While uncertaintly & upheaval slows traffic elsewhere in the region, Marrakech and other attractions continue to make Morocco a leading international destination and generate remarkably resilient tourism growth, more than doubling international arrivals in the past decade. MEConfidential

Middle East Confidential, by Peter Mulvany (Washington, DC, July 12, 2013) — The world financial crisis has hardly hit the tourism sector in many countries and the turmoil triggered by the Arab Spring has dealt a serious blow to the sector in states that heavily depend on its returns like Egypt and Tunisia.

However, in this gloomy atmosphere, Morocco has remained a leading international destination in the region and continued scoring a remarkable tourism growth, as it did over the last decade, a period during which international tourist arrivals in the country more than doubled.

The latest available figures covering the first five months of the current year translate this expansion compared to the same period in 2012. As an instance, foreign tourist arrivals grew by 9% and overnight stays in hotels increased by 16% last May compared to the same month in 2012, resulting in a 17% increase in tourism receipts. The overall foreign tourist activity during the first five months of 2013 earned the country 21.2 billion Dirhams, i.e an increase of over 3% compared to the January-May period in 2012.

Morocco’s tourism expansion was supported by its open skies policy, the diversification of its tourism product and its offensive action in emerging markets parallel to its continuous strong presence in traditional markets. All these efforts are being made part of the Tourism Vision 2020, spurred by King Mohammed VI.

Under the Vision 2020, Morocco seeks to become a model of sustainability in the Mediterranean area, to attract 20 million visitors a year and to be thus in the top twenty tourism destinations in the world.

According to the 2010 world ranking, Morocco was holding the 25th rank. In 2012, almost 10 million international tourists visited Morocco, earning the country some $6.7 bn in revenues.

Morocco which also aims to double the industry’s size by 2020 by building new hotels and tourism resorts that will provide 200,000 new beds is keen on promoting the sector which is a powerful engine for economic growth and job generating focusing on decentralization (promotion of eight new tourism locations), on sustainable tourism and also on strengthening the quality of accommodation and thus consolidating the competitiveness of Morocco as a tourism destination.

While political upheavals in some countries of the Middle East have turned away tourists, Morocco actually remains an attractive country for many. As put recently by the president of the French Tour Operators’ Professional Association, René-Marc Chikli, Morocco remains the French’s “preferred destination” as evidenced by the large numbers having spent their winter holidays in the North African country. He confirmed that the French holiday makers are scheduling their trips to Morocco without the slightest hesitation in view of the political stability prevailing in the country, the warmth of its people and the variety of its tourism products offering exotic beauty, natural biodiversity, ancient history, rich civilization and diversified culture.

The Morocco destination offers “a solid value” in a difficult juncture, he insisted adding that “Morocco is the only resilient destination that was able to withstand the effects of the crisis.”

Photos shows Rabat beach crowded July 7, 2013 – much less so July 12, 2013 after Muslim fasting month of Ramadan began in Morocco. Huffington Post, Photo: Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty

The Huffington Post | By Yasmine Hafiz (Rabat, Morocco, July 13, 2013) — What happened to this beach in Rabat, Morocco, between July 7 and July 10?

It’s Ramadan. Going to the beach isn’t the wisest idea when you’re not allowed to eat or drink between the hours of sunrise and sunset.

From playing sports to opening businesses, young Moroccans find ways to pass time in holy month.  AFP/Fadel Senna

Magharebia, by Siham Ali (Rabat, Morocco, July 15, 2013) – While many Moroccan youths focus on spiritual development during Ramadan, others use the occasion to have fun or take the opportunity to boost their income.

It is a month like no other, with its own special atmosphere and business patterns. To pass the time during this holiday period, some young people play sports and seek ways to have fun during the day and night.

That’s what 21-year-old student Hamza Chenaoui does. “It’s an ideal opportunity to play team sports and forge closer ties with friends and neighbours. We also play chess, cards… And we try to help each other out,” he said.

Other people prefer to focus on the spiritual aspects of the month by going to mosques and attending religious classes. Hatim Cherif, who is 24, has taken time off so that he can “strengthen his faith”. He sees Ramadan as an opportunity to revitalise his soul and find serenity and inner peace.

“This also encourages people to be kind to the less well-off. They become more inclined to help each other out. It’s a spirit that ought to continue after the end of the month,” he said.

He was critical of people who only change their behaviour during Ramadan, saying “some young people transform themselves completely. They undergo a total personality change, but for one month only. I find this attitude hypocritical.”

But sociologist Samira Kassimi said the change in behaviour should be seen in a positive light.

“Many Moroccans become more altruistic than usual. For some people, it’s an opportunity to stop smoking and drinking,” she pointed out. “Of course, we must think about how these positive behaviour changes can be made to last beyond Ramadan. The media has an important role to play in raising awareness.”

Some young people have their sights set firmly on business during this month, which is an ideal time to sell things – especially food items due to the increase in consumption and change in people’s eating habits.

Rachid Taki, a 32-year-old trader, stops selling clothes – his main line of work during the rest of the year – and instead sells dates, which are consumed in large quantities during Ramadan.

“During Ramadan, I can earn three times what I normally make in a month. I would have hoped that this prosperity will last throughout the year,” he said.

That view was shared by Hiba Cherrati, a 20-year-old student. For the second year running, she has rented a small outlet in Temara so that she can sell cakes and biscuits, which she makes with the aid of her 18-year-old sister.

“We manage to make an amount that enables us to take a holiday and buy things for the start of the new school term. That makes things easier for our parents,” she said.

The change in consumer behaviour with increased spending on food during the holy month boosts the economy, according to economist Mehdi Ziani. “So casual business activities emerge, but they disappear as soon as the month ends,” he said.

Madalyn Becker (center, in Red Sox cap), 2011 grad of Franklin High School, is in Morocco on trip to strengthen American-Muslim relations through volunteer service. Milford Daily News

“Morocco is a beautiful country…I hope (this trip) will inspire people to make that extra effort to have a better understanding of the Muslim World and travel to new places and see the human side of things.”

–20-year-old Madalyn Becker, U. of Delaware junior of Franklin, MA,
is in Morocco on America’s Unofficial Ambassadors program

Milford Daily News, by Matt Tota/Daily News staff (Franklin, Massachusetts, July 14, 2013) — Two weeks ago, Madalyn Becker arrived in Morocco, a mountain-strewn country of 33 million on the northwest corner of Africa, with a lofty goal: soften opinions of American culture and return home with real stories from a Muslim nation.

Becker, a 20-year-old Franklin native whose longest venture out of the states was a week-long London getaway, accepted the mission completely cognizant of the simmering history of hostility between the U.S. and Muslim world.

The University of Delaware junior is on the trip as part of the America’s Unofficial Ambassadors initiative, a program that aims to better American-Muslim relations through volunteer service.

In Newark, Del., she majors in international studies with a focus on the Middle East. And it was during one of her classes that she heard AUA founder Ben Orbach expunge on the merits of his program.

Before that, though, Becker viewed these issues through a different lens. “In terms of my own experience I know that before I started my studies at (the University of Delaware), I knew relativity nothing about Islam or Muslim cultures,” she wrote in a lengthy response to emailed questions. “What I knew was mostly from the media, which largely focuses on negative connotations. I think that this is not uncommon among a lot of Americans.

“This is not to say people are actively seeking to only see the bad in other people, but it takes some conscious effort to have an educated and understanding perspective.”

College, as it often does for America’s youth, prompted her to rethink many of her prior misconceptions about Muslims. Still, beyond the lectures, she yearned for first-hand knowledge. “I think that even as a student who specializes in the area of international relations, there is often a gap between what we read and write and discuss in class and the reality of how people interact and view one another,” she wrote. “I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to sort of fill in those gaps and cultivate a stronger foundation for my studies.”

Stefan Cornibert, an AUA program coordinator, said there are seven other likeminded volunteers in Morocco, six in Indonesia and four in Zanzibar.

“What makes our program unique is it fits into the larger international relations issue between the U.S. and the Muslim world,” Corniber said. “Everybody can play a role in improving this sort of strained relationship that’s existed for a while.”

Becker teaches French at this school in a small herding village.

Back in Morocco, where Arabic is the main language, Becker has been teaching French to children in a remote herding village. When not leading language classes, she takes classes at Al Akhawayn University, located about 43 miles from the country’s third largest city, Fez.

“Morocco is a beautiful country, and I was immediately in love with the sharp contrast it holds to the industrialized and commercialized landscape I am used to,” she said of her home until Aug. 7.

During her first week in the country, Becker was concerned about the communication barrier she would face; she speaks only a little French and no Arabic.

