Australian-Moroccan "Angel" Honoured by King Mohammed VI

Back in 2015, The View From Fez reported on the wonderful work of Melbourne based Moroccan, Fatima Baraka, who has been working to assist four year old Yahya El Jabaly who was born with a severely deformed face. Now Yahya is back home and yesterday, Fatima Baraka was in Tangier to be honoured by King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the sovereign’s accession to the Throne

Without the extraordinary commitment of Fatima Baraka and the team of surgeons at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, little Yahya faced a very uncertain future. Professor Tony Holmes. Holmes explains, "We don't know what causes the condition. It is sporadic, it is not genetic and most children do not survive the pregnancy. But some, like Yahya, arrive here."

Dr. Andrew Rochford and Yahya

For Fatima Baraka, this is just the beginning of a commitment to child victims of certain diseases and who do not have the means to be cared for. "Inspired by the difference we can make, I will continue to work hard and establish a charity that provides medical care to children in countries where adequate health care is not available," she said.

To find out more and to assist with Fatima's work at The Moroccan Children's Appeal, visit the Facebook Page.

More about Yahya's return home from Australia's Channel 7: ( You can skip the commercial!):
 https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/video/watch/31973991/yahya-returns-home/#page1

THE VIEW FROM FEZ CONGRATULATES FATIMA BARAKA FOR HER WONDERFUL WORK

SHARE THIS!

Moroccan Tourism Takes a Hit

Morocco's tourism industry is struggling. In the first five months of 2016 Morocco has welcomed just 3.48 million visitors, 1.4% less than the same period last year

According to the Tourism Observatory. The flow of international tourists fell by 4.5% in late May. This decline is across the main source markets for tourists to Morocco, including the UK (-7%), Germany (-7%), Italy (-6%) and France (-3 %). The one exception was The Netherlands, with Dutch tourists up 2%.

Overnight stays in tourist accommodation has decreased by 1.4% at the end of May, compared to the same period of 2015 (-5.5% for non-resident tourists and 8.4% for residents ).

Figures from the Tourism Observatory also show that the two tourist centres, Marrakech and Agadir, continue to provide the bulk of the country's tourism. They generated 60% of total overnight stays in the first five months of 2016, even though the nights were flat in Marrakech and were down 2% in Agadir.

The other destinations showed mixed results, with a 20% drop in Fez, a 3% decrease in Rabat and an increase of 6% each for the cities of Casablanca and Tangier.

The drop of numbers coming to Fez is particularly worrying with Riad owners struggling to maintain staff levels in near empty riads.

The occupancy rate, across Morocco reached 38% at end May 2016, down three points from the end of May 2015.

Revenue generated by nonresident tourists amounted to 21.5 billion dirhams, against 20.2 billion a year earlier.

Despite the downturn, Ryanair has increased to 55 routes for the winter season 2016-2017. This includes flights already operating to Agadir, Fez, Marrakech, Nador, Oujda, Rabat and Tangier.

New routes include; an Agadir London-Stansted flight and between Toulouse and Fez effective from November 1. Ryanair also plans flights between Marrakech and Tangier, from Liverpool and Frankfurt-Hahnn from October 31.

Marrakech tourism is flat

With its fifty flights to Morocco, the Irish company aims to carry 2.7 million passengers per year.

The World Tourism Organisation has just published a report that shows the ranking of countries in the Arab world and the Mediterranean.

Morocco is ranked first among Arab countries with 10.8 million tourists, followed by Egypt with 9,620,000 and Tunisia with 6.06 million visitors. In this ranking, Algeria and Lebanon occupy the last places respectively with 2.3 million and 1.35 million.

The same report indicates that before the war Syria had registered 8.5 million visitors.

Given the situation in Turkey, Morocco is expected to benefit as tourists avoid Istanbul and Ankara due to the unrest and potential for more turmoil.

SHARE THIS!

Amazigh Language - a Three Step Introduction

While the parliamentary session almost coming to an end, the General Secretariat of the Government has finally released the draft law to empower the Amazigh language. The head of government and all ministers have received a copy

An Amazigh child writes in Tifinagh, the script of Tamazight

This project adopts the principle of progressive implementation of the Amazigh language as an official language of the kingdom. The plan includes three major steps.

A first step over five years will be devoted to the gradual introduction of the language at all levels of basic education, as well as being included in the struggle against illiteracy. During this period, the speeches, the royal messages and official statements will be broadcast on Amazigh TV and radio.

