Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
May 6 , 2006

WB lends USD 60Mn to Moroccan second rural roads project.
Non-schooling, early drop out cost Morocco 1% of GDP.
French association launches campaign on autism in Morocco.
Marriage certificate up 3.48% in 2005
Fifty Moroccan women preachers to teach moderate Islam.
Moroccan Democratic League for Women's rights working towards an autonomous family court.
Integration of Amazigh language requires objective evaluation of its current situation, Moroccan official.
Forum on women and development to be held on May 5 - 10.
Friendship Fest Festival sings peace in Marrakech.
Kelaat M'Gouna Rose Festival raises curtains.

WB lends USD 60Mn to Moroccan second rural roads project.
May 3, 2006

The World Bank's Board of Directors approved today a USD 60 million loan to the Morocco Second Rural Roads Project (MSRRP), a press release of the world finance institution said. Rural development in Morocco is key to reaching the Millennium Development Goals. About two thirds of the country's poor live in rural areas. Better access to basic infrastructure is essential to improve living conditions and increasing the economic opportunities for the rural communities. The construction of rural roads as well as upgrading of existing tracks will bring significant social and economic benefits by allowing year-round access to social, community and administrative services. Investment in rural roads construction will also enhance the development of markets and business opportunities all year around.

This project is consistent with the priorities of the 2020 Rural Development Strategy that was recently launched by the Moroccan government. Morocco's road network currently faces challenges of underdevelopment, rural accessibility and maintenance resulting from severe weather conditions as well as some management issues. Transport services are provided by private operators and road safety is more and more emerging as a priority in rural areas.

In response to these challenges, the Moroccan Government launched in 1995 the first National Program of Rural Roads (NPRR-1), which improved 11.000 km of existing roads and tracks during the period of 1995-2005. This program impacted significantly the living conditions of the rural population. Children's school enrolment rates in rural villages that gained road access tripled, while the price of some essential commodities was reduced by 50%.

The Second National Program of Rural Roads (NPRR-2), launched in 2005 aims at increasing access to roads for 80 percent of the rural population by 2015. It relies on a strong participatory process, with regions, provinces and local councils being systematically involved in the selection and funding of projects.

The project will contribute to achieving the general objectives of the National Program of Rural Roads (NPRR-2), which aim at increasing the level of access of the rural population from 54% in 2005 to 67% in 2010 and 80% by the end of the Program in 2015.
The project is estimated to cost about MAD 10 billion (equivalent to USD
1.15 billion). The financing plan consists of: (a) a combined contribution of the FSR (Road Fund) and the General Budget of about MAD 4 billion (40%); (b) a loan of MAD 4.5 billion (45%); and (c) an expected total contribution from the regions, provinces and local communes of about MAD 1.5 billion (15%).

The project's goal is also consistent with the Morocco Country Assistance Strategy 2005-2009 that explicitly identifies the development of rural infrastructure as one of the main priorities to be supported by Bank operations to contribute to poverty alleviation.
http://www.andnetwork.com/index?service=direct/0/Home/recent.titleStory&sp=l33108 
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Non-schooling, early drop out cost Morocco 1% of GDP.
May 4, 2006,

Non-schooling and early drop out cost Morocco 1% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), revealed a study published by the Moroccan Secretariat of State in charge of literacy and informal education. Carried out in conjunction with the UNICEF, the document pointed out that "every extra primary school year is likely to increase one's salary by 12.7% compared to 10.4% for a secondary school year."

Recalling that the early drop out rate, estimated between 5 and 6%, hinders the schooling efforts, the study stresses that poverty is the decisive factor in school drop out decisions. Estimated at 25% of Moroccans' minimum salary, the document notes that education costs may be disincentive for poor families though they are limited to the school year entry.
To make up for this situation, the report calls for revising the institutional, judicial and regulatory framework of informal education and improving coordination between public powers and rationalize the participation of civil society in this field.
It also urges for an incitation system for poor schooled children, in addition to a pedagogical, material and human system that would provide these children with educational support and favor their personal and socio-cultural development.
http://www.andnetwork.com/index?service=direct/0/Home/recent.fullStory&sp=l33200 
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French association launches campaign on autism in Morocco.

The France-based association "Léa pour Samy - La Voix de l'Enfant Autiste" (Léa for Samy - Voice of the Autistic Child) is organising on June 3 - 17 a vast campaign in Morocco about autism. The campaign will be held under the theme "Autist Act, 15 days of Action Against Autism", MAP news agency reported. The event will include conferences and workshops with the aim of spreading knowledge about autism and therefore make people provide autistic children with early care. The campaign will target many Moroccan cities, including Tangier, Fes, Meknes, Kenitra, Casablanca, Settat, Marrakech and Agadir.

