economist http://www.economist.com/node/18713680 accessed 28/5/2011 11:15 Zulu

There is a Catholic Church in Agadir. It is difficult to imagine a place where you will find more people, with less in common, happily gathered together. Also, the diversity of the congregation makes for a very interesting Mass from a linguistic point of view.

Start with the French. Large parts of the Mass are in French. As the old colonial power it is one of the established languages of Morocco. There are plenty of old French retirees spending their golden years in Agadir. Not only that but lots of Black West Africans, also French speaking, have made there way up there from countries to the South but kept the Catholicism of their home country.

Next the English. English is the international language, widely spoken in all international communities. Not only that but Agadir is a quick flight from London so there are a large number of English speaking tourists who spend their mini-breaks there.

Then the Spanish. Spain is Morocco’s closest European neighbor, separated only by a handful of kilometers of water across the straight of Gibraltar. Spain’s influence on the continent and in Morocco is powerful, from their African held World Cup victory, to the old trading city in Morocco that is still Spanish territory.

Not to mention the Portuguese. Though perhaps not as powerful and widespread as the Spanish, the Portuguese did have their say in the history of Morocco.

Now the German. Wealthy German sunbirds can be found all along the Mediterranean rim. And as anyone who has seen the film Casablanca knows, Germany wielded its influence across the country until that dastardly American, Rick, found the courage to stand up to them.

And the lastly the Polish? Polish was part of the service and there were a number of fluent polish speakers ready to sing when their time came. What a dozen elderly poles were doing at a Catholic mass in Morocco is anyone’s guess.

With so many different people and languages gathered under one roof, there is one simple and obvious solution. Latin. After all it wasn’t that long ago that all Catholic Masses were conducted in Latin. Thus, Latin was also heavily featured during the Mass, leaving everyone equally clueless as to what was going on.

Ridentem dicere verum quid vetat.

WB grants Morocco $4.35m to address climate change.Washington - The World Bank's Board of Directors on Tuesday approved a US$ 4.35million grant to Morocco to increase small farmers' resilience to climate change, it said in a press release on Wednesday. It pointed out that the grant is designed to strengthen the capacity of institutions and farmers to integrate climate change adaptation measures in projects which are implemented under the Plan Maroc Vert.

The press release noted that the Government of Morocco will co-finance the grant with an investment of US$27 million.

The project "Integrating Climate Change in the Implementation of the Plan Maroc Vert" will finance climate change adaptation measures among small farmers in five regions of Morocco.

It will include a climate change adaptation component in about ten pilots, targeting about 2,500 small farmers, it said.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/wb_grants_morocco_4/view------------------------------------------- Morocco to craft youth charter. By Hassan Benmehdi 2011-05-12As part of a push to heed young people's demands, Morocco seeks to devise a comprehensive youth empowerment strategy.Morocco on May 23rd-24th will host the first of a series of youth meetings aimed at adopting a national strategy for the rising generation. The event, set to take place in the small coastal town of Bouznika, comes as a result of young people's heavy involvement in the reform process."These will be meetings of the youth, by the youth and for the youth," Youth and Sports Minister Moncef Belkhayat said at a May 9th press conference.Over 700 youths from 40 groups will participate in the meetings, which will feature thematic workshops to discuss and formulate proposals.Among topics on the agenda will be employment, education, health, social problems, leisure and culture, religion, citizenship and dialogue between generations.The first edition will pave the way for a roadmap and an integrated national strategy for the youth, Belkhayat added. A research and statistics report will be presented to shed light on the evolution of Moroccan youths in recent years, initiate debates on the 2020 vision and make proposals for a youth charter, which will be discussed over the period of twelve months.The organisers set up equipped rooms in each of the sixteen regions of the country to allow 300 young people to watch live the debates in Bouznika."We work with more than eighteen youth political organisations to develop an integrated strategy that is able to meet the changing needs and aspirations of the youth," said Younes El Jaouhari, Director for Youth, Children and Women's affairs at the Youth Ministry.He added, however, that the ministry does not replace in any way the roles and tasks of political parties in the education of youth. The official pointed to a deficit in infrastructure and programmes available to youths.Young people, however, are unsure if the initiative will yield real results.If these meetings fail to find functional solutions to the various problems of the youth, "they will have no value", according to Casablanca student Khalid."The new information and communications technologies, including internet, have imposed a new way of life on the youth and allowed the emergence of new needs and new aspirations that need to be met without neglecting the importance of involving the youth in the process of political reform and change," said Abdelghani Khalil, from the Chabiba Ittihadia of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP).''This is a good initiative, as long as it will allow young people to express their grievances and ambitions, as well as become agents of change," said February 20 Movement member Fatimzahra."All this will make sense if these meetings result in recommendations that will be implemented on the ground," she added. "Otherwise it will be another useless, mundane meeting.''http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/05/12/feature-03-------------------------------------------Morocco's vision forward By Yossef Ben-Meir May 19, 2011 The fatal terrorist bombing of a tourist cafe in Marrakech that took the lives of 16 people makes it more urgent for Morocco to implement its vision, which is a new social contract.In a rapidly transforming North Africa and Middle East whose people are demanding broad-based socio-economic development and major political reform, Morocco is attempting to meet these critical needs by engaging people in their own development. Morocco’s vision is to invest in development initiatives that result from local people engaging in participatory democratic decision-making. As Morocco’s King Mohammed VI describes it, “the citizen is both the engine for and the ultimate objective of all the initiatives launched.”Morocco’s vision is integral to its regionalization (or decentralization) structural reform plan to transfer power and responsibilities to sub-national levels to enable closer response to the needs of the public. Regionalization was first announced in 2008 by the king, who stated in his recent speech to the nation that its implementation timetable will be moved up and will include regionally elected members of councils with authority to carry out its decisions. Morocco’s vision to advance development through democratic processes is also reflected in the 2010 amendments to its Communal Charter — requiring locally elected assemblies to create multi-year development plans based on public participation which are submitted to ministries for possible financing. The vision shapes Morocco’s National Initiative for Human Development, created in 2005 to advance sustainable development projects more heavily aimed to serve rural areas, and has achieved mixed results.As full of potential as these and other programs are that reflect Morocco’s vision, their efficacy is measured to the extent that they actually advance civic engagement in development. The question is: Are members of villages, towns, and neighborhoods together considering their needs, opportunities and challenges, working through conflict, and creating shared development plans that they implement with public-private financial, technical, or other partnering support? Currently, the short answer is not nearly enough to achieve the social changes Morocco needs now.For Morocco to make its vision a reality, it must finally alleviate the severe poverty of its rural people who make-up about 40 percent of the country, and 85 percent of their households earn less than the national average. The prevalence and low value of cereal crops in Morocco — representing only 10 to 15 percent of agricultural revenues yet occupying 75 percent of usable agricultural surface areas, according to the Agency for Agricultural Development—is indicative of the terrible inefficiency of continuing subsistence agriculture and the anemic pace of rural development. Three percent of rural Moroccans move to cities each year most of whom would prefer to stay in their villages if there were opportunities. This exacerbates urban slum conditions whose residents feel excluded from human development prospects, and some have gone on to commit notorious terrorist acts.The day before the bomb blast in Marrakech, Morocco’s king made a statement through the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Maritime Fishing to “strive doubly hard” to achieve the goals of the Green Morocco Plan. This multi-year, multi-billion dollar plan has I believe identified the main agricultural challenges and set its goals and budget accordingly, including emphasizing Aggregates or Cooperatives since 70 percent of farmers own less than 5 hectares. However, the Green Plan must avoid the main drawback of the National Initiative — it is too top-down like the ministries that administer it — and actually create broad-based rural development driven by participatory democracy. The experiences of successful projects in Morocco strongly suggest that these programs should be implemented nationally:Training locally elected members of rural communal councils and village representatives in their own communities in facilitating participatory planning activities will help villagers to together asses and identify projects they most need and want. The commune is Morocco’s most local administrative tier and they are in the best position to learn from the people the projects most important to them. Morocco’s regionalization should give communal councils maximum allowance, including budgetary and administrative, to pursue the development plans of the people. Council members and village representatives will facilitate participatory democratic discussions leading to development actions of the people, which is Morocco’s vision forward.Most common rural priorities communities express are fruit tree agriculture, irrigation, potable water and women and youth empowerment. Morocco should greatly expand building community nurseries of tree varieties that grow naturally (the country is fortunate to have many). This will enable rural people to retain some of the value added from their transition to a cash crop economy. It is a loss of economic value and self reliance to rural families when agencies provide them with fruit trees that are on average thirty times the cost of young saplings that can be planted in community nurseries that local people are trained to manage. The price of trees inhibits Morocco’s agricultural transition, and decentralizing nurseries to communities could enable them to provide at cost most of the billions of trees that are needed. Tree nursery programs with women’s cooperatives and youth centers and schools are immensely empowering.These recommendations developed from hundreds of village meetings that resulted in dozens of sustainable projects in different parts of Morocco that were facilitated by the High Atlas Foundation, of which I am a part. Will the agencies given the responsibility to bring Morocco’s vision forward train leaders to really listen to local communities to implement their project priorities across the country? Morocco’s vision forward depends on it.

Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir is a sociologist and president of the High Atlas Foundation (www.highatlasfoundation.org), a non-government agency that was founded by former Peace Corps Volunteers and is dedicated to community development in Morocco.http://thedailynewsegypt.com/global-views/moroccos-vision-forward.html-------------------------------------------MOROCCO-GOVERNANCE: THE ROAD AHEAD MOSTAFA CHTAINI 05/14/11San Francisco / Morocco Board News---The privileges given to the upper class guarantee its support for the ruler and in return allow him to extract advantages from it. The middle class is usually maintained in its place through fear and uncertainty, which is why there is a need for dialogue to keep it at ease. As to the lower class, which forms the majority of the populace, both the upper class and the middle class want it to be ruled with a "fist of iron".

In the running of state affairs, the statement above applies to all contemporary political systems and to all countries regardless of race, religion, economic status and demographic makeup. Rulers whether elected presidents, constitutional monarchs, absolute monarchs, or dictators have to face within their socio-political order the demands of the upper class, the middle class and the lower class.

While the upper class controls the financial and economic mechanisms for wealth accumulation to serve itself, the lower class goes through an established pacification program of welfare on the one hand and coercive law and order on the other. The middle class must be kept in check and hopeful that prices of goods and services will be reduced along with affordable housing, cars, oil and education for their children. The middle class is drowning in consumerism and plastic credit.

These conditions exist across the board regardless of political or economic ideologies: capitalism, socialism, communism or fascism or a combination thereof.

Lately, constitutions and voting became a la mode and democracy and freedom became a contagious addiction. Political parties and labor unions controlled by the upper class mushroomed in the form of one party political systems, two party and or multi-party political systems, and political parties linked to labor unions.

Manipulation of financial and economic markets got out of control, giving an opportunity to the upper class to become greedy and devour more wealth and the surpluses. The middle class is shrinking and the lower class is growing in number and is more impoverished.

