Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
December 8 , 2007

King chairs signing ceremony of urban rehabilitation convention, launches social projects south.
Tata (south), Dec. 7

King Mohammed VI of Morocco chaired, here Friday, the signing ceremony of a convention on the urban rehabilitation program of the southern cities of Tata, Akka and the rural commune of Tissint, at a global cost of USD 9.1Mn, and inquired about several social projects. The monarch launched and enquired about several projects regarding urban and social rehabilitation, the rural electrification program (PERG) in the province, for which some USD 32.62Mn were earmarked, sports facilities and social centers.

The King laid the foundation stones for the construction of a USD 929,906 bus station and a USD 645,778 mosque in the city. He also laid the foundation stone for the construction of a USD 546,594 socio-educational center for the youth in precarious situation and to people with specific needs in Tata. Built on 813 square meters, the center that will benefit 5,000 people is intended to develop social and cultural activities to allow for integrating the youth originating from poor areas.

The monarch received detailed information on the results of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) over the period 2005-2007 in the province of Tata. A sum of USD 43Mn was allocated as part of the initiative to fund a total of 100 projects.

The Sovereign also inquired about the building of a municipal swimming pool in the city, worth some USD 645,319. The King launched the construction works of the "Sidi Mohamed Ben Slimane El Jazouli" dam in the In rural commune of Ifrane Atlas Saghir, (62 kms south of Guelmim) and enquired about social programs in the region. The USD 3.2Mn dam is due to regulate a volume of 1Mn square meters of water, create some 80,000 workdays, irrigating some 200 ha of agricultural lands and provide water for the livestock.

The Monarch received, on the occasion, detailed information on social and educational projects, meant to slash poverty in the region. Some USD 361,991 were earmarked for the construction of boys’ and girls’ residence halls in Ifrane Atlas Saghir and in Taghjijt.

Regarding roads infrastructure, the monarch received details about the construction of a local road linking the rural commune of Ifrane Atlas Saghir and Aday and inquired about the USD 6.1Mn second national program of rural roads (PNRR 2) in the province of Tata (south).

In Bouizakarne (province of Guelmim),the Sovereign was briefed on several development projects touching on health (USD 3.8Mn), drinking water supply (USD 903,410), urban rehabilitation (USD 258,353) and liquid sanitation (USD 3.8Mn). http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box1/king_chairs_signing5203/view
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Tourism sector creates up to 10% of jobs yearly in Morocco, minister.
Oujda (east), Dec. 8

The sector of tourism in Morocco contributes 10% to the number of jobs created each year, revealed, here Friday, Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Jamal Aghmani. The sector is constantly reinforcing its foundations and structures, the minister said during a signing ceremony of partnership agreements between the national agency for the promotion of employment and skills (ANAPEC) and tourist groups in the eastern region aimed at supporting vocational training in the field of hotel business and tourism.

Morocco developed a national strategy of tourism training aimed at training some 72 thousand people by 2010, he added, noting that the number of enrolments in training centers affiliated to this sector has risen by 52% between 2001 and 2006, jumping from 2,660 to 4,033. The North African country aims to attract ten million tourists by 2010 as part of an ambitious strategy dubbed “Vision 2010.” The strategy aims to create 160,000 beds, bringing the national capacity to 230,000 beds and to create some 600,000 new jobs. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box4/tourism_sector_creat7125/view
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Active women represent 56% in Morocco, minister .
Geneva, Dec. 6

Active women represent 56% in Morocco, Minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity said on Thursday. Speaking at a seminar on "women and employment", Nouzha Skalli said women suffer from unemployment and salary disparities, underlining that women often work in the informal sector and more than 60% of women working in family companies or housewives are not paid. Noting that only 28.3% of women hold high-ranking political positions, the minister pointed out that women are underrepresented in trade unions and in decision-making positions. She underlined that equality in terms of jobs contributes to changing clichés and prejudices, and called for allocating a budget to gender equality.

Reiterating Morocco's resolve to consolidate the role of women and their capacities to achieve more equality and development, the minister recalled the reforms undertaken in Morocco, notably the Family Code, the Nationality Code, and the appointment of 7 women in the new government, i.e. 20% of the ministerial positions.

Organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the seminar that brings together 150 elected from 55 countries will wrap up on Saturday.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_social/active_women_represe/view
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Security measures implemented to tackle crime in Morocco.
By Sarah Touahri 02/12/2007

With crime on the rise in Morocco’s cities, the government has acted to reassure the public by adopting a raft of new security measures. Crime in Morocco has risen slightly, according to the latest statistics released by the Interior Ministry. In the first few months of 2007 it was up 13% over the same period in 2006. Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa is working to allay public fears; in an address before Parliament on Wednesday (November 28th) he said the government is taking all measures necessary to tackle the phenomenon in urban areas.

