Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
February 25 , 2006

Ouarzazate hosts training session for civil actors to fight HIV/AIDS.
First biosphere reserve to be created in Morocco.
Morocco's first composting project to see day light in al-Jadida
Cardiologic malformations
Morocco, FAO sign forests' protection agreement.
About 4,500 poisoning cases admitted in intensive care in 2005.
New handicraft strategy to create job opportunities.
UN bodies, Morocco discuss human development action plan.
CORRUPTION: Worries Rise With It
Address on Economic Assistance to Morocco.
Sebou River depollution program to receive euro 30Mn from French Agency.
Necessity to make use of traditional collective forms of solidarity, conference.

Ouarzazate hosts training session for civil actors to fight HIV/AIDS.
By Oumnia Guedda 2/13/2006

Over 40 associations benefited this weekend in Ouarzazate from a training session on the introduction of preventive measures against HIV/AIDS and sexually transmissible diseases. The training session is part of alphabetisation sessions and non-formal education, reported MAP news agency. The training session is the first initiative organised by the Association des Echos pour la Solidarité et le Developpement (AESD) (Association of Echoes for Solidarity and Development) supported by l'Association Marocaine de Solidarité et de Développement (AMSED)(Moroccan Association of Solidarity and Development), among a number of activities comprising training sessions, round tables, reflection days and field work.

For the implementation of the programme, the AESD signed in January many conventions with local associations, including l'Organisation du Scout marocain (Moroccan Scout Organisation), l'association Féminine Agdal d'Ighrem N'ougdal (Agdal d'Ighrem N'ougdal association), Nour Association for Solidarity with Rural Women, Mawahib association for arts and culture, the Fawaniss association in Ouarzazate. The animators of the alphabetisation sessions and non-formal education came from different regions of Ouarzazate province to benefit from workshops organised to initiate behaviour-changing.

"The changing of individual and collective behaviour is a relatively long temporal process, including good will which must be displayed by animators of alphabetization sessions and non-formal education," said Ismail Afroukh, animator of one of the workshops. "In this kind of action" he explained "there are lots of techniques that we try to transmit through these sessions. But to achieve tangible results in terms of the changing of behaviour, animators in the field must show tireless determination."
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First biosphere reserve to be created in Morocco.

Some 600,000 ha of natural areas, divided among four provinces in the north of Morocco, will be the Mediterranean's first reserve of the intercontinental biosphere, said Wednesday an official in charge of the network of the protected natural spaces of Andalusia.
The project, to be approved by the UNESCO in June, will cover another 400,000 ha in the south of Spain.

It will be presented to UNESCO's Man and Biosphere (MAB) Committee next winter in Malaga, said the same source. MAB is an international Programme concerned with the field of biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and capacity building and information sharing. It also aims at promoting the biosphere reserve concept, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and its constituent regional networks.

In Morocco, eight inland biological and ecological sites will be part of the project, in particular Talassemtan, Jbel Bouhachem, Jbel Qarrich. Ten other coastal ones will also figure includeding, Jbel Moussa, Koudiet Taifour, Gomara, and El Jebha. These areas are in the Wilaya of Tangier and Tetouan, and the provinces of Larache and Chefchaouen.

On the Spanish side, the biosphere reserve will incorporate a number of protected areas, including four in Andalusia (Sierra de las Nieves, Sierra de Grazalema, Los Alcornocales and El Estrecho) and a number of natural monuments in Malaga. The creation of the biosphere reserve aims at boosting development in the northern region through the promotion of rural tourism and biological culture.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=13082 
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Morocco's first composting project to see day light in al-Jadida

A scientific project of composting, named MOROCOMP, has seen the light of day in al-Jadida. It aims at the creation of an innovative composting unit for the treatment of sludge and all other biodegradable organic waste. This project, the first of its kind in Morocco, was prepared by Moroccan researchers belonging to Chouaib Doukkali University, in cooperation with National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) as well as other public institution and civil society organisations.

The objective of MOROCOMP is to develop and establish an innovative composting system for the treatment of biodegradable organic waste (BOW), and sludge generated by urban waste matter treatment plants and drinking water refineries. The treated sludge will be used to improve soil on arable land, act as a substitute to chemical fertilizers, and prevent soil degradation. This project also aims to copy European environmental policies, enhance the protection of the environment and the population's health, and protect arable lands against the degradation of the quality of soil and underground waters to avoid any contamination.