Over the last 400 years, revolutions have popped up in different continents in different forms from the French Revolution, to the American Revolution, followed by the Russian and Chinese Revolutions, Anti-colonialist Revolutions, up to the recent Revolutions in Eastern Europe and current Revolutions for regime change.

Wars were fought from Waterloo to Afghanistan not to forget to mention the first and second World Wars, the Vietnam War, the Arab Israeli wars, Bosnia and Iraq and others. Much genocide was committed in the name of nothing including the use of nuclear weapons and poisonous gas.

While Apartheid in South Africa seems to have relinquished its hold, racism and bigotry are rampant everywhere and women are still treated as dolls and toys by men thinking that they can do anything they want with them.

Fortunately, we have lived to see, to the chagrin of the racists, that a black man is the President of the United States.

Where do we go from here?

Over the centuries, the Moslem world has undergone numerous changes; yet Moslem philosophers who understood Plato and Aristotle and their democratic imperatives and who dealt with the art of government and its improvements in North Africa and Al Andalus explained in their works on the subject matter that leaders of dynasties who ruled in the Moslem world through political and moral obligations have enabled their dynasties to exist far longer in time than those who ignored the moral aspect of the obligations. This is why wise rulers always surrounded themselves with impartial jurists, enlightened theologians and brilliant advisers in the Moslem World and maintained a dialogue with their people reaching a consensus so that both the political and moral aspects of the art of government during their reign were stressed.

The Arab spring today

The Arab Spring whether in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya or Syria is the direct outcome of rulers not recognizing or adhering to these political and moral obligations in their management of state affairs and in their dealings with the people. In all these countries the upper class saw no limit to the exploitation of the wealth of these nations and served itself, thinking that it could rely on the tools of oppression rather than on the tools of moral obligation. When they no longer feared the tools of oppression, people moved to oust the dictators.

While ruling through Consensus is desirable, it can also be a double-edged sword unless it is the non-manipulated expression of the people. It is inconceivable to think that voting in a regime that has one-party rule in which the “winner” receives 95% of the total votes is not a farce. That type of voting is ludicrous to accept because it lacks a political and moral obligation between the ruler and the citizens.

The Case of Morocco

In my opinion, as to Morocco, I cannot help but use the following chronology of events which cemented the political and moral obligations and commitment between the Monarchy and the Moroccan people as demonstrated by consensual support of the Moroccan people for their Monarchs expressed on many important occasions.

In 1947, the Sultan Mohammed Ben Youssef made his speech in Tangier asking for the French Protectorate to end. There was a consensus among the Moroccan people to support their Sultan’s position because of his political and moral commitment towards them, shown by his demanding Morocco’s independence. There was no manipulation of the consensus supporting the Sultan; the Moroccan people were unified behind him.

In 1952, the year that the 40-year Protectorate Treaty between France and Morocco expired, Mohammed Ben Youssef was exiled by the French because he refused to renew the Protectorate and was demanding Morocco’s independence. There was consensus among the Moroccan people to support their Sultan’s position, and they expressed that support by engaging in resistance and uprising for 4 years. The Moroccan people were demanding the return of the Sultan and Morocco's independence. Consensus again reached 100%. I remember vividly the people’s slogan during the uprising “Ben Youssef Ila Aarshih Wa Shuban Tmout Alih” which means “Ben Youssef to His Throne and the Youth is Willing to Die for Him”. Many Moroccans made the ultimate sacrifice for their Sultan and the independence of Morocco.

In 1956, the Sultan Mohammed Ben Youssef became King Mohammed V, and Morocco became independent. The allegiance to the throne was consensually supported.

In 1959, Prince Moulay Hassan became the King of Morocco known as Hassan II. Among the Moroccan people allegiance to the throne was consensually supported.

In 1975, King Hassan II and the Moroccan people decided to recuperate the Southern Sahara part of Morocco. This also occurred because of the consensual support of the Moroccan people.

In 1999, Prince Moulay Mohammed became King Mohammed VI of Morocco. Again the Moroccan people’s allegiance to the throne was consensually supported.

In September 2011, a referendum to ratify the Moroccan Constitution will be held. The Moroccan people can either vote Yes or No on the proposed referendum on the amended constitution.

There is a political and moral contractual obligation between King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan people. Of course there is civil dissent and resentment of the elite; of course there is corruption, waste, Hagra and denials of women’s rights and on and on. There is so much to do to reduce and eliminate the negatives and tackle the challenges of positive change. No one in Morocco knows that better than the King himself.

Moroccans have been provided with the tools of change: a Constitution, a Parliament and their God-given intelligence. The Moroccans should use these tools to promulgate laws to combat corruption and the malaise of underdevelopment and to promote equal opportunity for all within an avant-garde Constitutional Monarchy.

King Mohammed VI, in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, will maintain, as he has since he was enthroned, the commitment of a political and moral obligation to the Moroccan people. The Constitution, the Parliament and the Moroccan people should be the King’s partners in uplifting Morocco to fulfill all of its aspirations. It will be done faster this way.

http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/120-mostafa-chtaini-/5246-morocco-governance-the-road-ahead-------------------------------------------Letter from London / Mostapha Zarou: The Road to Morocco.Wednesday, 18 May 2011 By MOSTAPHA ZAROU AL ARABIYA LONDONWhen Yassir Zenagui came to London the other day, everyone wanted to know if last month’s bombing at the Argana Café in Marrakesh’s famous Jamaa el-Fnaa Square would have a lasting impact on Morocco’s economy.

After all, somebody said to him, in the first two weeks after the attack—in which 16 people died, including 8 Frenchmen, and dozens were wounded—some 23,000 people cancelled their trip to Morocco for the next three months, with the majority of them from Europe.Mr. Zenagui was not fazed by the question.

“This is a small percentage—2.8 percent—of our tourist traffic,” he said, “which suggests that Morocco is still a sought-after destination. “I was surprised at the reaction of tourists after the bombing; they reacted positively and they are going on with their business in the famous square.”

“The bombing won’t derail the strong foundation of tourism in Morocco,” Mr. Zenagui added.

It could be argued that he is positive about Morocco because that’s his job. Mr. Zenagui is the country’s tourism minister, and he’s been going through Europe trying to reassure potential tourists not to scuttle their travel plans.

His job apart, Mr. Zenagui—who was interviewed by Al Arabiya in London—speaks with deep conviction about Morocco’s vaunted hospitality and openness toward visitors.

That conviction is reinforced by the fact that the tourism sector in Morocco saw significant growth in 2010, a trend that continued in the first quarter of 2011. It is no wonder that the minister of tourism has embarked on a mission to ensure that tourists keep coming.

According to government statistics, which were confirmed by Mr. Zenagui, foreign tourist arrivals increased by 19 percent last year, and the first four months of 2011 recorded a jump of almost 11 percent over a comparable period in 2010—more than double what has been the trend in the world travel industry. Indeed, April 2011 saw a 16 percent increase in tourist traffic—a record, especially in view of the current geopolitical unrest in the Arab world.

Mr Zenagui said that the tourism sector had become a key tool in driving the national economy, which employs directly or indirectly around 2.5 million people. Tourism in Morocco is an essential contributor to the economy and represents almost 10 percent of gross domestic product. The Moroccan strategy has more than doubled the number of tourists from 4 million in 2001 to 10 million tourists last year with revenue tripled in the last 10 years, reaching more than $6 billion. Thanks to its long-term tourism development strategy, “Vision 2010,” tourism has become a fundamental stimulus for growth and development in Morocco.

The minister has an even more ambitious outlook in this thriving sector: “Our 2020 strategic vision has a greater ambition to double the tourism sector and the revenue three-fold and bring Morocco to one of the top 10 tourism destinations in the world,” Mr. Zenagui said.

Morocco’s market share is between 1.5 percent and 2 percent of the world travel market and this could be increased, as there are 750 million people willing to travel less than an hour or two from Europe to reach the country, the minister said.

Close proximity to Europe along with its increasing frequency of good air connections with major capitals, is making Morocco an ever more desirable destination for a holiday for the European, American Asian and the Arab markets.

Morocco is undergoing reforms and a far-reaching program of reconstruction and developments. The North African kingdom has a tremendous potential and offers real opportunities for investors. The business and investment environment has been much improved with assistance from the 27-member European Union.

Morocco is creating a new financial structure in order to attract investment to the tourism sector to reach the ambitious goals of the 2020 Vision. Among plans is the aim to create a new sovereign wealth fund and to attract investors in private and public partnerships.

However, what is lacking is the bed capacity, leisure parks and museums. Of 1,450 tourist sites only 350 are developed in Morocco.

The minister said that Morocco had already mobilized financial resources for further development in the form of a “Sovereign Wealth Fund” called MFDT (Moroccan Fund for Development of Tourism), which has 1.5 billion Euros (or roughly $1 billion) with the objective of cooperating with the private sector.

