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Morocco Week in Review
June 7, 2014
World Environment Day
By (RPCV) Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir Tuesday, June 03, 2014
WORLD Environment Day is held annually on June 5th under UN auspices to highlight a particular area of environmental concern. The focus this year is on the unique challenges facing the world’s small islands in their battle with rising ocean levels – a far cry, it might seem, from the work of the High Atlas Foundation in Morocco.
However, two vital messages can be gleaned from our involvement in sustainable development: firstly that diverse systems – ecological and social – are interconnected and ultimately interdependent and secondly, that knowledge applied in one type of environment can - and should - be translated into other situations.
Climate change is a systemic environmental and social issue and no one measure will reverse its terribly alarming course. As in all environmental and developmental initiatives, sustainably addressing climate change requires both self-determined local actions and national and international commitments and policies that enable individuals and groups from all sectors of society to act in a way consistent with both their interests and that of the world. Not to promote the High Atlas Foundation as possessing a model approach – although we believe it to, based on results – we are dedicated day in and day out to realizing the environmental and developmental goals of local Moroccan communities, as well as those of nations where we are invited.
Additionally we are committed to building partnerships at national and international levels in order to create the necessary awareness of policies so that local communities can both reap the benefits and undertake stewardship of their surrounding environment, which they are wholeheartedly in a position to do.
Morocco is blessed with ocean and sea and with mountain ranges that are admired the world over. Nonetheless, in far too many places its mountains are crumbling, often causing villages to be abandoned and forcing families to relocate. The Kingdom’s mountainous regions are also where the greatest, most concentrated poverty is located. Therefore it is a national imperative, on a human and environmental preservation level, that these regions are transformed into breadbaskets of prosperity, which can only be done by fortifying them environmentally for many generations to come. Practically speaking, the inescapable tasks are to terrace, terrace, terrace, mountains and hillsides and plant, plant, plant upon them. To generate prosperity it is necessary to establish cooperatives, plant nurseries, secure organic certification, process train and commercialize.
Even without climate change and what it means for ocean and sea levels – of which we are reminded on this globally important day – and even without the further pertinent issue of desertification which threatens the Moroccan environment - the call to secure the mountains against their steady decline is one that should resonate nationally because of the majesty of the people and the place, and because the mountains are the environmental fortress of the country.
For HAF this is a deep abiding calling – as it is, in broader terms, to benefit all regions of Morocco and to improve the conditions of all its inhabitants. In this spirit, we take our place in the wider scheme of things, knowing that our contribution makes a difference. (Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir is a sociologist and president of the High Atlas Foundation, a Moroccan-U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing sustainable human development with marginalized communities. haf@highatlasfoundation.org) http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20140603084948
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Moroccan spiced cauliflower salad with buckwheat, mint and pistachios.
Arguably one of the most underrated vegetables out there, cauliflower can be pickled, pureed, made into soup or, as it is here, roasted until golden and delicious. Buy fresh, tight heads as they’ll hold together better when sliced, and ensure your oven is blisteringly hot for the best caramelisation.
Preheat oven to 220˚C.
Ingredients
Lay the cauliflower slices on a baking paper-lined oven tray. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1½ teaspoons ras el hanout. Season to taste. Place the whole garlic cloves around the cauliflower and place the tray in the oven. Roast for 18–20 minutes or until the garlic is soft. Remove the garlic from the oven and set aside. Continue to roast the cauliflower for another 5–10 minutes or until tender and golden.
Meanwhile, dry roast buckwheat in a large frying pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Bring 220 ml water, ½ teaspoon ras el hanout and a pinch of salt to the boil in small saucepan. Add the buckwheat and cook, uncovered, for 6–7 minutes, until the water is level with the surface of the buckwheat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for a further 8–10 minutes or until the buckwheat is tender. Strain if there is any residual water remaining. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, lemon rind and the remaining olive oil. Season to taste, cover and keep warm.
Squeeze the garlic from their skins and mash until smooth with a fork. Combine the garlic, yoghurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 teaspoons water. Season to taste and mix until well combined.
Add the mint and pomegranate to the buckwheat and toss gently. Divide between plates and top with cauliflower. Serve with yoghurt.
Note
• Ras el hanout is a spice blend commonly used in Moroccan cuisine and is available from international delis and quality spice merchants. If unavailable, substitute with harissa spices or make your own blend from cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, paprika and turmeric.