MOROCOMP is also designed to develop instruments for competent authorities to be able to use the appropriate schemas in the management of sludge and BOW, besides acquiring a national autonomy in terms of technology. It also targets the reduction of the use of chemical manure, and the protection of water reserves which are sensitive to eutrophication. The project is also meant to train the personnel that will be involved in the development of the studied technology, the resolution of the problems stocking sludge and BOW, and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.

The budget allocated to the project, which will be carried out in about 24 months (Feb. 2006 Feb. 2008), amounts to Euro 637,808 The EU will pay Euro 438,228 and other partners will pay Euro 199,580.

LIFE-Third countries is part of the LIFE programme . LIFE is EU's financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects in the EU's member states and some neighboring countries. Its objective of the programme is to bolster the development and implementation of EU's environmental policy. Since 1992, LIFE-Third Countries has co-financed some 2,500 projects, contributing Euro 1,500 million to the protection of the environment.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=12982 
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Cardiologic malformations

Canadian artist raises funds for suffering Moroccan children. 2/22/2006 The Canadian composer and singer, France D'Amour, along with other artists, presented Monday in Montreal's Corona Theatre a fund raising concert to finance a team of cardiologists from Montreal's CHU Sainte-Justine hospital to operate on about 50 Moroccan children suffering cardiologic malformations. In response to her talent, dynamism, generosity and outspokenness, a great number of spectators attended the event to support this humanitarian initiative. The Moroccan ambassador to Canada, Mohamed Tangi, the Kingdom's general consul, Souriya Otmani, also attended the spectacle, as well as several members of the Moroccan community in Montreal.

The team of doctors will arrive next March in Casablanca to operate on some 50 children who have cardiologic malformations and contribute to the development of the Moroccan expertise in cardiology. This mission is part of a collaboration agreement signed last March between Sainte-Justine hospital, the Moroccan NGO 'Les Bonnes Oeuvres du Coeur" and the Quebec association 'Mobilisation Enfants du Monde' (MEM). The Quebec mission will visit Morocco twice a year. It will be made up, in the first stage, of 20 people, representing each category of medical and paramedical personnel. But, it will be gradually reduced, in accordance with need and the results of the training programme.

The objective of this project is to assure the autonomy of the Moroccan team of Casablanca's cardio-pediatric centre by 2008. Dr. Hon Monique Mujawamariya, the president delegate of MEM, and Dr. Joaquim Miro, the director of the cardiology programme in CHU Sainte-Justine, will take charge of the coordination of this mission.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=13058 
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Morocco, FAO sign forests' protection agreement.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the High Commissariat for Water, Forest, and Fight against Desertification signed Wednesday an agreement for carrying out a project of technical cooperation that aims at drawing up a national strategy to survey and protect the Moroccan forests' health. This project, worth USD 232,000, to be provided by the FAO, is designed to help the Moroccan government install a pilot surveillance system and follow up forests' health in the region of the Middle Atlas.

The initiative mainly aims at the early detection of plants' health disequilibrium and the application of effective prevention and cleaning measures. On this occasion, the High Commissioner for Water, Forest, and Fight against Desertification, Abdeladim El Hafi, hailed the level of cooperation between Morocco and the FAO in different domains, especially the protection of the forest patrimony.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/News/article.asp?id=13072 
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About 4,500 poisoning cases admitted in intensive care in 2005.
Marrakech, Feb. 24

Figures of the Moroccan anti-poison center show that 4.500 people were admitted in public hospital in 2005 in Morocco because of acute poisoning, said Dr Ghassane El Adib Ahmed Ghassane of the Mohamed VI University Hospital of Marrakech, adding most of the poisoning was caused by scorpion bites, medicines and pesticides. Ghassane noted that medicines have become the first cause of poisoning and more frequent than that caused by pesticides He regretted the lack of call centers that can advise by means of phone on the first aid to give to those affected while waiting for rescue teams and called for relevant players to mobilize to prevent poising dangers.

The physician and intensive care specialist said some 15% of admissions in intensive care units of the Ibn Toufail and Ibn Zohr hospitals of Marrakech in 2005 were intoxication cases, adding death rate are 6.5% of poisoning cases, referring to a study conducted in the two hospitals. Ghassane said more than 60% of the patients are aged below 35 and 70% are women, while 80% are « voluntary intoxications », in a statement to the Moroccan News Agency MAP on the occasion of the 1st French-Moroccan congress and 6th National Congress on emergency and disaster medicine.