“But I have found that my French has gotten me surprisingly far, and I have been able to use a little of the Dirija Arabic that I am learning here at the university,” she said.

One morning last week, Becker said she saw more cracks form in that wall. Her Arabic class at the university started lessons on the alphabet, which for her was “exciting and empowering.”

As a citizen ambassador, she said it has been most rewarding to represent American culture and “fight stereotypes on both sides.”

Now, Becker is eager to return to Franklin and teach some of her friends and family about Morocco and its people.

“I think a lot of them might be shocked to learn how much they have in common with the people of Morocco,” she said. “I hope that maybe it will inspire people to make that extra effort to have a better understanding of the Muslim World and to travel to new places and see the human side of things.”

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI greets Spain’s King Juan Carlos on his arrival in Rabat for a 4-day state visit. Global Post/EFE, Photo: AFP/Getty

Global Post, Agencia EFE, MAP (Rabat, Morocco, July 15, 2013) — Spain’s King Juan Carlos was greeted by Moroccan monarch Mohammed VI on his arrival here Monday for a four-day state visit to the North African nation.

The two monarchs left the airport together en route for the Royal Guest House.

The entire route between the airport and the capital was decorated with the flags of the two nations, and at some places there were members of the public who cheered the passage of the motorcade holding up signs written in Spanish welcoming Juan Carlos.

The two kings will dine together privately Monday night.

The close relationship between the two monarchs has been presented by diplomatic sources as one of the key elements of this visit, which will serve to strengthen and nourish bilateral relations, currently in one of their best periods ever, with trade relations on the rise.

One additional gesture confirming the affection between the two kings is the fact that, for the first time, Mohammed VI has invited a foreign head of state to visit the country during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

King Mohammed VI, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid & Princesses Lalla Salma, Lalla Khadija, Lalla Meriem, Lalla Asmaa & Lalla Hasna, offered a family Iftar in honor of Spain’s King Juan Carlos. Reuters/MAP

The king of Spain traveled to Morocco accompanied by Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo and royal chief of staff Rafael Spottorno.

Arriving in Rabat on Tuesday will be four other Spanish government ministers as well as 27 executives from the major Spanish companies with interests in Morocco, 14 deans of Spanish universities, the director of the Cervantes Institute, Victor Garcia de la Concha, the heads of Spain’s main business federations and the government’s high commissioner for Brand Spain, Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros.

In addition, MAP reported that King Juan Carlos 1 was greeted by Head of Government, Abdellilah Benkirane, Speaker of the House of Representatives Karim Ghellab, Speaker of the House of Advisors Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah,  Interior Minister, Mohand Laenser, Foreign Minister, Saad Dine El Otmani, Minister of Justice,  Mustapha Ramid, Minister of Equipment and Transport, Rebbah Aziz, and Minister of Industry, Trade and New Technologies, Abdelkader Amara.

The Spanish Sovereign was also greeted by General Abdelaziz Bennani, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces and Commander of the South Zone, General Hosni Benslimane, Commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, Spokesperson for the Royal Palace and historian of the Kingdom of Morocco, Abdelhak Lamrini, Director General of National Police, Bouchaib Rmail, Wali of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour- Zaer,  Hassan Amrani, members of the Spanish Embassy in Rabat, and other military and civil officials.

The Spanish Monarch was also greeted by members of the honorary committee which includes Minister of Economy and Finance, Nizar Baraka, and Ambassador of Morocco in Madrid, Ahmed Ould Souilem.

HM King Mohammed VI was greeted by Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Garcia Margallo Marfil, and Director of the Royal House, Rafael Spottorno Diaz Caro.

The Spanish Monarch is accompanied, during his visit to Morocco, by a large delegation including Minister of Justice, Alberto Ruiz Gallardon Jimenez, Interior Minister, Jorge Fernandez Diaz, Minister of Equipment, Ana Maria Pastor Julian, Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria Lopez, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Gonzalo de Benito Secades, and Spanish ambassador to Morocco, Alberto Jose Navaro Gonzalez.

‘I’m very glad to have my collection at Penn Libraries. It’s in great hands. I know it will be carefully preserved, & be freely available for scholars.’

Title page of Kitab Shamail al-Mustafa by Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi, 1st lithographic book printed in Fez (1865). Photo: Penn Libraries

Penn Libraries, Business Wire (Philadelphia, PA,  July 16, 2013) — Penn Libraries recently acquired an extraordinary collection of lithographic books printed in Fez, Morocco, during the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries.It includes some 108 titles in 136 volumes and represents one of the largest private assemblages of Fez lithographs outside of Morocco. This unique collection, built by Dr. Fawzi Abdulrazak, the leading scholar of the history of printing in Morocco and author of the authoritative bibliography of Fez lithographs, gives Penn Libraries the distinction of owning an exceedingly rare and invaluable resource, and one that few other libraries can match. “I am very glad to have my collection at Penn Libraries. It is in great hands. I know that it will be carefully preserved, and will be freely available for use by scholars. This is very important to me,” said Dr. Abdulrazak.The bulk of the collection dates from 1865 to 1936, covering most of the span of Moroccan lithographic printing from its beginning in the city of Fez to its end during the French Protectorate. It is important to note that five of the works included in the collection are the very first lithographic books produced in Fez. In initiating their printing industry, the Moroccans chose the lithographic method over moveable type, because they felt it preserved a link to their country’s rich heritage of manuscript production. As is common in Moroccan manuscripts, five different types of Arabic script were used in making the lithographs, and Penn Libraries’ newly acquired collection reflects this.

Initially, the royal court was the driving force in the printing of the new lithographic books, but soon private firms appeared. The collection includes works made by all of the various printers in Fez. In general, the Moroccan intelligentsia felt that printing would preserve and invigorate their scholarship in the face of French and Spanish challenges by making books, and the knowledge they contained more widely available. The Penn Libraries’ collection includes works by over 101 scholars and editors whose work represents the pinnacle of Muslim scholarship in North Africa during the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Islamic law and mysticism are the most common subjects; other subjects include Islamic doctrine, religious life, philosophy, Arabic grammar, and rhetoric.

The lithographs were much sought after at the time of their issue due to their first rate materials and printing, their exceptional scholarly worth, and the meticulous editing done to the texts. Their value has increased immeasurably today. They are superb examples of the printer’s art in the Islamic lands, and of the intellectual achievements of Moroccan scholars of the time.

“The Fez Lithograph Collection will offer Penn scholars unparalleled opportunities for study in the fields of the material history of printing in Morocco and the Islamic world as a whole, and of the intellectual history of Morocco during a crucial period in its history,” said David Giovacchini, Middle East Studies Librarian at Penn Libraries.

In addition to the lithographs, the collection includes a number of Arabic manuscripts from Morocco. There are 41 titles in 23 separate items on diverse subjects, ranging in date from the 17th century to the early 20th. In addition, there are also a number of moveable type style books, printed in Morocco under the French Protectorate.

The Fez Lithographs Collection is currently being processed in the Middle East section of the Van Pelt Library, one of fifteen separate libraries at the University of Pennsylvania that serve the humanities, social and physical sciences. After processing, the collection will be permanently housed in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Van Pelt. In the fall, Penn Libraries and the Middle East Center at Penn are planning to bring Dr. Abdulrazak to campus to speak about the collection and the history of printing in Morocco.

The 2013 Failed State Index (FSI)

Jean R. AbiNader, Exec. Dir., Moroccan American Trade & Investment Center

MATIC, by Jean R. AbiNader (Washington, DC, July 17, 2013) — I have to believe that one of the least favorite jobs in Washington is being an author or contributor to one of the annual reports that make you a target of unhappy embassies. Whether it’s from the roll call of State Department publications, which includes Human Rights Reports, International Religious Freedom Reports, Trafficking-in-Person Reports, Advancing Freedom and Democracy Reports, or those from NGOs such as Reporters without Borders, Amnesty International, The Heritage Foundation, or any of the dozens of other national and international reports used by the Millennium Challenge Corporation in its selection criteria, being the messenger is no easy task.

Over the past decade, there is a special place of skepticism reserved for the annual Failed States Index (FSI) published by the Fund for Peace, now in its ninth year and increasingly detailed and sophisticated. The title is a bit misleading as the report is not a predictive tool of state failure but rather an assessment of more than 100 internal factors that affect a country’s stability. Of course, since the data is based on the calendar year, the first yellow flag is what has occurred following the six months it takes to prepare the report that could affect a country’s ranking. The natural inclination is to look at a country’s rating and then compare it to others, breathing a sigh of either relief or exasperation. But that’s not where the substance is, and those who take the time to read the key indicators grouped into 12 categories can benefit from the extraordinary analytical efforts the FSI involves.