Police stations recorded some 240,000 complaints in cities over the first three quarters of 2007, 90% of which were followed up. These cases concerned offences against public decency and the family (62,023 cases), damage to property (58,771), personal injury (42,335 cases), economic and financial offences (33,672 cases), the sale and use of drugs (15,672 cases) and illegal immigration (5,179 cases).

In rural areas crime rates are much lower. The royal gendarmerie recorded a total of 71,469 cases from the beginning of this year until September 30th, 91.31% of which were followed up. They included personal injury, damage to property, general offences and offences against public decency and the family. "There is no cause for concern," said Benmoussa. "The Interior Ministry has taken short- and medium-term measures in order to step up police efforts and to guarantee a police presence in various regions. We’ve also taken steps to increase the efficiency of police services."

Sociologist Jamal Baroudi told Magharebia that a rise in crime rates is to be expected, due to the accelerating pace of city development. "When you analyse these crimes, you see that most of them are simple in nature, as the government says. So all they have to do is take adequate steps to get the situation under control," he said.

Benmoussa added that economic globalisation has been accompanied by a similar globalisation of organised crime, including terrorism, the sale of drugs and illegal immigration. "This means we need to intensify co-operation with our international partners to tackle this kind of crime," he concluded. The Interior Minister has worked out a five-year plan to be implemented from 2008-2012 aimed at increasing the human and financial resources of local authorities and the police.

The government has also begun a shake-up of central and local police services in order to increase their efficiency in tackling crime. Additional police officers are to be trained to ensure an effective police presence which will deter criminals, with priority to be given to areas where crime figures have risen. All urban areas are to be covered by police, who will no longer simply record and follow up complaints but also provide a permanent security presence in crime-ridden areas as part of a prevention strategy.

To gain a better understanding of the problem, the government will call on sociologists and criminologists to carry out studies on the subject. The government is also considering the idea of modernising the system by adopting new scientific techniques and investing in technology. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/12/02/feature-01
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A kosher hotel takes root in Marrakech.
By Romina Ruiz-Goiriena 02/12/2007 MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

When Moroccan-born Israeli chef Mordechai Perez decided to visit Marrakech to search for his roots, he had no idea that he would also be making a career move. In short order, he would find himself the chief chef of Marrakech's first-ever kosher hotel and restaurant, slated to open its doors this month.

"After my mother died, I left Israel," relates the 44-year-old Perez. "A month ago, I came to Marrakech searching for my roots. I came and I stumbled onto this kosher hotel project." "When I got the job as head chef, I decided to stay."

He came to Marrakech, in part, to learn about his father's legacy. "My father was the head of a village 75 km from here. He would come here every day because he was dedicated to the promulgation of Marrakech Jewish life." Seated in the place his late father used to pray 60 years ago, Perez shares stories of the Jews who inhabited the Mellah in the beginning of the twentieth century. He is especially moved to be serving the same community which his father, Yaacov, served as rabbi.

To the casual observer, the quarter where the hotel is situated reflects the Muslim character of Morocco, its narrow alleys flooded with children playing and elders fasting for Islam's holy month of Ramadan. But on closer inspection, the true nature of the Mellah, the Jewish quarter - in essence, the Moroccan version of the ghettos of European cities - becomes clear. Many of the homes are still decorated with mezuzot and a wealth of other sacred Jewish symbols. "The sign of a Jewish home," Perez sighs with nostalgia, referring to a mezuzah in a Muslim-owned house.

Today, Marrakech is home to 300 Jews out of the 2,000 in the whole of Morocco. Marrakech's Mellah, once a vibrant shelter to those expelled from Spain after 1492, recalls an era in which both Jew and Muslim were involved in the salt and spice commerce, and both lived and prayed within the medina's thick paprika-red walls.

A veteran of hotel kitchens in Israel and in Belgium, Perez will be responsible for implementing all of the kashrut dietary regulations in the new facility. "I am one of the only ones in Marrakech trained to 'kosherize' and be a proper shomer (Kashrut Supervisor)," he says.

Jews in Marrakech

For co-owner Prosper Kadoch, 43, the new hotel and restaurant, located 15 minutes from the Mellah, is about creating a place for the Moroccan Jewish community, as well as "providing a home in Marrakech for Jews worldwide." In recent years, adds co-owner Simon Acoca, 45, "Marrakech has undergone an incredible transition, and it is definitely a tourist hot-spot. We are just trying to open the market for Jews as well."