A second 10-year period will be devoted to the generalisation of the Amazigh in colleges and high schools and will also see the introduction of courses at the tertiary level. In addition, an official journal is to be created by the parliament where the texts will be published in Arabic and Amazigh languages ​​and all official documents (identity card, driving license, passport etc.) will include data in Amazigh .

The third period, spanning 15 years, will see the widespread use of the Amazigh language in all public facilities and services, with all documents being written in both official languages.

The Amazigh languages and dialects have had a written tradition, on and off, for over 2,200 years, although the tradition has been frequently disrupted by invasions. They were first written in the Tifinagh alphabet, still used by the Tuareg. The oldest dated inscription is from about 200 BCE. Later, between about 1000 CE and 1500 CE, they were written in the Arabic script, and since the 20th century in the Amazigh (Berber) Latin alphabet, especially among the Kabyle and Riffian communities of Morocco and Algeria. The Berber Latin alphabet was also used by most European and Amazigh linguists during the 19th and 20th centuries.

A modernised form of the Tifinagh alphabet was made official in Morocco in 2003.

SHARE THIS!

Moroccan Museums Get an Upgrade

Yesterday, Friday, July 29th, the Museum of the Kasbah in Tangier was renamed The Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures and opened its doors to the public after several months of renovation at a cost of around 2.5 million dirhams. Part of the budget (1.3 million dirhams) was kindly donated by a French citizen, resident in Morocco

Now open: "The Kasbah of Mediterranean Cultures"

Mehdi Qotbi, president of the National Museums Foundation (FNM) explained, "We felt the urgency to raise the the various museums of Morocco to international museum standards. So we are not going to wait for state funds to start these projects".

The Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Culture in Tangier is the first in a series of thirteen projects to upgrade of all Moroccan museums. Two museums whose current renovation work began in 2016 should also open their doors by the end of the year.

The next museums to be upgraded is the Archaeological Museum of Rabat which will probably be renamed The Rbati Museum of History and Civilisations.

This will be followed by the Batha Museum in Fez, whose construction was begun in May. According to  Mehdi Qotbi, "The work in Fez includes the consolidation and restoration of the building as well as upgrading its electricity. The three magnificent carved rooms, dating back 300 years, will also be restored".

The Batha Museum in Fez

The Batha museum work has required a budget of around ten million dirhams. Work will also include the creation of reception areas and road signs. Like most others museums it will also be renamed The Batha Museum of Islamic Art.

"We want to strengthen the identity of museums so that they are complementary to each other," said Mehdi Qotbi, who believes that the name of each museum will now "be in line with where it is located and the collections that it presents to the public."

In 2017 the Safi Museum of Ceramics of Safi and The Dar El Bacha Museum in Marrakech should be open to the public.

SHARE THIS!

Has Morocco's VoIP Problem Ended?

... or is it just a temporary reprieve?
For the last two days VoIP calls, including WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype and Viber, have been working again in Morocco when connecting through a Wi-Fi network

Since the afternoon of 27 July, calls through IP (VoIP) using major mobile application are running again. Tel Quel magazine reported that it had tested the functionality of the different applications, repeatedly and say that it is now possible to make voice and video calls from Morocco via these services.

Since January 2016 the National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT) had born the brunt of the anger over blocking. It's move, which appears to have been financially motivated, caused  a backlash from Moroccans abroad and at home. Thankfully, a majority of Moroccans soon found technological ways to bypass the blocking and have been able to contact their families without problems.

The ANRT has not commented on  the new situation, their communication department only saying that "there is nothing new since January".  The major telephone companies also say they have not been notified of the changed situation. While this could be a face-saving retreat without fanfare, there is certainly no assurance that the return to normal will continue.

While the free calls work well with a WiFi connection, when the connection is via cellular data networks (3G and 4G), calls still do not work.

This return to normal communications, while possibly only partial, came a day after the publication by the ANRT of the latest figures for the consumption of telecommunications in Morocco. "At the end of Q2 of 2016, the price of mobile communications declined by an annual rate of 23%. At the same time the average bill per Internet customer increased by 4%".   The title of the release was "Mobile Internet stimulates the growth of Internet subscribers".

SHARE THIS!

