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Marrakech: British Polo Day Morocco raises over $175,000

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Marrakech- British Polo Day Morocco

By Rabii Benadada

Casablanca - On Saturday, April 19th, British Polo Day - presented by Land Rover - celebrated its first event on African soil with the inaugural British Polo Day Morocco.

Guests including Sir Richard Branson, philanthropist Eve Branson, Philip Treacy, British Ambassador to Morocco Clive Alderton, US Ambassador to Morocco Dwight L. Bush Sr and a handful of Virgin Galactic astronauts gathered at the Jnan Amar Polo Club for a day of top polo, followed by a Gala Dinner which raised over US$175,000 – a record for the British Polo Day Global Series.

Hosted by the Jnan Amar Polo Club for the benefit of The Eve Branson Foundation, under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI and the auspices of the Royal Moroccan Polo Federation, British Polo Day entertained over 350 guests and VIPs. Against the backdrop of the majestic Atlas Mountains, guests enjoyed a drinks reception over a quintessentially British game of Brompton bicycle polo - a rather amusing spectacle! Everyone then took their seats in the beautiful traditional Berber tents overlooking the polo field below, for an afternoon of fast-paced polo.

The day’s polo got off to an exhilarating start with the Jnan Amar Cup – a closely-fought encounter between the Royal Salute Eve Branson Commonwealth and Oxford Group Holdings Jnan Amar Rest of The World teams. New Zealand international eight-goaler John Paul Clarkin and his team were on top form from the opening minutes of the first chukka and went on to win the match seven and a half goals to four, despite some serious pressure and very fine play from the Oxford Group Holdings team.

After a delicious afternoon tea, the Hackett British Army took to the field alongside the Moroccan Royal Guard – their first ever encounter – for the Land Rover Trophy. At plus four goals, this was a unique affair and a low scoring game belied the intensity of the play, which resulted in a two goal draw. A fitting end to this first ever match between the two armies.

The day drew to a close at the British Polo Day Morocco prize-giving which took place at one of Jnan Amar Polo Club’s stunning villas – a showcase for the first phase of the Ritz-Carlton Private Residences soon to launch on sale. With the crowds gathered, Sir Richard Branson and his mother, Eve presented the Royal Salute Eve Branson Commonwealth team with the Jnan Amar Cup, while the US Ambassador to Morocco, Dwight L. Bush Sr jointly-presented the coveted Land Rover Trophy to both the Hackett British Army and Moroccan Royal Guard teams.

The Holland & Holland Shot of the Day was awarded to Stuart Wrigley of the Royal Salute Eve Branson Commonwealth team for a high grade shot in the final minutes of the Jnan Amar Cup match. Top British designer Zaeem Jamal then took to the stage to present the eagerly-anticipated Best Dressed prize to glamorous guest, Laura Novell.

The evening’s Gala Dinner took place at Marrakech’s historic La Mamounia. Arriving to a Royal Salute Scotch Whisky and Taittinger champagne reception, guests then sat down for a three-course dinner in the Mamounia’s beautiful ballroom. Then followed a spectacular fashion show by milliner to stars and royalty, Philip Treacy and celebrated womenswear designer Zaeem Jamal.

The Charity Auction proved to be the perfect culmination of the day’s event and raised over a record US$175,000 for The Eve Branson Foundation. The ever-inspiring Eve Branson gave a moving speech on her Foundation and her exciting plans to help a new project village in the Atlas Mountains. Enthusiastic philanthropist, Sir Richard Branson not only invited three lucky guests to play a rather memorable game of doubles tennis with him, but also threw in a surprise additional lot of a week at his exclusive private Necker Island, which of course sparked a bidding frenzy!

Travelling with Abercrombie & Kent, British Polo Day Morocco’s guests not only enjoyed the day itself but an exclusive four-day itinerary taking in some of Marrakech’s most spectacular landmarks. Highlights included: a private preview of Royal Mansour’s new Yahya&Qotbi exhibition, an Atlas Mountains Land Rover Experience – in which guests navigated themselves through the mountains to Eve Branson’s project villages – and the official British Polo Day Morocco medina launch party on the atmospheric rooftop of Riad El Fenn.

Before heading home, Sir Richard Branson personally invited the Charity Auction lot winners to a private Easter Sunday philanthropist lunch at the magical, boutique Kasbah Tamadot. By all accounts the doubles tennis match was of an impressively-high standard and somewhat competitive.

Photo Courtesy British Polo Day

Rabii Benadada is a researcher in sports management at the ISCAE Business School in Casablanca, Morocco

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Karima Rhanem, only Moroccan to take part in Model United Nations in the Balkan

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Karima Rhanem in the United Nations in Geneva

Rabat - Moroccan young leader Karima Rhanem will take part in the largest Model United Nations in the Balkan scheduled to take place in Albania on May 2-5.

Ms. Rhanem will be the only  guest speaker from Morocco for the opening of the conference and a chair of the simulation of the United Nations General Assembly Disarmament and International security committee (DISEC).

“I am very honored to have been selected by the Balkan Model United Nations Secretariat to open the conference among other national and international personalities. I am more thrilled for my selection to chair the DISEC committee to discuss important issues for the international community such as cyber crime and terrorism,” Ms Rhanem told Morocco World News.

She added: “being the only Moroccan to take part in the Balkan MUN is a great responsibility and I will do my best to better represent Morocco, hoping to see an increase in the number of Moroccan young leaders in such international gatherings.”

Klevis Rreshka, Secretary General of Balkan Model United Nations 2014 said: “we have chosen Karima Rhanem as a guest speaker in the Balkan MUN, because of her spirit to inspire young delegates. Young diplomats like Karima will be an added value to our conference and we are looking forward to learning from her wide experience in youth work and public diplomacy. Her background in cyber security and internet Governance will also help delegates from Balkan Countries to draft resolutions to fight cyber attacks.”

For Karima, participating in conferences such as Model United Nations illustrates the important role these public diplomacy conferences play in preparing a new generation of young diplomats who could be their country’s future decision makers.

Karima Rhanem in the Model United Nations in the Balkan

“Ambassadorship of a given country is not solely the responsibility of official diplomats, but also of a young generation of today’s leaders who could play a key role in advancing foreign policy goals and influencing international decision-making through non-governmental and people to people diplomacy,” she stressed.

Karima Rhanem has been involved in youth and NGO empowerment work for the past 15 years and in public diplomacy for the past 6 years. Thanks to her continuous involvement in several development and diplomacy programs worldwide, she has been nominated Morocco World News good will Ambassador for the year 2012.  She was also appointed by the Moroccan Ministry in charge of Relations with the Parliament & Civil Society member of the national commission in charge of the Dialogue on Civil Society and Constitutional Prerogatives. Recently, she has been selected by UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States member of the Arab Human Development Report (AHDR) 2015 Youth Consultative Group to promote genuine youth-led reflections on development choices in the Arab region, through meaningfully consulting young people to bring their voices to policy-makers.