Why am I a fan?  Because I believe that the real benefit of FSI is as a tool to facilitate discussion among a country’s stakeholders about its ambitions, core values, and means of delivering credible governance and equitable opportunities. It is less important to be chagrined that the 2012 rankings have France and Portugal in better shape than the US, and more important to drill down into the social and economic indicators (demographic pressures, group grievance, refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, human flight and brain drain, uneven economic development, poverty and economic decline) and political and military indicators (state legitimacy, public services, human rights and law, security apparatus, factionalized elites, and external intervention) to understand why.

In terms of methodology, the FSI relies on crunching tens of millions of pieces of information from around the world, which is then sorted into the 12 key indicators. “The content analysis is further triangulated with two other key aspects of the overall assessment process: quantitative analysis and qualitative inputs based on major events in the countries examined.” Final quality control is a review of the results and comparison with a “comprehensive set of vital statistics …as well as human analysis to ensure that the software has not misinterpreted the raw data.”

So what do we learn about state building from this year’s index? In the first instance, countries that work harder on capacity building over the long term are better able to withstand natural and man-made shocks that would drive weaker countries into crisis. It is a country’s ability to deliver a broad range of social services to greater numbers of its citizens while driving more equitable political participation that parallels the recommendations in the CFR report I mentioned last week.

Secondly, there are no magic bullets—not elections, not foreign assistance or intervention, nor increasing social benefits—that will reduce instability rooted in economic inequality, political marginalization, and degraded rule of law. Countries with large disparities in wealth, political access and influence, and public safety tend to be less stable than those that have fewer gaps (yes, Egypt was worse than Mali, but barely). In the section on the Arab Spring, it notes that the 2010 data “tells the story of a storm birthed in North Africa…indicators for Group Grievance and Human Rights were gradually and inexorably getting worse. In November 2010, there was a dramatic regional increase (not a good thing, the higher the score, the worse the ranking) in the State Legitimacy score…that has yet to come back down.”

Well, there may be a claim that this is all hindsight, and in fact the human analysis that is part of the process makes it inherently biased. Or one could take lessons from where the data and negative events have a high correlation, as in the example above, and draw analytical and policy lessons that increase our understanding of managing conflict before it become chaos or worse.

The FSI draws back the curtain on the complexities of state-building by enumerating the challenges, represented by the 100+ indicators that make up the profile of a country’s internal heartbeat. Rather than wait until the patient is in triage or functional failure, international donors and organizations can use this data and other sources to support dialogues with countries at risk to enable them to develop more robust strategies for reducing instability. Even isolated countries such as North Korea or far-away places like Somalia impact our lives. The FSI is a tool that helps us understand the caution flags that increasingly populate our mental maps of countries. It is this kind of solid data tied to the concurrence of values and interests that will enable policy makers and stakeholders to make the right choices.

Jean R. AbiNader is Executive Director of the Moroccan American Trade and Investment Center

Co-published with Fair Observer (www.fairobserver.com)

Day 2 of his state visit to Morocco: Spain’s King Juan Carlos praises Morocco as a “very valuable ex. of openness & stability” thanks to reforms undertaken by King Mohammed VI. Photo: C.Alvarez, Getty

*Spanish monarch says Morocco is “very valuable example of openness & stability” thanks to reforms undertaken by King Mohammed VI*

Global Post/Agencia EFE, MAP (Rabat, Morocco, July 17, 2013) — King Juan Carlos on Tuesday here promoted Spanish business activities in Morocco, a country he said is a “very valuable example of openness and stability” thanks to the reforms undertaken by its monarch, Mohammed VI.

Juan Carlos inaugurated the Spain-Morocco business forum on the second day of his official visit to the North African nation after earlier in the day placing a floral offering at the mausoleum of the former monarch, Mohammed V, along with the five Spanish cabinet ministers who are accompanying him to Rabat.

Afterwards, the king and the Spanish officials attended the opening of the business forum, which is being attended by almost 100 Moroccan businessmen and 27 executives from the top Spanish firms, including Entrecanales, Acciona, Gamesa, Abengoa, Telefonica, OHL and Iberia.

Spain’s King Juan Carlos inaugurates Spanish-Moroccan business forum in Rabat.

Spain and Morocco have an opportunity to “create together a space of shared prosperity,” Juan Carlos said.

“We have before us the possibility to generate growth and employment if we know how to take advantage of the potential of our strategic association, facing the challenges, strengthening our dialogue in the economic sphere and providing a response to the opportunities that globalization offers,” the Spanish monarch said.

Also speaking at the forum’s opening ceremony were the top officials of the companies on hand.

The forum also provides the opportunity for bilateral meetings between Spanish ministers and their Moroccan counterparts.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI (middle right) and Spain’s King Juan Carlos are joined for dinner by Morocco Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane and other officials.

The president of Morocco’s CGEM business federation, Meriem Ben Saleh, noted the importance of bilateral trade with Spain, which was valued at 8 billion euros ($10.5 billion) in 2012.

Speaking for Spain were also Jose Manuel Entrecanales, Jose Miguel Villar Mir, Carlos de Palacio and Ernesto Antolin, who pointed out Spain’s potential in the infrastructure, transportation, water treatment and renewable energy sectors.

The Moroccan businessmen emphasized that their country grew at an average annual rate of 5 percent over the past decade.

In addition, they emphasized the fact that last year there were 19,000 Spanish companies that did business with Morocco and that with no other country in the world does Rabat do so much business volume.

Diplomatic sources say the two monarchs’ close relationship is a key element of the visit.

Quartz:  Give this kid a job or prepare for worst. Reuters/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

* “Relatively calm Morocco & Qatar have YRFs (Youth Risk Factors) close to the world average, despite having traditional youth bulge values similar to countries experiencing unrest.” *

Quartz, by Rachel Feltman (July 17, 2013) — Young people have always been pegged as rabble-rousers and revolutionaries. But researchers have long struggled to pinpoint why youth bulges—increases in the ratio of a country’s young people relative to its total population—and political unrest go hand in hand.

But researchers are getting closer. In a paper published last month (PDF) in the International Journal of Conflict and Violence, Davidson College economists provide strong evidence that a youth bulge alone won’t cause unrest. But when it’s combined with a high unemployment rate for that youth cohort, discontent is almost guaranteed. “The causal roots of violence,” the authors state, “lie in the pressure youth cohorts exert on the total labor force.”

Youth bulges occur during periods of low infant mortality rates coupled with high fertility rates in a country. Populations tend to regain their usual distribution as women choose to have fewer children in response to higher rates of survival through childhood, but before they do so, the population size of one or two generations tends to bulge.

Previous research has mostly leaned on the idea that adolescents are inherently more prone to violence and impulsive behavior, and more likely to be swayed by charismatic political and religious leaders. There has been some mention of how economic drivers contribute. For instance, last year, the LA Times reported that Afghan youth had become disillusioned by their lack of future prospects, leading many to join the Taliban. “If all Afghans had good jobs, if we had peace and stability, we would not go for the fight,” Ahmad Mokhtar, a young man imprisoned in Kabul for fashioning a roadside bomb told the Times. “Without those things, the jihad will continue to the end of the world.” Researcher Henrik Urdal (PDF) stated in a 2004 paper that the combination of youth bulges and poor economic performance could be “explosive,” but he lacked solid evidence for a relationship between the two factors.

The new measurement developed by Noah Bricker and Mark Foley, which they call the Youth Risk Factor, or YRF, is the ratio of 17- to 26-year-olds to the size of a country’s total labor force. “Our theory,” they write, “is that youth, regardless of education level, cause increased violence as the ratio…to the total labor force grows, indicating the strain exerted on labor markets and governments.”

They then compared these YRFs to measures of conflict guided by the Heidelberg Institute, which rates conflict on a point scale, giving increased values for incidents as they progress from latent disputes to full-out war. A good example of how YRF differs from traditional measurements, which only compared youth population to the total population, is Tunisia: Using typical measurements, the country’s youth bulge ratio hovers around the world average of 0.27, and actually dips below it in more recent years. But the YRF for Tunisia has been well over the world average of 0.44—it’s averaged at 0.60 over the last decade, and spiked at 0.63 during the 2011 Jasmine Revolution.

Restless countries like Egypt and Syria show similar results. Both countries’ traditional youth bulge ratios hovered just above 0.30, but their YRFs have reached as high as 0.72 and 0.88, respectively. The opposite is also true: the relatively calm Morocco and Qatar have YRFs close to the world average, despite having traditional youth bulge values similar to countries experiencing unrest.