In one of the most important cities in Africa, there is without doubt a need for real kosher cuisine, Kadoch says. Mindful of observant guests, the hotel and restaurant are to maintain strict standards of kashrut. The hotel will also have an in-house synagogue, and will anticipate the needs of those keeping Shabbat. The hotel and restaurant will be run in such a way that "the one who can observe the most can observe the least," says Kadoch.

Although their primary target is Jewish community, the hotel will be open to visitors of all kinds. "What is important is that they understand that they will be complying with a kosher environment," Acoca says. In addition, the hotel is to organize sightseeing tours to historic Jewish landmarks and areas in Marrakech. The owners aim to "contribute to a Jewish experience in the middle of Marrakech while still indulging in everything the Maghreb has to offer."

The question of terror

For some potential visitors to Morocco, the specter of terrorism has been a factor in delaying a trip. Limor Azulay, 36, of Jerusalem, concedes that what has held her back from touring Morocco is fear. "My mother is Moroccan, and although I?ve always been interested, I've always been too afraid to go." The fear has been underscored by multiple suicide bombings in Casablanca in 2003, whose targets included a Jewish-owned restaurant, and by the Moroccans involved in the Madrid train bombings the next year.

Mindful of the damage to tourism, the government has since made security - and a sense of safety for tourists - a high priority. "When it comes to tourism, there is a certain air of tranquility to be found in Morocco, and no one is willing to sacrifice that," Acoca says. Perez agrees. "Word on the street is that there are little spurts of terrorism, but we know that the king takes care of them silently," he says."I have only been here for a month, I go outside of the mellah and everyone tells me "shalom, shalom" Perez says. "I speak back to them in my mother tongue, Moroccan Arabic, and they know that I am a Moroccan Jew. I know that there is nothing to be worried about." http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/925003.html
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Moroccan media urged to “get more involved” in fight against AIDS.
dimanche 2 décembre 2007

The network of Moroccan anti-AIDS NGOs (ROMS) on Saturday in Rabat, urged the media to “get more involved” in the sensitisation campaign against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Morocco. The 33-NGO network during the commemoration of the World AIDS Day told a news briefing that partnerships should be established with the media to ensure wider and more efficient dissemination of information and facilitate continued sensitisation of the AIDS pandemic.

The anti-AIDS (ROMS) network further reiterated its readiness to cooperate with other groups and assist people living with the AIDS virus. ROMS was set up upon the initiative of the pan-African Organisation to coordinate the continent’s efforts to fight against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). According to the Moroccan anti-STDs League, some 600.000 people are infected with STDs in the kingdom.
In Casablanca, a “symbolic” march was held to mark the World AIDS Day, with hundreds of people chanting anti-AIDS slogans to raise people’s awareness of the scourge.

The World AIDS Day was also celebrated in the central city of Marrakech with the organisation of a fair to heighten public awareness of the disease through drama performances. This fair organised by the Moroccan anti-AIDS Association (ALCS), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (FNUAP) is expected to be replicated in other cities.

According to official statistics, there are 2,306 AIDS cases in Morocco while women represent about 39 per cent of the cases. Young adults (under 40 years of age) are the most affected, with 23 per cent of those affected aged between 15 and 29 years and 42 per cent between 30 and 39 years.

On 29 May 2007, the Health ministry and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria signed a convention by which the Fund will grant Morocco some 30 millions dollars over a five-year period. The Moroccan anti-AIDS Association (ALCS) feels that despite the relatively low AIDS prevalence rate in Morocco where the first case was reported in 1986, the epidemiological situation could change, especially among high-risk groups. Estimates show a steady increase in the number of people living with the disease, reaching 18,000 cases in 2005 against 14,500 in 2003. This number is likely to reach 28,000 in 2010, sources said.

The Moroccan kingdom has developed a national anti-AIDS strategic plan (2007-2011) whose major objective is to give general access to prevention, healthcare and support to people living with HIV. According to the Health ministry, the Moroccan kingdom has reported significant progress in the prevention, screening and treatment of people infected with HIV, but Health minister, Yassmina Badous, says despite these “great achievements, vigilance was still needed”. YB/aft/fss/tjm/APA 02-12-2007
http://www.spcm.org/Journal/spip.php?breve4213
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New class for female preachers emphasises success of Moroccan experiment.
07/12/2007By Imane Belhaj

As Morocco's popular training class for female preachers gets ready to start, women comment on the innovative program's success. Morocco's campaign to modernise the religious landscape continues with the latest training class for morchidates (religious female guides). Registration for the fourth group opened late last month. Since the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs launched the programme in 2005 as part of the country's religious reform initiative, some 150 women have been trained.