She has also received several awards from international institutions for her creativity in communications, management of youth and civil society programs, and for her efforts in promoting good governance and peace in the MENA region. In 2012, she was nominated, among several young leaders from different parts of the world, Crans Montana Forum “New Leader of Tomorrow.” She was also awarded a certificate of appreciation from the Association for Public policy and the Administration for her professionalism and contribution to the causes of peace and sound governance in the Middle East.

With a rich international experience, she took part in world leading conferences and seminars such as the 2003 Young Ambassadors MENA Leaders Program at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania (USA), the Youth General Assembly at the United Nations in New York in 2011, the International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in Geneva in 2012, the world Forum of Young Diplomats in Turkey in 2013, Crans Montana Forum 15th International Summit on Transnational Crime and Security in 2013. She has also participated as a guest speaker and workshop facilitator at several conferences - in Europe, USA and the MENA region – designed for youth inclusion and empowerment and for the use of media for sustainable and human development.

Throughout her career, she founded several non-governmental organizations such as "Dialogue for Peace Association" and “The Moroccan Association for Development and Public Diplomacy,” and organized various youth forums at the national level. She currently serves as a MENA representative of the London based Non-profit Global Diplomatic Forum, and director of ‘Dialogue for Peace” cooperating circle of United Religions Initiative in Morocco.

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Fez college incidents: four students before justice

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The appeals court in Fez Morocco

Fez - Four students accused of involvement in the incidents, which took place in the Fez Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah science college and claimed the life of a student, were brought before the public prosecutor on Sunday, a legal source said.

The four individuals, arrested on Thursday, were brought by the public prosecutor at the Fez appeal court to the questioning magistrate.

Three are sued for voluntary and premeditated manslaughter and were remanded in custody at the Ain Kadous prison while the fourth was set free, the source added.

Today, it is more difficult to be a Muslim in France: Samir Nasri

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Samir Nasri, a French international football player

Taroudant, Morocco - Samir Nasri, a French international football player who plays for the English club Manchester City, expressed his concerns over growing racism against Muslims in France, his second home.

In an interview with the Telegraph on April 25, Samir Nasri, 26, denounced the rise of racism against Muslims in France, saying French people have turned against Muslims.

The international football player did not hide his worries about the situation of Muslims in France, which has changed recently in disfavor of Muslims.

“Nowadays, it is more difficult in France [being Muslim]. In the last three or four years people who come from a [Muslim] community feel like they are not being treated like they deserve. It is now about the extreme Right,’’ Nasri said.

Nasri, of Algerian origin, evokes in particular the rise of the "extreme right" and the National Front of Marine Le Pen.

“French people turned against the Muslims. That is a little bit scary. Ten to fifteen years ago, it wasn’t like this. I don’t like the way the mentality is in France now,” Nasri added.

Nasri said that being a football player in France now is not such a big deal.

“Recently in France, if you are a football player, your image is really bad,” the football player said. “If you are from a (Muslim) community, it is even worse,” he added.

These reasons lead the former Arsenal attacking midfielder to express his dislike for the situation in France.

“France changed a lot. I don’t like it. I love England. I love London. It’s great for me to be there. That’s where I can see my future,” Nasri said.

Emerging from the Marseille youth academy, Nasri, who currently plays for English club Manchester City in the Premier League and the France national team, made his name during three seasons in the first team at Stade Velodrome before moving to London in 2008.

Edited by Liz Yaslik

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Sami: Victim of ‘Tcharmil’ and a Merciless Society

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fierce pit bull guarding the neighborhood in Rabat

Rabat - His name was Sami and his friends called him Sam, like the name of that fierce pit bull guarding the neighborhood. But Sami actually was neither a neighborhood guard nor a security agent as we may think. He was simply a jobless, rejected, ignored, unknown citizen.

Being from a poor family, Sami was not able to pursue his elementary education. Unable to afford himself remedial courses and unable to succeed, he dropped out of school at the age of thirteen. He started working in a garage as a mechanic’s assistant. Eight years passed in this job, being exploited, given a salary that is only enough to feed himself; but,he has never forgotten his dream, though—his dream to pursue his studies. He sees old classmates graduating, getting hired, getting married, having a family, while he still works in the same garage. He revolts against his working conditions and gets fired.

Sami must find an alternative. He starts looking for a job that can gratify his needs to emulate those old classmates. But his search is to no avail. Those kinds of jobs require diplomas, something our Sam never got. Being rejected, he begins to accept this reality, but refuses to be submissive to the other one: that reality where those without a diploma have to be exploited. Poor Sami does not know that even those with that piece of paper continue to struggle. He decides, then, to go back to school, to give it another try; but with no money and with no support from the government, he is slammed with another reality.

Sami protests. He protests differently from other protestors though. He protests not to satisfy a desire, but a need. He stands up at large gates that are supposed to be open to everyone. They are indeed open; however, it seems that no one behind those gates hears, sees, or even notices. Sami stands up all day, everyday… he understands he is being ignored.

After this, he becomes eager to start his own business without anyone’s help. His business consists of seating in a corner of his neighborhood to serve smokers. Yes, you guessed it! His business is to sell cigarettes: but not in packets, only in units. No one knows how he managed to get enough money for this, since no one cares.

Sami and Sam (the dog) share the same corner. When Sam finishes guarding the night and is taken to his home, Sami takes up residence. That corner is never empty. Hence, Sami becomes Sam. In the meantime, society was becoming more material, where the rich gained much praise and more respect than the intellectual. Poor Sam belonged neither to the former class nor to the latter. He already tried to integrate himself among the intellectuals; however, the system said no to him. Then he found a good opportunity when he noticed the change occurring in the society: he stopped staying in that corner, so he began to believe that he may have a chance to integrate in the other group—that of the rich. However, Sam had some principles. They were few, yes! But they were still principles. He refused to make use of illegal ways to satisfy his needs. What could he do, then? Pretending!

Poor Sami was not well educated, by neither his parents, nor his school, nor society. Every side was kicking him towards the other. He had to find his place outside of this triangle. He had to create his own culture. Sam had a mohawk haircut, a Rolex, sneakers, original sport clothes, and few notes of money, all taken in a picture. He finally succeeded to distinguish  himself. He succeeded in getting the attention of those people who were behind the gates … They heard him, they saw him! And they decided to get rid of him. I mean, get rid of his culture by any means!

Tcharmil!” The phenomenon which has different definitions, and still no one can understand what it is exactly! Suggesting that it represents delinquency, Sami was caught among representatives of this phenomenon. Why? Simply because, real criminals used the same picture as Sami. The circumstances created by the system were what led Sami to a situation of a lost identity. Now, the same system that is supposed to cure Sami and others like him and to recover their lost identities is, instead, punishing them for something that was, to some extent, out of their control!

Sami is now accused of being a criminal, although in reality, he is not. He is not accused by the police, but by the society as whole. Sami represents the embodiment of the lost and accused youth. His last remaining card is to protest with a pen and a paper. His ultimate hope is that the system can change his ways of dealing with his fellow men and avoid generalization. Sami was always neglected and ignored. If we add mental oppression to the list, we can expect one of two things: a turn towards real delinquency, or a depression leading to suicide!

Edited by Katrina Bushko

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Cheating in Exams: a Fundamental Right?