• Buckwheat is high protein, gluten-free grain with an earthy, nutty flavour available in the health-food section of supermarkets and from health-food stores.
Cook's notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified
Photography by Benito Martin. Styling by Lynsey Fryers.Food preparation by Suresh Watson. Robert Welch mulberry fork and 18/10 serving spoon, both from Tomkin.
http://world.einnews.com/article/207503340/8gTPRpC5vyHy5WPk?n=1&code=F0A6UI8SDeLVJB2O
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Spice up fish Moroccan style: Moroccan za’alouk fish supper with couscous
Ingredients
6 medium aubergines
4tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2tsp smoked paprika
1tsp ground cumin
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1tsp harissa paste
4 x 150-175g skinless, boneless white fish fillets
2tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt and pepper
For the couscous: 250g couscous, juice of 1 lemon, 2tbsp olive oil, Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C/gas mark 7.
Cut four of the aubergines in half lengthways. Put them on an oven tray and rub the cut sides with two tablespoons of olive oil and some seasoning. Cut the other two aubergines into big, bite-sized pieces, toss in a tablespoon of olive oil and spread out on a separate oven tray. Pop both trays in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the flesh of the aubergine halves are soft and the smaller pieces are crisping up. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a tablespoon of olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, cook the garlic, paprika and cumin for a minute, then add the tinned tomatoes and harissa paste. Stir for another minute. Scrape the flesh out of the halved aubergines into the tomato sauce, season and stir to completely combine. Keep the aubergine pieces to one side.
Put the fish fillets in a large, ovenproof dish and cover with the sauce. Pop back in the oven for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the fish cooked through. In a large bowl, pour 350ml boiling water over the couscous. Cover and leave for five minutes. Fluff with a fork, season and dress with the lemon juice and olive oil. Serve the fish on top of the couscous, scatter the chopped mint and aubergine.
http://world.einnews.com/article/207349242/uNfB1iwc4jzwVIbq?n=1&code=F0A6UI8SDeLVJB2O
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Morocco: Lucky Number Five.
01/06/2014
As part of my Eat, Pray, Love adventure, Morocco was the fifth phase of my twelve countries in twelve months journey that I couldn't wait to escape my busy city life to. The number five carries huge significance in their culture and everywhere I went this number seemed to appear…..
Read more and check the photos here: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/noelle-reno/morocco-travel_b_5416029.html?utm_hp_ref=uk
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Savoury Moroccan lentil stew with fresh bread.
By Rita DeMontis ,Toronto Sun May 28, 2014 Follow @CanoeLifestyle
Canada is the world’s largest producer of lentils — lentils celebrated throughout the world, in variety of cooking styles. “From spotting giant bags of Canadian-grown lentils in the markets of India, to throwing lentils off of the tallest building in the world, to cooking with some of the best chefs around the world, I discovered people around the world share a passion and pride for lentils,” said celebrity chef Michael Smith recently, who truly did travel the world to find exactly how this nutritious food source is used. (Canadian Lentils is an official mark of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, the heart of the lentil-growing region in Canada.)
As the unofficial "lentil hunter" Smith discovered an array of delicious lentil-inspired dishes throughout his travels: A hearty traditional appetizer from Marrakech, Morocco, delightfully crispy fritters from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, tangy sweet and spicy Gujarati Thali from Ahmedabad, India, rustic dishes from Umbria, Italy and classic French souffle from Le Puy-En-Velay, France.
Not a bad way to see how the world enjoys this thoroughly Canadian food! Here's a selection of dishes to enjoy. You can also find more at lentils.ca.
Moroccan Lentils and Table Bread
Lentils are a classic part of Moroccan cuisine and a start to most meals. This classic combination of whole grains and stewed legumes passed down through generations of Moroccan kitchens is hearty and healthy.
Place all ingredients except parsley and bread into a medium saucepan and, over medium high heat, bring to a full boil, stirring gently. Adjust heat lowering pace to a slow steady simmer. Cover and continue cooking until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Turn off heat and rest for 10 minutes. At last minute stir in parsley. Pour dip into one large festive bowl or several smaller ones. Serve with bread. Makes enough for 8 people as a starter or 4 as a main course.