Speaking at one of the previous graduations, Minister Ahmed Toufiq explained that these female preachers are primarily focused on instilling spiritual security and assurance in the souls of citizens, and on teaching tolerance and the rejection of violence. Dr. Ahmed Khamlichi, director of the Dar el Hadith el Hassania religious institute noted that people have begun to understand the positive effects of women engaging in religious outreach previously limited to men.

The work of morchidates is not restricted to mosques; the women also deliver religious lessons and lectures at hospitals, schools and prisons when necessary. Their organised outreach ends the practice of women holding unofficial religious meetings. At some of these gatherings in private homes, women gave free rein to improvised fatwas, devoid of any scientific or religious basis.

The morchidates "enjoy qualities that make them distinct from men in certain fields of preaching and guidance", said dressmaker Fatima Sinnoune. "Therefore, a number of my friends and neighbors and I can today go to these morchidates without any embarrassment whatsoever in order to inquire about the things that we don't know in our true religion." She added that the morchidates are able to perform their tasks with no less competency, knowledge and understanding than the men.

One morchidate who preferred to stay anonymous said, "We often find major confusion about some concepts of Islam by the women who come to us seeking religious guidance. Although the correction of ideas is not an easy task, we are usually able, thanks to God, to convince them of the correct facts after we present them with the scientific and religious evidence of this or that matter."

The morchidates don't just give preaching lessons to women; they help to educate them about issues such as their rights under the Family Law. Women often ask about religious matters related to marriage. In the past, women used to hear that obeying their husbands is required in all cases. However, the morchidates say they help women understand when they have to obey their husbands, and when they are not required to meet demands that are above their will.

Some women who are required to wear the khemar – a veil covering the face except for the eyes worn by some Muslim women in public – grumble about the practice. The morchidates explain that while religious duty imposes decorum and decency in dress, it doesn't require them to hide behind a khemar that conceals the face.

Prerequisites for becoming a religious morchidate include memorising the Holy Qur'an and holding a license from a Moroccan university. The 12-month training covers the Qur'an, jurisprudence, sunna, Muslim history, geography, Arabic language and a foreign language. The training includes new subjects that haven't been taught in old Qur'anic schools, such as the media, social sciences and the history and culture of other religions. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/12/07/feature-01
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Morocco takes new steps to protect the agricultural sector.
07/12/2007 By Sarah Touahri

Morocco's agriculture ministry announces plans to help farmers contend with the effects of drought. The comprehensive effort for next season includes irrigation, crop diversification, mechanisation and financial assistance. Agriculture in Morocco depends on the amount of annual rainfall. Now, after a particularly dry season where the cereal harvest was 66% lower than the five-year average, the government is implementing new measures for 2007-2008.

Agriculture Minister Aziz Akhenouch said a programme financed entirely by the agricultural development fund and the general budget will help combat the effects of drought. The cost: 400 million dirhams to purchase 400,000 tonnes of barley, corn, mixed feed and drinking water for some rural areas. According to the agriculture ministry’s communications department, farmers will benefit from state support for cereal seeds to the value of 115 DH/ 100 kg.

Crop diversification is also included in the agriculture programme. Four million olive trees and an additional half-million various fruit trees will be distributed. Through subsidies of up to 60%, the agriculture ministry is continuing to grant aid for equipment to be used in water-saving irrigation systems. Efforts to support mechanisation in this sector will also continue. The support has enabled a 42% rise in tractor sales this year and a 21% increase in autumn sowing and cultivation. Farmers will also benefit from reduced interest rates not exceeding 5.5% for investment credit and 5% for seasonal credit.

In another helpful move, the processing of farm debts will be taken over by Crédit Agricole, a company specialising in the financing of small-scale agriculture projects which are ineligible for traditional bank finance. Despite the government initiative, some farmers are still unhappy. Abdelkébir Mouassaoui, a young farmer, said the State’s efforts must be stepped up to save the growing season. The recent rain has certainly done some good, he added, but it is still not enough. Mouassaoui argued that much more attention needs to be paid to irrigation from now on, since Morocco has a significant number of dams.