(Mostapha Zarou of Al Arabiya can be reached at: mostapha.zarou@mbc.net) http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/05/18/149558.html-------------------------------------------The road to Morocco 15 May, 2011Screen catches up with Timothy Burrill and Peter Webber who are in Cannes to raise money for their Moroccan set feature The Spider’s House.The very dapper Timothy Burrill (Roman Polanski’s long-time producer) is in Cannes with director Peter Webber (The Girl With A Pearl Earring) to raise financing for their feature The Spider’s House, which they are hoping to begin production on early next year.Based on the novel by Paul Bowles, the film is set against the backdrop of the 1950s political uprisings in Morocco, focusing on two former lovers who meet in the medieval city of Fez.The project has been brewing for a number of years, but the duo told Screen that “it feels like the time is right”.“The story we’re working with has become so relevant because of what’s happening in the Arab world right now,” says Webber, who describes the film as a combination of The Battle Of Algiers and Casablanca.“One of the things that fascinates me is the enigmatic attitude between the lovers; they are really wonderful roles,” says Burrill.The leads are yet to be cast, but Webber has his good friend Alexandre Desplat on board to write the score. And, most importantly, they’ve promised Screen a trip to the set when shooting begins.http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/cannes/cannes-blog/the-road-to-morocco/5027571.article-------------------------------------------Twitter’s window on Middle East uprisingsCommentary: Scholar tracks the tweets that changed the worldBy Jon Friedman, MarketWatch May 18, 2011,NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Laila Shereen Sakr expects to see more uprisings in the Middle East. Her source? Twitter.Shereen Sakr, an Egyptian-American doctoral student at the University of Southern California, has been studying the traffic patterns from Twitter and Facebook that deal with the explosive region. She hopes to better understand the social and cultural changes sweeping through the Middle East.Her use of Twitter, for instance, is fascinating to me. Journalists have long done research by looking at such tools as government-issued reports. But by examining data from Twitter, Shereen Sakr can come up with first-hand findings.“I started compiling tweets in August 2010, and I haven’t stopped,” Shereen Sakr said. For a good deal of her research, she studied tweets dealing with “Egypt,” “Libya,” “Syria” as well as other key words and the names of additional Middle Eastern nations.“I stored tweets every 10 minutes in my database, based on certain subjects, from Twitter’s public feed,” she said. “I pulled about 100,000 tweets every five minutes.”“My main findings are that tweets give you headlines, and you get a sentiment of the people in various countries,” Shereen Sakr said. “It’s different in every country, from Egypt to Libya to Syria. There are some themes that bring them together. People are protesting their governments in every country. In Syria, the key word is ‘massacre.’”On Wednesday, Shereen Sakr will present her findings to Facebook executives at the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. She’ll be accompanied by Professor Jonathan Taplin, the director of the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab, which has been assisting Shereen Sakr with her research.“At Facebook, I’m going to tell them that I’m seeing really interesting analytics and that social media can offer cultural analysis to understand the motivations of people who are creating change and transforming the Middle East today,” Shereen Sakr said.Adds Annenberg’s Taplin: “What we want to accomplish at Facebook is to get them to understand that there is a role for academic research, which could be helped by Facebook. Facebook has strict privacy policies but there are public pages.”Indeed, under “Syrian Revolution,” 178,475 people “liked” the page.Shereen Sakr built her first website in 1997, measuring the ratio of phone lines to populations in the Arab world as a way to study the growth of telecommunications. “Email was still green, on black screens, and mobile phones hadn’t taken off yet.”These findings enabled Shereen Sakr to make progress when she studied Twitter traffic patterns. “I learned people mainly tweet from their phones in the Arab world,” she told me Monday from Los Angeles during a telephone interview.You might say that Shereen Sakr has been on a lifelong quest to understand the Middle East. She was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and immigrated with her parents, who were academics, to Dayton, Ohio, when she was 3 years old. The family lived in various cities around the world, and Shereen Sakr eventually graduated from the University of Cincinnati. She also has a master’s from Georgetown University in Arab studies and a master of fine arts in digital media from University of California at Santa Cruz.Shereen Sakr joined the Peace Corps after college and taught English in Morocco. “That’s when I realized that there is so much misunderstanding between America and the Arab world,” she mused.“Social media is a window that is interactive and alive,” she said. Shereen Sakr this week will also be launching the first full version of R-Shief, which means archive in Arabic. R-Shief is a digital platform that houses and processes all of the information she has compiled from the Internet.“My conclusion about the Middle East is that there has already been a social change and there is no turning back,” Shereen Sakr said. “People have stood up against the governments. Social media activated them and turned them on.”http://www.marketwatch.com/story/twitters-window-on-middle-east-uprisings-2011-05-18?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Soap operas and developmentGood trashHow television and radio shows can improve behaviourMay 5th 2011 | from the print editionIn the radio drama “Nau em Taim” (“Now is the time” in Pidgin) aired in Papua New Guinea, a widowed father takes up dynamite fishing—profitable but disastrous for the reef. Then he meets a dashing marine scientist who warns him off. The idea is that by the end of the drama, which debuted in February, both he—and the listeners—will renounce dynamite for sustainable fishing.The show’s producer, the Population Media Center (PMC) in Vermont, has been a pioneer of programmes with the goal of fostering development. But other groups have increasingly followed suit. In Vietnam Khat Vong Song uses radio drama to teach its listeners about domestic violence. In Kenya Mediae promotes civil rights with a television soap called “Makutano Junction”.Evidence that radio and television soaps can change behaviour was first spotted in the 1970s. But solid academic research was lacking until a few years ago. In 2008 economists at the Inter-American Development Bank, for instance, found that Brazilians receiving Globo, a television network, had fewer children and got divorced more often. Another study discovered that, as cable television spread, the fertility rate in rural India dropped by as much as if women had received five additional years of education.Related topicsPapua New GuineaSome thought that this was because couch potatoes were less likely to make babies. But research in Ethiopia showed that dramas can have a direct effect. Demand for contraceptives rose by 157% among married women who listened to the soap operas “Yeken Kignet” and “Dhimbibba”. Male listeners sought tests for HIV/AIDS four times as much as male non-listeners.“The best results are when people identify with characters,” says Betty Oala of the PMC. This is why the organisation does extensive research, takes on local writers and uses native languages.Not only are soaps effective, but they are also cheap. Radio programmes can cost as little as three cents to reach a listener in Africa. Yet trying to influence the poor can be controversial. Although producers do not hide their agendas, Charles Kenny, an economist, thinks that there could be a “quagmire of a debate over morals and a tangle of regulation”. An increase in divorces, say, may seem like good news to a woman activist, but bad to a Catholic priest.from the print edition | InternationalAccessed Sunday May 22, 2011 at 7:23 Zulu from http://www.economist.com/node/18648847

Testimony of Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams House Committee on Foreign Affairs “Peace Corps at 50” May 11, 2011Madam Chairman, Ranking Member Berman, members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today about the steps the Peace Corps has taken to improve the safety, security, support, and care of our Volunteers.As Director of the Peace Corps, and as a former Volunteer, I am part of the extended Peace Corps family. The health, safety, and support of every member of that family is my number one priority. Peace Corps Volunteers represent the best America has to offer, and we owe them our best in return.

Peace Corps’ Commitment to Volunteers and their FamiliesWe give our Volunteers extensive training and we work hard to make sure that their service is rewarding, productive, and safe. But we recognize that there is always room for improvement. Since I became Director 20 months ago, it has become apparent to me that the Peace Corps has not always been sufficiently responsive or sensitive to victims of crime and their families. I sincerely regret that. None of us wants to inflict any additional trauma upon the victims of crime. That is not Peace Corps policy. That is not the Peace Corps way. All of us, past, present, and future Volunteers, are valued members of the Peace Corps community. A crime against one is a crime against all of us.Since the Peace Corps was founded 50 years ago, more than 200,000 Americans have served as Volunteers in 139 countries, and we are all enormously proud of their remarkable service to the United States. I know that you share that pride. Volunteers embody compassion, generosity, and an unbridled belief that together we can achieve more than we ever could by working alone. It is these qualities that deepen our pain when there is a loss. We care profoundly about the welfare of our Volunteers. Every life lost and every act of violence against a Volunteer is a tragedy. The names of Volunteers who have died while serving are engraved on a memorial at our headquarters. They are not forgotten.I have met personally with the parents of Kate Puzey, the outstanding Volunteer who was murdered in Benin in March of 2009. I assured Lois and Harry Puzey that the Peace Corps and the United States Government are united with them in seeking justice for Kate. Lois and Harry have shown incredible strength, and I am grateful to them for helping us to improve how we handle sensitive information and support the families of fallen Volunteers. I thank them for that and I regret that the Peace Corps did not do a better job supporting and communicating with them early on.1The Peace Corps has also met with a number of returned Volunteers who have shared personal experiences of rape and sexual assault. I would like to thank them publically for their courage in coming forward and for helping us to make needed reforms. Their insights are invaluable and have helped shape our commitment to make the survivor’s perspective a critical part of our reforms. I am sorry for what they went through and I am committed to ensuring that their experiences are not repeated.Over the past 20 months, we have put in place new policies to minimize the risks faced by Volunteers and to improve the way we respond to victims of crime. We have been working closely with our Inspector General’s office and have implemented or are implementing all of the recommendations from the Inspector General’s report last year on our Volunteer safety and security program. While the Peace Corps cannot eliminate every risk Volunteers face during their service, I am committed to making sure that we do everything we can to protect Volunteers and provide effective support to them and their families when a tragedy occurs.Implementing a Reform AgendaThe world is more complicated than it was in 1961, and we have tried our best to adapt. Despite our efforts to learn from our experiences, we haven’t always succeeded. There is no doubt that the Peace Corps faces challenges. We can, however, do our best to decrease the risks Volunteers face and offer compassionate support. Our Volunteers deserve as much.Under my leadership, the Peace Corps has taken a number of steps to ensure we fulfill our commitment to Volunteers:•••We trained overseas staff in how to respond appropriately when Volunteers bring allegations of wrongdoing to their attention. The agency’s policy, which dates to early 2009, requires any Peace Corps staff member who receives or has knowledge of a Volunteer allegation to treat the allegation with the utmost discretion and confidentiality, to take appropriate measures to ensure the Volunteer’s safety, and to ensure the allegation is given serious consideration including referral to the Inspector General when appropriate.We issued Peace Corps’ Commitment to Sexual Assault Victims, a set of core principles to ensure we provide timely, effective, and compassionate support to victims of sexual assault. The Commitment makes clear that all Volunteers must be treated with dignity and respect, and that no one deserves to be a victim of a sexual assault.We implemented new Guidelines for Responding to Rape and Major Sexual Assault that detail our victim-centered approach and the specific procedures2posts must follow in order to respond promptly to an incident and provide proper support to a victim. We have also trained staff on the new Guidelines, which include the Commitment to Sexual Assault Victims.• I tasked the agency’s Sexual Assault Working Group with developing a comprehensive sexual assault prevention and response program, and I appointed a former Peace Corps Country Director with expertise in rape crisis response to lead the Working Group. The Sexual Assault Working Group, which was created in early 2008, includes former Peace Corps Volunteers and survivors of rape and sexual assault, as well as staff with expertise in trauma response. The Sexual Assault Working Group has examined best practices in the field and reached out to experts within and outside of government, including the Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, and Speaking Out About Rape (SOAR).• We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, to collaborate and share resources on sexual assault prevention and response.• I created a new Victim’s Advocate position to coordinate victim support services, and hired a nationally recognized leader in victims’ rights to serve as the first advocate. The idea for this position was suggested by First Response Action, among others, and I thank them for it. Victims of crime will now be able to turn to a skilled, capable Peace Corps staffer who will make certain they receive the emotional, medical, legal, and other support they need during and after their service.• At the suggestion of Congressman Poe, who serves on the Committee, I created the Peace Corps Volunteer Sexual Assault Panel, made up of outside experts and former Volunteers who were victims of sexual assault. The individual members of this Panel will assist the Peace Corps in the design and implementation of the agency’s sexual assault risk reduction and response strategies. Representatives of the Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, and the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women and Office for Victims of Crime, have agreed to serve on the Panel.• Since last year, we have been developing comprehensive new training materials for Volunteers on sexual assault prevention and response. Starting this summer, we will implement new online training, which will be required for Volunteers prior to departing the United States. This will be followed by additional in-country training both before and during their service.3• We have taken steps to improve the medical care we provide Volunteers by giving our medical professionals at headquarters overall responsibility for hiring, credentialing and managing Peace Corps Medical Officers (PCMOs) at every post and by providing enhanced guidance to those PCMOs on how to handle serious medical issues. New Regional Medical Officers were hired to assist in the health care of Volunteers and a Quality Improvement Council was established to monitor and report on ongoing health care issues.• Based on recommendations made by the Office of Inspector General, we gave the Office of Safety and Security at headquarters greater authority to oversee the agency’s global safety and security program.• We developed standard operating procedures for our overseas Safety and Security Coordinators (SSCs), who are responsible for coordinating the safety and security programs that support Volunteers at each post. We also conducted a highly successful two-week training program in August 2010 that brought together for the first time all of our Safety and Security staff from headquarters and the field, including SSCs.• We revised notification procedures for serious incidents to ensure key staff is rapidly informed of major crimes against Volunteers.• I tasked the Deputy Director of the Peace Corps to lead a team that has visited overseas posts to gather Volunteer input on safety concerns and evaluate the effectiveness of the agency’s efforts to prevent crimes against Volunteers and support victims of crime.• We put in place new policies to better reflect our commitment to the families of fallen Volunteers. We formalized the agency’s existing practice of sending a Peace Corps staff member to be with the family of a fallen Volunteer within 24 hours of the notification of the death of the Volunteer, unless the family requests otherwise. This staff member will serve as the primary liaison to the family. We also standardized procedures for returning possessions of fallen Volunteers to their families by requiring that all personal effects of a fallen Volunteer be personally delivered by Peace Corps staff to the family, unless requested otherwise.These reforms complement the work we are doing to implement our June 2010 Comprehensive Agency Assessment. As directed by Congress, the Peace Corps conducted a thorough assessment and submitted a report to Congress last year that clearly articulates the agency’s strategic vision for, among other things, Volunteer placement, Volunteer and staff training, Volunteer programming, medical care of Volunteers, and agency recruitment efforts. The Assessment is a strategic roadmap4for major agency decisions, and we are working to implement its recommendations.Effective Training and SupportThe reforms of the past two years build on the extensive information, training and support we already provide to our Volunteers. The process of educating prospective Volunteers about health and safety issues begins long before they step off the plane. The Peace Corps remains committed to transparency, and we are completely open about the extent of crimes committed against Volunteers. We publish an annual Report of Volunteer Safety that includes detailed data regarding crimes against Volunteers, including rapes and sexual assaults, as well as trends for the past 10 years. Reports from the last five years are posted on the Peace Corps website.When we invite applicants to serve, we provide them with country-specific information on health, safety, and security, and crime data to help them make an informed decision about whether Peace Corps service is right for them. After they accept the invitation, we give Volunteers an average of 10 weeks of in-country training before they begin their service, plus additional training throughout their 27-month commitment. This training covers technical, cross-cultural, health, and safety and security issues. In addition, the Peace Corps provides instruction in 250 languages to our Volunteers serving in some 77 countries around the world. We also provide Volunteers with a monthly living allowance and comprehensive medical coverage throughout their service.Every Peace Corps post has a Peace Corps office and staff managed by a Country Director. The country staff includes the Safety and Security Coordinator, one or more medical professionals, and program managers and trainers. The country staff is responsible for, among other things, evaluating and selecting Volunteers’ work and housing sites. In selecting sites for our Volunteers to live, we carefully consider factors such as access to medical care, proximity to other Volunteers, availability of communications and transportation, crime rates, and the potential for obtaining and maintaining the support of local authorities and the community at large.All posts receive regional and global support in health and safety operations. The Office of Safety and Security at headquarters oversees all Peace Corps security programs, both domestically and overseas. The office has more than two dozen staffers, including ten Peace Corps Safety and Security Officers who are based in regions around the world and who provide technical expertise, guidance, and training to Peace Corps posts. This office is headed by a security professional who has 27 years of experience in security and law enforcement, both in the United States and overseas.In the event of an emergency, we immediately work with our leadership team in country to assess the situation and implement an effective solution; in the case of a medical emergency, the solution may entail local hospitalization or a medical evacuation to a regional site or back to the United States. Each post also has a country-specific emergency action plan, tested on an annual basis, which instructs Volunteers on how to respond to events such as natural disasters or civil unrest.Support for Victims of Sexual AssaultThe Peace Corps, as an agency and as a family, is committed to providing the highest quality support and service to Volunteers who have been the victims of sexual violence or other crimes. From the moment a Volunteer first reports a rape or sexual assault we must be ready, willing, and able to provide compassionate and effective support and assistance. That is my commitment, and I believe that we have, as an agency, taken enormous strides in the past few years toward making it a reality, thanks in part to the productive conversations we have had with the broader Peace Corps community and outside experts.As part of the Peace Corps’ victim-centered approach we have put in place systems to allow victims to report rapes and obtain prompt, compassionate assistance without fear of being judged. Dedicated specialists from the medical, mental health, security, and legal fields are available from Peace Corps headquarters to help Volunteers, as needed, with the response and recovery process.The Peace Corps’ Counseling and Outreach Unit at headquarters is key to our victim- centered approach to responding to an emergency. Mental health counselors are available to all Volunteers for any of their needs, ranging from routine check-ins to coping with major traumatic events. The Counseling and Outreach Unit is trained to deal with emergencies and offers support to both victims and their families. The unit trains Peace Corps medical staff at posts to provide initial emotional support services to all Volunteers, including victims of sexual assault. Should a Volunteer need specialized care that is beyond the expertise of Peace Corps medical staff, the Peace Corps will provide access to medical professionals who can effectively support the Volunteer’s needs. The Peace Corps Counseling and Outreach Unit also maintains a 24-hour hotline for families to get more information about natural disasters, like tsunamis and earthquakes, or other emergencies.In addition to providing support to victims, the Peace Corps makes every effort to protect Volunteers from sexual violence. Both staff and Volunteers participate in regular training on safety and security. This training covers a variety of topics related to sexual assault, and other risks that Volunteers may face while serving. The Peace Corps has a reporting system to track and analyze safety and security incidents and the data collected is used to instruct our operations and improve Volunteer and staff security.