Three Days of Sufi Events Near Fes

The 28th, 29th and 30th of July are the dates for the first Hamadcha Festival in Sidi Ali ben Hamdouch. The festival is being directed by Abdedrrahim Amrani

According to the director there will also be performances by groups from around the country. For more information, please contact Abderrahim

Abderrahim Amrani

The View From Fez is proud to support this event as a sponsor

SHARE THIS!

Extraordinary Security at Mohammed V Airport Upsets Travellers

Both local travellers and tourists are united in condemning the security measure that has caused visitors arriving to welcome friends, family or tourists, being forced to wait outside the terminal building in the extreme summer heat

The situation has been described by The Economist as "a mess" and describes the situation as "harsh". Tourist operators are more blunt, saying that treating people like sheep is embarrassing and does not give arriving visitors a feeling of being welcomed by the usual Moroccan hospitality. Similar conditions are replicated at other airports such as Fez.

The reason for this herding outside of the public is not a response to the summer influx, but rather a rather ham-fisted security measure. As The Economist points out... "It remains an open question as to its effectiveness: the crowds (and soliciting clients by taxi drivers) is now avoided inside but eventually ends up at ... outside! Which slows the flow of travellers and gives rise to messy scenes".

On the other hand the increased security inside the terminal appears to be working well.

Meanwhile, the number of passengers at Mohammed V airport in Casablanca has grown by 4.47% in May compared to the same period last year. The figures were released by ONDA, the national airport office.

The figures show that 707,790 travellers used the airport in May compared to 677,514 the same period a year earlier.

Passengers on board flights to or from Europe decreased by 1.56%, whereas travellers to or from Latin America and Asia registered a considerable rebound of 47.56% and 16.35% respectively. The number of domestic passengers rose by 9.56%.

In terms of the number of travellers by country, France tops the list with 150.310 passengers, followed by Italy (51, 327), Spain (36,502) and Turkey (26,497).

SHARE THIS!

Fes Festival of World Sacred Music 2017

The dates have been announced for the 23rd edition of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music. It will take place between May 12th and 20th

Now that the dates are known it is important to book accomodation as soon as possible as it can be in short supply.

In 2017 The View From Fez will once again be an official Media Partner and bring you the most extensive previews and reviews. You can have a look back at the 2016 Festival HERE

SHARE THIS!

Talent Show in Fez

The American Language Center in Fez is holding a special event on Sunday, July 24th, to collect books for children in two centres in Fez.  They need books in English, French and Arabic

You can help by coming along to the ALC Fes Talent show - price of admission is a book!

The Amazing Talent Show and Book Drive will take place at 6 PM in the garden of the ALIF Villa Residence, 28 Rue Mohammed Diouri, across from the ALC.

Your book contribution will assist  in building libraries for the Girls' Centre in Ziat and the Boys' Centre in Batha.


SHARE THIS!

Will Barack Obama Visit Fez?

The Moroccan rumour mill is working overtime with whispers that the American President may soon visit Morocco. This follows on from Michelle Obama's recent trip to Marrakech

 King Mohammed VI, Nov. 22, 2013, in the Oval Office of the White House

The rumours about Barack Obama visiting Morocco started in Rabat when it was suggested that several "American tourists" staying at the Sofitel were not quite like most visitors.

According to the newspaper, Akhir Saâ, these "tourists" are in fact members of a special US security unit that prepare the ground work for visits by top members of the US administration.

It is understood that the officers conducted inspection tours in Rabat and Fes.

This has led to speculation that the President will make a flying visit. One thing is for certain, if Barack Obama visits Fez he will certainly get a very warm welcome. The View From Fez will certainly have some fresh mint ready to make the President a glass of tea!

Michelle Obama's trip resulted in substantial funding of education for young girls.

Michelle Obama and Princess Lalla Salma in Marrakech

The “Let Girls Learn” initiative, launched in March 2015 by President Barack Obama and the first lady, is to be extended to Morocco, the White House announced Tuesday. The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. government foreign aid agency working in partnership with the Moroccan government, is investing nearly $100 million to transform secondary education in the country. USAID is also giving $400,000 to create five new girls’ dormitories to improve educational opportunities for girls from rural areas.

“The investment in an education now will reap benefits in years to come and that is what my family knew instinctively,” the first lady said. “My parents didn’t go to university. We didn’t have a lot of money. But one of the things … was that my parents understood the value of an education. And they fought for me, they sacrificed, they saved.”

SHARE THIS!