The physician also noted there was an increase of intoxications in 2005 caused by bathroom gas heaters leaks. The Industry and Trade Ministry lately stated that some 179 selling heating appliances, including gas heaters, were inspected following the death in the past six months of 25 people suffocated because of gas heaters and faulty installation. The department said its specialized bodies were tasked, after the accidents, to collect information to identify the faulty devices, conduct a detailed probe into the incidents and reinforce regular checking. The two congresses are attended by more than 2.000 Moroccan and foreign specialists, as well as WHO representatives.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box5/about_4500_poisonin/view 
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New handicraft strategy to create job opportunities.

The Minister of Tourism, Handicraft and Social Economy, Adil Douiri, has affirmed that the new strategy for Moroccan handicrafts aims at creating job opportunities, reported MAP news agency. In an interview with "Economie en Question" broadcast on the Moroccan first channel TVM, Douiri said that the objective of the government is to make the handicraft industry a sector which creates new job opportunities.

He underlined that handicrafts are highly demanded both at the national and international level. "For this reason", he went on, "the government aims at doubling the turnover of the sector and increasing its exports." He said that the present policy in the sector is to create 10 to 15 benchmark firms, which will create 37,000 job opportunity in 10 years.

The Minister also said that the government supports, supervises and assists the 100 existing small and medium firms. "The government intends to double or treble the number of small and medium firms to create 15,000 job opportunity in 2015," he added. As for individual craftsmen, Douiri said that they are essential actors for the handicraft sector which may create up to 65,000 job opportunities. "Our strategy aims at helping craftsmen to increase their monthly income and to establish contacts between them and clients," concluded the minister.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=13030 
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UN bodies, Morocco discuss human development action plan.
Rabat, Feb. 23

Several UN bodies and Morocco are to implement a five-year framework plan to assist in the development of the north African country for the 2007-2011 period and to revolve around human development priorities. At a meeting attended here on Thursday by Moroccan and UN officials, the International Labour Bureau pledged USD 10Mn, the UNFPA 8Mn, the UNICEF 6,7Mn, the UNDP 5,6Mn and the WHO 02Mn in contributions to the action plan to be carried out part of the Moroccan Initiative for Human Development (INDH) launched in 2005 by King Mohammed VI.

INDH is meant to spur social action in Morocco through a global, integrated and lasting approach. King Mohammed VI announced on May 18, 2005, the large-scale, social policy initiative based on integrated programs to reduce social disparities and fight exclusion. It is designed to provide basic infrastructure to millions, from adequate housing and drinking water to health care and education. The approach focuses on three main aspects: upgrading infrastructure, public utilities and social services in poor rural and urban neighbourhoods, giving impetus to job creating activities and improving the social services for people facing hardships or having special needs.

At the joint meeting, Secretary General of the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, Omar Hilale, announced the creation of a steering committee to be tasked with the follow-up of the action plan. A meeting is to be held later to decide over the making up and mission of the committee. The action plan was drawn in cooperation by the involved parties. UN Coordinator residing in Morocco, Emmanuel Dierckx de Casterlé, said the integrated plan is evidence to the commitment of UN involved agencies to assist in Moroccan development, with special emphasis to the INDH.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_social/un_bodies_morocco_d/view 
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CORRUPTION:Worries Rise With It
Abderrahim El Ouali CASABLANCA, Feb 21 (IPS)

When Morocco slipped to a position as the 78th most corrupt country in the latest Transparency International report, the change reflected the perception of most Moroccans. Transparency International (TI) ranks countries by the perceptions of its people, rather than by any objective comparisons of the extent of corruption. But publication of the perceptions has further triggered views why the country is seen to be more and more corrupt.

"Corruption is a structural matter and an integral part of the 'security state'," Abdullah Kamoune, member of the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH) told IPS. And corruption has a long history in Morocco, he said. "In the 19th century governors of regions in Morocco were obliged to come to the royal palace to offer gifts to the king so as to strengthen their position. As compensation, they were free to do what they want with citizens. This is the origin of the problem."

Following independence from France in 1956, "some courageous initiatives were started to make economic, social, and cultural reforms through the first five-year plan from 1960 to 1964," Kamoune said. "But the plan was aborted when king Mohamed V died in 1961." In later years people either went the corrupt way, or went to prison, he said. But the reasons are more than historical, such as "domination by the culture of fear, under-developed social relations, illiteracy and ignorance, and a popular culture which finds justifications for corruption," economist Mustapha Antra told IPS.