Gujarati Thali with Lentil & Basmati
Indians eat a lot of lentils, especially in the historically vegetarian state of Gujarat where they’re part of every meal. This dish is usually part of the classic vegetarian meal thali but feel free to serve it with just a pot of plain basmati rice. It’s also tasty served solo as a simple soup or as a dip for bread.
Toss lentils, water, sugar, turmeric, ginger, chili powder and fresh chilies into a soup pot. Heat to medium high and bring to a full boil, stirring gently. Lower heat to allow for a steady simmer. Cover and continue cooking until lentils soften and dissolve, another 10 minutes or so. Stir occasionally. Switch to a vigorous whisk which will break the lentils down even further into a smooth puree. After lentils have softened stir in salt and tomato. Finish dish with tadka. Ladle the lentil dal into festive bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice. Serve and share with your choice of thali accompaniments.
*Tadka, the finishing flavours for the lentil dal
Heat oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. When it just begins to smoke remove pan off heat and add cumin, mustard and fennel seeds. Shake gently as they snap and crackle a bit. Pour and stir the hot oil directly into the lentil dal. Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish with basmati rice.
TIP: You can also serve this dish with Indian roti bread or pita bread and curried vegetables
Dubai Gold Lentil Soup with Crispy Lentil Fritters
You can see a lot from the top of the world’s tallest building, in the heart of Dubai, but what you might not notice though, are the lentils on menus all over town. They star on the menu at Armani Amal, probably the best restaurant in Dubai where Chef Vijay Anand created this delightful dish.
For fritters:
Fritters:
Stir raw red lentils, water and salt together, cover and soak for an hour or two. They’ll rehydrate and soften considerably as they absorb almost all of moisture. Transfer lentils, water and onion to food processor and puree until smooth. Add ginger and cilantro and process just long enough to stir together. You can make this batter in advance and refrigerate until needed. Pour 3 inches of oil into a large soup pot or shallow skillet. Using two spoons – first to scoop, second to release batter – gently drop dollops of batter into hot oil. Stir gently until fritters cook through and lightly brown. Place on paper towel to absorb any extra oil.
Soup:
Toss lentils, onions, water and salt into a soup pot. Over medium high heat, while stirring gently, bring mixture to a full boil. Adjust heat lowering pace to a slow steady simmer. Cover and continue cooking until lentils soften and dissolve, another 10 minutes or so. Stir occasionally. Switch to a vigorous whisk which will break lentils down even further into a smooth puree or puree with an immersion blender or counter-top blender.
Finish the soup with a classic Indian tadka: Splash some oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. When it just begins to smoke remove from heat and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic and chilies. Shake gently as they snap and crackle a bit. Add tomatoes and powdered spices stirring briefly until they too heat through and brighten. Pour and stir hot oil directly into lentil soup. Simmer soup for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Reserve the soup, cilantro leaves and coconut while you fry fritters. When you’re ready to serve return the soup to a simmer. Arrange a few fritters in each soup bowl, pour in soup and top with coconut and cilantro leaves. Serves 4 to 6…….
http://world.einnews.com/article/206822419/5ILlesUkpEJAr0fv?n=1&code=F0A6UI8SDeLVJB2O
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Rabat, the capital of a country in transition.
By Jennifer Rubin June 2
Morocco’s capital, Rabat, a city of approximately 3 million people, epitomizes a country in transition. Not quite Western, not purely Muslim. Still traditional, although more affluent and integrated with the West than much of the Muslim World. It is a place where a king retains his palace and his people’s affection, yet it nevertheless is slowly — too slowly for some — modernizing the political and social life of the country. Signage and conversation are in both Arabic and French, only one sign of the centuries-old relationship with one of two colonial powers (Spain being the other) that once ruled Morocco.
I happened to arrive on the day of the annual music festival, which has been held for the last 10 years. The event with its large outdoor stages is free and therefore a magnet for young people. There is traditional Moroccan music, but also an international stage with European and American performers. A representative from the Moroccan government emphasizes this is an outward manifestation of the country’s affinity to the West. With the brush of the back of his hand he suggests Moroccans are signaling that strict Islamism is not for them. Many young women still wear a hijab (headscarf), but with jeans, jewelry and stylish sandals, and couples stroll arm in arm in the centuries-old souk (open market).
