Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
August 28 2004
Caravan in Morocco to inform on investment opportunities offered by FTA with
US
Morocco hailed as a model of religious freedom by US institute of religion and
policy
Christian Science Monitor comments Berber teaching in Morocco: "At last,
an ancient tongue will be taught"
US dedicated USD 1 Mn to help Morocco fight locusts, ambassador
Projects launched northern Morocco to boost the region, US ambassador
Active population in Morocco stood at over 11 Mn in second quarter of
2004
Poverty touches over 13 pc of population in Morocco
Various facilities created to the benefit of the Youth in 2004
HM King calls for "all-out mobilization" to fight illiteracy, poverty
Over 360 Moroccan enterprises, 10 associations benefited from European
support program, EC
US official hails Morocco's efforts to fight terrorism
Scientist s unearth 15,000 year-old city
in southern Morocco
MOROCCO WINNING WAR ON TERROR
New method to improve analysis quality of radioactive elements invented by Moroccan
scientists
Morocco fires contained, 4,500Ha damaged (official)
Europe races to help Morocco
Morocco tames forest fire, cannabis growers suspected
King Mohammed VI chairs children and youth ceremony
Jewish club targeted in May attacks reopens
Morocco's Jewish community celebrate joyfully Throne Day
Foreign investments, loans rise by 9.8% in H1 2004
20% more tourists visited Morocco in H1 2004
Canadian Mohawk dancers to perform at Imilchil Music festival in Morocco
Mercosur eyes signing draft agreement on trade with Morocco before April 2005
WASHINGTON, Aug.17 - US president George W.
Bush signed this Tuesday the implementation act of the Morocco-US free trade
agreement signed by the two countries last June 15. The FTA, approved by the
The US chief executive had insisted in a
message urging the Congress to pass the agreement that it "enhances our
bilateral relationship with a longstanding partner in the North Africa and
Middle East region", highlighting Morocco's official support to "a
reformist and tolerant vision that includes free parliamentary elections, the
sale of state-owned businesses, the encouragement of foreign investment that
can be connected to broad-based development, and better protection of the
rights of women and workers".
The Morocco-US FTA is the first agreement of
the kind ever concluded by the
The U.S.-Morocco FTA will immediately
eliminate tariffs on more than 95 percent of bilateral trade in consumer and
industrial products. All remaining tariffs on these goods are to be eliminated
within nine years - the best market access package of any
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/home_dep/wcupz.htm
17 August 2004
Bush Signs Act to Implement U.S.-Morocco Free
Trade Agreement Agreement serves as additional step to regional trade area
President Bush signed the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
August 17, making
Following is the text of the White House
statement:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release August 17, 2004
STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY
Today, the President signed the US-Morocco
Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. This agreement will help create jobs
and new opportunities for Americans by deepening our trade ties with an
important friend in the Arab world.
This agreement also advances the President's
goal of a U.S.- Middle East Free Trade Area (MEFTA) by 2013. The President's
goal envisions an ever-widening circle of free trade that will help integrate
the
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information
Programs, U.S. Department of State. http://usinfo.state.gov) http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=August&x=20040817123010ndyblehs0.7599909&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
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Caravan
in
Economics, 8/23/2004
A caravan will tour Moroccan cities to inform
on investment opportunities offered by Morocco-US Free Trade Agreement, Thomas
Riley, American ambassador in
As for the irrigation project in the commune
of Machra? El A"n (in the southern province of Taroudant), launched with
the contribution of the US Agency for International Aid (USAID), Riley said
this project is a concrete example of fruitful partnership between USAID and
local operators. According to the ambassador, this project is part of USAID's
support to the development of the agro-food industry in
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/040823/2004082321.html
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"Morocco is a tremendously important
model as an Arab Muslim state that recognizes the integrity and importance of
religious freedom as a national policy", says Joseph K. Grieboski,
founding chairman of the US institute on religion and public policy. This
came in a report submitted by Grieboski to a panel on "Religious Freedom,
Terrorism, and National Security", held part of the Second Session of the
Inter-parliamentary Conference on Human Rights and Religious Freedom organized
by the Institute in
"The promotion and advancement of the
religious rights of all religious minorities by the Moroccan government
distinguish it as a unique paradigm in the Arab Muslim world", says the
institute which also notes that "the King of Morocco also serves as head
of religion, no one is persecuted or denied his rights because of his religious
beliefs. No discrimination or privileges based on affiliation or rejection of
affiliation to a religion is acceptable to the King or the Government."