What lessons can we learn from the notion that youth bulges and low employment don’t mix? First, governments should be using the index as a final warning, study co-author Bricker told Quartz. In Jordan, for example, the YRF has risen above 0.8 in recent years, which could indicate that trouble is brewing.

“People have wondered whether Jordan might be impacted by the Arab Spring movement,” Bricker said, “and its demographics make it hard to see a scenario where they are not affected.” He added that the Jordanian government “has been more proactive than others” to remedy the issues at hand, “but they need to tread carefully.”

Based on demographic trends, the YRF in Jordan will actually continue to rise before it begins to fall, he added. For countries like Jordan, apprenticeships and other efforts to make the job market more youth-friendly may suffice, Bricker said. But Egypt is past that point. “Employment, at this point,” he said, “depends on personal connections to the military and not actual qualifications. Egypt’s economy will only rebound completely if the labor market becomes more meritocratic.” According to the YRF theory, political stability follows from there.

@RachelFeltman is an MA candidate in science, health, and environmental reporting at NYU. Originally an environmental scientist by way of Simon’s Rock, she comes to Quartz after a spring internship with Popular Mechanics. Technology has somehow become her beat, and she loves to geek out about new gadgets. When she’s not writing, she’s probably on Twitter.

MENA TechGirls make international connection with FCC’s acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn (seated lower left). Visiting TechGirls (from center to right) include Hafssa Kouskous from Morocco, Lina Benamer from Libya, Seba Salim from Yemen, and Assia Zemir from Algeria. FCC Blog

*As Morocco’s Hafssa Kouskous put it, “The sky isn’t the limit, there is no limit.” *

FCC Blog, by Anita Dey (Washington, DC, July 16, 2013) – On July 11, we were delighted to welcome four ambitious girls from the Middle East and North Africa who are participating in the State Department’s TechGirls exchange program. Lina Benamer from Libya, Hafssa Kouskous from Morocco, Seba Salim from Yemen, and Assia Zemir from Algeria demonstrated their passion for technology during their visit and were actively engaged in discussions and meetings with the FCC’s senior leaders.

They are a part of a larger group of 27 tech-savvy girls, ages 15 to 17, visiting the United States to build the skills they will need to succeed in the field of technology. This is the second year in a row that the FCC has enjoyed this opportunity to interact with such young ambitious young women from the Middle East and we look forward to hosting them again.

The girls joined Anita Dey, our International Bureau’s Senior Regional Specialist for Asia, for a busy day of job shadowing and meetings. Bright and thoroughly knowledgeable, the young women expressed interest in business, robotics, medical technology, and social media, among many other topics. They asked pointed questions about the key FCC issues and participated in thoughtful discussions about how technology is evolving and how women can be at the forefront of its progress.

Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn enthusiastically told Lina, Hafssa, Seba, and Assia about her own experiences as a female leader and encouraged the girls to work hard while pursuing their dreams, regardless of the obstacles they may face along the way.

TechGirl Hafssa Kouskous from Morocco

The Chairwoman emphasized the importance of having a positive educational environment that allows smart, motivated girls — like Lina, Hafssa, Seba and Assia — to thrive. She noted that the role of policy makers is to guarantee a pathway to success for women and girls. “We need to ensure that positive reinforcers are there so that you can reach your potential,” Chairwoman Clyburn said.

Commissioner Pai also offered career advice and gave the girls insight into the FCC’s policy goals. He proudly talked about how his mother pursued a science education in challenging circumstances, and shared his observations about the pace of technological innovation.

When Lina, Hafssa, Seba, and Assia met with Commissioner Rosenworcel, they learned about some of the FCC’s top regulatory issues. The Commissioner stressed how revolutionary the Internet is and said that providing universal access is only going to be accomplished if we all work together to ensure it happens.

The girls met with a panel of female leaders from throughout the FCC. The women shared their thoughts and views on a variety of issues including careers in technology, working in a male-dominated environment, and work-life balance. It was one of many opportunities for the TechGirls to share their goals for the future and receive advice about how to attain them. The panelists reiterated that they needed to have confidence in the face of adversity. One of the panelists, Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau Chief of Staff D’wana Terry, advised the young women to always remember: “I’m a TechGirl. I can do this.”

The girls also attended parts of the FCC’s Access to Capital Conference and Workshop on investing for small, minority and women-owned businesses, where they met with participants to hear about their perspectives on business and entrepreneurship.

They also explored the FCC’s Technology Experience Center where they tested the newest communication technology, including mesmerizing 3D televisions. They were amused by the collection of antique technology that dates back to well before they were born.

At the end of the day, the girls shared their impressions of the FCC with International Bureau Chief Mindel De La Torre. They admitted that although they were not sure what to expect during their visit, they were pleasantly surprised by all of the encouragement they received, especially from the Chairwoman and the Commissioners. They expressed their gratitude for their day at the FCC and for the TechGirls program in general and said the experience gave them a new sense of confidence with which they were excited to return home.

We were thrilled to have the girls here and to play a small part in supporting their individual goals. They are aiming high, but as Hafssa put it, “The sky isn’t the limit, there is no limit.” We here at the FCC wish them good luck in all their future endeavors.

Anita Dey is Senior Regional Specialist for Asia and Lead, Women’s Initiative, International Bureau, at the FCC

“Gains women have made in Morocco have set a standard for future reform not only in Morocco, but N. Africa and the M. East.” – N.Elboubkri, C.Dearing Scott, Moroccan American Center, Washington, DC.

*How effective is CEDAW in promoting women’s rights in MENA region?*

MAC, by Nadia Elboubkri, Caitlin Dearing Scott (Washington, DC, July 18, 2013) — Last week, the Wilson Center hosted leading women’s rights activists from the Middle East for a conversation about the role of international human rights norms in securing women’s rights in the MENA region.

This event was the latest in a series of events on women’s rights in the Middle East in the aftermath of the Arab Spring – a time when women from the region and scholars alike expressed both hope and fear for the future of women’s rights.

Now, some two years on, in light of recent mass protests, changes in government, and ongoing human rights issues in the MENA region, many are rightfully wondering: what is the vision for the future of women’s rights in the region? And what role, if any, can international human rights norms play in ensuring that this future is positive?

A major topic of the panel was a discussion regarding how countries implement the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and an assessment of its capacity to promote change. Adopted by the United Nations in 1979 to focus the global women’s rights agenda on political, social, and economic equality, CEDAW is the standard bearer for international women’s rights norms and so provides a good baseline for assessing the impact of international law on domestic policy.

In the Middle East, its impact has been varied.  In Morocco, for example CEDAW has helped motivate major changes for women in employment, education, and health care, as well as marriage and inheritance. In other countries, responses vary from outright hostility to lip service or partial acceptance of CEDAW norms.

This raises questions about how important CEDAW is in promoting women’s rights, not only in the MENA region, but elsewhere. There is no doubt that obtaining women’s rights and gender equality will not happen overnight and will not happen merely because of international law. It is both a deliberate and unconscious process – deliberate in that reform must be implemented and reinforced by authorities, and unconscious in that over time, education and awareness will transform new practices into established norms.

There is likewise no doubt that CEDAW has been instrumental in promoting women’s rights – or at least setting in the standards for discourse about the best means to do so. The evolution of women’s rights in Morocco is an interesting illustration. Since Morocco ratified CEDAW in 1993, the country has gradually made women’s rights a crucial element in political, social, and economic activity.

In 2004, King Mohammed VI introduced groundbreaking reform to the Family Code, or Moudawana, giving women unprecedented rights within the family and greater protection of their rights within marriage and divorce, and criminalizing public and domestic violence against women. This reform required a deliberate commitment by King Mohammed VI first and foremost, but the ratification of CEDAW – and subsequent removal of Morocco’s reservations to the convention – proved both symbolic and essential in ensuring that Morocco’s laws complied with international norms.

This process accelerated with adoption of a new constitution in Morocco in 2011. Women asserted themselves in the national debate on civil liberties, human rights, and equality conducted to inform the drafting of the Constitution. As a result, the new Constitution improved women’s status in Morocco by:

• Broadening the approach to women’s equality beyond just the political realm to include social, civil, economic, environmental, and cultural rights as well.
• Clearly stating that all forms of discrimination are prohibited including, explicitly, gender-based discrimination as well as discrimination based on religion, creed, disability, age, political beliefs.
• Requiring the state to establish an authority specifically to make equality a reality and to eliminate discrimination.
• Enshrining the supremacy of international human rights conventions over national law in addressing matters of human rights in Morocco.

