Casablanca to host MEPI Student Leaders Alumni Professional Development Conference

By by Abderrahim Boualy - Casablanca

The U.S. Department of State will hold the MEPI Student Leaders Alumni Professional Development Conference for the alumni of the 2013 program in Morocco. 

The conference will take place in Casablanca, Morocco from February 21-25, 2014.

The MEPI program stands for Middle East Partnership Initiative. Student leaders from the Middle East and North Africa will attend the conference to increase professional skills and enrich leadership development in addition to exploring issues, challenges and strategies related to community projects and civil society with experts from a wide variety fields.

Most importantly, the conference will be a great forum of exchanging, discussing, and exploring new ideas with future leaders.

Future leaders will meet to discuss their service projects together with professionals. It will be chance for them to showcase their projects during a poster gallery session.

Every year the US department of state organizes the reunion meeting for MEPI alumni’s in different countries. This year, Morocco will be the destination for the most active 2013 alumni to showcase their ideas and put their plans into action.

MEPI offers assistance, training, and support to groups and individuals striving to create positive change in their societies. Every year since 2002, MEPI program train students from Middle East and North Africa and offers grants for their projects.

February 21st will be the date when Middle East and North Africa future leaders are going to meet once again to share, discuss and talk about their leadership experiences after MEPI program. The development conference will be a chance for MEPI 2013 alumni to develop their thought, projects and leadership skills.

Ashraf Bin Saeed Aden, 21 years old from Yemen, said, “MEPI program changed my vision about different aspects of life. I’m glad that I’m applying what I have learned from various classes, seminars and site visits to organizations in the US”, Ashraf added.

Ashraf showed his excitement about the Casablanca MEPI reunion meeting saying, “I will meet with my second family and, as always, I’m expecting the best when we have the chance to be under the supervision of great coordinators and the US Department of State.”

Subsequently, MEPI alumni have entered the implementation phase of their service projects. Thus, the conference will try to make plans into the reality. The conference is a tool to inspire and motivate future leaders how to positively contribute in their communities by taking actions.

From the first week after MEPI adventure, future leaders started to count the days left to the reunion conference. In fact, they have been waiting for six months to meet each other again.

Mutasem halawani, 22 years old from East Jerusalem also Georgetown university 2013 MEPI alumni said, “I learned that I have an impact on my society, and I can do a lot for it. I’m sure it would be breath having a reunion meeting with my old friends.”

Karim Gabrial from Syria expressed that MEPI program was an opportunity to have a wider sense of responsibility and take significant roles in our community. “It was one of the most wonderful experiences in my life, knowing people from all over the Arab world were an honor for me,” Karim said.

Belkhatir Djamila from Remchi, Tlemcen, Algeria, 21 years old said, “I gained a lot from the MEPI program including confidence, communication skills and higher abilities for tolerance.

The experience was very overwhelming to the extent that at the end of it, I felt like a new person, changed for the good. It was truly unforgettable. My expectation would be to have as much skills as possible about how to manage a big community project and how to organize myself to do so.”

Edited by Allison Kreamer