The Kingdom was also credited for its efforts
"to eradicate the pockets of extremism within its borders" and for
the revamping of the Ulema (Islamic theologians)
council to ward off religious terror ideologies. The report also cites as other
positive developments in the Kingdom the initiative taken by King Mohammed VI
last October, in an effort to provide equality for all of
The report recalls that
Participants in the conference expressed
"gratefulness to "his Majesty King Mohammed VI for his generous
appreciation to the conference". The sovereign had addressed a message to
the conference opening session stressing the conference as a initiative that
tends to replace confrontation by complementarity between humans and illusions
of self-sufficiency and autarcy by the imperious need for cooperation. Participants also agreed to hold the third
session of this series of conferences in
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/home_dep/mad_3throne.htm
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Christian
Science
Monitor comments Berber teaching in
RABAT, Aug.19 - The Christian Science Monitor
run on Wednesday a comment on Morocco's decision to start in 2008 teaching
Berber in schools stressing in a headline "at last an ancient tongue will
be taught". The CSM, illustrated
with a picture of children holding blackboards with "Tifinagh", the
alphabet that
"Thanks to our mothers, and our
grandmothers, 'Tamazight' [the term used to designate all Imazighen languages]
is still alive," says Lahcen Ouberka, a high school teacher in Marrakech. "This year, Morocco's Ministry of Education
and the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) have introduced the
9,000-year-old language into some 300 primary schools throughout Morocco for
the first time", the publication notes stressing that "some Moroccan
educators also hope the use of the language in schools will lower the Imazighen
dropout rate." "Many Imazighen students do not follow the educational
system and they do not succeed, and this is in part because they don't study in
their own language," says Fatima Agnaou, a researcher at IRCAM.
In 1967, Moroccan university students had
formed the first Imazighen association in
In contrast, says the publication, the king
of
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
http://search.csmonitor.com/search_content/0817/p14s01-legn.html
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US
dedicated
USD 1 Mn to help
Agadir, Aug. 21
The anti-locust struggle in
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/home_dep/eco_131.htm
----------------------------------------------------
Projects launched northern
AL Hoceima, Aug. 11 (MAP)-
The projects launched by HM king Mohammed VI
in the north of the country will open up the region and give a fresh impetus to
its development process, said
Riley, who was accompanied in his visit by
British ambassador to
As for his visit to Nador, the American
diplomat said the talks he held with local officials allowed him to inquire
about the high tourism and economic potentials in the region. He added that the
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Active
population
in
The active population in
In the same period only 86,000 jobs were
created, although employment in urban areas was enhanced by the activities of
the agriculture, forest and fisheries sectors, which rose + 14.3 pc, as well as
by the industrial activity (+ 3.9 pc), services (+2.4 pc) and trade (+ 5.2 pc).
Urban employment was also spurred by the
restaurant and hotel sector with +19.7 pc rise in activity. However, activity
in the construction and public works sector declined by 2.8 pc. The private sector contributed around 87.9 pc of the
jobs created in urban areas.
The population working in the private sector
in rural zones went down 0.8 pc while the population working in the public
sector rose 5.7 pc.
The number of unemployed people rose by
63,000, which is a 5.1 pc rise, reaching 1,296,000 compared to 1,233,000 for
the second quarter of 2003.
The unemployment rate went up from 11.2 pc to
11.6 pc at the national level.
It increased from 2.6 pc to 3.1 pc in rural
areas and from 19.2 pc to 19.3 pc in urban milieus.
The unemployment rate among male population
increased from 10.6 pc to 11.8 pc while it decreased from 12.6 pc to 10.8 among
female workers.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/home_dep/h_torture.htm
----------------------------------------------------------
Poverty touches over 13 pc of population in
Morocco
AGADIR (south of
Moroccan Social Development, Family and
Solidarity Minister, Abderrahim Harouchi, said, here Tuesday, that poverty
touches 13.7 percent of the population in Morocco, especially in rural areas
where poverty rate is superior to 20 percent. Harouchi, who was speaking
at a meeting on the occasion of the Migrant Day celebrated on August 10, added
that illiteracy touches 48 percent of the population, particularly rural women,
which is a factor that aggravates poverty.