State structures only help corruption, he said. "Procedures are very complicated and the law on justification of administrative decisions is not really in force. This leads to the spread of favouritism." The state, he said, "uses corruption to reproduce the political elite, to guarantee its continuity, and to retain the current political balances." The state is "a system which itself is based on privileges." Corruption results in good measure also from the "informal economy which leads to smuggling and many other illegal relations, and the lack of a clear policy in salaries," he said.

The TI report lists several scandals that brought the country down from 45th position in 1999, itself not particularly impressive. Among the most well-known relates to the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca. "Construction was financed partly by 'voluntary contributions' and partly by the compulsory deduction of employees' salaries, providing ample opportunities for racketeering and the embezzlement of funds," the TI report says.

It says that the Inspection Générale des Finances (IGF) has revealed evidence of "gross financial fraud or embezzlement in banking, social security, agricultural credit, public housing, state contracts, public companies, municipal councils and international aid projects."

A tourism and housing development credit fund lost 1.3 billion dollars partly because "fictional businessmen using fictional companies obtained credit from the bank and were later declared bankrupt," the TI report said. Institutions need to open up, said Kamoune. "Competition must be clear and credible and we must give up compromising outside institutions. These compromises are more than corruption. They are political prostitution."

The state is in a process of transformation since the accession of king Mohamed VI to throne in 1999, but Morocco seems to have lost the fight against corruption. While everyone is free to speak about corruption, "greater freedom of speech has not been accompanied by any significant improvement in accountability," said the TI report. The going joke in Morocco is that it has been spared weapons of mass destruction, but it is being destroyed by weapons of mass corruption.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=32238 
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Address on Economic Assistance to Morocco.
Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 9:58 am Speech: US State Department Address on State Department Economic Assistance to Morocco E. Anthony Wayne, Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs U.S. Chamber of Commerce Washington, DC February 16, 2006

Introduction It is an honor to address this group of distinguished guests and business leaders. I want to thank Minister Alami and a special thanks to the U.S. Chamber for hosting this event. This is an exciting time for Morocco as it begins entry into the Free Trade Agreement. One of my earliest assignments was as an officer at our Embassy in Rabat. I have fond memories of drinking tea, and negotiating with the merchants and am very confident that the businessmen, as well at the government officials here today, and the Moroccan people will meet this new challenge. In fact, I want to warn some of you here that these merchants have prospered and honed their negotiating skills at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and the Middle East for centuries and will give you a run for your money!

Morocco has been an anchor in the region and a strong friend of the United States. Our countries have had a long history of friendly relations. Morocco was one of the first states to seek diplomatic relations with America. In December 1777, Sultan Sidi Muhammad Ben Abdullah issued a declaration announcing that all vessels sailing under the American flag could freely enter Moroccan ports. By issuing this declaration, Morocco became one of the first states to acknowledge publicly the independence of the American Republic.

We are here today to discuss another historic event between our countries -- the entry into force for U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement. We understand that Free Trade Agreements -- like the one we are celebrating today -- encourage the creation of employment opportunities, the transfer of technology, expanded manpower skills and training, and increased foreign direct investment.

Citizens of developing countries in the Middle East have a growing stake in the global economy because of greater economic openness and the rapid acceleration of technological change. However, despite significant concentrations of wealth in some countries, the benefits of globalization have largely bypassed much of the broader Middle East. Successive UN Arab Human Development Reports have made clear that for many in the broader Middle East, economic prosperity is still largely a dream. The United States is committed to helping bridge this divide by deploying its resources to assist the countries of the Middle East in their efforts to develop the institutional and legal frameworks, business skills and human capital, and other resources that will enable them to effectively harness the power of globalization and free trade.

We also shouldn't forget that economic reform is a means of attaining political reform. They are inherently linked. A powerful and vital way to support political freedom and social opportunity is by generating economic opportunity that helps people build better futures for themselves. The Middle East Free Trade Area -- or MEFTA -- is one of the vehicles that President Bush envisions will generate prosperity throughout the region. I will leave those details to my friend AUSTR Shaun Donnelly. The State Department is working in tandem with the MEFTA through many programs and initiatives to support economic opportunities in Morocco.