"Morocco should recognize autism and move against it through actions of information, training, prevention, research financing, diagnosis, and the creation of projects aiming at accompanying autistic children," said the association in a press release. Headed by the Moroccan M'hammed Sajidi, the association was set up to deal with the difficulties parents face in having their environment and that of their children recognize autism-related problems from which their children suffer, although they sometimes appear "normal". The association pleads for an early diagnosis of autism, the rights of autistic children in education, and their integration in society.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/News/article.asp?id=14550 
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Marriage certificate up 3.48% in 2005
Minister. May 4, 2006

Marriage certificates totalled 244,795 in 2005, i.e. an increase of 3.48% in comparison to the previous year, revealed the Moroccan Justice Minister. Mohamed Bouzoubaa, who was speaking at the House of Representatives question time, said that the rate of divorce cases dropped to 29,668 in 2005 compared to 44,922 in 2003.

Divorce by consent, he said, has skyrocketed 166.08% in 2005 in comparison to 2004. As to divorce at the wife's request, which used to top the list of divorce cases before the entry in force in January 2004 of the new Family Code, it has plummeted 6.34% in 2005, the minister added.
He noted that the marriage of adult girls, who conclude themselves the marriage contract, has appreciably increased reaching almost 50 thousand, against barely 35 thousand in 2004. Bouzoubaa ascribed this rise to the full understanding of the Moroccan society of the new Family Code, which also resulted in a drop of polygamy cases by 6.97% in 2005. The New family code introduced important amendments that enhance women and children rights, and reinforce family ties.
http://www.andnetwork.com/index?service=direct/0/Home/story&sp=l33241 
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Fifty Moroccan women preachers to teach moderate Islam.
By Bachir Niah

In a first in the Muslim world, up to 50 Morshidat (female preachers) have graduated to consolidate and institutionalise the participation of women in the religious sphere. This is a "first that has found a warm welcome in the world," said the head of Islamic affaires in the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs Ahmed Abbadi. "This is a rare experience in the Muslim world," boasted Muhammad Mahfudh, director of the centre attached to the Islamic Affairs Ministry that trained this first group of 50 women.

At the initiative of the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs, under HM King Mohammed VI's guidance, 220 imams and Morshidat pursued a 12-month crash course. They studied from Islamic belief to religious sociology and from psychology to exact science, a total of 32 subjects. In order to ameliorate the mediator aspect, courses in the art of preaching and communication were also scheduled. The 1,350-hour training was divided into three sessions of 15 weeks each.

These imams and Morshidat will be deployed in mosques throughout the kingdom. Their mission is to back up the religious officials in the 16 regional delegations of the ministry throughout the Kingdom. The Morchidat, however, will not be leading prayers in mosques, which is reserved for men, but will teach women and even men about a moderate Islam and its practice.

"The Morshidat will be in charge of leading religious discussions, give lessons in Islam, give moral support to people in difficulty and guide the faithful towards a tolerant Islam," one of the graduates told Al-Jazeera TV channel.

To help and orient them in their job, the ministry has published a guide that all the graduates committed themselves to follow. Up to 50,000 copies will be distributed to all the religious officials in the country. The second group has already been selected and will start courses later this month.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=14582 
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Moroccan Democratic League for Women's rights working towards an autonomous family court.
02/05/2006 By Hassan Benmehdi

In its report released to the public at the end of April, the Democratic League for Women's Rights insisted that the family justice system become autonomous. The LDDF report on the application of the Family Law, two years after its enactment, calls for family justice to be transformed with the creation of an autonomous court along the lines of other courts. The document was put together by the Moroccan Women's Information Centre and Observatory and the Network of Hearings Centres and Judicial Counsel (LDDF Assistance).

Presented on 26 April in Casablanca by LDDF Secretary General Fouzia Assouli, the report points out some positive aspects of the application of the Family Law. Aspects connected with marriage, divorce, the prohibition of polygamy, allowances, marital violence and the application of the law's provisions are cited. The document also brings to light some negative points, which mostly consist of ways in which the law has been sidestepped or had some of its provisions poorly implemented.

In its recommendations, the report calls for the setting of a mothers' social security fund, payment of allowances into court accounts before judgements regarding a return to the home, improvement of information dissemination and the creation of a special police force with social workers to lead investigations concerning marital violence. The report also insists that women who have been subject to violence should be accompanied by a lawyer or social worker when talking to the judiciary police, opening inquiries, submitting the violent husband for psychiatric treatment. It also calls for the criminalisation of sexual harassment.