Morocco Bans Importing Italian Waste After Uproar

The public uproar over the arrival in Morocco of 2,500 tons of waste has forced the Moroccan government to finally end the controversy surrounding waste - a stunning win for Morocco's environment movement

Mustapha El Khalfi - "Morocco will ban waste imports"

Following a cabinet meeting the Communications Minister Mustapha Khalfi announced that Morocco had decided to ban the import of waste from Italy.

Silvia Velo, Italy's Under the Secretary for the Environment, had claimed that the 2,500 tons of waste shipped June 17 to Morocco was not dangerous. She said in essence that it was the debris of plastic, cardboard and wood in particular. However, the newspaper Le Monde and the Italian Health Institute both confirm the high toxicity of waste imported from Italy. Earlier, Moroccan officials  had claimed that the Italian waste is safe.

 The Italian Parliament has just received a report from the Institute of Hygiene confirming the danger of such waste on humans and on the environment. The same report indicates that the burning or burial of such wastes cause chronic diseases especially in infants and children. The report points out that such waste can cause cancer and burial causes the poisoning of groundwater.

The Moroccan authorities decided on a second analysis of waste. If the analysis shows non-compliance of with current standards, incineration permits will not be issued by the Ministry, and "the waste will be returned to the country of origin at the expense of cement factories who intended to burn the waste," said environment Minister Hakima El Haite.

There have been loud calls for the resignation of the Environment Minister. On a possible resignation or dismissal of the Minister of the Environment Hakima Elhaité El Khalfi simply replied: "This issue was not raised at the Council of the Government."

SHARE THIS!

At Least 4 Moroccans Died in Attack in Nice

(UPDATED)

Moroccan consular sources are reporting that at least four Moroccans were killed in the Thursday evening attack in Nice

This provisional assessment is yet to be confirmed by the French authorities. However, the indications are that the Moroccan victims included a 13-year-old girl, and two women, one aged 43, the other 49 and a man aged 50. All of the victims were resident in France

Another Moroccan child is said to have been seriously wounded in the attack.

An information service has been put in place at the Consulate General of Morocco in Marseille to gather information on possible victims in Nice, This monitoring mechanism is also in constant contact with the Embassy of Morocco in France.

Meanwhile, many Moroccans are preferring to stay in Morocco with large numbers crowding the beaches as the hot weather and post-Ramadan holidays are enjoyed across the Kingdom.

Moroccan's are choosing the safety of their own beaches for their holidays

SHARE THIS!

The Hammams of Fez - Free Lecture

ALIF Lecture Series Presents The Hammams of Fez Their History and Architecture A lecture by Kamal Raftani 

Morocco is one of the countries with the greatest number of traditional living hammams. Despite this fact, this key civic building type remains poorly studied by researchers and professionals.

This lecture presents the Moroccan hammam and sheds some light on the formation and evolution of this traditional urban space. It focuses on the hammams of the world heritage city of Fez and presents an analysis of the architecture of this building type and its relationship with its urban environment. It investigates the historic context of the hammam, its origin, and the different influences that have contributed in shaping its architectural identity. It also assesses its current state and discusses its elements of sustainability.

Wednesday, July 13th at 6:15 PM ALIF Annex - Open to the public


SHARE THIS!

Beware Fake Hotel Reviews

Fake reviews are nothing new and happen in almost every country. The problem is just as bad in Morocco where Booking.com and Trip Advisor are well known for glowing reviews posted by staff and family members and damming reviews from competitors. Several riads in Fez are known for their extravagant fake reviews - sadly few get named publicly

Australian visitor Tania Wittensleger from Melbourne recently received an email thanking her for a review that she hadn't written.

Tania Wittensleger

According to a report carried by the online Daily Mail Tania Wittensleger used Booking.com to book the Palais El Yazid hotel in Fes, Morocco, for a three-night stay with her partner.

The pair ended up checking out early and on returning to Melbourne Ms Wittensleger was shocked to receive an email thanking her for her positive review of the hotel on the Booking.com website.

The fake review

She said she selected the Palais El Yazid hotel in part because of other favourable reviews, which read: 'All in all a very good hotel. Lovely staff ... that is keen on fulfilling even special requests.'

In her real review, Ms Wittensleger said her trip was blighted by the discovery of bed bugs.

Booking.com only lets verified guests log in and leave reviews, but Ms Wittensleger remembered that a manager at the hotel had photographed her confirmation email. She later realised that her PIN and booking reference contained in the email were used to log in to her booking on the site and post a review.