Talking about Moroccan expatriates
involvement in the development process in
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/news/economy/h_deplocusts.htm
Harouchi, who was speaking at a meeting on
the occasion of the Migrant Day marked on August 10, added that illiteracy
touches 48 percent of the population.
http://www.menareport.com/story/TheNews.php3?sid=282814&lang=e&dir=mena
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Various facilities created to the benefit of
the Youth in 2004
Some 180 new libraries, 110 theater clubs for
the youth and 1,070 sport facilities were created since the beginning of the
year, according to the Moroccan youth department (secretariat of state in
charge of the Youth). Several events were held in these facilities to the
benefit of young people, including 120 activities in rural areas, said the
department adding training of specialists in issues relating to the youth was
also organized.
Activities in communication, theater, music,
cinema, sports, voluntary work, literacy, tourism and culture were organised
and attended by some 4,159,164 young people, the department said. Fora and other
meetings were held to promote culture communication and dialogue and to imbue
the young with positive values. The department added more than 55 million
DH (USD 610,000) was allocated to "Holidays for all 2004" program and
some 151,000 young people attended summer camps, while new camp facilities were
created as part of the program.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/news/general/gen-poverty.htm
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HM King calls for "all-out
mobilization" to fight illiteracy, poverty
Tetuan, Aug. 20
HM King Mohammed VI has called on for an
all-out mobilization to fight poverty and illiteracy, and for effective
participation in the major development projects initiated, at national,
regional or local levels. In a speech he addressed on Friday to mark the
51st anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People, HM the king
underlined that "for the generation of the liberation, patriotism
consisted mostly in fighting colonialism; for today's generations, however,
patriotism requires all-out mobilization and unbridled energies in order to
fight illiteracy, poverty, youth unemployment, social disparities and regional
imbalances, to meet the challenges of democracy and modernity, to step up human
development and economic production, and to foster academic and artistic
innovation."
"The historical Revolution of the King and
the People is not a mere passing event; it is a continuous process to help
successive generations of Moroccans take up challenges," stressed HM the
king, noting that the key to success in this endeavour is through
"commitment to the values of patriotism and sacrifice for the sovereignty
and greatness of Morocco".
"Unwavering attachment to the sacred,
longstanding values of the country and preservation of the rights of citizens,
coupled with the defence of the homeland's unity, territorial integrity, security
and stability against any breach or violation, constitute the very essence of
patriotism," the Moroccan king underlined. The Moroccan monarch
added that he considers the development of human resources as a "strategic
objective" to gain access to science and state-of-the-art technology
(...). Otherwise, he warned, "coming generations will be confronted
with a new form of illiteracy that is even more dangerous than the traditional
one."
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/news/general/wcupzi.htm
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Over 360 Moroccan enterprises, 10
associations benefited from European support program, EC
RABAT, Aug.03
Some 363 Moroccan enterprises and 10
professional associations benefited from the program of support dubbed 'Euro
Maroc Entreprise (EME)' which ended last June 30, said head of the European
Commission in Morocco, Sean Doyle. Even if the work of the program, after
its launch in 1998, was a little slow, we are pleased to see that the initial
objective of extending backing to 76 enterprises was largely exceeded, said
Doyle, quoted by a publication of the Moroccan agency of SME promotion.