His colleague, El Mouden Barakat, said that recent years have proved very trying for the sector. "Morocco has imported 2,280 tonnes of cereals through October 15th. This is an alarming rise of 115.4% compared with 2006. So the national farming industry is finding it very difficult to reach its target regarding food security," he explained. To improve understanding of the agriculture sector, the government wants to conduct studies. According to the agriculture ministry, they have achieved a "first" this year: the Hassan II fund just granted 25 million dirhams for a strategic study of agriculture. "This is a clear signal, because never before has such an amount been released to fund a study in the sector," declared the agriculture minister. The comprehensive analysis will help the country react if this season is marked by a continuation of the drought.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/12/07/feature-02
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NGOs push for Moroccan law protecting women from violence.
05/12/2007 By Imane Belhaj

To call for a law prohibiting violence against women, international group Global Rights has partnered with ten Moroccan NGOs for a two-week national campaign. To promote laws protecting women from violence, the Morocco office of international organisation Global Rights will conduct a national enlightenment campaign until December 10th. The human rights NGO, based in New York, has been working to defend women's rights around the world for 29 years.

Ten Moroccan NGOs began holding meetings with women November 25th to obtain their views, priorities and suggestions concerning a law prohibiting violence against women. The organisations, which put forth their own proposal for what such a law should encompass, will produce drawings representing the suggestions of Moroccan women.

Global Rights will compile these drawings in a poster to be widely distributed across Morocco. The "Advocate a Law to Fight Violence against Women" poster will be adopted as a mechanism for NGOs to enlighten citizens. The groups will also advocate the proposed law through public conferences and meetings with local officials.

"It has become necessary to give women the chance to make their voices heard, so that any legislation whatsoever may respond to their true state of affairs and actual needs," said women's rights advocate Meryem Zemmouri. This campaign, she said, "will try to identify the views and expectations of the greatest possible number of women".

Halima Oulami, who believes that "violence against women is a violation of human rights," explained that the campaign "will be about household violence". She added, "We will set up a 3-day educative and advisory tent in the Sidi Yusef Ben Ali quarter in Marrakech to speak with women about the phenomenon. We will rely on international mechanisms for communication and enlightenment."

In preparation for the current campaign, Morocco's Global Rights team organised a primary workshop for local NGOs in late September. Female activists from Morocco, the United States, Eastern Europe and India met in Fez to exchange strategies on stopping violence against women and discuss impediments to legislation.

Cheryl Thomas, a US human rights activist attending the workshop, said that any legislation must be strict in terms of intolerance of violence against women, provide protection to the victim and children, and also hold the perpetrator responsible for his acts. Ahmed Arehmouch, a lawyer and activist who helped organise the workshop, explained that the need to incriminate perpetrators of violence against women stems from flaws in Moroccan law.

"Criminal law, for example, identifies only physical violence that causes injuries." The law, he said, "overlooks psychological and sexual violence, violence between spouses or household violence [and] holds women accountable when leaving the marital home, even as a result of husband's violence." Arehmouch believes that any new law should address a definition covering all aspects of violence against women and specify deterrent penalties.

Organisations involved in this project include: Amal Association for Women and Development (Hajib), Amane Association for Women Development (Marrakech), Touaza Association for Defending Women (Tetouan), Association for Initiative Activation (Taza), Tafokt Sous Association for Women Development (Agadir), Amazighi Network for Citizenship - Women Committee (Rabat), Association for Young Lawyers at Khemisset (Khemisset), Bades Association for Social and Economical Activation (Hseima), Taffilalt Oasis Space for Development (Risani) and Wadi Deraa Development Association (Zakoura).
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/12/05/feature-03
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Rural development, social sectors given 2008 priority.
lundi 3 décembre

The Moroccan lower chamber (house of representatives comprising 235 members) on Saturday night approved the 2008 state budget after about thirty amendments were made to a document tabled by the Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, nominated last October. The budget, which will be later on submitted for the approval of the second chamber (upper chamber comprising 270 members), is eying a 6.8% growth rate and 2.4% budget deficit on the GDP, representing US$50 billion.

The bulk of the budget is dedicated to the social sector that absorbed over 50% of it for next year’s expenditure. The government pledged to maintain inflation at 2%, to strengthen the competitiveness of the Moroccan economy and support basic production through a compensation fund, for which it earmarked over 20 billion dirham (about US$2.5 billion) as opposed to 15 billion dirham for 2007.

The government hopes to give a boost to social housing and complete the « ville sans bidonvilles » (city without slums) programme by 2010. Therefore, a new product will be launched in 2008, consisting of entirely tax-free housing for the most underprivileged households. Education (with 9.7% budget increase), and regional development are the other sectors considered as priorities, sources disclosed. Public investments for 2008 are estimated at 36 billion dirham (about US$4.5 billion), representing 39% increase compared to the 2007 budget.
http://www.spcm.org/Journal/spip.php?breve4246
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Govt. earmarks USD 50Mn for college scholarships .
Rabat, Dec. 6 (MAP)

The Moroccan government has allocated USD 55Mn for college scholarships in Morocco and abroad, State Secretary in Charge of primary through secondary education said on Wednesday. Speaking at the House of Representatives' question time, Ms. Latifa Laabida underlined that some 102,700 students benefited from scholarships during the 2006-2007 academic year, including new 44,000 students.