Though the past few years have witnessed real change in Morocco, much remains to be done.  In Morocco, we are constantly reminded that achieving equality is a marathon, not a race, and we have seen a gradual, yet thriving reform process where women started as marginal non-state actors and have now become fundamental actors in the Moroccan public forum.

The efforts of human rights activists, scholars, civil society, and the government are positive steps in the direction of achieving the ultimate goal of universality. The gains that women have made in Morocco have set a standard for future reform not only in Morocco, but in North Africa and the Middle East.

Here’s hoping CEDAW can serve as a similar guide in the rest of the region.

Caitlin Dearing Scott is Senior Vice President of Research, Projects and Programs at the Moroccan American Center. Nadia Elboubkri is a Researcher at the Moroccan American Center

(Article in French)

Jeune Afrique (July 17, 2013) — Its phosphate mines are the world’s largest … But the Moroccan city of Khouribga is also known for its festival of African cinema.

The sixteenth edition of the African Film Festival of Khouribga, held on June 22nd through the 29th, was an opportunity for moviegoers all over the continent to come together and take stock of the latest local productions. Founded in 1977 by a group of cinema enthusiasts, this great rout, now annual, is chaired by Noureddine Saïl.  Saïl, a former professor of philosophy, was a student at Moulay Youssef High School alongside Abdelilah Benkirane, the current head of government.  He was also first president of the National Federation of Film Societies of Morocco in 1973 and Director of TVM programs in 1984 and Canal + Horizons in 1990, before becoming CEO of 2M in 2000 and director of the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre (CCM) since 2003.

Despite its popularity, the Khouribga festival cannot compete with the Pan-African Festival of Cinema and Television of Ouagadougou (FESPACO). “In reality, there are only two specialized events on Africa across the continent. The Egyptian festivals are finally interested in, albeit in a belated admission, their African consciousness. And the Carthage Film Festival is not strictly dedicated to the African continent” Sail noted. Additionally, FESPACO is supported by the Burkinabe government and international funding, whereas Khouribga relies on an important partner in Youssoufia Phosphates (OCP).

“Previously, Khouribga was the world capital of phosphates and … a cultural desert,” recalls Noureddine Saïl.  In this industrial town shaped by mining, the founders wanted to create a space for meetings and exchanges. “This was part of an aesthetic, political, and militant path,” adds Sail.   The first few Khouribga festivals boasted real moviegoers like Guy Hennebelle from the magazine Cinémaction, as well as Serge Daney and Serge Toubiana of Cahiers du cinema.

[Continue Reading in French…]

Moroccan singer Hatim Ammor recorded hit with theme song for TV series ” Bent Bladi.” Advises Maghreb youth to be diligent and not surrender, strive for dreams with determination, persistence. Naoufel Cherkaoui

Magharebia, Interview by Naoufel Cherkaoui (Rabat, Morocco, July 18, 2013) – Moroccan singer Hatim Ammor rose to fame after winning a local contest. Since winning the “Studio 2M” competition in 2005, the Casablanca native has released a string of hits, including “Gouli” and “Bent Bladi”.

Magharebia met with the 32-year-old performer to learn more about his career, the Moroccan music scene and the connection between art and social change.

Magharebia: How did you enter the art scene?

Hatim Ammor: After years of amateurism, I participated in the local singing contest “Casting Star” in 2003. That experience failed. Then I got involved in the program “Superstar” but was eliminated in the semi-finals. The program “Studio 2M” in the summer of 2005 represented my official launch.

I earned the audience’s affinity; they supported me greatly and that was the reason behind my winning that contest. My career started then and I was able to create my own musical style after a period of performing songs of other artists. I ended up with my own songs being broadcast on television and radio.

Magharebia: What do you think is behind the spread of Moroccan songs, especially in the Mashreq?

Ammor: In fact, in the past the chance of a Moroccan song reaching the Mashreq was very slim. Now, however, some Mashreq singers are working not only on performing Maghrebi songs, but some artists are striving also to produce songs in the Moroccan dialect, such as Lebanese singer Marwan Khoury.

This definitely serves our music, and is a result of the fact that our music has imposed itself in the rest of the Arab world.

Magharebia: To what extent has art contributed to Arab revolutions?

Ammor: The influence of art on communities is eternal and is not linked to Arab revolutions only. Revolutionary songs always influenced the conscience of entire populations. I hope that peace will prevail in all countries of the Arab region.

Magharebia: Are you trying to enter acting or did you decide to wait until you get an offer?

Ammor: A friend got me involved in the music of the series “Bent Bladi” where two great Moroccan stars Saadallah Aziz, and Khadija Assad are playing. I performed indeed to please my friend, then left the scene and forgot about it.

However, I was invited to play a role in the series. It was a successful experience and I benefited a lot from it in terms of learning the rules of the profession. Though I participated in that experience, I still consider myself a singer, not an actor. I remain open though and perhaps will accept those that suit me.

Magharebia: What is your message to the young people of the Maghreb?

Ammor: I advise them to be diligent and not to surrender, and invite them to strive hard toward their dreams which will not be realized without strong determination and persistence.

*One in series of articles about people participating in US–Middle East Partnership Initiative. In 2013, MEPI marks 10-year anniversary.*

Widad El Hanafi leads workshops on social media for NGOs as country director for E-Mediat in Morocco.

US State Department, by Kathryn McConnell (Washington, DC, July 18, 2013) — Widad El Hanafi believes social media can be an important outreach tool for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Abdelfattah Alidrissi likes to help young entrepreneurs realize their dreams.

Two of several Moroccans who have participated in programs sponsored by the U.S.–Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), El Hanafi and Alidrissi want to bring change to their communities.

As country director for E-Mediat in Morocco, El Hanafi leads workshops in which NGO workers learn to incorporate social media into their outreach and fundraising operations. Launched in 2011, MEPI-supported E-Mediat helps NGO staff and volunteers use digital technology to advocate for their work and build membership. E-Mediat is administered by the Institute for International Education (IIE), with additional support from the electronic communication companies Microsoft and Cisco, and the CraigsList Charitable Fund.

“My team and I shared examples of networked NGOs from the United States and around the Arab world and explained that they need to consider social media as tools, not just as their ultimate objective,” El Hanafi said following a three-day training session.

El Hanafi earned a master’s degree in international studies and diplomacy from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. As part of her research, she interned at the Arab League in Cairo. After graduation in 2003, she worked on governance and democracy projects at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) in Rabat, Morocco. NDI was co-founded by the United States government and the National Endowment for Democracy.

In 2005, El Hanafi served as an observer of the Palestinian presidential election. She then was a MEPI law and business fellow at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and interned at the consulting firm Collins & Company in Arlington, Virginia. In 2012, IIE selected El Hanafi to be a presenter at its Women’s Enterprise for Sustainability training workshop.

Cheers for Young Entrepreneurs

In 2012, ​Alidrissi joined MEPI’s student leaders program and went to study at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware.

He said the public speaking experience he gained helped him get a job with the regional office of the United Nations Development Program working with youth.

“I always believed in social work and volunteerism,” Alidrissi said. “That’s why I started initiating [community] associations in different vulnerable neighborhoods to work with children on education and similar issues.” At a MEPI conference in Rabat, he said the vibrancy of Morocco’s advocacy associations comes from people who value helping others.

Alidrissi went on to become an officer of Association Imdad for Social Entrepreneurship, a nonprofit of “self-confident youth” who combine their entrepreneurial spirit with a desire to empower citizens to bring “positive social and economic change to their country,” according to the group’s website.

The organization “helps young entrepreneurs in moving from the idea to action,” Alidrissi said.

MEPI is active in every country in the Middle East and North Africa in which the United States has a diplomatic presence.

More information about MEPI in Morocco is available on the MEPI Regional Office website.

Information about E-Mediat and Imdad is available on the groups’ websites.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI (right) hosts 4-day state visit by Spain’s King Juan Carlos, who hailed the North African nation as a “very valuable example of openness and stability” under to the Moroccan monarch’s reforms. Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty

*Message emphasizes strength of bilateral relationship at conclusion of Spanish King’s state visit at invitation of Morocco King Mohammed VI*

KUNA, MAP (Rabat, Morocco, July 18, 2013) — Spain has reaffirmed backing to ongoing efforts within the UN framework to find a just and lasting political solution to the Western Sahara conflict.

The position was expressed in a joint Moroccan-Spanish statement released here on Thursday at the end of the four-day state visit by King Juan Carlos I, of Spain, to Morocco.