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cheating in the exams in Morocco

By Zineb Sbai El Idriss

Rabat - It was a hot afternoon in June. The high school I frequented was more animated than ever. I still cannot figure out the nature of my feelings when I reached the classroom. I didn’t know most of the students there. But this was understandable as we were taking baccalaureate exams. The atmosphere in the room made me dizzy, so I hurried toward the table to which I was assigned. While I sat quietly waiting for the teachers to come, different voices were floating all around me. Effortlessly, I began to discern what was said by some: “The woman is such a nice teacher. She will allow us to ‘copy’ (cheat), I am sure!”

This sort of saying bothered me a lot, especially since I recalled how during the morning, we heard some shouting in the classroom next door. It was an angry student. He got indignant because the teacher prevented him from ‘copying’ and took the proof of his cheating. I remembered too that I needed to Xerox some papers, and when the photocopy agent asked me: “Do you need them minimized too?” I felt insulted! Students during that period were more concerned about cheating than the exams themselves.

I would be a liar if I told you I have never cheated in my life. I surely did, but in rare occasions. However, at that time I made my mind to never ever do that again, as well as to defend firmly my new conviction.

As I was waiting, the girl in front of me turned around and we exchanged some words for our first time. “You’ve left very early this morning! Had you waited a little bit, you could manage to ‘copy’. The game was unleashed at the end” she uttered.

I answered honestly that I was hopeless in physics. And as numbers and formulas were total gobbledygook to me, I could just fill the questions that needed words as answers. I also added: “But why would I cheat? If I am not good enough and do not deserve to pass, then I shall repeat the year, right?” Never in my life have I been looked at in such a manner. Not only the girl was shocked, but it seemed like she was trying hard to make sense of what I said. She stayed with her mouth open for few seconds before she asked me to whisper to her the answers of the English exam.

During that same day, when we were taking the English exam, I saw a classmate of mine kissing the professor’s hand, begging forgiveness in a pitiful way as he caught him cheating. I also heard from my friends, about parents hiring professors to communicate the right answers to the former’s sons and daughters.

For so long I have tried to be compassionate and find excuses for this tradition of ‘copying’. I thought that, maybe when my uncle used to explain mathematics to me using funny tricks and everyday life examples, I was fortunate because there were children completely abandoned to themselves. I said to myself perhaps when my father used to help me with my readings while I was resting my head on his chest, other children would have been suffering at the hands of an abusive alcoholic father. I thought that when I used to recite the same lesson for the third time with my mother listening to me patiently, there were other children whose parents were illiterate. I’ve contemplated many scenarios and tried to put myself in the shoes of their protagonists, and yet this didn’t convince my heart and mind to accept that germ of cheating!

It is indeed a dangerous germ. Cheating in exams has become almost a right that students and scholars have to be granted. Unfortunately, even the term ‘copying’ used in our Moroccan dialect, is too soft to convey the real nature of this act: CHEATING!

To justify their behaviors, ‘copiers’ always bring out their very famous sayings: “I am obliged to,” “Everyone cheats, so why not me?” or “A corrupt government asks its people not to cheat. Of course I am going to do so!” Everything is blamed on the government, and no one decides to take his own responsibilities. The phenomenon has been spreading with phenomenal speed. Now it has become a right! Yes, a right Now it’s a right that students obtain using force or supplications if it is not given willingly.

Remember the parent that used to teach their children: “whoever cheats us is not one of us”? Now they are an endangered species. I personally know parents who help prepare the ‘cheating material’ for their children. I have heard of parents cursing professors who prevent their progeny from their right to ‘copy.’

And the professors who are represented in our culture as prophets? They too, have become accustomed to this new tradition. Some let their students cheat because they fear being harmed or they fear aggression if they ever resist. Some let their students cheat because they pity their begging and supplications. Some trade their souls for money and become the cheating material of the students. And some have just given up and surrendered to the dominating trend.

The Moroccan educational system will become worthless if no one wants to take responsibility and struggle for the sake of putting an end to this fiasco. The struggle is, to some extent, hard but generates a huge self-satisfaction, for I have been leading the battle four years now. I have had to stand being seen like the selfish girl who wants good marks for herself only. Then I had to swear to my angry friends that, if I didn’t give them the answers during the tests it was because of my principles, and if I could I would have helped them with no hesitation. And I have been trying to reconcile not being able to help them cheat by offering my help for a revision before the exam. I remember also giving a presentation about the subject. A presentation that has only gained the interest of the professor!

Then I had to communicate this value to the coming generation. So I have begun with my little sister. I've been trying to raise in her the pride of been a righteous little girl. Therefore, I have been singing her eulogies and praising her in her presence, telling people that she is smart enough to get good marks without cheating. And on the other hand, I haven’t hesitated to remind her that if she does cheat one day, she would disgrace our family and won’t be worthy of being one of us. I knew that depriving someone from the sense of belonging could be a punishment too. And at the end, with God’s help this mission was a total success!

It is true that the Moroccan society is deeply suffering from all sorts of corruption, but the case might not be hopeless. As the society is a set of individuals, if each one of the latter makes efforts to progress, Morocco just like any other country, will be able to celebrate a true spring, because only individual contributions make the power of a nation.

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Reflections on Positive Capability

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Birds in the ocean

Tunis - "Advice to Intellectuals: Let no one represent you." T. Adorno.

We really cannot hope to be at ease with one another and peacefully co-exist in a world where the highest value is the self. Can we even claim that we belong to the same species when we pretend to ignore one another in the streets and continue to ignore our shared humanity? What is funny, but shameful nevertheless, is that we call ourselves “modern” and “civilized,” and yet it seems we still live in a jungle in which the weak are sent to hell and the strong survive at their expense. How can any one of us claim that life is fair when there is really almost nothing in it save injustice, chaos and anarchy? To long for something noble and virtuous has now become quite useless in this age of deformity when what is essential is made ridiculous and the trivial is painfully regarded as vital. Those who rule the jungle say without shame 'La vertu ne serait donc que de la lacheté.' They also move further and say without shame: 'Here only the evil can afford to be good.'

As intellectuals, as moral beings, we have at least one responsibility: to eschew this triviality of thought and life for, otherwise, even the jungle will be devoid of light. There is indeed something worse than injustice and that is these things which we have named ‘justice:’ a phantom that “has nothing but its hands in its pockets.” Is this the kind of justice that we want and that we deserve? Of course not! We must be fair with one another although fairness and justice belong always to the more difficult path to walk. It is perfectly righteous to say that the value of man resides in what he is and not in what he has. We say these things only in private and yet do not live our principles in public. If we do not regard the poor in light of their inner selves, but rather only focus on their disheveled appearances. What if we take the beggars who line our streets? Do they really have to be bad in order to be appreciated? Do they have to forget about their principles and put on the mask of groveling destitution in order to be seen? Must they literally and spiritually lower themselves merely in order to go on living untill tomorrow? Look at how the beggar’s face is affected by the dust that flies in the passing of a rich man’s car. Look at the tears he/she sheds without showing. This one scene illuminates modern life in its fullest expression for us. And if you are one of those who feels no respect for the servant who serves or the villager who sows but only for those from whom you hope to get something, try, then, without being indifferent, to revisit this despicable attitude for the sake of your own dignity and self respect if nothing besides is more noble.