The city is lively and bustling on a Sunday, with crowds walking along the marina that feeds out into the Atlantic. But in the transition to a 21st century, constitutional monarchy is not without strains. Shantytowns that have largely been eliminated in the rural southern part of the country still pop up along the roadway between Casablanca and Rabat, while huge modern apartment construction sites are omnipresent. (The plan is to remove all the shantytowns by 2015.) Although Morocco remains a poor country, in the capital huge homes behind walls reflect that for professionals, business people and government officials, life is certainly comfortable, although not opulent.
Morocco is noteworthy these days because it is a country in transition and is transitioning more or less peacefully. That’s not the norm for the Muslim World in the past few years. And while human rights, economic and social development and political modernization (professionalizing a newly independent judiciary, for example) are challenges, it is at least moving in the right direction. Morocco is unique in many ways — its ties to Europe, its Berber culture, its established monarchy and two successive kings inclined toward reform are hardly common in the Muslim World. Whether that can be duplicated elsewhere in the region is still a question, but it (along with Tunisia, which has moved swiftly toward democracy since its Arab Spring revolt) nevertheless suggests that modernization and Islam (with a lighter touch) are not mutually exclusive.
I’ll continue to post on Morocco during the remainder of the week and occasionally on other topics as well. As previously noted, my hotel and air travel are being paid by a Moroccan think tank, the Moroccan Institute for International Relations. My observations are strictly my own.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/06/02/rabat-the-capital-of-a-country-in-transition/
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Moroccan-style democracy.
By Jennifer Rubin June 3
If gross domestic product counted reports, meetings, public forums and other consensus-building activities, Morocco would be the richest country in the world. The notion that the king decides and the country jumps becomes comical when you talk to parliamentary officials, agency heads and leaders of research centers. This is a country with all the speed of a French bureaucracy, a love for abstract political theorists and an obsession with consensus-building with a huge range of groups, individuals and government entities before undertaking significant change.
Moroccans in government and private groups seem earnestly working in good faith on a nexus of problems. They need to privatize and diversify the economy, invest in human capital (education and health care), devolve power to localities, modernize housing, continue to integrate women into the political and economic life of the country and keep radical Islamic forces from undermining its reform efforts. And they need to do it fast, to attend to demands from a population that so far has rejected the Arab Spring model of violence………………..
Read more here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/06/03/moroccan-style-democracy/
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Supporting the Reform of Social Protection in Health in Morocco.
4 June 2014 SPONSOR WIRE
Recent political and social developments in Morocco reveal the importance of the social dimension in the Government's policies. With the African Development Bank's support, the Government of Morocco has been engaged in large-scale social projects since 2005, including the Initiative for Human Development and the Regime d'Assistance Medicale (RAMED), a health insurance scheme for the most vulnerable.
Access to health care is limited by the poor coverage of social protection mechanisms. Today 32% of the population is ensured with 22 percentage points being affiliated with compulsory health insurance or private insurance, and about 10 points covered by RAMED.
Health expenditures in Morocco represent a heavy burden for households and expose them to impoverishment. Households bear more than half of total health expenditure (53.6%). The contribution of health insurance is only 18.8% and that of the state is 25.2%. Almost 2% of Morocco's population incurs catastrophic expenditure, and 1.4% is poorer because of these expenses, the majority living in rural areas.
Reforming social protection in health is the foundation of social welfare policy in Morocco and relies on social inclusion. But most Moroccans still have no social safety net. So far, not all public and private sector employees are covered by the compulsory insurance scheme. Only two million of the estimated 8.5 million beneficiaries are covered by RAMED. And there is no modality to cover independent workers (self-employed, the informal sector and so on), which poses a challenge in terms of social cohesion, income protection and financing of the system.
Since 2002, when the reform of social protection in health started, the Bank has helped through budget support operations to the health sector. The Medical Coverage Reform Support Programme (PARCOUM), an AfDB project of US $153 million, now in its third phase (2013-2014), contributes to establishing a social safety net for the population. PARCOUM provides financial and medical protection for Moroccans, especially the most vulnerable, through the extension of basic social health insurance and access to quality health services. It thus contributes to improved governance and social inclusion.