When an assault occurs, we work with our partners in host countries to bring perpetrators to justice. In 2009 and 2010, arrests were made in 65 percent of the rape, attempted rape and major sexual assault cases in which the victim elected to file a report with local police.Honoring the Service of VolunteersBefore completing my testimony, I would like to take a moment to honor the more than 8,600 Americans, ranging in age from 21 to 86, and from all 50 states, who are currently serving as Peace Corps Volunteers. We deeply appreciate the willingness of these dedicated Americans to leave the comforts of home to serve our country in some of the least developed and most remote areas of the world. The work is often challenging, and the pay is minimal, but these committed, patriotic Americans perform heroically, whether they are teaching English, promoting business development or working to improve sanitation and health. In the words of President Reagan, “Nowhere has the proud American tradition of voluntarism been better illustrated than through the Peace Corps.”Volunteers personify hope, in a way that speaks to the core of the American character. All Volunteers share an enduring devotion to service, and an acute awareness of the challenges and opportunities in our world. These are exactly the skills our country needs to lead in these times.Volunteers target some of the most debilitating diseases around the world. For example, they play a key role in our country’s global response to HIV/AIDS, promoting behavior change and sustainable, culturally appropriate solutions to the pandemic. By mobilizing isolated communities and helping orphans and vulnerable children, Volunteers turn hope into action. And, through education about malaria and the distribution of mosquito nets, Volunteers combat a leading cause of death and disease in many developing countries. In all their work, Volunteers represent our country’s highest values and ideals.Peace Corps Volunteers serve as America’s most effective grassroots ambassadors. In doing so, they help to dispel misperceptions about the United States and to counter anti-American sentiment in areas of the world that may have little direct exposure to Americans. That is one reason why, throughout its history, across different Congresses and administrations, the Peace Corps has received strong bipartisan support for its important mission, including from this Committee. And, in turn, our Volunteers receive tremendous support from the communities in which they serve. The Peace Corps only operates in countries where we are invited and those countries are deeply grateful for the work we do. In fact, the Peace Corps receives millions of dollars annually in cash and in-kind contributions from the countries in which we serve – some of the poorest countries in the world.

Volunteers’ service to our country continues long after they have left the Peace Corps. As President Obama has said, “Returned volunteers, enriched by their experiences overseas, bring a deeper understanding of other cultures and traditions back to their home communities in the United States.” Many former Volunteers use their training and experience to become leaders in society, in areas ranging from private industry to development work, and from community service to Congress. The skills they acquire while serving -- whether fluency in a foreign language, complex problem-solving, familiarity with a foreign culture or expertise in agricultural practices -- are invaluable to the United States, as is the sense of service that the Peace Corps promotes. Ultimately, the investment that we make in our Volunteers is re-paid many times over, at home and abroad.I am deeply grateful to our Volunteers for their dedication and service, and I am committed to doing all I can as Director of the Peace Corps to protect and support them. I know that the members of the Committee share this goal and I look forward to working with you and others to ensure the continued success of this agency and its Volunteers.Thank you.

Moroccan’s Facebook profiles are not like other nations Facebook profiles.

To begin with, the profile picture is never of the person whose profile it is. Moreover it generally isn’t even a picture of a person. Typically it is a picture of a flower, a cartoon or a digital character. Sometimes it is a saying or a favorite football team’s logo. The number one all time most likely profile picture? A heart!

Secondly, the name of the person whose profile it is isn’t always the name used. Nothing is odder then getting a Facebook request from someone you know but who, for whatever reason, has decided to name his or her internet persona Hospital.

From all this it is obvious to conclude that Moroccans are not happy with using their own countenances and only sometimes happy with their own names, when interacting on Facebook.

Beyond these important things, the actual profile doesn’t contain much in the way of accurate information either. All the pictures tagged as containing said person in them are actually just pictures that they like, like drawings of hearts. There is no job, next of kin or date of birth information either. This makes sense for the Moroccans whose date of birth wasn’t recorded and so can really only say, “I was born during the harvest.” Facebook doesn’t allow The Harvest as a birthday option. But even though some Moroccans don’t have birthdays, many do, but don’t include them. In fact the only accurate information on a Moroccan’s Facebook profile is generally their favorite music, tv shows and quotes.

The most unexpected difference between Moroccan’s Facebook profiles and other nations Facebook profiles however, is that even though Moroccan’s Facebook profiles contain almost no real information about themselves and seemed to be designed so that they can not be traced back to their originator, they still use them solely for the purpose of communicating with people they know. Rather then trolling the world of Facebook for unsuspecting and naive victims as all this secrecy and misinformation might portend, Moroccans still use Facebook for it’s intended purpose, sharing a digital friendship with someone who is your real life friend.

But what they really share is a bond of mutual understanding that their Internet friendship shouldn’t be burdened with the lesser trivialities of reality.

Morocco to craft youth charter. By Hassan Benmehdi 2011-05-12As part of a push to heed young people's demands, Morocco seeks to devise a comprehensive youth empowerment strategy.

Morocco on May 23rd-24th will host the first of a series of youth meetings aimed at adopting a national strategy for the rising generation.The event, set to take place in the small coastal town of Bouznika, comes as a result of young people's heavy involvement in the reform process.