One day, devoid of bribery or exceptions, every one of us will face the trouble of providing an answer to the one single question: "Why did you live as you did?" Just read and think for a while: we will be made accountable for all of our actions and our choices. Various answers will be given—the answers of the oppressor and the answers of the oppressed.

The oppressor will respond without hesitation:. they assaulted, wounded, lied, stole, led and killed for the simple and obvious reason that the oppressed were ready to concede and accept this kind of treatment and did nothing to oppose it. They never united to confront and overthrow these oppressors. If we examine the secret of their mastery, we immidiately find it simple but not simplistic. There is no secret at all. The oppressors are powerful because the oppressed are weak. But then, How could they acquire all of their influence and power if the weak were not weak? You will say there is justice that governs every state of being. You will say that this justice is placed in the hands of our representatives and that it is assisted by and fostered with our continuous and never revisited consent. Perfect§ Who can dare to differ?

They are, indeed, our representatives. They are, by all standards and means, our representatives. But in what do they represent us? Let us wonder and ask rather than wait and lose. They will not even make the mistake of listening to us. It is so settled and there is according to them no disputing of the fact that we ask idiotic questions, if not absurd ones. It is so settled and he who is ignorant will never cater for his ignorance except by receiving ready made answers (most of them are bad ones because we do not know who undertook the task of making them for us and upon what grounds and with reference to what questions). These representatives, in short, were they true representatives, and most of all free from external force or private bribery, nothing could pass here but what we and they think is for the public advantage. You will also say, that we are all asked to abide by this justice. Can you please tell me where I can find this justice in order to pull myself together and live under its influence? Daniel Defoe, in this respect, would quickly come to my rescue against this extremely painful speculation and say in ‘A Hymn to the Pillory’ (1703):

But Justice is inverted when

Those Engines of the law

Instead of pinching

Vicious Men,

Keep Honest ones in awe;

Thy business is, as all Men know,

To punish villains, not to make Men so

This excerpt is gleaned from my unpublished novel entitled 'Meditations'

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Balkan Model United Nations kicked off in Albania

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Moroccan young leader Karima Rhanem, guest speaker at opening of the MUN

Durres – Albania - “Invest in Today’s Leaders, Get Effective decision makers tomorrow." 

The largest Model United Nations in the Balkan (MUN) kicked off on May 2 in Albania. Moroccan young leader Karima Rhanem, who participated as guest speaker at opening of the MUN, told delegates that “if we rationally invest in today’s leaders, we would certainly prepare a generation of effective decision makers in the future.”

Organized in the city of Durres between May 2 and 5, the MUN saw the participation of over 120 delegates from different regions of the world, especially from Balkan.

“Bringing together brilliant young minds in our conference, where youth can raise their voices about global issues affecting them and their countries while working together collaboratively to find solutions, was our main goal,” Klevis Rreshka Secretary General of the Balkan MUN said.

Balkan Model United Nations

The topics being discussed in the MUN are based on the United Nations current agenda, including issues on the agenda of the Security Council, the sixth committee of the General Assembly, as well as other UN entities.

Ms. Karima Rhanem, the only Moroccan participant in the MUN, representing both Africa and the Middle East, expressed her pride to be selected by the Balkan Model United Nations Secretariat to open the conference. “I am thrilled to be a guest speaker at this public diplomacy conference and happy to chair the DISEC committee to discuss important issues for the international community, such as cyber crime and terrorism.”

"On your travel journey, you discover there are many people around the world who have no knowledge of your country's geography, culture, history, politics and economy, and hold a number of misconceptions and stereotypes; this may eventually lead to conflicts. However, by getting to know people and cultures through such international or regional opportunities as Model United Nations and similar public diplomacy meetings, communication barriers are reduced and mutual dialogue is enhanced,” said Rhanem at the opening.

She called on delegates to step back and ask themselves a key question: what do they want to become in the next five years, what goals they want to achieve and whether they want to be manipulated by decision makers, or they want to be real actors, influencing not only their country’s decision making but also international policies?

 “I am sure each one of you wants to be a leader; I am sure you want to be that dynamo or domino effect that inspires others; I am confident you could speak for those who don't have a voice and that your input could make a difference; I am also confident that you want to be a change maker rather than a spectator of change,” she said.

Generally, young people are rarely consulted in meaningful ways during the creation of strategies. Only few of the action plans link youth-focused strategies to specific targets and budgets or regard the youth as a main cross-cutting issue.

“Today, there are neither more excuses nor ways any policy or strategy could be developed without consulting citizens, including young people and civil society. In my country Morocco, the only country in the Middle East and North Africa that was able to manage the negative impact of the Arab Spring through launching landmark constitutional reforms, youth issues are a top priority,” she emphasized

“The determination of young people who were demanding political and socio-economic change and the wisdom & leadership of HM King Mohammed VI King of Morocco who spared no efforts in initiating big constitutional reforms, led to the adoption of a more liberal constitution, which enshrines the protection of human rights, civil liberties and cultural diversity and pluralism while it affords new roles to civil society and youth to be more involved in the decision-making processes," she added.

Balkan Model United Nations

She stressed that “the new Moroccan policy puts citizens at the heart of any strategy or policy, allowing them to take part in developing and evaluating public policies, presenting petitions and proposing legislative motions. The constitution also required from each public institution to conduct a public consultation with citizens and concerned stakeholders prior to developing any policy."

 Ms. Rhanem is entrusted with chairing the United Nations General Assembly First Committee, which deals with Disarmament and International Security (DISEC).

Marrion Mako, delegate at the DISEC committee representing the Syrian Arab Republic, said: “The DISEC committee is in charge of discussing topics that are critical to international security. This is a memorable experience for me to put myself in a position of a country and try to defend its interest in a UN look like environment.”

By working on topics dealing with the real UN and having first-hand experience on the challenges of working with colleagues representing different parts of the world, delegates seek to develop a better understanding of the complexities of international affairs, and an appreciation of the dynamics of group interaction and cooperation, and an awareness of the purpose and the capability of the UN to solve global issues.

Xhoena Blloshmi, representing Venezuela at the Security Council committee Said: “the MUN is a real life experience. I am glad that I have more diplomatic arguments and understanding of the Syrian crisis. This will help me to contribute to solving issues that the people of Syria are facing.”

During the MUN three days, delegates will have the chance to learn and prepare policy papers, debate hot issues that interest the international community and draft and vote on resolutions as real diplomats.

Model United Nations meetings have become an increasingly effective mean to educate young people about global issues and the UN agenda.

Balkan Model United Nations

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U.S. Embassy Rabat TechCamp Caravan Takes Place in Ouarzazate

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TechCamp Caravan is in Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate - TechCamp Caravan is back this year and for the first time, it was hosted in Ouarzazate from April 26-27, under the theme of “Technology in the Service of Society.”