Spain’s King presented key to Rabat, UNESCO heritage site, on his final day in Morocco.

The statement emphasized that Spain and Morocco should share the same views on issues of mutual interest, primarily the Middle East, Syria, Egypt and Sahel region.

It highly commended the excellent bilateral relations in all areas, as well as the strengthening of exchanges at all levels between Morocco and Spain, and encouraged their governments to stay on this track to further this new model of good neighborliness between the two kingdoms.

During the Spanish king’s visit, both sides determined a host of new projects for cooperation in educational, university and scientific areas within the framework of fresh technological partnerships.

Spain also reiterated support for Morocco’s efforts to promote and reinforce cooperation with the European Union (EU), according to the statement.

MAP reported that before his departure from Rabat-Salé airport on Thursday, the Spanish King was given the keys to the city of Rabat and  accompanied King Mohammed VI in the inauguration of youth employment center in the municipality of Bouknadel.

King Mohammed VI (right) with King Juan Carlos. Joint statement emphasized that Spain & Morocco should share same views on issues of mutual interest, primarily Middle East, Syria, Egypt & Sahel.

The four-day working state visit focused on a range of economic, security and cultural issues.  It saw the Morocco and Spanish Kings chairing the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement between the Spanish Confederation of Entrepreneurial Organizations (CEOE) and the General Confederation of Moroccan businesses (CGEM).

His Majesty King Mohammed VI and King Juan Carlos inaugurated the exhibition “25 years of Moroccan-Spanish archaeological cooperation: From Jbala to Draa between prehistory and the Modern Age.”

The Spanish Sovereign also met with Morocco’s Head of Government, Abdelilah Benkirane, and the Speakers of the two Moroccan Houses of Parliament, the presidents of universities in Morocco and Spain, and representatives of the Spanish community living in Morocco.

The two sides welcomed the establishment of a new Friendship Circle for Hispanic-Moroccan figures which should serve as a catalyst for new active solidarity bonds.

King Mohammed VI (center) and his brother Prince Moulay Rachid (next right) receive King Juan Carlos (next left) for an official dinner, joined by Morocco’s Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane (2nd left) and other officials, during the Spanish sovereign’s state visit to Morocco. Photo: Getty

Harira—Moroccan chickpea soup

Trinidad Guardian, by Wendy Rahamut (July 20, 2013) — The month of Ramadan is upon us. The fast begins at sunrise and ends at sunset each day. It is broken with a little salt and then a small plate is usually served comprising some type of cooked chickpeas, a bit of chopped fresh ginger, usually an Indian delicacy and a date. This is known as Iftar, and is usually consumed after the Maghrib prayer. Iftar is followed by a balanced meal and a sweet, usually some type of ice-cream or dessert.

Interestingly, the foods with which the fast is broken in eastern countries may vary, but there are usually always chickpeas and dates. In Morocco and Algeria, Muslims consume harira, a tomato broth with a chickpea and lentil base scented with cinnamon, turmeric and fresh cilantro/chadon beni, accented with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the table. Fresh rounds of crusty bread, hard-boiled eggs, dates, and honeyed pastries are served with each bowl.

If you are fasting, try to start your day with a nourishing meal, like a warm bowl of lentil soup. Remember that beans and legumes provide much needed carbs and proteins as well. Balance that dish with a slice of wholegrain bread and a small piece of fruit. Remember the month is tough on your body, and it is a physically cleansing fast as well. So try to be conscious of what you eat this month and treat your body to fresh wholesome foods.

Harira—Moroccan chickpea soup

11/2 cups dried channa/chickpeas
8 cups water
1 28 oz tin of tomatoes with juice
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup chopped celery, rib, and leaves
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin/ geera powder
1/2 cup chopped chadon beni
4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
1 cup lentils
3/4 cup fine egg noodles or thin spaghetti or vermicelli
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges for the table.
Salt to taste

Method
Soak channa in water overnight drain and rinse, cook in eight cups of water for about one to 1 1/2 hours until tender.
Drain chickpeas and save the water it was cooked in.
You should have 21/2 cups water; if not, add a little water. Finely chop tomatoes.
Heat oil in a large soup pot, add onion and celery until softened and fragrant.
Add tumeric, pepper, cumin and cinnamon and cook for a few minutes more.
Stir in tomatoes, 1/4 cup chadon beni, channa with the reserved liquid, broth and lentils.
Simmer until lentils are tender, between 40 and 60 minutes.
Break pasta into one-inch pieces, and stir into soup.
Cook for a further ten minutes until pasta is tender.
Season with salt and sprinkle with remaining herbs.
Serve with wedges of lemon and crusty bread.

Serves six as a main course

Miracle in Marrakech: 600 negotiators in Morocco agreed in June to international treaty to overcome “book famine” for world’s 285M visually impaired.

Economist (July 20, 2013) — The 198 books were piled on a table and wrapped in chains; only two remained free. Blind people were helping the 600 negotiators at a conference in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh visualize “book famine.” The world’s 285m visually impaired people (40m of them blind), live mostly in poor countries where books in friendly formats (Braille, audio and large print) are scarce. A recent estimate is that Africa has only 500 works for blind English-speakers.

The Marrakesh meeting was to finalize a copyright treaty, of which the most important provision—according to Dan Pescod of Britain’s Royal National Institute of Blind People—is to allow blind-friendly books to be exported. Today’s copyright regime prohibits such cross-border trade. A Braille book made in America, for example, cannot legally be sold in Britain. Argentina has over 50,000 works available for visually impaired readers, but they cannot be distributed in neighboring Uruguay, which has a paltry 4,000. Charities must therefore acquire the rights and pay for another conversion (which can cost more than $7,000). This takes time and wastes money.

In late 2012 the World Intellectual Property Organization, a UN body, suggested that the treaty could be signed the following June. But copyright laws have powerful defenders who are suspicious of any precedent that might dent their legal armor and business models. They worry that negotiators might cite exemptions for the blind when they hack away copyright laws to benefit other causes—looser drug patents, for example. The treaty will also help charities sidestep copyright laws in the 127 poor countries without legal provision for blind-friendly formats.

The Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), a trade group, warned the American negotiator, the US Patent Office, of the “dangerous precedent” an agreement might set. Though the treaty hardly affects Hollywood, it fears that unclear clauses could be abused, says Chris Marcich of the Motion Picture Association of America. The MPAA tried to remove the fair-use provision in the treaty, preferring other existing rules which stipulate that “special cases” should not affect “normal exploitation” of a work, or “unreasonably prejudice” the owner’s interest. BusinessEurope, a lobby, wrote to the European Commission to try to delay the signing. Hollywood also rustled up support from foreign friends: Nollywood (Nigeria) and Bollywood (India).

A round of negotiations in April brought “disaster”, says James Love, head of Knowledge Ecology International, a Washington-based charity, who helped draft the treaty. Although the talks had seemed almost finished, discussions reopened on 88 clauses. After a week of haggling in Morocco, careful wording ensured that the treaty was adopted on June 27th, three days after the books in chains were piled outside the venue. But for it to come into effect, 20 countries must pass it into domestic law.

A Moroccan medina during Ramadan. Simon Martelli AFP/Getty Images

* Lifting The Veil — In Morocco, where Jews and Muslims share a long history, friends from different religions sit down together to break the Ramadan fast. Souad Mekhennet reports from Casablanca.*

The Daily Beast/Newsweek, by Souad Mekhennet (Casablanca, Morocco, July 20, 2113) — “Eat the Harira, eat while it’s hot. Don’t be ashamed,” the host insisted, repeating this polite order three more times. Harira is a thick soup of tomatoes, chickpeas, meat and various spices that Moroccan Muslims traditionally eat in the holy month of Ramadan during the time when they break the fast.

Only on this night, the host and cook of this Ramadan meal was a Jewish woman, Suzanne Abittan, who invited Muslim and Jewish neighbors and friends to her home in the city center of Casablanca, two floors above a synagogue.

Twelve people sat around a table laden with dates, traditional Moroccan pancakes, and sweets: nine women and three men—five of them Muslims and seven Jews.

“For generations Muslims and Jews grew up together here in Morocco, we are brothers and sisters and in some cases shared even the same mother’s milk,” Abittan said in a loud and strong voice, balancing a tray with hard boiled eggs and cut cucumbers as she walked from the kitchen into the living room.

The 59-year-old has worked for many years as a community outreach aide, helping poor families to access education for their children. “Jews and Muslims,” she said, “we don’t make a difference.”

But while the dinner symbolized a tolerance that has existed in this corner of the Maghreb for thousands of years, some Moroccans also worry about the effect of Arab Spring in their neighboring countries.