"These will be meetings of the youth, by the youth and for the youth," Youth and Sports Minister Moncef Belkhayat said at a May 9th press conference.Over 700 youths from 40 groups will participate in the meetings, which will feature thematic workshops to discuss and formulate proposals.Among topics on the agenda will be employment, education, health, social problems, leisure and culture, religion, citizenship and dialogue between generations.The first edition will pave the way for a roadmap and an integrated national strategy for the youth, Belkhayat added. A research and statistics report will be presented to shed light on the evolution of Moroccan youths in recent years, initiate debates on the 2020 vision and make proposals for a youth charter, which will be discussed over the period of twelve months.The organisers set up equipped rooms in each of the sixteen regions of the country to allow 300 young people to watch live the debates in Bouznika."We work with more than eighteen youth political organisations to develop an integrated strategy that is able to meet the changing needs and aspirations of the youth," said Younes El Jaouhari, Director for Youth, Children and Women's affairs at the Youth Ministry.He added, however, that the ministry does not replace in any way the roles and tasks of political parties in the education of youth. The official pointed to a deficit in infrastructure and programmes available to youths.Young people, however, are unsure if the initiative will yield real results.If these meetings fail to find functional solutions to the various problems of the youth, "they will have no value", according to Casablanca student Khalid."The new information and communications technologies, including internet, have imposed a new way of life on the youth and allowed the emergence of new needs and new aspirations that need to be met without neglecting the importance of involving the youth in the process of political reform and change," said Abdelghani Khalil, from the Chabiba Ittihadia of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP).''This is a good initiative, as long as it will allow young people to express their grievances and ambitions, as well as become agents of change," said February 20 Movement member Fatimzahra."All this will make sense if these meetings result in recommendations that will be implemented on the ground," she added. "Otherwise it will be another useless, mundane meeting.''http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/05/12/feature-03------------------------------------------Moroccan agency supports sex education. By Siham Ali for Magharebia 2011-05-11Experts say sex education is desperately needed in Morocco if the country hopes to reduce the rates of unwanted pregnancy.

Every day, 83 women give birth to a child out of wedlock in Morocco. New results from an 8-month national study on single motherhood point to a growing need for sex education in the kingdom.Illiteracy, poverty, and the lack of sex education at home and at school were the main causes of single motherhood, said Nadia Cherkaoui of the National Institution for Solidarity with Women in Distress (INSAF), which released its report on April 30th.The number of single mothers in 2009 was 27,199. The number of children abandoned that same year was 8,760, or an average of 24 babies per day."Whereas in the past most illegal pregnancies were due to rape, nowadays they arise out of consensual sex," INSAF chief Mariem El Othmani said. "This phenomenon is increasingly affecting teenagers and schoolgirls in both urban and rural areas."Broken down by age, 61% of single mothers are under 26, and 32% are aged between 15 and 20. In terms of socio-economic status, the study revealed that seasonal workers made up 56% of the single mothers surveyed, while 29% were jobless.Most single mothers have insufficient knowledge of contraception, sociologist Salima Bahaoui explained. It is essential to break down taboos and raise awareness, even from primary school age, she added."Sex education is unfortunately a dimly-viewed concept," Bahaoui said. "It is regarded as incitement to engage in immorality, whereas in fact it should be seen as a means of raising awareness so that we can avoid problems such as single motherhood and child abandonment. This is in the interests of society."Authorities are beginning to realise the need for education on the subject. The Islamic affairs ministry supports using morchidates, or female religious advisers, to play a major role in this area in accordance with sharia.A training session was recently held in Fez for 20 morchidines and morchidates to enhance their ability to provide information and raise the awareness of their target audience as part of a health ministry programme on reproductive health."The main aim of this project, which has been initiated at national level for the first time, is to train religious educators, given the major outreach role that they play with the public," a May 3rd statement from the Fez-Boulemane regional health authority said.Young people told Magharebia that large-scale awareness campaigns should be run in secondary schools. Hajar Z., who is 16, described the moving story of a friend of hers: "Her life was ruined when she found out she was pregnant. She panicked and ran away because she was scared her parents would be angry.""I still don't know where she ended up," Hajar said. "She's barely 16. She must have given birth by now. Even her parents are helpless."She believes that if her friend had known more, she could have avoided the worst."Raising awareness doesn't encourage people to commit immoral acts, as people might think. Teenagers who want to sleep with each other don't wait around for sex education courses," she said.http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/05/11/feature-04------------------------------------------Women in Morocco are losing ground to tradition, prejudice and male greed.Female members of ethic groups with rights to "collective lands" campaign for an equal share of inheritance and compensationIsabelle Mandraud Guardian Weekly, Tuesday 10 May 2011Left in the shadows ... women in Morocco want constitutional reform to bring gender equality at every level of the law.The number on the corrugated iron door is 184. It belongs to the first house in the shanty town beside the road leading out of Kenitra, about 40km north of Rabat, Morocco. Saddia Znaïdi, a divorcee, lives here with her five children including her eldest daughter, married and a mother. The mattresses are stacked against a wall and the beaten-earth yard is awash with water spilt while the family was washing on this chilly March morning. At some distance we can hear the thunder of fighter-jet engines warming up on the nearby airbase.Znaïdi is a Soulaliyate, a member of one of the ethnic groups with a stake in Morocco's commons, or "collective lands". She is one of the women battling tradition and male greed, which are depriving them of any form of inheritance. For the past three years they have been campaigning as the Soulaliyate Women's Movement to obtain compensation. Retrospectively they were one of the forerunners of the wave of social and political protest that has shaken Morocco since February, forcing King Mohammed VI to promise constitutional reform."The women's organisations launched the democratic process in our country by engaging for the first time in proper two-sided debate," says Amina Lotfi, the head of the Democratic Association of Moroccan Women (ADFM). "With reform of the constitution, equality between men and women must now become part of the law at every level." The ad hoc committee convened in March by the king to discuss reform completed its hearings of political parties and trade unions in April. Some 30 women's organisations gathered to form the Feminist Movement for Democracy and Equality and have a say in the process.The Soulaliyates, who were sidelined during reform of family law in 2004, are waiting nervously. They belong to Morocco's 4,631 tribes, amounting to about 10 million people. The tribes are governed by laws that go back to before the introduction of Islam to Morocco in the seventh century. Under these rules they are not entitled to own land, with tenure passing from father to son.The sharing out of an inheritance is decided by an assembly of delegates, under state supervision. A royal decree issued in April 1919 transferred overall responsibility for land held by ethnic groups to the interior ministry. Although in theory such lands can neither be seized nor sold, they can in practice be transferred, but only to men over 16 (except in areas under irrigation).The women's predicament deteriorated further in the 1990s when the sale of land was authorised. Collective property was sold to local authorities for a pittance, then resold to developers who promptly pushed up prices, sometimes selling property for 60 times its original price. In exchange the men were given a home or financial compensation. On the other hand, women who had no male descendants and were divorced, widowed or married to an outsider – a Moroccan belonging to another tribe – could do nothing to avoid being expropriated. Many were forced to move to one of the shanty towns adjoining former collective lands. Adding insult to injury, some resettlement schemes enable outsiders living in a shanty town to purchase a 60-square-metre plot for $2,400.The division of the spoils in Kenitra, the country's fourth-largest industrial centre, is abundantly clear. Overlooking the airbase are properly built homes for the well-off, then red-brick houses, still unfinished, for those who have been resettled, and finally off to one side a collection of shacks made of corrugated iron and cardboard, occupied by dispossessed Soulaliyate women.The Soulaliyate Women's Movement was Rkia Bellot's idea. Now retired, she used to work at the finance ministry and is married to an outsider, a soldier. She too belongs to the Haddada tribe and has no chance of an inheritance. "I have eight brothers. I'm the only one not to have received anything when our father died and the discrimination got even worse when they started selling land as compensation or handing out plots for building," she explains, in tears.She was particularly upset by the humiliation she suffered when she tried to stand up for her rights. "The male members of the tribe said: 'You're just a woman', and when I appealed to the officials, they told me I didn't have 'the requisite status', which is exactly the same thing, in more diplomatic terms," Bellot adds.The first demonstration in 2007 was a surprise for many Moroccans, who knew nothing about the Soulaliyates and less still about their rules on inheritance. But the Soulaliyates have a growing audience. On 20 March demonstrations were held all over Morocco with thousands of people in the streets, despite a speech by the king announcing constitutional reform. But Bellot was not marching. She was typing out manifestos on her computer. This article originally appeared in Le Mondehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/10/morocco-women-inheritance-campaign-mandraud------------------------------------------Despite unrest, tourists still loving Morocco. By Souhail Karam May 12 2011Morocco's tourism receipts are expected to grow even faster this year than in 2010 despite regional unrest and a deadly bombing last week that targeted foreign visitors, the tourism minister said.In an interview with Reuters, Yassir Znagui said sovereign wealth funds from Gulf states which are planning to take part in a 10 billion euro ($14.5 billion) fund to develop new resorts had not been discouraged and would sign a final deal this year.Tourism is the top foreign currency earner and has been the main pillar of economic growth plans for the past decade.But the April 28 bombing in the tourist city of Marrakesh which killed 16 people, most of them foreigners, compounded concerns over tourism growth prospects. Those have also been dampened by unrest in the Arab world and local protests.“The resilience of our tourism sector will be tested this year,” said Znagui, but he was upbeat on prospects for a sector he said employed 450,000 people directly and accounted for 10 percent of gross domestic product.“The data we have so far and the response plan we have designed make us comfortable about the industry's prospects... An 8 percent receipts growth in 2011 is achievable based on what we see today.”Last year, tourism brought receipts of nearly 57 billion dirhams ($7.3 billion) - almost 40 percent of exports - versus 53 billion dirhams in 2009. Tourist arrivals until the end of April were more than 10 percent higher than the year before.Znagui said that 15,000 holidaymakers had cancelled planned visits to Morocco after the attack - around three percent of the total.“But not one tour operator has abandoned Marrakesh as a destination after the attack,” he said, adding that his department was planning an “I love Marrakesh” campaign with former world soccer stars to promote the ochre-red city.Unlike Tunisia or Egypt, Morocco relies less on package tourists than independent visitors. Znagui said the average tourist spends $800 in Morocco - which he estimated at more than three times the amount spent by those in Tunisia.Before this year's turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa, three Gulf Arab sovereign wealth funds and UAE-based property developer Al Maabar had agreed in principle to raise 15 billion dirhams for a tourism fund in Morocco.Bahrain's Mumtalakat, the Kuwaiti Investment Authority (KIA), Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Al Maabar of the United Arab Emirates signed the preliminary agreement and Znagui said they still supported it.“We will sign before the end of 2011 a final agreement for their participation in the fund,” said Znagui, an ex-London based investment banker. “They believe in our country. In the midst of the financial crisis, Morocco was the only country to have been upgraded in 2010”.Znagui said the United Arab Emirates' Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), one of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds, would also sign the agreement.The Moroccan fund will raise half its resources in debt, probably through bond issues, and the other half in equity.Znagui said private equity funds of HSBC and the Monitor Group, as well as investment funds from Brunei and Asia, had expressed interest. - Reutershttp://www.iol.co.za/travel/travel-news/despite-unrest-tourists-still-loving-morocco-1.1067752------------------------------------------Promoting youth entrepreneurship in Morocco: stakeholders are mobilized.Seminar-meeting organized by the Embassy of the United States and SIFE MoroccoYouth Entrepreneurship in Morocco: key element in the economic and develop the country's future" is the theme of a seminar-meeting organized by the Embassy of the United States and SIFE Morocco in Rabat on May 12 2011 in Technopark, Casablanca. SIFE Morocco is a member of more than 40 countries, SIFE International, which prepares students to contribute to the development of their countries as future entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Under the initiative of President Obama for the promotion of entrepreneurship in the MENA region, the seminar-meeting will bring together key stakeholders in the corporate sector and civil society working in the field of youth entrepreneurship. Together they provide a picture of the initiatives already underway in Morocco and develop a synergy of action for the future.