TechCamp Caravan is an intensive two-day training session for civil society leaders organized by the U.S. Embassy in Rabat. In addition to Agadir and Ouarzazate, the training took place in Ouajda and Assilah as well.

Fatima Zahara Aboukir, a Youth Programs coordinator at the Embassy said that TechCamp caravan was an idea that they developed at the Public Affairs Section after the first TechCamp training in Rabat in 2012.

“The first TechCamp was a big success. We got people from different countries and trainers from Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc,” Aboukir said. “We thought that instead of organizing the training in one city, we would rather have a caravan, and have it in other cities for the benefit.”

Samuel Werberg, the U.S. Embassy Rabat cultural attaché said, “We realized that there is a huge need in Morocco concerning the basic technology training, and we know for sure that people benefit from Facebook, Google, and other free technological tools. We want people to better understand and use those tools effectively to make Morocco a better place.”

Mohamed Aitaha, founder and president of Generation Leaders, expressed why he thought the event was important. “We are hosting this event, first because of the importance of the training to association members. Second, we want to contribute to the development of the city and the regions. Finally, we ourselves network through these events with many NGO’s,” Aitaha said.

The agenda for TechCamp Caravan Ouarzazate included five workshops:

1. Your NGOs communication: How to make it significant on the Internet

2. How online collaboration tools enhance team productivity

3. Tools for events dissemination through the media and social networks

4. Start an e-commerce business in 2014

5. Digital storytelling concept

Saida Elamrani, a participant from Tata said she was thankful for the opportunity to participate.

TechCamp Caravan is in Ouarzazate

“I rarely use internet, I thought it is a waste of time and energy, but now I learned that technology could make a big change in my business,” Elamrani said. She also stressed the importance of using technological tools to communicate better and market products, especially for rural associations.

Another participant, Abderrahmane Ait Lqous, a university student majoring in Sociology of Enterprise in Marrakech, was also glad he was part of the event. “During these two days I learned that technology does not only consist of Google or Facebook, but there are a wide variety of Software programs and websites that can helps us improve our work, and achieve our association’s objectives.”

Mohammed Bensoltana, a trainer, said, “I am glad to be part of the caravan again for the fourth time; I learned from participants and corrected stereotypes I used to have concerning associations dynamism and activeness. I met with people who started from  scratch and now they have developed a big business. I am very inspired by their stories.”

Abdelwahad Aitouarrou, a social assistant in Ouarzazate, believes that the organization went beyond the expectation in terms of variety, timing and benefit, and he would love for this program to continue.

“We are glad that we have been able to train over 600 participants all over Morocco. We believe that technology is not the absolute answer, but it can help us to find the answers we are looking for,” Aboukir said.

Edited by Saba Naseem

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World Press Freedom Day: Journalism a Profession of Hardships

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world press freedom day 2014

By Nora Znaidi

Rabat - Why does journalism have the reputation of being a profession of hardships? The answer is clear to me.

Seeking and telling the truth in order to inform the public and raise awareness is not an easy task. For ages, the press went through a lot of adversity in order to establish itself as the Fourth Estate in modern societies.

Actually, the main obstacle that the press faces is a lack of freedom to accomplish their mission without being controlled by an agenda. In fact, the media is a political, economic and social force to be reckoned with. For that reason, the stipulation of a free press was adopted into many constitutions and international law texts.

For instance, in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration on Human Rights Article 19 stipulates that, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” This article leaves no space for interference or influence from an outside force.

Along similar lines, the European Convention on Human Rights states in Article 10.1 that, “everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.”

According to these two examples, freedom of speech is a fundamental right given to every individual. However, the press is still suffering from many restrictions. In developing countries, the press is often dominated and controlled by the government and journalists remain oppressed. Moreover, secrecy and surveillance block the journalists’ access to information and thus restrict their freedom.

Consequently, they can’t broadcast the truth and public opinion is formed based on news that governments have already filtered and published in order to promote and reinforce the agendas of the state.

Nowadays, everyone is aware of the crucial role that the media plays in our world and its valuable contribution to making the world a better place. The media should be provided with a suitable environment to achieve its goals and journalists around the world should be given better working conditions.

It’s undeniable that the situation has improved and press freedoms have evolved over time. Having said that, we can’t really talk about a completely independent and free press for the simple facts that a lot of outlets depend on private companies and sponsors to maintain financially stable. Without a doubt, this situation creates some sort of influence on the media.

As a result, freedom of the press remains relative and the interests of political and economic decision-makers often trump the independence of journalists.

Every year, we celebrate world press freedom day to highlight the issues surrounding the media, and remind ourselves of the glorious mission of journalism: seeking and telling the truth.

Edited By Liz Yaslik

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Campaign Calls for Protection of Gays, Lesbians in Morocco

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A group of people called ASWAT Group for sexual minorities launched a campaign for the defense of gays and lesbians in Morocco

Taroudant, Morocco - A group of people called “ASWAT” Group for sexual minorities launched a campaign for the defense of gays and lesbians in Morocco.

The group whose motto is "Love is not a crime” calls for the protection of the rights of same-sex minorities in the kingdom.

The organizers of this campaign intend to protest what they call the discrimination against homosexuals in Morocco.

Less than two weeks before the International Day against Homophobia, held on May 17 every year, the group “ASWAT” posted a video on YouTube in which several civil society activists, Amazigh, journalists, university teachers and community activists call for the respect of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) rights in the country.

ASWAT for sexual minorities also launched a petition entitled “Say No to homophobia in Morocco” to demand the abolition of Article 489 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes "licentious acts against nature with an individual of the same sex.

Under Article 489 of the Moroccan penal code, sexual acts between people of the same gender are punishable by between six months and three years in prison.

Held on May 17 every year, the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia is a rallying international event that raises awareness about the situation of LGBT all over the world and calls for the protection of their fundamental rights.

Campaign Calls for Protection of Gays, Lesbians in Morocco

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The Moroccan National Debate Team: Leaders with Bright Future

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The Moroccan National Debate Team- Leaders with Bright Future

Fez - When I moved to Morocco from America in February of this year, I knew that I was moving into the future. I had lived for some time in Qatar, and had grown up in Los Angeles-- both of these places are very forward looking and future oriented, full of potential and promise. But nowhere on earth has filled me with the sense of growth, dynamic change, possibility and joy that I have found in Morocco.

The Moroccan National Debate team--the first ever debate team to make it to the international debate championships in Thailand this summer--is a fitting symbol for Morocco's bright future. As a two-time national speech and debate champion (in Improptu and Extemporaneous Speech) in America, I have seen firsthand how debate can change the lives of people, institutions and even countries for the better.

The Moroccan National Debate Team- Leaders with Bright Future

Debate is an inseparable part of a healthy society; it encourages freedom of discussion, flexibility of thought, and openness to new ideas. The recent burgeoning of interest among the Moroccan youth in debate shows, more clearly than any other indicator, that Morocco’s future is intellectually engaged, curious, forward thinking and going places.