Between June 2003 and June 2004, the program
provided strategic assessment and business plans to 45 enterprises and
supported the upgrading of 85 others, the diplomat said, recalling that between
1976 and 1999, the Commission and the European Investment Bank provided some
400 million Euro to the private sector and training institutes.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
-------------------------------------------------------
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Scientist s
unearth 15,000 year-old city in southern
Local, 8/20/2004
A team of Moroccan scientists have unearthed,
near the southern city of
The region is rich in wall paintings tracing
the history of prehistory humans who used to inhabit the
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/040820/2004082027.html
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Reports of a drastic increase in involvement
in
At the same time, terror organizations are
certainly present in
By Melanie Takefman on Tuesday, August 24,
2004
http://themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=7089
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New method to improve analysis quality of
radioactive elements invented by Moroccan scientists
A new method to improve the analysis quality
of radioactive elements in various types of samples, by using solid state
nuclear tracks detectors (SSNTD) was invented in Morocco by Abdeslam El Harti
and Hicham Maaouni of the "Centre d'étude de recherche et d'analyses des
radioéléments (CERDAR). The new method was presented at the 22nd
International Conference on Nuclear Tracks in Solids held in
The abstract on the invention by El Harti,
posted on the conference's web site, says that since the Fifties the solid
state nuclear tracks detectors remained ineffective and vague for the dosimetry
of the radioactive elements in various types of the samples, due to the
ignorance of their truth apparent efficiency of detections. In order to
remove this constraint, El harti suggested a new method for determining the
contents of the elements transmitting alpha particles in various types of the
samples by using SSNTD. The new method allows the determination of the
function defining the apparent sensitivity of SSNTD with and without absorbing
medium. This function represents the efficiency of detection for each type of
elements transmitting alpha particles of energy and which are located in an
well defined volume element in the to analysed sample. The applications
of this method will allow a great widening of the fields of application for
this type of detectors, as well as the birth of a new generation of detector
having the best ratio quality/price which could exist in the field of the
analysis of the radioactive elements.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/news/general/gen_0019.htm
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OUEZZANE, (
The fires that have broke out in Izaren
forest near Sidi Kacem (130 Km north of Rabat) are currently under control,
said high commissioner for water, forests and the fight of desertification,
Abdelalim Lhafi, noting that 4,500 hectares were damaged by the blaze.
"Fires were contained but we have to remain vigilant and follow the
situation closely," he told MAP, noting that fire-fighting operations are
still ongoing in some zones. Fires have caused "serious
damages" as they have affected a region of 4,500 hectares, including 2,000
to 2,200 that were completely destroyed.
Lhafi blamed the fire on hot desert winds
(Chergui) that raised the temperature in the north of the country up to 45
degrees and on the decrease of humidity by 30 percent. The difficulty to
reach this mountainous region hampered fire-fighting operations, which made it
necessary to use water-bomber planes. Efforts to bring the fires under
control have been going on since Tuesday when HM king Mohammed VI appealed for
assistance from neighboring Mediterranean countries.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/home_dep/h_dep31604.htm
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Europe races
to help
25/08/2004 12:09 - (SA)
Kenitra - Aircraft from
Edited by Tori Foxcroft
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1578412,00.html
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27 Aug 2004 12:54:40 GMT Source: Reuters
Firefighters have brought under control
"This was the worst ever forest fire in
Moroccan history." Hot wind helped the fire spread rapidly but there
were no human casualties.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L27159941.htm
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King Mohammed VI chairs children and youth
ceremony
The program required a budget of 55.58
million DH (around US$ 6.1 million) set aside by the secretariat of state for
youth. The king took a tour in an exhibition of paintings, readings,
cinema, drama and other arts as well as models of youth centers, kindergartens,
women's clubs and children protection centers. The sovereign was also
presented with explanation on the various missions of the secretariat of state
in charge of youth, mainly those related to supervising and training youngsters
and rehabilitating youth and women centers to keep them abreast with the
country's democratic and modernist orientation and make them appropriate spaces
for thought, free expression and education to values of dialogue and respect of
others.
The governmental department also ensures the
training of instructors and specialists in communication, drama, music, cinema,
sport, volunteering, literacy, tourism, culture and other disciplines. In
this context, the centers it is supervising receive youngesters in order to
develop their artistic skills and prepare them to take their role as engines in
the attainement of the Millenium development goals and of the modern and
democratic society.
In addition to the "holidays for
all" program, the secretariat of state organized for 632,000 youth a
series of forums and encounters as part of a new approach bearing an innovative
approach of communication and dialogue. Likewise, the sovereign inquired about
the kindergartens and child clubs models that benefit over 60,000 persons, aged
between 6 and 15 years. These centers mean to ensure the pedagogical
integration of children through a series of activities to protect and educate
children. The department's action also include the supervision of women
clubs that are socio-educational centers designed to prepare women and girls to
take up their roles as citizens and development actors.