The Bank's comparative advantage lies in its expertise in financing health care, social safety nets and health insurance, enabling it to maintain a sectorial policy dialogue with high-level Moroccan authorities. http://allafrica.com/stories/201406041632.html
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Morocco: Mawazine Festival Sends Message of Hope
By Naoufel Cherkaoui, 3 June 2014 Rabat
The 13th edition of the Mawazine World Rhythms Festival kicked off Friday (May 30th) with performances by American pop star Justin Timberlake and Palestinian singer Mohamed Assaf. The Rabat event, which runs through June 7th, also featured Arabic music performed by Moroccan singer Mourad Bouriki, Syrian Nassif Zeytoun and some local artists.
The American singer performed his famous songs during an incredible evening that was attended by 100,000 people, according to the organisers. Timberlake thanked his fans and said that he was keen to play other gigs in Morocco………………………. http://allafrica.com/stories/201406040902.html
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Morocco tackles radical Islam.
By Jennifer Rubin June 4
I’m sitting at lunch with Ahmed Abbadi at lunch in Rabat, Morocco. He bears a mild resemblance to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. His English is precise, and he is extraordinarily well versed not only in his own field of Islamic studies, but also in other religious ideas including the work of Martin Buber, a modern Jewish philosopher and father of Judaism’s reconstructionist movement. Abbadi is the head of the Muhammadan League of Religious Scholars. That group is responsible for training scholars, operating schools, answering questions about Islam from ordinary citizens, chairing religious conferences and, most important, training imams from Morocco and around the world.
In explaining Morocco’s unique history and its own brand of Islam, Abbadi makes clear that the West’s vision of radical, inflexible Islam is a far cry from the mind-set of ordinary Moroccans. These are a faithful, practicing Muslim people, but they do not view Islam as requiring a theocracy, nor do they see it as incompatible with the modern world. In Morocco’s distance from other Muslim powers (e.g.. Saudi Arabia), it achieved both geographic and intellectual separation from its Muslim brethren over centuries. Here the ideas that holy text must be combined with historical context and with reason took hold. It is no modern twist, but rather, a well-rooted ideological perspective that is light-years from Wahhabism. Abbadi dismisses the notion that Islam must be about anger, restrictions and prohibitions. He wants to reach young people with music and even religious cartoon programs. This is a joyful man.
Morocco also has the benefit of a monarchy that is the head of the faithful, and therefore capable of drawing on the respect of the faithful. If the king interprets holy texts as allowing women full civil, legal rights, that becomes both doctrinal law and civil law (if ratified by the people in elections). It also allows a supreme council responsible to the king to take control of the issuance of fatwas so that local imams do not dispense them at will, wreaking havoc on the cultural life of the country. These are not Islamic-lite people; they are deeply religious, but it is religious faith divorced from theocratic violence.
Why is this more than an interesting footnote in a course in comparative religion? It matters deeply because here is a prominent Muslim country and a Muslim organization that understands what President Obama does not: To fight jihadist terror one must recognize its theological underpinnings and try to weaken its hold. The war on terror, the president would like to think, is about “extremism” (what – extreme vegetarianism?) or discrete groups like al-Qaeda, not about the phenomenon of Islamic fundamentalism. He therefore can “end” the war on terror by simply leaving a specific battlefield, and he need not offend cultural and moral relativists by uttering the worlds “Islamic fundamentalism.” The result, however, is twofold.
First, it leaves the battle of ideas to the jihadis. Second, it undermines the work of people like Abbadi, who benefit when Muslims and non-Muslims understand the difference between jihadists and the devout, peaceful people of Morocco.
While the president would prefer to ignore the reality that we are in a civilizational war, Abbadi does not have that luxury. Morocco can see the waves of Islamic extremism washing over the Muslim world, and the radicalization of North Africa. He commands no armies, but he is effectively waging a war against jihadism in a way the United States is entirely incapable of doing. His organization to date has trained about 1,000 imams from Morocco and around the world. A new religious school has broken ground and is set to open next year, allowing the group’s work to continue. The instruction and the theocratic perspectives — if imbibed by these and thousands of imams in the future — can help shape the face of Islam in the region. Moroccans are nervous about being viewed as a model or instructing their neighbors, but in essence they are doing both.