The conference will be inaugurated by Samuel L. S. E. Kaplan, United States Ambassador to Morocco, Mr. El Ghaib Kaissar Majid, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SIFE Morocco along with several guests, including Mr. Mohamed Horani, Chairman of the CGEM, Omar chaabi, Executive Vice President, Ynna Holding and certain other Moroccan delegates who attended the Summit on Entrepreneurship Obama held last year in Washington.

This day aims to create a platform to meet and exchange ideas and best practices among key stakeholders. This will create connections between Moroccan companies and civil society actors working for the advancement of entrepreneurship among young people. The event will also provide an opportunity for young entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative and inspiring participants wishing to become more involved in this area (see attached program).

Founded in 2004, SIFE Morocco deploys the values of citizenship, ethics, solidarity, performance and leadership in the mobilization of Moroccan students of high schools and universities serving large projects Development of Morocco. Through a three-year strategic vision "Vision 2012" adopted by its board of directors, SIFE Morocco is committed to consolidate and strengthen its ambition to be the leading organization in coaching and development of entrepreneurship and Youth Leadership and practice of corporate social responsibility. SIFE Morocco working as part of a network of over 40 members of SIFE International, a nongovernmental organization whose mission is to develop broad partnerships between the world of business and higher education to prepare students for contribute substantially to the development of their countries as future entrepreneurs and business leaders.

For more information, please contact Ms. Siham AL Figuigui, Country Manager of SIFE Morocco in 0660 21 65 40 or Mr. Abdelkrim salfiguigui@sife.org Raddadi, Information Specialist for the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca, 0661 22 78 32.

http://www.yacout.info/Promoting-youth-entrepreneurship-in-Morocco-stakeholders-are-mobilized_a3033.html------------------------------------------ISESCO supports national educational film festival in Morocco.The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) is joining in organizing Morocco's 10th National Educational Film Festival in Fez, on 12-14 May 2011.

The festival, benefitting from the financial support of ISESCO, will be held jointly by the Fez Regional Academy of Education and Training, Morocco's Ministry of National Education, Higher Education, Executive Staff Training and Scientific Research, the Cinema and Theatre Creativity Space Association, the Moroccan Cinema Center, the Fez City Council, and Morocco's National Commission for Education, Science and Culture. The theme of this year's film festival is "Educational Film: a Success School Factor."

The festival aims to integrate audio-visual tools in the educational system, the ultimate purpose being to help promote education quality, bring education and movie industry to bear on improving educational output, raise awareness about the importance of education and teaching aids promotion, and take educational films as a means to best address educational issues both in rural and urban areas.

Placed on the festival's agenda will be movie screenings, training workshops, symposiums, roundtables, and a tribute ceremony. Awards will also be given to winning showings.

ISESCO will be represented in the festival's opening ceremony by Dr Kifah Dabagh from the Education Directorate.http://www.ameinfo.com/264920.html------------------------------------------Morocco and World Bank promoting renewable energy cooperation.Monday, 09 May 2011Global Arab Network - Moroccan Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, held a working meeting with the President of the World Bank (WB), Robert Zoellick, on means to promote co-operation in the field of energy.

Amina Benkhdra told MAP that the meeting is part of regular meetings between Morocco and the World Bank to enhance cooperation, especially in the area of renewable energies.She added that the World Bank has been supporting Morocco's efforts to promote clean energies, and has substantially financed projects implemented in this field, such as the solar station of Beni M'thar.

The Minister also highlighted the Bank’s significant contribution to human development projects launched in the Kingdom, notably the National Initiative for Human Development, as well as other reforms under way in the country.

Zoellick, who arrived in Morocco on Wednesday, met with governmental officials and civil society stakeholders and took part on Thursday in the second conference on industry, which was presided over by HM King Mohammed VI.

President of the World Bank Group (WB) Robert Zoellick voiced the WB's willing to support the reforms process in Morocco.

"The World Bank looks forward to working in partnership with the government to support reforms process, growth and development that benefit all," Zoellick said following his visit to Morocco.

According to a statement from the WB office in Rabat, the WB’s president, who met with Moroccan senior officials and members of civil society, said that Morocco achieved good economic results.

He also said that the WB has intensely worked to finalize the preparation of the solar power plant of Ouarzazate, to be the largest of its kind in Africa.

He added that Morocco’s solar energy is a wining solution as it enables to produce green energy, promote an innovative sector in North Africa and stimulate employment.

Morocco and North Africa are an extraordinary platform for providing solar electricity to Europe, said the statement.

Zoellick noted that the development of these untapped green resources requires close collaboration with Europe’s institutions and states.

He recalled that the WB has supported since 2005 Morocco’s large-scale anti-poverty programme the National Initiative for Human Development, which has funded over 22,000 projects, with an over 1.8 billion dollars budget appropriation for five million beneficiaries.

The WB provides an annual grant of about $ 700 million to Morocco.

It focuses its efforts notably on health, the fight against poverty, climate change, solar energy, and Morocco’s Green Plan. (MAP)

http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/2011050910912/Energy/morocco-and-world-bank-promoting-renewable-energy-cooperation.html------------------------------------------Gulf women fear Jordan, Morocco entry into GCC. By Saturday, May 14, 2011Say their men might turn to women from those two countries after joining GCCA bid by Jordan and Morocco to join a Gulf Arab alliance has already triggered fears among women in the oil-rich region that local men could turn to those two countries for wives.

Many women from Saudi Arabia and other members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called a prominent Saudi social and religious adviser to express their fears about the entry of Jordan and Morocco into the 30-year-old GCC.

At summit talks in Riyadh last week, GCC leaders welcomed a request by the two Arab nations to join the GCC and instructed their foreign ministers to follow up their issue.

“I have received phone calls from many women in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries expressing their fears that their men and their husbands could turn to Morocco and Jordan for wives, saying the admission of those two countries to the GCC will facilitate this,” said Sheikh Gazi Al Shammari, a family adviser at a pubic establishment in the eastern Saudi port of Dammam.

Quoted by the Saudi Sabq daily, Shammari said he was shocked by the “narrow-minded attitudes” of GCC women towards this issue.“I call on Gulf women not to be scared and to have more self-confidence…marriage is our destiny and the plans to admit Jordan and Morocco to the GCC is only intended to serve the interests of Gulf and Arab countries as well as the Islamic nation and to bolster relations among the people of our Arab and Moslem nations.”http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/gulf-women-fear-jordan-morocco-entry-into-gcc-2011-05-14-1.392527------------------------------------------Morocco: on the high road in the Atlas Mountains. By John Gimlette 08 May 2011Morocco's Atlas Mountains are home to awe-inspiring castles, harsh deserts and breathtaking gorges. And at their heart lies beguiling Ouarzazate, says John Gimlette.One false move here and you're a goner. From the top of Tizi N'tichka, a car could freefall for almost half a mile before reconnecting with the hot, hard surface of Morocco, and then go bouncing off into the wheat fields below.During those few seconds, its passengers would enjoy the colours of Moroccan geology, from scarlet to crimson, and perhaps the odd trilobite hurtling past: a reminder that this was once below the sea, instead of 6,000 feet above it.We'd spent all morning grinding gears and wriggling up the pass. Our daughter, Lucy, six, had never imagined roads like this, spiralling into the sky. Our driver, Said (which means Happy), said that there were 99 bends in 18 miles (30km). It was a curious ascent: we came across a tribesman selling fossils in the scrub and a minibus full of rams, off on their last adventure. But, at the top, everything changed.Behind us lay the Morocco I've known for years; clamouring, raffish and occasionally biblical. Ahead, through this crack in the Atlas, lay a different world. This was where the desert began, with snow and foothills at first, and then thousands of miles of thirst. Here, clouds only appear on 60 days a year, and the landscape looks like embers. Farming survives only in gorges and riverbeds, and huge areas are devoid of life.The people, too, are different here. Some are Berbers, others are the descendants of slaves who became detached from the caravans marching north. Together, they're close-knit, tribal and fatalistic. "It's a good life," said Said, "unless you get ill, and then you die."Soon castles started appearing. These weren't the drab things we have in Europe, but vast patterned promontories, like cliffs with windows. Some have crumbled away, but others are as big and orange as the hills. And they're everywhere. One valley, the Dades, once had more than a thousand kasbahs defending its pitiful trickle of water.I'd like to think these fortresses are long-since obsolete. Not so. During the great war of 1893, most of them burst into life, and some – like Telouet – were still threatening French rule into the Thirties.Then came the rule of the Glaoui family, who built the biggest and best of the castles. I noticed at the Kasbah Taourirt that a hint of their vanity had survived, in fancy coloured tiles and a field-gun made by Krupp. The Glaouis, explained Said, ruled with spectacular cruelty, drowning their victims in clay, and only finally fleeing in the Sixties.So the sieges may have ended, but castle life goes on. At Amerhidil, the most elegant of the kasbahs, I met the owner, who shared it with his goats. "We've lived here 400 years," he told me. "This is where we hid the guns to shoot the French…"Meanwhile, inside the mighty Aït-Ben-Haddou, people were living much as they had several hundred years before, driving camels and charming snakes. Movie-makers love this place, and it's always popping up in films, from Lawrence of Arabia to Robert Aldrich's Sodom and Gomorrah.At the heart of this dry, improbable world sat Ouarzazate. It was built for troops in the Twenties, a last taste of France before dying in the desert. But not much "Frenchness" had survived. The entire town was painted desert pink, and there was as much chance of eating squirrel as croque-monsieur. It was here that I bought some cactus soap and a little carved, Malinese door that had somehow crossed the Sahara. But, Ouarzazate still had a frontier feel. Here were the last four-stars and swimming pools before the sands beyond.From Ouarzazate, like the soldiers, we set off in all directions. Once, we went to the Oasis de Fint, and had tea with a lady who looked just like her dates, and said she was 112. Another time, Said drove for five hours through gorges and wilderness, right to the edge of the dunes. There, in Zagora, we exchanged our car for camels and rode through a long, green slash of orchards and nurseries, known as the palmary. It was a day that changed colour many times, from red to rust, tobacco, green, red again and then a magnificent purple. At one point the road petered out and a sign appeared: "Timbuktu 52 days".Later, we moved to one of the biggest oases, at Skoura. It's an even bigger palmary, and a labyrinth of tracks and shady fields.For centuries, people have lived here, on the brink of desiccation. Moisture is so precious that even grazing is forbidden, and all the animals are fed by hand. But the place had a garden-like air, and life was uncluttered and simple.Once, we took Lucy to the village to buy presents but all we found were goats' heads and camel-hair robes.Farther west, the landscape was even wilder and redder. It all began gently enough, with the Valley of Roses. Kelaat M'gouna produces 4,000 tons of petals a year and has a street of perfumeries, selling potions such as "Sexy Man" and "Love Port".But, beyond that, the horizon buckled and cracked as it rose towards the Atlas. Although these gorges were stiff with castles, Said explained that most people here were nomadic and lived on the plateaus in the summer and in caves in the winter. We met a nomad once, knitting slippers by the side of the road. She was a fierce little girl, and wanted £30 for a pair.All journeys here seem to end in a canyon. The Todra Gorge is like a crack through the mountains, so deep the donkeys inside seldom get sunlight. Even more magnificent is the Dades Gorge, a dizzying fissure of gullies and shadow. The French army only got a road through in 1933. That same year, they brought the Middle Ages to an end here, with a brutal campaign involving four air squadrons and 83,000 troops.The last tribe to give way were the Atta. "What happened to them?" I asked."You just met one," replied Said, "trying to sell you slippers."It was an appealing thought. Here, in this desert, foreigners may come and go, begging or stealing its beauty. But when the dust has settled, it's still an ancient people, firmly in control.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africaandindianocean/morocco/8110384/Marrakech-shopping-secrets-of-the-souks.html------------------------------------------Toubkal is the Best Trekking Destination in Morocco. Toubkal Trekking Reports Increased interest in Mount Toubkal as the Best Trekking Area in Morocco.