Middle East Partnership Initiative
The State Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) was created to in 2002 to bolster indigenous reform in the Middle East. In the last couple of years, MEPI has funded many economic programs in Morocco
including:
FTA Support: MEPI provided funds to identify the changes required in Moroccan laws and regulations to bring it into compliance with its obligations under the FTA. It also supported a variety of classroom and on-the-job technical assistance programs:
* participation in an IPR Enforcement Academy in Washington;
* prosecutorial training on IPR issues; and
* implementation of an automated tracking system for Customs officials in Morocco.

Trade Support. In anticipation of the FTA implementation, MEPI helped Moroccan businesses identify market opportunities in the United States.
Partnership for Financial Excellence. The Financial Service Volunteer Corps with the help of MEPI funding has set up an office and is conducting a series of workshops with the commercial banking sector to improve risk management and SME access to finance; with the Central Bank to modernize commercial bank supervision and regulation; and with the Casablanca stock market to improve operations and pension fund management.

Entrepreneur programs. Morocco has sent a large number of participants to the "Meet U.S." program, which stands for "Middle East Entrepreneur Training in the U.S.", as well as the Business Internship Program. We are pleased that many of the "Meet U.S." participants from Morocco have been women. There have also been two Moroccan participants in the Business Internship Program -- one at Frito-Lay in Plano, Texas and a second at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. An Entrepreneurship Center, which builds entrepreneurial skills through teaching, training, and hands-on mentorship with accomplished entrepreneurs is also slated to be established in Morocco.

MEPI Small Grants. MEPI has directly funded initiatives by Moroccan NGOs and civil society organizations that support Morocco's economic reform efforts, including the U.S.- Morocco FTA Website which was part of a public-private, Moroccan-U.S. partnership outreach effort to educate both U.S. and Moroccan businesses about the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).
USAID

In 2005, USAID provided over $25 million in foreign assistance to Morocco, with 43 percent devoted to trade capacity building to help Morocco take full advantage of the opportunities of the more liberalized trading environment the FTA will provide. The remaining funds supported education, and democracy and governance programs to help build human capital and institutions that will enable Morocco to sustain economic growth over the long term.

MENA Investment Initiative We have been doing other things that help strengthen Morocco's economy. The State Department leads USG government efforts to enhance investment climates in the Middle East and North Africa, including through the OECD's Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Investment Initiative. We welcome Morocco's strong participation in that initiative, and its submission of an investment reform plan as part of that process.

Millennium Challenge Corporation The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) is another way we are working to promote economic development. Morocco was among 23 countries selected as eligible to apply for Millennium Challenge Account funds in 2006 and is currently working to complete its agreement or compact with the United States. Secretary Rice chairs the Millennium Challenge Corporation which channels MCA funds to developing countries whose governments demonstrate a strong commitment to ruling justly, investing in people, and encouraging economic freedom. On his first foreign trip as the MCC's new CEO, John Danilovich visited Morocco a few weeks ago and met with senior government officials and members of civil society and the private sector. He was impressed by the grass roots involvement; MCC places a high priority on country "ownership" and efforts to achieve measurable results to reduce poverty through economic growth. MCC looks forward to working with Morocco to achieve these goals.
Business Facilitation and Investment Fund The State Department's Business Facilitation and Investment Fund (or BFIF) provides grants to posts to promote commercial and business opportunities in countries such as Morocco that present clear strategic opportunities. BFIF funds have been provided to Embassy Rabat to support and promote the FTA to the Moroccan and American business communities. In 2004, BFIF along with the MEPI, partnered with American Chamber of Commerce to create an FTA website that recorded 1.25 million hits in its first year and is still going strong.

You should go there too and learn how your company can benefit from the FTA! Last year, BFIF funds allowed the U.S. Embassy in Rabat to participate in an investment promotion tour of the United States. This year we are again teaming up with the American Chamber of Commerce in Morocco on further promotion activities.

Moving Forward The hard work of translating the FTA into an economic success story for Morocco depends not only on policy-makers like me or Minister Alami sad as that may be or even great programs like MEPI, MCA or BFIF. It depends, in the end, on the many people in this room such as our business sponsors for today's meeting, Boeing and CMS -- and their efforts to sell their products and services and establish businesses in Morocco.
While you have heard from Boeing and CMS, let me mention how just a few other U.S. companies are already taking advantage of the excellent opportunities that exist in Morocco. Fruit of the Loom has invested over $150 million in the textile sector and International Paper invested a similar amount in the agribusiness. Minco, a U.S. electronics company, is investing $1 million and creating as many as four hundred jobs in Casablanca. The benefits are not one-sided, though; many Moroccan companies and entrepreneurs have been positioning their products to take advantage of the U.S. market, manufacturing products like leather goods, marble sinks, palm leaf baskets, and children's clothing. Since entry into the FTA, a Moroccan frozen fruit and vegetable exporter has negotiated a $2.6 million export deal to the United States.