The genuine review

On Facebook, Ms Wittensleger told friends she was 'absolutely disgusted' this had happened.
She wrote: 'The [review] was clearly not written by me and when I went back and read other reviews which helped me in my own selection, I realised that they sounded a lot like my forged review.'

Moroccan news site Yabiladi  reports that employees of a number of Moroccan hotels have hacked the email addresses of foreign customers to post positive reviews.

The security flaw in the Booking.com system which allows imposters to change or cancel a hotel booking, or even leave a fake review was first identified by MoneySavingExpert.com.

She now knows the PIN number and booking reference contained in that email were used to log in to her booking on the site and write a review after she'd checked out.

A spokesperson for Booking.com said: "The manager at the accommodation did indeed break the rules by photographing Ms Wittensleger’s booking confirmation and subsequently using the information collected (including the reservation ID and PIN code) to fraudulently leave a review on her behalf. We contacted the hotel in Morocco and received a response from the owner. He said he had been out of the country for several months, blamed the issues on those managing the hotel in his absence and said he had now cancelled the "management contract". He added: “I assure you it will never happen again.”

The PIN should be confidential

Booking.com says "Your PIN code is the 4-digit number on your booking confirmation, which in combination with your booking number, allows you to log in to 'MyBooking.com'. On ‘MyBooking.com’ you can view, change or cancel your booking. Please keep your PIN code confidential."

When asked about the issue of the PIN code Booking.com responded, "Customers do not need to show their actual booking confirmation when they check in at a property, as the property should always have the name for the reservation on file."

ABTA, the UK’s largest travel association, says: “Members of the public have become increasingly reliant on customer reviews when choosing their holiday arrangements and it is incredibly important that they should be able to trust these reviews. The ABTA would expect that travel companies should have adequate procedures in place to prevent false posts and take immediate action when they have evidence that abuse is taking place. Inaccurate, false reviews don’t just mislead the public - they also drive business away from legitimate, honest businesses.”

Another way to spot a fake review is to check out the style of language used - or misused! The unusually extravagant praise of a hotel's staff is often a giveaway. In the recent case in Fez, one review raved that "breakfast was delicious" and had been served by one staff member who was "phlegmatic and sympathetic" and another who was an "easygoing and trustworthy polyglot".

Another enthused about a staff member who was "beyond helpful. He is witty, funny, wants to make sure you have a great time and has a very good heart (...) we truly found another brother from a different mother." All phrases that are not in common use.

SHARE THIS!

Royal Air Morocco to Compete With Dakar Flights

Back on July 6th, The View From Fez ran the story of Air Arabia's plans to base aircraft in Fez and run new flights to various European cities. Also in the story was an indication that Air Arabia was planning to run a service between Dakar and Fez (See story here).  Now comes the news that Royal Air Morocco (RAM) could go into competition with Air Arabia and, in the words of Jalal Imani, the representative in Senegal of the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT), "ultimately RAM could offer twice weekly direct flights between Dakar and Fez"

"From Senegal to Morocco, RAM offers three flights a day. And now RAM can add two flights per week directly into Fez," Jalal Imani said in an interview with the Senegalese daily L'Observateur. 

"RAM has to create a specific tariff adapted to the needs of Senegalese, whose purchasing power is lower than that of a European," said Jalal Imani. "The price must fall and turn around 200,000 CFA francs and is fixed throughout the year for agencies that wish to set up tourist packages to Morocco".

Senegal tops the list of African countries sending tourists to Morocco with Moroccan authorities wanting to double the present numbers. The main reason for the inflow of Senegalese is religious tourism.

Cheikh Ahmet Tijani's tomb in Fez

Last February, Abderrafia Zouitene, the Director General of the Moroccan National Tourist Office announced that a direct air route between Dakar and Fez would soon be open to intensify the flow of the religious tourism between the two countries. "We work with our Senegalese brothers on the opening of a direct line between Dakar and Fez, with very affordable prices and that will allow to increase the flow of this cult tourism," he said, speaking at the signing in the Senegalese capital of a memorandum of understanding with the families of the Tariqa Tijaniya (Tijani Brotherhood) in Senegal.

Abderrafia Zouitene said his organisation wanted "an affordable price level of flight and stay and this is also the wish of representatives of major Tijani religious families who have asked for attractive prices on the Fez destination".