PRLog (Press Release) – May 14, 2011 – Imlil, Marrakech, May 14, 2011-- Local Trekking organizor, Toubkal Trekking Services Ltd is reporting increased interest in Toubkal Area as the Best Trekking Area in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco following what's taking place in some Arab countries as well as the arrest of the elements behind the terrorist attack in Marrakech two weeks ago.

Compared to this time last year, Toubkal Trekking received few bookings from small groups interested in trekking in Toubkal.

" The mood from Touists as well as the local Tour Operators is, Toubkal Area is regarded as the Best Trekking Destination in Morocco. Thanks to the efforts of the Police who have arrested the person behind the criminal act in Marrakech two weeks ago; we have seen a noticeable increase in Bookings," said Mustapha Bouinbaden, Managing Director of Toubkal Trekking Services Ltd.

Mustapha compared the quick arrest of the elements behind the terrorist act in Marrakech to the terrorist act that took place in Casablanca in 2003.In fact, the arrest of the terrorists in Casablanca in 2003 lasted a bit longer than in Marrakech; this fact makes Tourists feel safe and comfortable.

Toubkal Trekking Servives offers tourists a real lifetime experience of the High Atlas Mountains that can only be explored in a small group and that encourage tourists to interact with the local people and landscapes. Toubkal Trekking currently offers more than 30 treks, from 2 days Trek to 22 days trek that zigzags across the High Atlas Mountains.

For more information on Toubkal Trekking Services and their Treks in the High Atlas Mountains please visit: www.toubkal-trekking.com

With over 30 years of experience in this field, Toubkal Trekking Services is one of the leading Trek Organizors in the High Atlas. It offers more than 50 itineraries in more than 5 Destination in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Toubkal Trekking Treks are designed to take adventurers to discover an authentic culture and landscapes.

For any enquiry, please contact Mustapha Bouinbaden, Managing Director, info@toubkal-trekking.com

Contact: Mustapha Bouinbaden Managing Director Toubkal Trekking Services Imlil, Asni 42152, Marrakech.------------------------------------------Divining the Future in Morocco. By SOUAD MEKHENNET May 10, 2011MARRAKESH, MOROCCO — Lalla Aisha, who says she thinks she must be 62 but doesn’t know for sure, can read the turbulence of the Arab Spring on palms, and in the cards, and above all hear it in the questions of her clients.Lalla is a title of reverence in Morocco, and Aisha is the name of this one of dozens of fortune tellers who spend their days and nights at the Djemaa al-Fna Square in Marrakesh, reading for Moroccans and tourists what she says is written in their hands, or — if they choose — in the cards. “In the last couple of months, the world has changed and even the questions of my Moroccan customers have,” she said in Arabic in her deep voice.Before the Arab world was rocked by tumult this spring, Moroccan women came mainly to ask if they would find the right match, and men if they would do well in business. “Now they ask me, will Morocco remain stable?” And, since April 28, when a bomb that killed 16 people ripped through the adjacent Argana restaurant: “Will there be another attack?”Some clients have asked whether Aisha could not have foretold tragedy. “But who really wants to hear bad news?” she asked, dodging the question of whether she had foreseen anything. “People need hope, and that’s why they come here.” With their feminine and mercantile instincts, Lalla Aisha and others in the square fear that the bombings could be a serious blow to tourism, already hit by recession and the Arab unrest.The Moroccan police said that they had arrested three men, and that one of them had already confessed that he built the bombs. More than 40 percent of the people in Marrakesh are directly employed in the tourism sector, according to Hamid Bentahar, head of the region’s tourism council.Lalla Aisha is among those indirectly affected. She has been coming here for 20 years; she can neither write nor read and passes her time either telling fortunes, as she once did for friends and neighbors in a nearby town, or listening to the stories of other seers, or the women who draw henna tattoos or sell herbal medicine with purported aphrodisiac properties. “My husband is retired, and with the money I earn here, we could have a much better life,” she said. “But now the world will change after the death of Osama. I can see a lot of chaos in the world.”Days before Osama bin Laden’s death was announced, she said, she saw him in a dream. “It was clear to me that something will happen to him. He was just covered in white cloth.” About 240 kilometers, or 150 miles, away, in Casablanca, Fatiha al-Mejjati follows the Bin Laden news. She is no fortune teller but, as a veteran of Taliban and Al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and interrogation in Morocco, has a certain view of what may unfold now.“I don’t believe it all has happened the way the Americans are claiming it, but by killing the sheikh, they have made him become a martyr,” Mrs. Mejjati said, serving a visitor milk and dates. “I love the sheikh, and I am happy for him that he will now be in heaven.” Some weeks before the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, she and her family moved to Afghanistan. “It was the best times in my life, and I am praying to God that I will be living again under the flag of the Taliban,” she said, raising her hands as if in prayer.Mrs. Mejjati was the wife of Abdulkarim al-Mejjati, who she said was killed with their 10-year-old son Adam by the anti-terrorism police in Saudi Arabia in 2005. Several security services say that her husband was involved in the planning of attacks inside and outside Saudi Arabia and was a leading Qaeda operative. She escaped injury because she was with a younger son at the doctor’s, she said. “We got arrested en route.” She welcomed a visitor in a black abaya that covered her body. When men are around, she covers her face and wears black gloves.She said she had been held for months with her son Ilyas, then 8 years old, in a Saudi prison. Then they were flown to Morocco, where they spent a couple of months in a detention facility used to detain Qaeda suspects. Besides being interrogated about Afghanistan and her husband’s contacts, she said, she could hear “the screaming of other detainees.” She was never mistreated physically, she said, but she added that her son had been psychically scarred for life.She became a symbol for the families of hundreds of terror suspects in Morocco whose male relatives were jailed. Her phone rings often, and she receives daily visits from women whose husbands and brothers are in prison. Now with the uprisings in Arab countries, she sees a chance for investigation of those whom she and others hold responsible for the arrests of thousands of people and for corruption in Morocco.She also railed against what she sees as the U.S. “execution” of Bin Laden. “Why haven’t they arrested Sheikh Osama and put him on trial?” she asked. “Is this the law they are following, to execute people? Are these human rights, to send drones and kill women and children?” What does Mrs. Mejjati see as the future of Al Qaeda and jihad?“You see, we saw the pictures of Americans dancing on the streets after Obama announced the killing of Sheikh Osama,” Mrs. Mejjati said. “I am certain Al Qaeda will answer, and their happiness will turn into sorrow.”http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/world/africa/11iht-letter11.html?_r=1------------------------------------------International Symposium on Moroccan Jewry to be Held in New York CityThe American Sephardi Federation (ASF) will conduct a two-day international symposium on Sunday, May 15 and Monday, May 16, 2011 at the Center for Jewish History in New York City. Entitled: 2,000 Years of Jewish Life in Morocco: An Epic Journey, the symposium will feature international scholars and dignitaries from Morocco, France, Canada, Israel and the U.S.New York, NY (PRWEB) May 09, 2011The country of Morocco has been in the news lately more for its travails than its triumphs. In reality, Morocco can be looked at as a model for a modern contemporary Muslim state.The American Sephardi Federation (ASF) will conduct a two-day international symposium on Sunday, May 15 and Monday, May 16, 2011 at the Center for Jewish History in New York City. Entitled: '2,000 Years of Jewish Life in Morocco: An Epic Journey,' the symposium will feature international scholars and dignitaries from Morocco, France, Canada, Israel and the U.S., who, over two days, will focus on a compendium of subjects including: Moroccan Jewish history, social diversity and interaction, diplomacy, rabbinic tradition and influence, art, literature, and religious and secular musical history.Open to the public, this symposium is being held under the High Patronage of His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco and made possible through the generous support of the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation.Contributing scholars from the following academic institutions will be participating: The University of Paris, France; The Sorbonne, Paris, France; The University of Quebec, Canada; Tel-Aviv University, Israel; The University of Haifa, Israel; Princeton University, New Jersey; The University of Arizona; The University of Minnesota; The University of Pennsylvania; The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, and The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals in New York.Florence Amzallag Tatistcheff, ASF Vice President, Chair of Cultural Programs, said: "This symposium is testimony to the great legacy of the Moroccan Jewish community in the United States. Everywhere they live, Moroccan Jews carry with them a passion for their culture, spirit and Moroccan identity, one which remains steadfast, even in the face of changing situations in the world today."For program details, ticket information and the event syllabus, please visit: http://www.americansephardifederation.org/morocco-symposium.htmlFounded in 1973, the American Sephardi Federation is the largest American organization dedicated to the promotion of the history and culture of the Sephardic Jewish population in the United States. The ASF is a founding partner of the Center for Jewish History, located at 15 West 16th Street in Manhattan.http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/5/prweb8388912.htm------------------------------------------Jewish life in Morocco exploredAmerican Sephardi Federation to conduct two-day international symposium on Moroccan Jewish history, culture and identityYnetnews Published: 05.14.11, Israel Jewish Scene

Morocco has been in the news lately more for its travails than its triumphs. In reality, the northwestern African country can be looked at as a model for a modern contemporary Muslim state.The American Sephardi Federation (ASF) will conduct a two-day international symposium on Sunday, May 15 and Monday, May 16, 2011 at the Center for Jewish History in New York City, entitled "2,000 Years of Jewish Life in Morocco: An Epic Journey."The symposium will feature international scholars and dignitaries from Morocco, France, Canada, Israel and the US, who, over two days, will focus on a compendium of subjects including: Moroccan Jewish history, social diversity and interaction, diplomacy, rabbinic tradition and influence, art, literature, and religious and secular musical history.Open to the public, this symposium is being held under the High Patronage of His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco and made possible through the generous support of the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation.Contributing scholars from the following academic institutions will be participating: The University of Paris, France; The Sorbonne, Paris, France; The University of Quebec, Canada; Tel Aviv University, Israel; The University of Haifa, Israel; Princeton University, New Jersey; The University of Arizona; The University of Minnesota; The University of Pennsylvania; The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, and The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals in New York.Florence Amzallag Tatistcheff, ASF Vice President, Chair of Cultural Programs, said: "This symposium is testimony to the great legacy of the Moroccan Jewish community in the United States. "Everywhere they live, Moroccan Jews carry with them a passion for their culture, spirit and Moroccan identity, one which remains steadfast, even in the face of changing situations in the world today."Founded in 1973, the American Sephardi Federation is the largest American organization dedicated to the promotion of the history and culture of the Sephardic Jewish population in the United States.http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4064558,00.html

------------------------------------------National Festival of Popular Arts:Changing secular heritage Marrakech June 29-July 3, 2011.The oldest festival in Morocco, founded in 1960 by His Majesty King Mohammed V, looks forward to seeing you June 29-July 3, 2011.