This is just the beginning As economic growth increases not only in Morocco but also in Bahrain, Oman and Jordan, the vision of President Bush's Middle East Free Trade Area begins to take hold in higher standards of living, better education, and greater opportunity for all of our citizens.

In this way, our nation's foreign policy and our commercial interests are intricately tied together. U.S. businesses have and continue to demonstrate a commitment to expanding investment in, and trade with, our friends and allies in the Middle East and around the world. In doing so, the U.S. business community has played a key role in creating and sustaining long-term economic growth, job creation, and a better quality of life for all involved.

Conclusion As I said earlier: A powerful and vital way to support political freedoms and social opportunities is by generating economic opportunities that help people build better futures for themselves. Morocco is at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Europe, and our hope is that the Moroccan FTA will provide these opportunities for its own citizens and become an example to its neighbors.
Ambassadors, Ministers, special guests, business leaders -- thank you for the opportunity to join you today.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00350.htm 
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Sebou River depollution program to receive euro 30Mn from French Agency.
February 24, 2006 By Andnetwork .com

The French Development Agency is lending the Water and Power Utility of Fès Euro 30Mn to carry out a program on the depollution of the Sebou River draining basin and the protection of the environment and water resources in this north central region of Morocco. The loan convention is to be signed on February 28 by the "Agence française de développement" (AFD) and the "Régie autonome de distribution d'eau et d'électricité de Fès" (RADEEF).

The Sebou River, which flows some 300 km from the Rif Mountains westward to the Atlantic town of Kenitra, is polluted by home sewage and industrial liquid waste, notably tanning and oil processing concerns of the town of Fès. The program aims at preventing health hazards deriving from water-born diseases to the populations living downstream of the river, as well as increasing water resources for RADEEF and protecting the environment.

A water purification plant and several liquid waste drains to channel used water to the plant are to be built under the program close to Fès. The total program funds are estimated at around Euro 90Mn to be contributed to by several Moroccan departments.
http://www.andnetwork.com/app?service=direct/0/Home/$StorySummary$0.$DirectLink$2&sp=l20204 
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Necessity to make use of traditional collective forms of solidarity, conference.

Forms of cooperation and traditional collective solidarity must be made into use in order to accompany the successive developments affecting the social structures, said Mohamed Moustaghfir, researcher in social sciences, MAP news agency reported. Moustaghfir participated in the first conference, held in Ouarzazate on Thursday, under the theme of the "Amazigh Culture and Development".

"If the developments affecting social structures have proved that collective work has regressed to the detriment of modern forms, there is no reason not to benefit from this prevailing collective spirit within Amazigh communities," Moustaghfir said. He said that this conference was behind the emergence of many development cooperatives and associations that struggle to contribute to improving the individual revenue of families, through modernising the productive sectors.

Moustaghfir considered that fighting illiteracy, increasing rates of schooling in the rural world, improving the professional and technical levels of civil militants and providing them with the necessary means that the individual alone cannot afford are part of the advantages that can be achieved from working in development cooperatives and associations.

Italian researcher Rachele Borgini also presented her research on women in the rural world, following her terrain survey in the village of Hassilabiad, near Errachidia. "During the last years, there has been an increasing interest in women living in rural areas in Morocco, along with the necessity to support their participation and integration in the different development projects," the Italian researcher said. For Borghi, what is very important is to know if the theoretical discourse pertaining to NGOs has become part of the reality. "In the case of the Hassilabiad village, such a question is not a real problem because the association was quickly welcomed by the general public,"
she added.

In the same context, Khadija Aziz, a civil militant, presented a practical experience of a feminine association working in rural areas, called "Tin Hinan" for development, under the title "Role of Associations in supporting Amazigh Women". According to her, the cultural specifity of Amazigh communities need particular development initiatives in order to guarantee the setting up of the infrastructure needed for a global development. "The rural woman lives in a fragile social situation and is still deprived of her rights," Kadija concluded.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=13109 
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