“All these countries are turning into chaos, the radicalization is increasing,” said Souad Fetouak, who works at the ministry of interior and is a friend of Abittan. Together they have created an association for tolerance to bring together Muslims, Jews and Christians in Casablanca.

“I am worried when I see what is happening in the countries around us,” said Fetouak, who is a Muslim. Her dark brown eyes looked over the table full of food and she sipped a cup of coffee—her first after a long day of fasting. “The countries are ending up in big messes.”

Above all, Fetouak said, she is concerned about the change in the mentalities and mindsets of people in the region. “Less tolerance and more issues for minorities,” she explained. She referenced a recent incident in Oujda, a city not far from the Algerian border. A female English professor had asked her college students to answer two questions on a final exam last month: “How does the history of the Jews prove their hatred towards other people?” and “How would you justify the fact that the immorality and misconduct of Judaism are basically due to a spiritual gap? Use historical facts to highlight your answers.”

Various organizations around the country protested after the exam questions came to light, including the Moroccan center for Human Rights (CMDH), whose president, Driss el-Yazami, said “we are still investigating the incident, but to us, this is a clear case of racism and clearly against human rights.” The professor, who was not reachable for comment, is apparently still teaching at the university.

“Of course it is not good when incidents like this one happen, but it is also important to see how fast the civil society has taken action against that,” said Serge Berdugo, head of the Jewish community in Morocco, during an interview in his office overlooking the old city of Casablanca.

“Apart from Morocco, Bahrain is the only other country in Islamic world where Jews are actively engaged into politics by the leadership.”

Morocco, he said, is facing the same challenges as all the other countries in the region right now—but it is finding different answers to the problems, in part because King Mohammed VI started the reform process in the country long time ago. “Don’t forget, the king here is commander of the faithful, which also includes Jews and Christians,” said Berdugo, who is the king’s ambassador-at-large.

Jews and Muslims in Morocco share a long history, Berdugo said, and that gave him and others in the Jewish community hope. While there are no exact statistics, between 3,000-4,000 Jews are living in Morocco—and worldwide, more than one million Jews claim Morocco as their country of origin. Many left Morocco between 1948, when Israel was created, and 1956, when Morocco won independence from the French protectorate.

It was King Mohammed V, the grandfather of the current king, who put Jews under his protection when Christian Europe had reached the peak of fascism and millions of Jews were being killed in the Nazi’s gas chambers and camps. At the time, the Vichy Government of France was trying to force its laws on Morocco, to compel Jews living in the European quarters of cities to move to the “mellahs,” or Jewish quarters. Morocco was also required to set quotas on the number of Jews who could serve as lawyers, doctors or public servants.

“My father was one of the public servants in Essaouira who lost his job, because of these laws,” Andre Azoulay, an advisor to King Mohammed, told me in a meeting at his home near Rabat. Azoulay has served 22 years as an advisor to two kings, Mohammed VI and his father, King Hassan II. Azoulay’s home boasts photographs of him with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, former German chancellor Helmut Kohl and U.S. president Bill Clinton.

During World War II Sultan Mohammed V, who later became King Mohammed V, took a strong stand against the Vichy regime and declared that Jews and Muslims should be treated equally, announcing that they and their property remained under the Sultan’s protection. And although the anti-Jewish sentiments increased in Arab countries after the announcement of the State of Israel, Mohammed V warned Muslims not to harm Moroccan Jews.

In 2011 Morocco cemented its multi-ethnic and multi-religious character in the constitution, which stated that, among others, the Jewish influences have “nourished” and “enriched” the nation’s identity and unity. The majority of Moroccans voted for the constitution in a referendum.

“This was a major and most important breakthrough not only in the history of Morocco but worldwide,” said Azoulay, adding that when people discuss clashes of civilizations and religions, this constitution was proving them wrong. “I am very proud of my people and my king, who made this possible,” he said.

To many in the West, Azoulay said, it may come as a shock and far beyond their ideas about Arab countries, when they hear that he, a Jew, is in such a high-level position in government. “Apart from Morocco, Bahrain is the only other country in Islamic world where Jews are actively engaged into politics by the leadership,” Azoulay said. He paused, before adding, “And both of the leaders are monarchs.”

With its blend of great weather, fine beaches and fascinating historical cities with a beguiling history and culture, Morocco makes for a compelling destination.

Ventures Africa (June 21, 2013) – There’s a large square in the ancient city of Marrakech that’s filled with crazy and intriguing sights. There are jugglers, acrobats, strolling tea vendors wearing colourful costumes and even snake charmers, musically enticing their skinny workmates out of little wicker baskets. As evening falls the square becomes more crowded still, as everyone gathers to watch dancers, listen to Arabian storytellers, marvel at magicians and shop at stalls selling traditional medicines or cooking enticing snacks.

This is Djemaa el-Fnaa, one of the busiest and perhaps the most vibrant squares in all of Africa. It’s also the gateway to a maze of narrow alleys that form a vast souk, or market, which for centuries has been a popular spot for tourists eager to absorb the intoxicating culture of Morocco. Nearby are hotels, cafes and gardens that offer a peaceful contrast to the bustle of the square and the melee of the market. The most famous is Majorelle Gardens, where plants from around the world grow amid ornamental lakes and an Art Deco villa, in a complex once owned by the renowned fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent. Outside the gardens a row of horse-drawn carriages are waiting to show you more of Marrakech, dubbed the red city because of its attractive red sandstone walls.

Djemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech is one of the busiest and most vibrant squares in all of Africa.

Marrakech is one of the most popular cities in Morocco, a country where the exotic names sound enticing even before you get there. Casablanca is another such place, the name conjuring up an image of romance. Casablanca is by far the largest city, with a population of 3.245 million. The city has certainly spruced itself up in recent years. As the country’s major cruise port, it also offers the best-developed tourist facilities. Its once poor area of Mâarif has been transformed into a well-heeled neighborhood with luxury shops and trendy boutiques.

In the city centre, the favorite entertainment district is Boulevard Mohammed V, with arcades of shops and restaurants running for almost two kilometres. Casablanca’s seaside resort is the Aïn-Diab coastal road lined with hotels and their private beaches, swimming pools and terrace bars where locals and tourists alike flock to watch the sunset and escape the heat of the city.

Casablanca’s Hassan II mosque, inaugurated in 1992 and one of the biggest mosques in the world, is splendid example of Moroccan architecture.

There’s also the thrill of adventure in the High Atlas Mountains and deserts, with the desert city of Ouarzazate keen to become the centre of Saharan tourism. You can rough it by riding a Jeep or a camel across the sand, try mountain climbing or pot holing, then camp under the stars or upgrade to five stars in one of its newly built hotels.

Agadir is a major coastal resort popular with sun seekers and also as a starting point for tours to the Atlas Mountains. It’s perfectly possible to combine most of the country’s attractions into one holiday, since getting around between the cities is pretty easy. There’s a good network of local flights and decent rail links as well as long-distance buses. Many travel agents also offer round-the country tours, either giving you a broad taste of everything or focusing on a specific interest, like history or desert adventures.

Kasbah du Toubkal in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains.

My favorite was the adventure that focused on food, since Morocco’s cuisine is an attraction in its own right, as rich in smells, flavors and colors as the cities themselves.

Couscous is the staple food, dressed with subtle spices and served with slowly-cooked meat and vegetables. Often it’s served with a tagine, the name of both the stew and the conical dish in which it is baked. A tagine can be made with meat, chicken or fish flavoured with fruits and vegetables, all cooked in its terracotta namesake. Another favorite is pastilla, a crisp and flaky pie of finely chopped pigeon, parsley, almonds and hard-boiled egg, then sweetened with honey cinnamon and sugar. It sounds bizarre, but it’s strangely addictive. Mint tea is one of the most popular drinks, often served with sweet and sticky pastries.

Recent World Economic Forum survey ranked Morocco in top 3 most welcoming countries to visit.

Another of Morocco’s big attractions is its relative safety and stability. It managed to avoid most of the political upheavals of the Arab Spring. Morocco’s rulers acted swiftly, with demonstrations across the country persuading the king to raise the minimum wage by 15 percent, raise the pay of civil servants, increase student scholarship and promise to revise the Constitution. King Mohammed also called for parliamentary elections, and the victorious Islamist party fielded a new prime minister. Protests still break out sporadically, but Morocco is one of the region’s safest countries for businessmen and tourists.