Soufiane ChoubaniOne of those places will be Thailand this August, for the 2014 International Debate championships. Even making it into this competition has been a historic accomplishment for its dedicated coach, Soufiane Choubani. Accompanied by his team of brilliant and hardworking Moroccan youth, Soufiane has campaigned tirelessly for the Moroccan National Debate Team to have the opportunity to represent Morocco in Thailand, but it has been an uphill battle.

All across the world—from California to Thailand—the story of the Moroccan debate team and its historic attempt to make it to the international competition is inspiring debaters, coaches, students, thinkers, and Moroccans who are proud of the direction that their youth are taking. Let us join together to support this incredible team, by spreading the word about their accomplishments.

Support the team by donating the money, through their website (teamMorocco.org), that would allow them to represent Morocco’s bright future in Thailand. As their new Assistant Debate Coach, I for one am very optimistic about our chances at a historic victory at this competition, InshAllah!

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Morocco: 21-Year-Old Arrested for Internet Blackmail

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internet cable

Casablanca - Is Oued Zem, a city in Khouribga Province, becoming the capital of digital blackmailing? 

A 21-year-old man recently appeared in the court of Appeal of Khouribga after being accused of blackmail and extortion via the internet, according to daily Assabah’s issue for the weekend. 

The suspect allegedly has used pornographic videos to blackmail his foreign victims who come from countries as diverse as Sweden, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan.

According to Assabah, the suspect was carrying a Smartphone when he was arrested. The content of the device allegedly unveiled his crimes. In it were found text messages exchanged with the victims.

According to the suspect’s own testimony during police interrogations, he carefully chose his victims on the internet, especially on “hot chats” where he was pretending to be a sexy girl. He then incited his victims to undress and took the opportunity to film them.

By doing so, the suspect managed to easily earn around MAD 60,000 ($7200) in a few weeks. In addition to his crimes on the internet, the suspect is also accused of corrupting a minor. 

what is more  alarming is that the arrested suspect is only one among innumerable young Moroccans who are currently engaging in similar criminal activities on the net. According to daily Al Akhbar, the Casablanca police went all the way to Oued Zem to arrest fourteen young people, aged 17-24 years old, who are involved in similar crimes.

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TIZI Initiative to Award 20 Moroccan Young Leaders for 2014

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TIZI Initiative to Award 20 Moroccan Young Leaders for 2014

Casablanca- Tariq Ibn Ziyad Initiative (TIZI) will hold the second edition of the TIZI Leadership Day on May 24, at the Hassania School of Public Works (EHTP) in Casablanca, during which 20 new distinguished Moroccan leaders will be awarded the 2014 TIZI Award.

The second edition of TIZI Leadership Day will be dedicated to fostering the culture of leadership in Morocco, as well as creating favorable conditions for the emergence of new leaders. The TIZI Awards, for its part, will unveil 20 new Moroccan leadership talents representing 5 different categories. Their names will be included in a directory that will be published afterwards.

Other talented Moroccan leaders will represent arenas such as entrepreneurship and innovation, sports, arts, education and research, political action and media.

"These leaders epitomize the talent, diversity and potential of Morocco,” said Mohamed Alami Berrada, Vice-President in charge of TIZI Leadership Institute. “This is to show recognition for their commitment and for their achievements and also to build a model to give hope to thousands of young people.”

The event will be opened by former Minister of Commerce, Industry and ICT, Ahmed Reda Chami, who will highlight the challenges of leadership for an emerging country like Morocco.

The event will also feature a round table that will bring 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 will be sports, social action, arts, business and politics. These realms will be probed in an attempt to see if they create favorable conditions for the emergence of new Moroccan leaders.

Tariq Ibn Ziyad Initiative, which has emanated from civil society and has been widely supported by Moroccan youth, principally aims at fostering political action, promoting leadership and providing training for young Moroccan leaders.

Reflections on Readers’ Reaction to Shelly Segal’s Song on Morocco

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Shelly Segal’s Song on Morocco

Casablanca - Shelley Segal’s video on YouTube, Morocco, continues to gain more viewership despite growing dissent surrounding the song. 

Morocco, a single from Segal’s upcoming album, An Easy Escape, describes her experiences from a trip she took to Marrakech and Essaouira in 2007.

Segal sings about “flying free,” and medina shopkeepers asking her, “Do you want to buy some weed?”. She explores what she says to be her true experiences in Morocco—drugs, propositions from men, and beauty.

Despite the few comments applauding Segal for exposing ‘what is truly happening in Morocco,’ the video has been berated with harsh, insulting comments, not only criticizing the video, but also taking personal stabs at Segal and her physical appearance.

Yousef Sourgo recently wrote an article for Morocco World News highlighting the themes of the song and the initial responses from YouTube viewers. This lead to more outcry from readers.

Many Moroccans are taking this song very personally and voicing their critiques, while others are standing by Segal’s side. One reader wrote, “If she didn't dress like a fat 1/2 naked hippy in with dreads in an Islamic society, she wouldn't be sexually harassed. She wouldn't be offered drugs because she looks like an idiot hippy tourist looking for drugs.”

Regardless of personal opinion, the song is about the experience of a single tourist visiting Morocco. It is helpful and interesting to have dialogue about controversial topics, such as the ones Segal mentions in Morocco, and the heated comments reveal that the video has resonated with viewers.

No one likes to look at, and analyze the negative aspects of their country, but songs like Morocco create a unique opportunity for people to share their opinions surrounding topics that otherwise would stay hidden.

Pretending Morocco is free from problems, or that the problems are ‘not that bad,’ does not allow for positive growth in the country. While every country has challenges and problems, ignoring these issues produces more harm than good. The only way to produce growth and improvement in societies is to acknowledge the difficulties and challenges in order to promote open dialogue and discussion.

Comments such as, “Morocco wants to bring 20 million tourists, but the majority of people are still not ready for this, since they are not able to come to terms with critics” and “Shelly is addressing a reality, she's not making this up. We need more of this, this is new way to fight this corrupt behaviors,” are neither right nor wrong- but they are comments that raise interesting and productive dialogue.

On the other hand, the majority of the comments attacking Segal’s physical appearance are appalling and shameful. Freedom of speech is a universal right, but with freedom of speech comes a personal responsibility to use words to engage in civil communication for societal growth.

People have a right to disagree with the song, but under no circumstance does posting hateful comments help to foster useful dialogue. The song should be viewed as a platform for discussion, which if used correctly, could provide the opportunity for different opinions to be heard and explored.

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The Moroccan National Debate Team: In it to Win it

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The Moroccan National Debate Team

Fez - On Sunday of last week, the Moroccan National Debate Team had their first competition of the season.

The consensus from the judges, debaters and observers? The team is in it to win it! In a four hour long debate tournament, six debaters (three from the “A” team and three from the “B” team) practiced the world school style of debate in a team-sponsored mini tournament. The mini-tournament served as an ice-breaker and an introduction between parents, students and coaches, brining together dedicated Moroccan debaters from Tangier, Marrakesh, Fez and Rabat.