Underlining that her department is examining the scholarship system without reducing the number of beneficiaries, she noted that this process remains tributary to the budget allocated to scholarships.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_social/govt._earmarks_usd_5/view
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Launch of 5th campaign on elimination of violence against women.
Rabat, Nov. 30

The fifth National Campaign to eliminate violence against women was launched on Friday in Rabat to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The 17-day campaign, to revolve around "Mobilizing Youths to fight Violence against Women", was kicked off by Prime Minister, Abbas El Fassi, who said this practice is a universal phenomenon with tangled dimensions that impact on the future of societies.

He said the government is set to activate two important assets in this field, including mainly the national observatory to eliminate violence against women as a follow-up and coordination mechanism among all institutions and organizations that endeavor to curb this phenomenon. The government will, in this regard, submit soon two substantial reforms involving the incrimination of violence against women, and the legal age to hire maids.

Speaking on the same occasion, Minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity, Nouzha Skalli, said the ministry has institutionalized the elimination of this kind of violence by adopting the national strategy to eliminate violence against women, which lays down the intervention of each party through a participatory approach.

She announced the creation of an IT system on violence against women. A 2007 report on the green number, set to receive violence-related complaints, which was presented at the campaign launch, showed an average of 838 complaints each month, with a total of more than 17,500 violence cases, most of which are physical.

The day was also marked by the launch of a media campaign on the impact of wife abuse on children. A report on the first half of 2007, released recently by the Democratic League of Women's Rights (LDDH), said over 96% of the cases of violence against women are committed by an intimate relative. It showed that housewives are the most exposed to violence with 57% of the documented cases, and that 88% of the battered women are aged 18-48. The report also indicated that economic violence includes mainly failing to support the family, which represents 37.31% of the cases, while physical violence ranks second with 22.75%, i.e. 425 of the registered cases. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/launch_of_5th_campai/view
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Marrakech Film Festival kicks off with tribute to Leonardo Di Caprio.
Marrakech, Dec.8

The seventh Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM), kicked off on Friday with a tribute to Hollywood actor Leonardo Di Caprio. Leonardo Di Caprio was awarded the festival's top prize (the Golden Star) by veteran US movie director Martin Scorcese who has already shot three films with Di Caprio, in particular "Gangs of New York" (2002), "Aviator" (2004) and "The Departed" (2006).

"I never failed to be amazed by his clear and complete commitment to his work," the director said. "The only thing I can say is since I was a young man I had always the ambition to be an actor," Di Caprio said, adding that he had never imagined he would one day have the chance to work with "a legend of the cinema like Martin Scorcese." The Festival will screen five films starred by Di Caprio: "Romeo and Juliet" (1996), "Titanic" (1997), “Catch me if you Can "(2003)," Aviator "(2005) and" The 11th Hour "(2008). The other Golden Star prize was awarded to Moroccan director Mustafa Derkaoui in recognition of his contribution to cinema in Morocco.

In a message to the Festival, Prince Moulay Rachid, president of the FIFM foundation described the annual event as “a major driving force and a platform for the development of Moroccan cinema.” “Let the 7th edition celebrate films from the whole world, which will, with their uncertainties, convictions and hopes, broaden our perspective and help us build the future.”, Prince Moulay Rachid, younger brother of King Mohammed VI said.

Some 110 films from 23 countries have been selected for this edition. The participating movies from Estonia, Algeria, Japan, Czech, Finland, Philippines, Russia, China, United States, Serbia, Mexico, South Korea and the Netherlands, in addition to Morocco, will compete for the FIFM prizes: Golden Star (FIFM Grand Prix), Jury prix, best actress and best actor.

Czech director Milos Forman will lead the jury, which will include Hamid Benani (director, scenarist and producer), John Hurt (actor), Shekhar Kapur (director and actor), Pavel Lounguine (director, scenarist and producer), Aissa Maiga (actor), Claude Millier (director and scenarist), Parker Posey (actor) and Aitana Sanchez-Gijon (actress).

The festival will pay special tribute to the Egyptian cinema, as some 90 Egyptian directors will attend this year’s festival edition, which coincides with the centenary of the Egyptian cinema, and 40 major Egyptian movies will be screened , including (hymn of hope), which was shot in the 30s starring Diva Oum Kaltoum, and "Imarat Yacoubian" "the Yacoubian building" featuring famous Egyptian actor Adel Imam.