Business travel accounts for a relatively high 12.6 percent of total tourism spending, because Morocco is the third most popular country in Africa for staging large international conventions and conferences. Morocco hosted 23 large global or regional meetings in 2011, according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), ranking it as the 64th most popular destination in the world for business conferences. But don’t wait until you get invited to a meeting to enjoy the country.

Visitors can ride a camel across the Sahara desert and camp under the stars.

The fact that Unesco has labelled eight sites in Morocco as World Heritage Sites speaks volumes for its history. One of them is the medina in Tetouan, a charming and dazzling white-painted town where Andalusian and Arab architecture converge. The medina’s shaded alleyways are home to several different trading areas, including a jewellery quarter. The medina in Fez is another World Heritage site, a centuries-old marketplace that pulsates with life. These ancient souks can be crowded and daunting, so keep your wits about you and treat the over-enthusiastic haggling with good humor while you browse the odd exotica on display. Persistent traders will address you in multiple languages until they find the one you recognize. Arabic is the official language, while French is commonly used for business and is the unofficial second language. Spanish and English are heard more often, too, as the country makes a determined effort to boost its tourism sector.

Morocco’s Department of Tourism aims to make the country one of the top 20 tourism destinations in the world by 2020. The government has put together a credible plan to achieve this. Specific targets in its Vision 2020 manifesto include building new hotels, thereby providing 200,000 more beds, developing six internationally competitive coastal resorts on the Atlantic and Mediterranean shores, and upgrading regional airports to attract budget airlines. The government has also pledged to build new train and road links and improve the infrastructure to host more international conferences. On the cultural side, there are plans to restore historical monuments, build a new museum and enhance traditional festivals.

One of Morocco’s big attractions is its stability; it’s one of the region’s safest countries for visitors.

In the third season of “Game of Thrones” the ocean-facing walls and gates of Essaouira double as the backdrop for much of Daenerys Targaryen’s story. Oregonian

The Oregonian, by Erik Gauger (July 21, 2013) — “Water is life,” Hicham says while we eat barbecued fish on a coastal boardwalk in the fortress town of Essaouira.

“When Europeans come to Morocco, they are coming for all the sunshine. But here in Morocco, we celebrate the day when it rains. That is when everybody here is the happiest. In Morocco, rain controls the economy. If you don’t have enough rain, everybody suffers.”

Hicham, a family friend from the coastal city of Agadir, agreed to take off work for a week and act as my driver in Morocco.

The sky over the Atlantic coast is a deep blue, with only a few wispy, white clouds. If in Marrakech, the people find inspiration for their color palette in the sandstone hues of the desert and mountains, then in Essaouira, it is the sky and ocean, for Essaouira is a city of whitewashed walls and blue-painted shutters.

Essaouira’s harbor has fleet of boats painted in traditional blue hues city is known for. Boats make appearance in ‘Game of Thrones.’ Erik Gauger

On some doors, where the paint is scuffed down to the bare wood, you can see the history of the door: one decade painted ultramarine, the next, azure, and then maybe majorelle or cerulean; but it is blue all the way through, and the effect, of all this blue and white, against a blue sea and a blue sky, is of an enchanted sky fortress, disconnected from Earth.

But the blue paint is more connected to the sea than the sky, as is all of Essaouira’s history. The city sits right on the coast, facing out from a moon-shaped bay, which is protected by the Purple Islands. These islands shield the bay, and Essaouira, from the open sea.

The Purple Islands have always dictated the importance of the area. By 1,000 B.C., after 2,000 years of use of the area by indigenous Berber fishermen, Phoenician traders set up trading villages, and were lured by the presence of murex shells, which contained glands of pigmented mucus.

The pigment made of murex shells harvested in the Mediterranean and beyond is usually called Tyrian purple — reddish purple, rare and expensive throughout the ancient world and sought after by the great rulers of the Old World.

But the murex shells of the Purple Islands are not reddish-purple at all. These beautiful Hexaplex trunculus murex mollusks produce a range between indigo, royal blue and bluish-purple, and the hue is known today as Phoenician purple after the traders that built production facilities on the Purple Islands.

“Game of Thrones” connection

The blues we see today honor the history of the city’s 3,000-year relationship with the murex shells.

And you see that color throughout the city. A lovely bluish-purple, painted even on every wooden boat that fishes the Purple Islands each morning. Those bluish-purple boats are captured briefly as Slaver’s Bay in the third season of “Game of Thrones,” where the ocean-facing walls and gates of Essaouira double as the backdrop for much of Daenerys Targaryen’s story.

The ocean-facing walls and gates of the medieval fortress city of Essaouira, Morocco, double as Slaver’s Bay in the third season of the epic HBO series ‘Game of Thrones.’ Erik Gauger

After lunch, we drive to a small town at the southern end of Essaouira Bay, looking for access to the Oued Ksob River. For much of the past thirty years, the lone cafe in Diabat has been successful in propagating a story of how Jimi Hendrix lived here for some time in the 1960s, writing his famous songs on the beach.

Out beyond the high tide mark on the beach, a ruined 18th-century watchtower lies, like a fallen sandcastle. This, Moroccans from the area will exclaim, was the inspiration for Hendrix’s “Castles Made of Sand.” The purple murex dye, of course, was the inspiration for the psychedelic anthem, “Purple Haze.”

Hotels throughout the country claim that he stayed there, and in Essaouira, his presence is felt on the busier streets, in various forms. A rumor says that Hendrix wanted to buy the entire town of Diabat. Another states that he was in the planning stages of purchasing Mogador Island, the largest of the Purple Islands, but the Moroccan government was forced to stop the sale.

Others claim he was working on turning Diabat into a commune with the help of Cat Stevens and Bob Marley. And that he fathered many Moroccan children and also wanted to adopt a young Moroccan boy and bring him to Seattle. That while he was in Morocco, he drove around in a hippie van and met up with Timothy Leary.

Jimi Hendrix did visit Essaouira once, for a day or two. He stayed in a luxury hotel with a friend. But he never wrote songs here, and certainly never visited dusty Diabat.

We park the car on a bridge over the Oued Ksob and walk out through a series of improvised trails toward the mouth of the river. These river mouths in the desert, with their still water and wide clay mud flats, are magnets for birds. Today, a red kite floats in the sky above us, Mediterranean warbler species abound in the thickets and several species of sandpipers are in the river marshes. Closer toward the beach, we see stilts, terns and gulls. From here, we can see the ruined watchtower, the Purple Islands and the whitewashed walls of Essaouira.

I don’t think Hicham has ever looked at birds through binoculars before, but it’s a reward to see him in his skinny black jacket, fashionable black pants and black dress shoes investigating a handful of spoonbills.

Back to Marrakech

After the sun sets, and the blue hour sets over Essaouira, we drive the desert road back to Marrakech. It is amazing how quickly the stars become visible at night here. It extends that feeling of Essaouira being a sort of floating fortress, off on its own. The road is a straight one through rocky desert, so for much of the drive there is just black below, and lights above.

“What is the relationship between Morocco and the other Muslim and North African countries?” I ask Hicham. “They love us,” he says. “It is true that we have some problems with Algeria. But it is a problem with their government, not the people. We love the Algerian people. And everybody sees Morocco as the symbol for liberty. They love our liberty.”

This was how I had perceived Morocco as well: as a special exception within the Muslim states, as a progressive model for the rest of the Muslim world. A country that, far from the epicenter of places such as Saudi Arabia, had developed its own distinctly laid-back culture.

Freedom of the press, female politicians, secular political parties. This exception interested me keenly, particularly because of its relationship to my own state of Oregon. I explain this to Hicham.

“I see Morocco as being like what Oregon is to the United States. Both sit in the northwest corner and face out across a large ocean. Oregon is thousands of miles from Washington, D.C., and New York City. You are thousands of miles from Saudi Arabia. Both have a band of green along the coast, but the interior is dry, largely unpopulated desert. Both are largely rural, and both capture the hearts of their region.”

I tried to describe Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen, playing various Oregon stereotypes, and suggested that Morocco would be that place in a North African sketch comedy.

And then, in the distance, the warm lights of Marrakech.

If you go

To get to Essaouira, book a flight to Marrakech through Amsterdam, the best route from Portland if you want to keep your flight schedule to two flights each way.

Essaouira is a 2 1/2-hour drive from Marrakech and can be visited as a day trip or overnight from Marrakech. Any hotel in Marrakech will be able to arrange a driver for about $80. The road between Marrakech and Essaouira is a safe, modern road offering desert scenery, olive groves and argan trees.

Erik Gauger lives in Portland. His blog is illustrated with a large-format 4×5 camera, hand-painted sketches, watercolor maps and travel notes.