The two resolutions debated—one about banning skin whitening cream in Africa, the other about the nature of absolute versus relative morality—brought out passionate, personal stories from the debaters. Mohamed Bousfiha, who was on the team supporting the banning of skin-whitening creams, mentioned that skin whitening isn’t just an issue for abstract debate: “this is an issue that affects my mother, my sisters, and my future daughters. No woman, no matter her skin color, should ever feel anything less than beautiful, and no woman should ever feel that she should change her skin color just to look more like oppressive white beauty standards.” Strong, eloquent words from such a young man!

The biggest surprise of the tournament was perhaps Rim Belkouadssi, the lone girl in a room full of boys. As the youngest, newest member of the team, (and the only team-member from a Moroccan, rather than from an American school) nobody knew quite what to expect from Rim. But she more than held her own, singlehandedly winning the second debate and racking up the highest speaker-score of the day.

If Sunday’s debate is any indication, the Moroccan National Debate team is a very strong contender in Thailand’s international tournament this coming August. If you would like to support this team and their efforts to bring home an international trophy, click this link  (Team Morocco) and contribute to their efforts!

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Three Moroccans to Represent Morocco in Microsoft’s “Imagine Cup” Semifinals

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Morocco- Red Silence

Taroudant, Morocco - Three Moroccan engineering students from “L’Ecole Marocaine des Sciences de l'Ingénieur” (EMSI) (the Moroccan School for Engineering Sciences) in Rabat have qualified to represent Morocco at the world semi-final of the Microsoft’s "Imagine Cup,” an international competition for innovative technology, which will be held on May 31 in Qatar.

Presenting a project called "Red Silence,” Yassine Mounir, Idrissi El Amrani, and Hicham Bouchikhi will represent Morocco in the semifinal competition of Microsoft’s "Imagine Cup.” The students outperformed their competitors at the national level, including students from both the public and private sectors of higher education, on April 20 in Casablanca.

The Moroccan team’s project, “Red Silence,” is a small robot that “helps individuals lacking motor functions and speech ability to communicate and express their feelings and what’s on their minds.”

The robot is equipped with “easy to use and fully customizable applications,” and is also "equipped with a rotating camera that the users can still control through the movement of their eyes."

Idrissi El Amrani, one of the three Moroccan semi-finalists, told MWN the story behind the success of their team.

"We are primarily three friends. We met each other during our first year at (EMSI), and we set a goal to participate in the Microsoft Imagine Cup, and win," El Amrani told MWN.

[caption id="attachment_131325" align="aligncenter" width="716"]red silence Moroccan semi-finalists "Red Silence". Yassine Mounir, Idris El Amrani and Hicham Bouchikhi. (from the left)[/caption]

“We dream of using our knowledge in the field of our interest to help improve the quality of human lives,” said the team.

Driven by humanitarian motives, the team tries, through their inventive project, to ease the life of people with motor disabilities.

"To do this, we offered them a grid control that adapts to any screen, which they can control with a single eye movement. For example, if they need water they just have to stare at the image of water on the screen and with a simple wink, they ask for water around them," Explained El Amrani.

In a press conference held on Friday, May 23 in Rabat by (EMSI) to celebrate its 5th year of participation in Microsoft’s"Imagine Cup,” the Deputy Director of EMSI Rabat, Hafid Griguer, said the project developed by the three students attracted the attention of the jury because of its “high-tech” implementation and the humanitarian and industrial benefits it necessarily implicates.

As part of the competition, the participants are required to devise innovative solutions to resolve some of the world's toughest challenges and to realize their dreams using Microsofts latest technology platforms.

Started in 2003, Microsoft’s Imagine Cup is the world's premier student technology competition, which brings students from all over the world to compete in different fields.

Edited by Elisabeth Myers

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A Coach Who Believes in Morocco

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Soufiane Choubani

Marrakech - This Saturday, Marrakech played host to the second Moroccan National Debate Team mini-tournament.

Six debaters faced off against one another, discussing both intervention in Syria and the benefits of renewable energy in Morocco. The lively debate, followed by an welcoming audience of parents, students and coaches, confirmed the strength of the Moroccan National Debate Team. But perhaps more than anything else, the competition highlighted the skills and dedication of the team's incredible coach, Soufiane Choubani.

Mr. Choubani moved back to Morocco after growing up in the United States (New Jersey, to be exact) because he wanted to "make a difference in the Moroccan educational system, and to change the lives of Moroccan youth." Dedicated to this task, he worked to promote debate in Moroccan universities and high school. For Mr. Choubani, debate is one of the best ways to make a difference for Moroccan youth because "debate develops leaders and individuals gain life-long skills. This is remarkable-it changes lives for the better!"

Soufiane discovered the potential of Moroccan debaters after teaching a Spoken English class at Université Internationale de Casablanca (UIC). He saw that his students, all of whom were learning English as a second language, were incredibly knowledgeable in history, foreign affairs, and politics, and he "immediately thought of forming a team." He spent the next year teaching debate at the university as a part of his coursework, and later urged his teams to enter numerous national and international competitions. When Moroccan debaters began bringing home trophies at these prestigious competitions, Soufiane began to dream big: What if Morocco could take home an international trophy from the biggest debate competition in the world?

The job of preparing Moroccan high school students to become international-level champions is not easy. This is almost a full-time job for Mr. Choubani, on top of the two other jobs that he works as an ESL teacher and an anti-doping agent. Soufiane trains the national team debaters weekly in different debate and speech techniques, arranges debate competitions on the weekend, coordinates travel with parents and schools, and monitors the students themselves to makes sure they are holding up under the pressure of national scrutiny. When asked to comment for this article, Mr. Choubani told MWN that: "the most important job that I think I have is to make sure they are mentally prepared to handle an international competition in a foreign country and to represent our nation with pride. It is my duty to show the world debating community that Morocco is a new contender that’s here to stay. Many will be surprised, many will be shock, but all will respect and never forget the day they debated the Moroccan National Debate Team." But Mr. Choubani also cautioned that getting to the international competition in Thailand is not a sure thing. Although Soufiane believes that the chance of taking home a trophy are very high--in fact, he says this is one of the best debate teams on the continent--the team is lacking an essential element: team sponsors. According to Mr. Choubani, the team is amazing, but dimply can't come up with the money by itself to make Thailand happen. But if Thailand does happen, Choubani assures us that the Moroccan team "will be the surprise of the tournament, and will bring pride to our nation on a global level."

There you have it, Morocco--"a sponsor would make this dream a reality." Let's support the Moroccan National Debate Team (http://teammorocco.org/)--with their dedicated coach, excellent debaters and all of this country behind them, a trophy is bound to come home with them!

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Morocco keeps welcoming the ‘influenza’ of cigarettes

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Smoking in Morocco

Tangier - It is crystal clear that cigarettes are spreading horrendously among different age groups and, unhappily, no real efforts have been made so far by the government to put an end to its proliferation.

Morocco was always one of the first countries to participate with World Health Organization (WHO) in conferences against smoking and reducing its negative effects on public health. However, according to Maghreb Arab Press MAP, it has always been reluctant and still late to ratify the agreement of fighting tobacco.

Moroccan law on Smoking:

According to MAP, on February 3, 1996, the Moroccan law concerning the prohibition of smoking, general public announcements for it and for the prevention of tobacco use in public places, was officially put into practice. However, given the reality of the current situation, was this law seriously implemented or was it just for show?  Since there seems to be no real repercussions or sanctions for those who break it, is it only one of those regulations that exists strictly on paper.