A special tribute will also be paid to three figures of world cinema: Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni, Tunisian producer Ahmed Baha Attia and Sweden director Ingmar Bergman through screening some of their masterpieces. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_culture/marrakech_film_festi_1/view
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Sports centres a real phenomenon in Morocco.
07/12/2007 by Sarah Touahri

With well-equipped facilities available at variety of prices and in convenient neighbourhoods throughout the country, Moroccans are enjoying better health and an appealing social scene. Sports centres are found in the main cities throughout Morocco. These facilities, located in both working class districts and the classiest neighbourhoods, have developed into a real phenomenon.

Moroccan men and women, both young and old, are becoming increasingly aware of the value of exercising and practising a sport in specialised, well-equipped facilities. They choose the sports centre which best meets their means and expectations. Some facilities offer up-to-the-minute services for their wealthy clients at a hefty price tag, while others opt for plans targeting the working and middle classes with monthly subscriptions no higher than 150 dirhams.

Physical education teacher Samir Mrani explains to Magharebia that while small local facilities set the gym-going trend over the years, the emergence of large centres caused great excitement and has attracted a clientele looking for quality and luxury. "These large clubs offer an ideal setting for their clientele, be they potential or existing members," he says.

Whereas the smaller centres provided only exercise equipment and space, the larger gyms offer organised programmes suited to their clients. Mrani says the managers of the larger centres aim to meet the challenges and the precise expectations of their higher-paying target group. "They offer original architectural design along with plasma screens and the latest in sports equipment. They also count on seasoned trainers and do not hesitate to call in foreign staff to seduce the faithful," he says.

Bank clerk Hakima Meliani joined a large club in the capital six months ago at the cost of 15,000 dirhams per year. Her main reason for becoming a club member was not just the sport aspect but also the people who come with it. "The big centres offer a whole programme to their clients, meeting all their expectations. I’ve joined this club to meet new friends and make contacts which could be useful in the future," she admits.

Entrepreneurs have seized the chance to invest in this juicy market. Ahmed Sellami, who manages a sports centre in Marrakech, says that in the space of three years, his boss has opened five facilities in different Moroccan towns. He says the sector is promising, provided you can precisely target your clientele. "We know our clients perfectly well and always try to put them at ease. We also offer incentive price plans for businesses. According to the number of members, the rates vary from 300 to 600 DH per person per month."

In fact, more and more companies in Morocco are trying to find the ideal framework for their employees. Sanae Maaroufi, human resources director in a Casablancan company, stresses how important it has become these days to use targeted methods to motivate employees, including sports. Her company subsidises sports centre memberships for managerial staff.

Some companies have opened gymnasia especially for their employees. This is the case at a large call centre in Rabat, which opened its own fully soundproofed sports centre several days ago. The centre has all the latest sports equipment for cardio-vascular, fitness, dance and endurance training. The company’s communications department explains that the idea is to allow colleagues to have a space dedicated to physical activity in order to keep in shape and relax.

The culture of the perfect body is also gaining ground in Morocco. Sociologist Jamal Bardai says that in the age of globalisation, Moroccans are increasingly influenced by international beauty norms. He explains that several years ago Moroccans were not as interested in their bodies as they are today. "Society is evolving and attitudes are changing. Over the past few years, men and women, both young and old, have wanted to maintain their image in other people's eyes. Turning to sports and cosmetic surgery has become more common across all layers of society," he says.

Some people, however, cannot afford to join the big centres. State IT worker Mounir Mouhib feels the large centres charge unrealistic rates. "I only earn 5,000 dirhams a month, and I find it hard to see how I could pay 1,500 or 2,000 dirhams per month. The other facilities in the working class districts are not safe, and they don’t meet my aspirations." Smaller clubs continue to have the most clients because of their affordable prices. Martial arts centres in particular are popular. They also offer weight-training, dance and fitness activities.

Once the preserve of men, more women have joined in an effort to look after their bodies. Teacher Saida Mbarki has been a faithful member of a sports centre in Salé for three years now. Physical activity has become a necessary habit in her daily life, whereas before she never took part in any sport. "It was a friend who brought me to this sports centre. The instructor convinced me of the value of keeping fit. It has become a pleasant and useful pastime for me. And it only costs me 130 dirhams a month," she says with satisfaction while getting ready for her third session of the week.