During its existence it has had some real good times, but also passages vacuum that precipitated its decline. After passing into the hands of its creators, and the ONMT Association's National Festival of Popular Arts, the FNAP is now orchestrated by the Foundation of Marrakech Festival (WFF). A new team, a new vision for a concept rooted in tradition yet resolutely turned towards the renewal and creativity. So a new edition that is emerging, which aims to enhance the relationship of public Marrakech and Morocco with this event unique.

It is in this spirit that combines the legacy of the past and an approach for the future, the parade, a tradition of FNAP must be continued and updated. Open to youth, and national Marrakchi artists, it is the culmination of the major summer season of events. The other novelty of this 2011 edition is the creation of a Village, dedicated to the celebration of folk arts in Morocco.All festival activities will revolve around the same nodal point.

At the heart of this village, nestled in the lush gardens of the Olive grove,Ghabat Shabab, the festival will offer fans and families the magical moments of music and rhythmic tones that are all readings from Morocco's rich and diverse heritage. The Village will consist of intimate scenes and folk art performances, and a large stage will be devoted to large-scale concerts. Not forgetting also the workshops for musical awakening led by the artists themselves, which will enable them to be closer to the public and to spread their musical heritage so rich.

But this event would not be at the zenith of its influence without the magic of the El Badi Palace. This monument to Moroccan history will be the setting of sublime performances, inspired by the best traditional Moroccan performing troupes.

The tone is set for this 2011 edition, nurtured by a new artistic and organisational approach, highlighting the meeting between artists and audience. The FNAP 2011 will thus reach an increasingly broad audience which will be a mix of several events that will interact with each other for more than five days. Those from Marrakech or elsewhere, the young and savvy, anyone can take part in the events of FNAP and create his own festival among the multitude of performances.

The FNAP 2011 is of special symbolic after the tragedy experienced by the Red City. Today more than ever the organizing team is committed to making this event a real celebration of culture, highlighting all the national heritages. We will reveal the complete picture of Marrakech which will always be a place for tolerance, hospitality and celebration.

Organised by the Foudation for the Festival Marrakech (FFM) the 46th edition of the National Festival of Popular Arts in Marrakech will be held from June 29 to July 3, 2011. The FNAP it will regain its glorious past, rich in both achievement and committed to providing a Moroccan secular musical heritage that defies the ravages of time.

Wednesday May 11, 2011 -http://www.yacout.info/National-Festival-of-Popular-Arts-Changing-secular-heritage-Marrakech-June-29-July-3-2011_a3024.html------------------------------------------Morocco to export solar electricity to France next fall, French official saysMonaco - Morocco will export solar electricity to France next fall, which is the first experiment to transport energy from the south to the north of the Mediterranean, announced on Wednesday in Monaco French Industry, Energy and Digital Economy Minister Eric Besson. "France and Morocco will launch in autumn 2011 the first experiment of solar electricity from south to north of the Mediterranean," Besson told the opening of the 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Energy Efficiency Forum in the presence Prince Albert II, Sovereign of Monaco. Stressing that electricity demand will increase by 6% per year by 2025 in southern and eastern Mediterranean, he called the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) to lead the “revolution” of the zero-carbon based economy to ensure sustainable growth in these countries. To achieve this, the Minister proposed the development of a “Euro-Mediterranean energy pact”, which he will formally submit next May 20 to the UfM General Secretariat.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_to_export_so/view---------------------------------------------

On may 24th, 2009 I wrote my Peace Corps Aspiration Statement. In it I expressed a hope to “peal back the layers of myself, like an onion and get to know myself” as well as a desire to promote development “without feeling like a tool of globalization and an opponent of a slower, more natural, prelapsarian world.”

It has been almost two years since that day. With my service coming to an end in six months on November 16th 2011, I took the time to reread my Aspiration Statement and take stock of the Peace Corps Morocco experience.

Ignoring the horrible clichés, I can say that I have learned a lot and grown a lot. I now know the fantasy of a prelapsarian world existing somewhere beyond the reach of the modern world is just that, a fantasy. Having never read Thoreau I can’t categorically say he was wrong, but he probably was.

I think the biggest lesson I have learned is that, no matter how much time I spend, I will always be an outsider here and I am ok with that. I have become far more aware and proud of the culture and traditions that make me, me.

There is a lot more I could say on the subject, but the time, if it ever will come, has yet to arise for waxing philosophical. What I can say is that at this point the closing line of my Aspiration Statement is undoubtedly true, “Personally, I think that having volunteered in the Peace Corps, I will be able to look back at that fact and feel proud of myself and pleased at the person I have become as a result.”

People don’t realize how important branding is. A recent economist article titled ‘Clothes May Make the Man, but it is the Label that Really Counts’ written on the subject had this to say: “A new piece of research confirms what many, not least in the marketing department of fashion houses, will long have suspected: that it is not the design itself that counts, but the label… such clothes do bring the benefits promised: co-operation from others, job recommendations and even the ability to collect more money when soliciting for charity. But they work only when the origin of the clothes in question is obvious.”

Apart from perception, branding serves a very specific purpose, it creates trust, because you have no idea just how crappy a garment can be at first look. Clothing quality can vary widely, with many defects not being readily apparent. While the durability of fabric is easy to feel, the quality of zippers, buttons and stitching is more difficult to determine. If it is high quality it can last for years. If not it may break after a week or two. Branding is important because it provides some insight about the quality you can expect.

Living in the developing world where brands are not as prevalent or policed as in the developed world you realize this lesson very quickly. Cheep clothes, made in china and bought at souk do not last. Moreover brand tags are often fakes, added onto inferior products to lure the unsuspecting. It may be the case that nowadays brands more often serve to stratify societies into haves and have-mores. Still it is nice to know that they did originally have a very useful purpose. Without them one must live by the old adage: Buyer Beware!

Morocco c.bank says housing market not stagnatingThu Apr 29, 2010 12:51pm GMT

By Tom PfeifferRABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's property market is likely to pick up in coming months, the central bank told Reuters, playing down fears of prolonged stagnation that could hold back economic growth in the north African country.The price slowdown "has been quite brief and (the market) should very probably continue to resume its dynamism in the coming quarters," the central bank, known as Bank Al Maghrib, said in emailed replies, received on Wednesday, to questions from Reuters.It said prices have begun rising again and the sector should "continue to present important investment opportunities given that most ... analyses suggest that demand significantly exceeds supply, especially in social and mid-income housing."A Moroccan construction boom continued during the global economic downturn, helping prop up the economy even as local exporters faced slumping demand from recession-hit Europe.Most of the building activity is in real estate after banking reforms gave middle-income families easier access to mortgages and thousands of apartment blocks sprang up to replace slums in the kingdom's teeming northern cities.Housing growth has also underpinned the Casablanca stock market as local investors poured money into local real estate companies such as Addoha, which now accounts for over 10 percent of the bourse's capitalisation, according to traders.Property prices have stagnated and sales have slowed since late 2008. Local analysts have voiced concern that prices were stagnating now because, prior to the end of 2008, Morocco had been experiencing a property bubble.But the bank rejected that, saying that a 7 percent rise in property prices between the first quarter of 2006 and the third quarter of 2008 "is below that seen at the international level in the same period."The rise over that period "in no way reflects an overheating of the property market," the bank said. "It is explained, in our view, by a catch-up effect."CUT MORE BAD DEBTStrong lending growth that has underpinned real estate projects in recent years continued in January, with mortgage lending still up 13 percent compared to a year earlier, according to central bank figures.More Moroccans have been encouraged to open bank accounts and borrow as the banking network grew to reach more of the 34 million population.Banks have been able to lend at lower rates and remain profitable because their bad debts have tumbled to around 5.5 percent, from a high of 19 percent in 2004 that was a hangover from risky lending in the 1990s.Moroccan banks should continue to "further lower their levels of bad debts and reinforce their equity base," the central bank said.Analysts have suggested that Moroccan banks are still too weak to finance some major projects in the local economy.Asked if more mergers were needed among Moroccan lenders, the central bank said the sector was "characterised by a relatively high concentration of actors, the top three banks controlling 66 percent of the market"."This concentration and consolidation of financial resources allowed the reinforcement of banks' capacity to finance the economy and the emergence of important financial groups that adopted strategies to deploy on the continent and in Europe."

© Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved

From http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE63S0FD20100429?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=trueAccessed May 10, 2011, 08:23 Zulu

I have been a follower of Eurovision since 2008. In that year the people of Europe chose Russia, who at the time was enjoying an above average amount of influence because of the rising cost of oil and gas, as the victor. This victory directly precipitated Russia’s invasion of Georgia and the war that ensued, which cost several hundred lives.

This year the running favorites are France and the UK. Thus, it is expected to be a referendum on those countries roles in the situation in North Africa.

With all this geopolitical influence at stake, one could easily forget that Eurovision is a song contest. And yet it is more then that. It is the most far reaching democratic system ever devised, in which the citizens of more then forty countries have a direct say in the results.

In summary, Eurovision is awesome. You should check it out:

http://www.eurovision.tv/page/dusseldorf-2011

The 2nd semi-final is Thursday May 13th at 8 GMT and the Final is Saturday.

A low level government employee in Morocco makes $16 a day and is provided with housing, a Peace Corps Volunteer makes $8. From http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/05/poor_economics Accessed Tuesday, May 10, 2011 07:45 Zulu