4,855 marriages with minors were recorded in 2005 As for the marriage of minors, the report recommends linking social inquiries with a medical and psychological certificate to take proceedings against those who use fraudulent means to engage in polygamy with minors, implement the procurator general's role in child protection and stipulate that the judge must not rely on visual assessment alone to authorise the marriage of a minor. According to report statistics, around 4,855 marriages with minors were recorded in 2005 in Marrakech, Casablanca, Béni Mellal, Rabat, Fqih Bensaleh, Ouarzazate, and Guelmin. Marrakech tops the list with 1,920 marriages, ahead of Casablanca with 1,131. The overall conclusion of the LDDF reports is that transforming family justice into an autonomous, independent court system is necessary.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/05/02/feature-02 
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Integration of Amazigh language requires objective evaluation of its current situation, Moroccan official.
5/5/2006

The Director of the Regional Academy of Education and Training of Souss-Massed-Draa, Mubarak Hanoun, said that the integration of the Amazigh language in the national education system requires an objective evaluation of its current situation and means of promoting it in the future. "The adoption of such an approach must necessarily come as part of a strategy of development of languages, based on the principle of cultural and linguistic democracy and the opening of a debate on the policies of linguistic planning in Morocco," Hanoun underlined, on Friday in Agadir, during a study day on teaching the Amazigh language.

Hanoun emphasised the need for the institutionalisation of the linguistic legitimacy and encouraged the complementarity of Arabic and Amazigh, banishing the logic of negative competition. He recalled that there are still several difficulties that hinder the process of integrating the Amazigh language in the national education system, as a component of the Moroccan identity. Nevertheless, over three years many important steps have been done to solve them.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/News/article.asp?id=14584 
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Forum on women and development to be held on May 5 - 10.

A regional forum on "The Women of Fes, Founding Pillar of Local Democratic Development" opened its doors on Friday in Fes's Palais des Congrès. The forum will be held on May 5 - 10, MAP news agency reported. Jointly initiated by the association Initiative pour le Protection des Droits de la Femme (Initiative for Protecting Women's Rights - IPDF) and the Wilaya of Fes, the forum aims to survey the Moroccan women's situation both at the regional and national level.

Participants in the event will also try to identify the actions needed to improve the situation of women and draw up a list of priorities for the needed actions. The forum will include thematic workshops to debate on women's rights and propose measures to set up a programme to fight the sexual exploitation of little girls, and elaborate a concrete collaboration between the State and civil society.

Speaking on the occasion, Zhor Houti, a professor in Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah University, hailed the positive development women have achieved in Morocco since 1999. This evolution, she recalled, was namely marked by the promulgation of new laws, like the new Family Code, and the ratification of the Penal Code and the Work Code.

The speaker also noted that much remains to be done, as women still face discrimination and marginalization in many fields. In this regard, Houti stressed that Morocco has not yet ratifies a series of international agreements related to women's rights, in addition to the weak representation of women in decision-making positions. The event will see the participation of some 20 regional feminist associations. The agenda also features many arts activities which will target street children and young house maids, in addition to an awareness-raising caravan concentrated on women's rights and health care.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=14570 
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Friendship Fest Festival sings peace in Marrakech.
Marrakech, May 06

Moroccan and American musicians on Friday shared stage at the curtain-raising of the 2nd Music and Popular Arts festival "Friendship Fest 2006" to celebrate friendship and peace between the two cultures. Spawned by the Friendship and development Festival Association, the three-day event is organized in partnership with the "Friendship Fest" to bridge cultures and make friends notably through the universal language of music.

During this event, contemporary and traditional Moroccan music artists such as Mohammed Rouicha, Najat Atabou and Jil Jilala band will be joined on stage by American artists, notably "George Huff", "Joy Williams Band", "KJ-52" and "The Crabb family." The 2005 edition drew an estimated 85,000 people over the three nights of the event.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box4/friendship_fest_fest/view 
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Kelaat M'Gouna Rose Festival raises curtains.
Ouarzazate, May 06

The Rose Festival of the Moroccan Southern town of Kelaat M'Gouna raised curtains on Friday. The three-day festival, which coincides with traditional rose-picking ritual and rose-distillation, kicked off with the coronation of Miss Rose. The floral event will also feature numerous events notably a chariots procession, folk-dancing and singing, handcraft exhibitions and banquets. The 2005 edition attracted some 90,000 visitors, who came notably to attend the traditional Miss Rose coronation. The event is also an opportunity for the floral city to exhibit its local products and seek marketing possibilities.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_culture/kelaat_m_gouna_rose/view 
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