Nurse Hayat Boufaracha's situation is similar. She has been attending a gymnasium in Témara for two years. After giving birth, she was determined to lose a few kilos at any cost. When a sports centre opened up next door to her home, she was able to make her wish come true within a year. "If this centre hadn’t been right next to my home, I’d never have thought of this solution, and I’d have made do with dieting. But fortunately now you can find sports centres everywhere, charging reasonable prices." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/reportage/2007/12/07/reportage-01
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Morocco’s Mohamed Benaissa Awarded U.S. Honorary Doctorate.
Dec 6, 2007 University of Minnesota recognizes former Moroccan foreign minister, envoy

The weather was freezing in Minnesota, but Mohamed Benaissa was happy to be back in that snowy northern state for a visit that he called “very emotional, very moving.” A former foreign minister of Morocco and former Moroccan ambassador to the United States, Benaissa is also a graduate of the University of Minnesota, and he returned on December 4 to receive the highest honor the university can bestow: an honorary doctor of laws degree for public service.

The honorary degree “is a crown on what I have tried to achieve in my lifetime,” Benaissa said during the ceremony. The university has awarded 235 honorary doctorates, and only 91 of these have been a doctor of laws degree, which recognizes achievement in public service “that has added materially to knowledge and to the betterment of society.”

C. Eugene Allen, a university official who chaired the nominating committee for Benaissa’s award, hailed his record of service “to his hometown, nation, and the world.” Many of Benaissa’s accomplishments, Allen said, “are related to his deep-seated interest in the preservation and promotion of his country’s cultural heritage and wealth, and of expanded cross-cultural understanding. His is the kind of cultural sensitivity that is increasingly necessary for global leaders to be most effective.”

This was only Benaissa’s second visit to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis since attending as a Fulbright Scholar and graduating in 1963 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He returned in 1998 as his country’s ambassador to the United States to offer Morocco’s perspective on the global economy, but he began his speech by explaining how his experiences at the university influenced his diplomatic career.

Benaissa returned to that theme during his lecture at the doctoral ceremony, describing how in the early 1960s he “found fellow students who like me came from different backgrounds, cultures and value systems. And yet, the beauty of it all was that there was no drive to impose one’s values on another.”

In an increasingly globalized world, Benaissa continued, “there needs to be recognition of the importance of sharing values rather than imposing them.” Knowledge and mutual respect are critical, he said, quoting Morocco’s King Mohammed VI: “The world suffers not from a clash of civilization; the world suffers from ignorance of civilizations.”

The United States and Morocco, Benaissa added, are a good example of “mutual respect between diverse cultures.”

The two countries have “a beautiful history,” he told USINFO in a telephone interview from Minneapolis December 5. Morocco was the first country to seek diplomatic relations with the new government of the United States of America in 1777, it hosted a World War II conference between President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and it stood by the United States during the Cold War, Benaissa pointed out.

“I say it from the bottom of my heart, America and Morocco have come through this period of time, over 200 years, not only hand in hand but heart in heart,” he said.

STUDENT LIFE IN MINNESOTA

Recalling his student experiences, Benaissa said, “I was somehow intellectually reborn in Minnesota. It was in Minnesota where I began to see another way of life, another value system, and appreciation of the individual.” He also was impressed by the “lack of arrogance” among the professors, the American focus on hard work and self-reliance and the friendliness of the people in Minnesota. “It’s a cold country with warm hearts,” he said.

This visit to the university has brought back many memories, Benaissa said. “I see streets that I remember: I was biking here, I was upset there, I didn’t have a buck [a dollar] here.” His Fulbright stipend at the time was $175 a month, “from which I was paying for rent, food and books,” he said. (Tuition was paid by the university.) “So I had to do some work. I used to work on a farm on weekends that was owned by parents of my roommate. We earned $1.25 an hour.”

And what was that work? “I used to help with farming, I used to go with the people when they went hunting -- I carried their stuff,” Benaissa said. “But it was not really a hardship. I came with their son, I was treated very well. I had a wonderful room.”

During his remarks on December 4, Benaissa said that in awarding him an honorary degree, “the University of Minnesota honors the values of knowledge, openness and dialogue which it has fostered among so many students from so many diverse cultures.” He also noted that the university has educated “hundreds of Moroccan engineers and scientists operating in agronomy, agriculture and the veterinary sciences” through a program sponsored by the U.S. and Moroccan institutions.

In closing, Benaissa also thanked his wife, Laila, a Moroccan who received her master’s degree from the University of Maryland. She has “always encouraged me to be true to the values I have discussed here today,” he said.

The full text (PDF) of the official citation for Benaissa's honorary doctor of laws degree is available on USINFO.

More information on the University of Minnesota is available on its Web site. See also the Web site of the Minnesota International Center, which helped sponsor Benaissa’s visit and was involved -- along with Allen, Moroccan Ambassador to the United States Aziz Mekouar and others -- in nominating Benaissa for the honorary degre.

Louise Fenner
U.S. Department of State.
http://www.morocconewsline.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=249
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