This should not be seen as evidence of Moroccan “liberalism” or secularism. To be sure, the constitution specifically recognizes Jews as a group within the country and the king is personally undertaking a restoration of beautiful ancient synagogues around the countries. But this is a Muslim country. Ramadan will be strictly observed, even as it falls this year during the blistering hot summer, which will make sunrise-to-sunset fasting punishing. While the Jewish synagogues and cemetery in the old imperial city of Fez are lovingly restored, there are only a few thousand Jews left around the country from a population that once reached 300,000. Those who didn’t or weren’t allowed to leave after the founding of Israel almost all fled after the 1967 war as anti-Semitic sentiment and violence swelled throughout the Muslim world. And proselytization of other religions is strictly forbidden, leading to some incidents involving the expulsion of Christians operating orphanages.
In short, this is not a secular country, nor one that separates mosque from state. But it is a far different sort of Islam and a far different relationship between mosque and state than in nearly any other country in the world. For the United States, it is critical that Morocco and other countries like it (e.g. Tunisia) succeed politically but also spiritually. Morocco and the United States have a common enemy even if the Obama administration won’t admit it — radical Islam. It would help if now and then the administration would at least say as much.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/06/04/morocco-tackles-radical-islam/
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Agriculture Boosted Morocco’s Economic Growth Rate in 2013: HCP.
Monday 2 June 2014 Rabat
The growth rate of the Moroccan economy reached 4.4% in 2013 against 2.7% in 2012, on the back of the development of the agricultural activity and the reduction of funding in the context of curbing inflation, according to the high planning commission (HCP).
The national economic growth increased in 2013, thanks to a development by the agricultural activity, while non-agricultural activities dropped, said the HCP which issued its national provisional accounts for 2013 which also show a decrease in the need for funding.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 5.5% in 2013, an increase of 1.1 % in the general level of prices.
Agricultural value added volume increased by 19 %, against a decline of 8.9 % in 2012, while that of non-agricultural activities posted an increase of 2% instead 4.3 % a year earlier, the same source said.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/06/131898/agriculture-boosted-moroccos-economic-growth-rate-in-2013-hcp/
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Local dental hygienist ‘winning smiles’ in Morocco.
By jspiteri June 04, 2014
A dental hygienist and therapist from Gillingham, who we featured in the BVM at the end of last year, has returned from a charity trip to help children in Morocco. Wendy Hester, who works at the town’s Winning Smiles and at Mere Dental Practice, was one of 10 volunteers selected to take part in last month’s Dentaid trip. Each volunteer needed to raise £1,300 to cover the cost of the trip and help towards the charity’s work with fundraising taking place at the dental practices and generous local businesses donating raffle prizes. Wendy says, “I spent a week in the Atlas mountains with the national dental charity group Dentaid, treating children in a pain relief clinic which we set up daily in different schools up in the mountains.
The school had up to 500 pupils who travelled by foot up to 12 kilometres each way to get to school. It was very poor where we were with some schools only having chalk and chalk boards to work from. There was no electricity and little sanitation. We were treating the Berber people in the mountains and they were so grateful for us being there. Their main language was Berber but the teachers also knew French. The children were fantastic and laughed a lot when we struggled to get our dental gloves on in the heat - it was a great source of amusement for them. Sadly their mouths were the worst I had ever seen and I cannot emphasise enough the great pain they would have lived with on a daily basis suffering from dental abscesses.
I had a long chat with one of the teachers who understood that sweets caused tooth decay. He said they drank a lot of cola as their water sometimes upset their tummies and cola helped with their digestion.
He did not know that cola was full of sugar and the cola we saw in Morocco was even sweeter than we have here. Their teeth had no protection against the refined sugars and acid in their diet. As these children had never had a toothbrush they did not know how to brush their teeth.
We were able to give out toothbrushes and toothpastes and demonstrate how to use them to all the children and their teachers. We worked long days triaging the children and treating first those with swollen faces, due to abscesses, or in pain, followed by ART (Atraumatic Restorative Technique) where we are able to place simple restorations using hand instruments only and placing fluoride on as many teeth as possible.
It was a good experience for me and made me so grateful for what I have; at times it was so sad when we saw how much these children suffer.”
Read more at http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/Local-dental-hygienist-8216-winning-smiles-8217/story-21180406-detail/story.html#tqrFKHqCXsoHFOKh.99
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Is education worthless without freedom of speech?