Here is an extract from the second chapter on “Prevention of Smoking in Public Places and Tobacco Publicizing.”

Article 4: In accordance with this law, every place meant to be for public use is considered as public place including common institutions and administrations. Thus, smoking is prohibited in the public places cited as follows:

   • Administration offices for common use, meeting halls in public and private administrations.

   • Hospitals, health centers, convalescent centers and preventive healthcare centers and all their kinds.

   • Public transportation, except in the parts dedicated for smokers.

   • Theaters, cinemas, public party places.

   • Lecture and seminar halls and classrooms in educational institutions, whether public or private.

As can be seen in the above Article, taken from Title N15.91 of the Moroccan Law, it is obviously prohibited to smoke in most public places. However, most Moroccans refuse to abide by this law.

Public health is deteriorating, while the government has been lenient in enforcing this law. By failing to enforce the law as written, the government is failing to do its duty and protect its citizens.

[caption id="attachment_131810" align="aligncenter" width="960"]People smoking in Mohammed V Airport near a sign that says 'NO SMOKING' People smoking in Mohammed V Airport near a sign that says 'NO SMOKING'[/caption]

Running statistics and crawling initiatives:

According to the same source, the Ministry of Health once launched a campaign entitled, “let’s work together to prevent publicizing and promoting tobacco products” as a response to the WHO request to encourage countries to implement the principals agreed upon in the convention.

The Moroccan national campaign for informing the public of the dangers of smoking, launched by Lalla Salma Foundation for Cancer Treatment and Prevention, has been enthusiastically received by health centers and many healthcare providers.

The Lalla Salma Foundation for Cancer Treatment and Prevention states that smoking in Morocco has been increasingly spreading. Their numbers indicate that upwards of 18% of Moroccans, 15 years old and older, smoke. On a daily basis, nearly half of the Moroccan population is indirectly exposed to smoking, whether through their family members, friends or their environment.

Recent statistics from the same source state that the percentage of the population exposed to cigarette smoke in the professional arena is approximately 17%, 32% in family and home environments and 60% in public areas.

According to Lalla Salma Foundation, until now, there have been no statistics concerning the number of deaths associated with smoking in Morocco. However, 90% of lung cancer cases are, as a matter of fact, caused by smoking.

It has been announced, on the World Cancer Day, on Medi1TV, that more than thirty thousand cancer cases, recorded annually in Morocco, are mainly caused by smoking. This staggering number is what makes Morocco ranked number one in the Mediterranean region as the largest tobacco consuming country.

On November 2013, an article in news outlet Annahar stated that approximately 16 billion cigarettes are consumed per year. Unfortunately, the article continues to state that, on average, 16 cigarettes are smoked by males and 8 by females per day. These monumental numbers finally rank Morocco as first in something… the biggest tobacco consumer in the Mediterranean region!

E-cigarettes: changing addiction with another:

Recently, a wave of E-cigarette (ENDS) publicity has been invading many of the Moroccan main streets. These ads portray a woman’s body, which apparently looks healthy, catching a cigarette that draws a big proud smile on her face, the announcement hints that e-cigarettes are the best alternative.

The WHO seems to totally disagree with the ad, clearly stating, “E-cigarettes or ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery systems) are devices whose function is to vaporize and deliver to the lungs of the user a chemical mixture typically composed of nicotine, propylene glycol and other chemicals, although some products claim to contain no nicotine.’’

And when asked if electronic cigarettes are safe or not, the answer is that, “it has not been scientifically demonstrated,” adding that if some types of ENDS do not contain nicotine, they are found to be composed of “other toxic chemicals.”

As to question of whether ENDS is an effective means by which to quit smoking, the answer is, “the efficacy of ENDS for helping people to quit smoking has not been scientifically demonstrated.”

The WHO concludes that “consumers should be strongly advised not to use any of these products, including electronic cigarettes.”

Painful memories with cigarettes

What is very problematic about cigarettes is that even those who do not have the least inclination to smoke end up having some nicotine in their body. This introduction of nicotine into the body happens to everyone, whether a pregnant woman or a child, just walking on the main street or sitting in a café, careless smokers freely exhale nicotine from their lungs and everyone is included in their smoking.

It is very rare, if not impossible, to find someone who does not smoke and does not have a bad memory with cigarettes or cigarette smoke.

I remember when I was in secondary school, we had a chain smoking professor that was selfish enough to smoke inside our classroom! We, 14 year old students, would often cough out loud to indirectly hint to him that his choice was a bad one and it affected all of us! After all, he was the one that was supposed to be our example that smoking is not healthy for us. In response, he would just smile and slowly walk towards the door.

We thought that our little childish plan worked and that he would continue smoking outside. Unfortunately for us, and to our surprise, he just stood in front of the door and with his back to us and ignored whatever we did. Thus, we were forced to endure a half an hour of smoking. We had to sit quietly while the wind kept pushing all the nicotine and pollutants from his disgusting habit directly into our fresh and clean lungs.

Edited by Edited by Peter “Clay” Smith

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Moroccan student engineer invents gloves that translate sign language

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Salah GHAMIZI, Moroccan student engineer invents gloves that translate sign language

Taroudant, Morocco - A Moroccan student engineer at the “Ecole des Mines de Nancy” in France, invented “HandSpeaker,” a translation device for sign language, which is composed of a pair of gloves and a mobile application that translates the sign language into speech.

Salah Ghamizi, 21, along with a group of six student engineers, is developing an innovative project designed to encourage new communication tools for the deaf.

Using sensors positioned on the digital glove, HandSpeaker translates the signals into spoken words by sending signals to the smartphone, which analyzes the motion of the glove, and transcribes them into words and phrases by a voice box.

In a video presentation of the project, Salah Ghamizi said, “Hand-Speaker’s sensors can detect and locate precisely the position of fingers and joints.”

“The smartphone receives information and analyzes it, and then it determines phrases and word uttered by the interlocutor,” the Moroccan student added.

The main purpose of this project is to "reduce the unemployment rate of people with severe hearing loss by promoting their integration" said Tracy Rival, Communications Manager at Hand-speaker.

after winning the National Award of "entrepreneurial," "Startem" price and the Bank of France contest "Créactiv'Est", the project “Hand-speaker” has been selected among the 23 French finalists to participate in the "World Cup," organized by Enactus, scheduled to take place in October 2014 in Beijing, with the participation of38 countries

In the context of the Moroccan innovation in the field of technology, it is worth noting that three Moroccan engineering students from “L’Ecole Marocaine des Sciences de l’Ingénieur” (EMSI) (the Moroccan School for Engineering Sciences) in Rabat have represented Morocco at the world semi-final of Microsoft’s “Imagine Cup,” an international competition for innovative technology, with their groundbreaking project, “Redsilence.”

The Moroccan team’s project, “Red Silence,” is a small robot that “helps individuals lacking motor functions and speech ability to communicate and express their feelings and what’s on their minds.”

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