Sīdī 'Aḥmad al-Tijānī (1737–1815), who was born in Aïn Madhi, (present-day Algeria) and died in Fez, founded the Tijānī order in the 1780s. Each year thousands of Senegalese pilgrims visit Fez and the mausoleum of the Brotherhood's founder Cheikh Ahmad Tijani.

SHARE THIS!

Reminder! Daylight Saving Returns Sunday July 10th

Tomorrow Sunday - 10 Jul 2016 - Daylight Saving Time returns. When the local standard time is about to reach 2:00:00 am, clocks should be turned forward 1 hour to 3:00:00 am

Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour later on 10 Jul 2016 than the day before. There will be more light in the evening.

Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, 30 October 2016.

SHARE THIS!

Mohammed VI Opens Rabat Bypass

On Thursday, His Majesty King Mohammed VI opened the 3.2 billion dirham Rabat motorway bypass and the longest cable-stayed bridge in Africa. The bridge has been named "The Mohammed VI Bridge"

Construction works were launched by the King in February 2011 as part of Mohammed V1's major structural projects policy after his accession to the throne.

This section of the highway has been a traffic bottleneck for years causing major disruptions and slow travelling times because it was the confluence of the major highways serving the South, Central, North and East of the country.

The project will not only relieve traffic on the existing ring road of the city of Rabat, but cut down the high numbers of heavy goods traffic, significantly reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. It is expected that the bypass will carry some 20,000 vehicles each day with economic benefits for the major centres of the Rabat and Salé with time savings and lower route and transport costs.

In a press statement, the Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Logistics, Aziz Rabbah, stressed that the bypass highway "will reduce transit times between regions, contributing to strengthening road safety".

This new road infrastructure originates in the existing motorway from Casablanca-Rabat north of Skhirat. It bypasses the towns of Mers El Kheir, Tamesna El Menzeh to Technopolis in Sala Al Jadida, where it ends by plugging into the beginning of the highway Salé-Kenitra.

On the terms of accessibility and connectivity, Rabat motorway bypass includes several improvements: a junction with Highway Casablanca-Rabat, an interchange to serve the new city of Tamesna, an interchange at the Common menzeh overlooking the boulevard Mohammed VI (Rabat), an interchange at Sala Al Jadida and another at Technopolis.

The bridge over the Oued Bouregreg is an exceptional structure, and at 950 metres, is the longest cable-stayed bridge Africa. Its two towers are 200 meters high and there is a wide apron of over 30 meters. This contemporary bridge, which provides several advantages in terms of aesthetics, safety, technical and environmental prowess, is distinguished by its architecture inspired by the Arab-Muslim civilisation. The two towers symbolise the new doors to the cities of Rabat and Salé.

The construction of the Rabat motorway bypass required a multitude of structures, including 16 underpasses, 14 overpasses, 7 vehicle passages and two pedestrian crossings.

SHARE THIS!

International Festival of Amazigh Culture - Final Programme

International FESTIVAL OF Amazigh CULTURE

12th Edition

Fez, From 15th to 17th July 2016   

(Click image to enlarge)

    

                    

The Programme  of the  Forum and Festival

Friday, July 15th

17: 00: Registration

17: 30 : Opening of the Forum and Festival

10: 00: Tribute to the honorable researchers Dr. Bahija Simou (Director of the Royal Archives, and  Professor Jilali Saib (Mohamed V University at Rabat)

18: 30: Keynote Speech: “Multiculturalism, Multilingualism and Democracy in Morocco”

Abdallah Saaf (Ex-Minister of National Education)

                                                

18: 50: Reception and Expositions Tour

                                         

Musical evening                                                                         

    21 :30 – 23:30  Place Bab Makina

-  BAHARI BARCELONA (Spain)

- CHERIFA KERSIT  (Morocco)

- NAS ELGHIWANE (Morocco)

Saturday, July 16th

Morning

9:00 – 12:00

Room 2

Parallel Session: WRITING WORKSHOP

Led by Jean-Marie Simon (Stories Igniter and writer, France)

9: 00 - 9: 30

Room 1

Keynote Speech: “The Art of Co-existence: Motivation and Obstacles”

              Ahmed Assid (President of the Amazigh Observatory for Human Rights and Liberties, Rabat)

9:30 – 10:50

First session: Amazigh, Mediterranean Civilization and Living Together

Moderator: Fatima Sadiqi

Speakers:

-Zaki Abu Al-Halawa (Journalist Alqods, Palestine)

-Alberto Tonini (University of Florence)

-Dadoua Hadriya-Nebia (teacher-researcher, CRASC, Oran, Algeria)

-Moha Ennaji (International Institute of Languages and Cultures, Fez)

10: 50 - 11: 20 Debate

11:20 – 11:50

Keynote Speech: Diversity and Conflict in the Mediterranean Region

                  Barbara & Saad Eddin Ibrahim (American University in Cairo, Egypt)

Moderator: Moha Ennaji

11:50 - 12:05 coffee break

Room 1

12:05 – 13:05

 Second session: Multiculturalism, Multilingualism and Education

Moderator: El Houssain Elmoujahid

Speakers:

-Meryam Demnati (Amazigh Observatory for Human Rights and Freedoms, Rabat)

-Keith Martin (Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Morocco in the United States)

-Issa Aït Belize (Moroccan-Belgian Writer, Brussels)

13:05 - 13: 35 Debate

13:35 - 14:00 Tribute to three emblematic media figures in the Fès-Meknès Region:

Mohamed Bouhlal, Kaddour Fettoumi and Mustapha Zahiri

15:30 - 16:50

Room 1

Third session: Literature, Migration and Artistic Creation

Moderator: Ahmed Assid

Speakers:

-Alfonso de Toro (University of Leipzig, Germany)

-Juliane Tauchnitz (University of Leipzig, Germany)

-Mohamed Nedali (Moroccan Writer)

-Enza Palamara (Professor at the University of Paris, France)

16:50 – 17:20 Debate

17:20 – 17:35 Coffee break

17:35 – 19:35

Room 2

Parallel Session: Painting Workshop

Led by Khadija Madani Alaoui (University of Fez)

Room 1

Fourth Session: Amazigh, Islam, and Living Together

Moderator: Alfonso de Toro

Speakers:

-Anna Maria Di Tolla (Oriental University in Naples, Italy)

-Abdelkader Ben Hammadi (University of Oran II, Algeria)

-Maati kabbal (Arab World Institute, Paris)

18:35 - 19: 05 Debate

19: 05 - 20: 15 Film projection: Ornaments of  The Art and The Sacred

Led by: Jean-Claude Cintas (France)

Musical evening

21 :30 – 23:30 : Place Bab Makina

-GROUPE AHIDOUS FEU MOHA OULHOUSSAIN ACHIBAN

-NAJAT RAJOUI  (Morocco)

- BADR SULTAN (Morocco)

Sunday, July 17th

9:00 - 11:00

Room 2

Parallel Session: TALES WORKSHOP

Led by Khadija Hassala (Professor at the University of Fez)

Room 1

9:00- 10:00

Fifth session: Fight against Violence and Conflict Resolution

Moderator: Keith Martin

Speakers:

-Mohamed Taifi (University of Virginia, USA)

-Giovanna Gianturco (Università La Sapienza di Roma, Italy)

-Fatima Sadiqi (International Institute for Languages and Cultures, Fez)

10: 00 - 10:30 Debate

10: 30 - 11:00

Keynote Speech: The Impact of the Syrian Revolution on the Mediterranean Region

Sherifa Zuhur (University of California at Berkley, USA)

Moderator: Saad Eddin Ibrahim

11:00 – 11:15 Coffee break

11:15 – 12:35

Sixth Session: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the Maghreb
                                                               Moderator: Moha Souag

Speakers:

-Bououd Ahmed (University Hassan, Casablanca)

-Belkacem Boumedini (University of Mustapha STAMBOULI. Mascara, Algeria)

-Khadija Arfaoui (Academic, Tunisia)

-Jean-Marie Simon (stories Igniter and writer, France)

12:35 - 13: 05 Debate

13:05 – 13:35 Reading Poetry: Poets: Saida Khiari, Moha Ziadi, Saida El Kabir, Bassou Oujebbour

                                                  Moderator: Mohamed Moubtassime

13:35 Recommendations and Closing

17:00 - 20: 00 Guided Tour of the Medina (optional)

Musical evening

21:30 – 23:30: Place Bab Makina

   - LA PARANZA DEL GECO (Italy)

 -SALH ELBACHA (Morocco)

-NOUAMANE LAHLOU (Morocco)

Organizers:  Fès-Saiss Association, South North Center, and  Spirit of Fès Foundation