Monday 2 June 2014 By Abderrafia Ait Bourchim Rabat
A universal truth acknowledged by many is that education is the heart of planting seeds that will bring about an intellectual elite, rich reservoir of knowledge and a human will that creates positive change. As Nelson Mandela once said, “education is the icon of change.” However, the issue of whether true “education” can exist without freedom of speech has raised hot debates among many psychologists, scientists, scholars, educators and teachers. (Doha Debates, Qatar’s World Innovative Summit for Education, WISE).
I have always been against those who believe that education is complete without freedom of speech. These people argue that education is simply something that leads to a job that meets one’s basic needs of living, mainly food and shelter. Dr. Nagla Rizk, Professor of Economics at the American University in Cairo is one who makes this argument. She came from a family of doctors in Egypt, who spent their lives treating the sick. “You want to tell me their education was worthless?” she questioned. “What is wrong with training that helps somebody find a job to provide for his or her basic needs and make a living for their family?” (Qatar’s World Innovative Summit for Education (WISE), Doha Debates; Monday , December, 06 2010). She relies upon statistics that show many successful scholars worldwide were born in countries where they were deprived of freedom of speech.
What Dr. Rizk did not address, however, was that those “educated” in freedom-of-speech deprived countries reached higher positions and made greater accomplishments once they went abroad. She did not answer why those scholars go abroad and achieve their aspirations. One could conclude that it is simply because they are not given enough freedom of speech in their own country.
On the other side of argument, Tariq Ramadan, a Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford University, said, “to survive is a basic right, but to think is a noble right.” He emphasized the fact that education should encourage freedom of speech. He also reasoned that any education system spreading knowledge without critical thinking would be counter-productive - breeding “parrots and sheep.”
As a teacher trainee myself, I can see that limiting the objective of education to only meeting basic needs does not lead to a meaningful education. Education should have additional goals such as supporting positive change, generating creativity and independent thinking and enhancing innovation within one’s society. It is only through open and engaged discussion that learning can stretch from the impossible to the possible.
So then, how can forward progress of society through education be attained without freedom of speech? I say, it cannot. Without the ability to argue, probe, question and criticize, there can be no change and worse, not even the contemplation of change. Freedom of speech gives confidence to people’s ideas and thoughts. It allows people to weigh the cause and effect of decisions in their own minds and in society as a whole.
Hence, the very essence of education should protect freedom of speech. Otherwise, it will be an education of distorted worth, producing “parrots and sheep” following the system. Without freedom of speech, education is a fool with no ability to think on his own.
Edited by Peter “Clay” Smith
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/06/131873/is-education-worthless-without-freedom-of-speech/
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Liverpool dentists on mission to Africa to help fight toothache.
May 31, 2014 By Liverpool Echo
Staff from Liverpool Dental Spa staff plan to help children suffering severe toothache in Morocco
A TEAM of kindhearted dentists are in Africa this week helping children suffering severe toothache. Dr Marius and Debbie McGovern, owners of Liverpool Dental Spa, have travelled to the Rif Mountains in Morocco with their colleagues to treat children who have no access to dental or health care. Marius said: “Normally the children and young adults of Morocco will just put up with the pain or even try to extract the teeth themselves which normally results in severe infection. “We really can make a difference and our objective of this trip is to build friendships and show the remote villages there are people in a dental practice in the Liverpool who care.”
Last year the Liverpool Dental Spa team held a ball which raised over £20,000 towards setting up mobile clinics in the mountains and buying an ambulance and dental equipment
The team of eight from Liverpool will be joining a group called Dental Mavericks who have already been out to Morocco four times. The dentists have also been invited to attend the Eve Branson Foundation in Morocco whilst they are there.
Eve, the mum of entrepreneur Richard Branson, works to improve the lives of women and young girls in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco through access to business, education and health care.
The Foundation provides them with educational opportunities, vocational training, workspace and tools to help them become economically self sufficient.
Marius added: “The team feel very passionate about choosing a charity where we can utilise our skills that we have been taught through our careers. “We want to give back, we have a lot to offer and are up for a emotional challenge on the trip. “It’s going to be hard and I’m sure this trip will change us as a team and as individuals.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-dentists-morocco-fight-toothache-7198489
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Paula Wolfert fighting Alzheimer’s with food.