These centers, which benefit 253,000 women
nationwide, dispense courses of productive health and education to environment
and hygiene and promote their awareness of their rights in a bid to entrench
the values of citizenship, solidarity and tolerance. On the same
occasion, the king visited an exhibition of products of children protection centers
that seek to improve the life of 4,273 delinquent children and those living in
a precarious situation. Artistic shows, dubbed the "Great joy,"
was performed by a group of children who took part in the summer camps, members
of children clubs, women's clubs and children protection centers.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/040825/2004082520.html
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Jewish club targeted in May attacks
reopens
The Jewish club "le de l'alliance
Israelite" , targeted by the terrorist attacks of May 2003, reopened on
Monday, part of the celebration of the Throne day. The club was revamped after it was partly damaged by
the terrorist attacks that also targeted an old cemetery, a hotel and a Spanish
restaurant, claiming the lives of 45 people, including 12 suicide bombers.
Minister of social development, Abderrahim
Harouchi, who attended the reopening ceremony along with several other
officials, said the reopening of the "cercle de l'alliance Israelite"
raises vivid emotion at the recollection of the tragic events and reaffirms the
solidarity that "deeply binds all the Moroccan people".
He also described the re-opening as "a
symbol of hope", for, he said, the attacks did not target only a
community, but were meant to oppose a democratic and modern society that is
open to the world and to progress.
Serge Berdugo, secretary general of the
council of the Jewish community of
Berdugo also voiced the pride of members of
the Jewish community in celebrating the throne day, adding that
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
RABAT, July 30
The Moroccan Jewish community is celebrating
with joy and enthusiasm the fifth anniversary of HM King Mohammed VI's
enthronement, said Serge Berdugo, Secretary-general of the Council of Israelite
Communities in
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Foreign investments, loans rise by 9.8% in H1
2004
Foreign investments and private loans amounted
to 4.42 billion Dirhams (around USD 490 million) during the first half of 2004,
i.e. a 9.8% rise against the same period last year, the exchange office said.
Compared to the average recorded in the 1999-2003 period, this year's receipts
have dropped by 49.3%, with a 4.3 Billion DH value.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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20% more tourists visited
The number of tourists who visited
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/home_dep/h_depmay26.htm
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Canadian Mohawk dancers to perform at
Imilchil Music festival in
Canadian Mohawk dancers and singers of the
Quebec Saint Laurent River Kahnawake tribe will perform at the music festival
of Imilchil, 500 km south-east of the Moroccan Capital, scheduled on August 26
through 28. The "Keepers of the eastern Door" band, as the
Mohawk artists call themselves, will sing traditional songs and perform dances
of the 7,000-strong Kahnawke tribe at the annual festival of the Imilchil
village, in the High Atlas Mountains, where the nomadic Berber tribes known as
the Ait Hdiddou hold the engagement festival.
The Wedding Imilchil Festival is marked by an
encampment of more than 25,000 people settled in the
The legend says that there was once two young
people who fell deeply in love, but they were from enemy tribes and their
families would not agree to their marriage. Out of grief, they wept bitterly.
They went on crying day and night until their tears created two lakes. Their
despair was so great, they committed suicide by drowning in those two lakes. The Imilchil fiances moussem and festival has
been created to pay homage to those two young lovers. Henceforth, all the
families granted total freedom to their children to marry whomever they chose.
The engagement festivities used to take place every September, but since 1999,
the festival is held in August.
"The Keepers of the eastern Door"
web site says the tribe has been coaching young Mohawk children, in Mohawk
traditional singing and dancing as well as Pow Wow style dancing forming
Keepers of the Eastern Door Mohawk Singers and Dancers from Kahnawake.
These dancers are now world champion Pow Wow dancers performing and competing
throughout
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/040827/2004082734.html
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Mercosur eyes signing draft agreement on
trade with
The south American economic grouping Mercosur
will propose to Morocco the signing, before April 2005, of a draft agreement
similar to the accord signed with Egypt last July 7, Brazilian agency
"ANBA" reported on Friday. The draft agreement, to launch trade
negotiations with
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/news/economy/h_dep006cereals.htm
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