By Associated Press: Tuesday, June 3,
A diagnosis of an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease hasn’t stopped cookbook author Paula Wolfert’s decades-long career with food. But it has changed the direction. The 76-year-old Wolfert, renowned for classics like “Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco,” has been diagnosed with a variant of Benson’s syndrome, a rare condition related to Alzheimer’s.
That was the end of following the kind of complex, meticulous recipes for which she’s known. But it was the beginning of looking at food in terms of healing, rather than hedonistic properties, as well as speaking frankly about the disease in hopes of encouraging others who think they might have a problem to get tested, and treated, sooner rather than later…………….
Read more here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/paula-wolfert-fighting-alzheimers-with-food/2014/06/03/8298caa6-eb3e-11e3-b10e-5090cf3b5958_story.html
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Chicken Tagine Is the Soylent of Moroccan Tourist Cuisine.
June 3, 2014 By Matthew Zuras
The thousand-year-old Kairaouine Mosque, the death-reeking tanneries, and the windy sea fortress of Essouira are the things that most tourists want to see in Morocco. But I wanted street food, “exotic” food, “real” food. Tongues, brains, bladders, vestigial organs—whatever. Anyone who’s read Claudia Roden knows that North Africa, like much of the non-Western world, isn’t squeamish about odd bits. I wanted some kind of macho twist on the orientalist fantasy that colonialism created and the government of Morocco reinforces with ad campaigns that reeled in over ten million tourists last year.
But you won’t find Morocco’s sheep heads, stuffed spleen, and snail soup featured in those campaigns. For the tourists, it’s nothing but tagines.
And that is a goddamned travesty. Unless you’ve been personally invited to dine with a family of Moroccans in their home— which, in my brief experience, is not as uncommon as you might think—don’t eat the couscous served at dusty, terraced restaurants. Look askance at the pastilla—a pie of thin pastry, pigeon, almonds, and eggs, dusted with sugar and cinnamon—unless it’s been personally vouched for by someone other than a paid guide.
And do not, under any circumstances, spend $18 on a goddamned chicken tagine and a floor show of belly dancers, because you’ll get the same thing everywhere. It’s the tourists’ Soylent: a thoroughly bland stew of chicken and green beans that looks postcard-perfect when it’s set on the table bubbling and golden from the overdose of turmeric, but perplexingly simple on tongue—under-salted, under-spiced, and overpriced.………………
Read more here:https://munchies.vice.com/articles/chicken-tagine-is-the-soylent-of-moroccan-tourist-cuisine/
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TIZI Initiative Awards 20 Young Moroccan Leaders for 2014
Tuesday 3 June 2014 Casablanca
Moroccans were introduced on Friday, May 23, at the Hassania School of Public Works (EHTP) in Casablanca, to the new 20 distinguished Moroccan leaders who would carry the torch and lead the way to multidimensional development in Morocco.
Organized by the Tariq Ibn Ziyad Initiative (TIZI), the second edition of the TIZI AWARDS celebrated the new 20 young Moroccan talents, who will later receive training on leadership at the prestigious Harvard University, in the Maerican state of Massachusetts.
The event was opened by former Minister of Commerce, Industry and ICT, Mr. Ahmed Reda Chami, who highlighted the challenges of leadership for an emerging country like Morocco.
The event also featured a roundtable that brought together many celebrities around the theme, “Moroccan leaders, where are they? Who are they? What do they do?” The fields of leadership addressed during the round table were sports, social action, arts, business and politics.
Prominent Moroccan personalities took part in the event: Mr. Majid Kaisser El Ghaib, Former High Commissioner of the State and a community actor; Hakim El Marrakchi, CEO of the Maghreb Industry and an active member of the CGEM; Aziz Daouda, an important Moroccan sports personality, and Sahbi Chtioui, famous Tunisian sculptor who has been living in Morocco for several decades.
A dazzling piano performance by the virtuoso Moroccan pianist Marwan Benabdellah kicked off the TIZI AWARDS ceremony, in which Morocco’s new distinguished leaders were revealed and celebrated for their remarkable achievements in several fields.
The 20 leaders were grouped into five categories: Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Social & Civic Action, Political Action & Public Management, Art & Design and Sport.
Below are brief presentations of each of the 20 distinguished TIZI awardees:
Read the rest here….http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/06/131916/tizi-initiative-awards-20-young-moroccan-leaders-for-2014/ ##########################################################
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