Morocco
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Social media fosters creative writing in the Maghreb
Published by Facebook
Social media has democratised literary publishing, paving the way for young Moroccan writers to publish works which previously would not have enjoyed publication through traditional outlets. By Ismail Azzam
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The High Atlas Foundation's pro-poor approach
Future-proofing Morocco
In Morocco, the High Atlas Foundation is running a pro-poor agro-forestry programme that aims to improve people’s livelihoods as well as the health of the natural environment. The key to success is the participatory approach that empowers marginalised villagers to take their fate into their own hands. By Kerstin Opfer
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Interfaith initiatives from Morocco to Jerusalem
Dialogue by design
Landscape architecture is a field that grapples with social inequality and spatial complexity – two characteristics that Jerusalem embodies. Sarah Turkenicz compares the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem with the Akrich tree nursery in Morocco and argues for a more sympathetic design approach when dealing with interfaith relations
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Interview with anthropologist Dieter Haller
Tangiers – end of a cosmopolitan era
Two years on from the publication of his book "Tangier: port, people and pleasure – an ethnographic study", anthropologist Dieter Haller met with Karima Ahdad to discuss the clash between indigenous inhabitants and newcomers, Tangierʹs international outlook against the backdrop of the city today and the desire of young Moroccans to emigrate
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The Arab Spring and the "Spring of Nations"
Failed revolutionaries?
What do Europeʹs "Spring of Nations" of 1848 and the Arab Spring have in common? Both revolutions it seems were doomed to failure, with those involved forced to endure a long and icy winter of restoration. And yet there is a glimmer of hope. An essay by the Egyptian historian Khaled Fahmy
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Moroccan school curricula
French, Arabic, Moroccan, Amazigh?
The debate about the status of Arabic in Moroccan schools continues unabated. With many of the existing colloquial dialects jockeying for recognition, Morocco faces a tough task when it comes to offering effective, balanced linguistic education for all. By Ali Anouzla
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Moroccoʹs Jewish legacy
The Rabbi of Essaouira
The presence of Jewish tradesmen helped shape the character of Essaouira in Morocco. Traces of the portʹs Jewish heritage are evident to this very day. Every year Jews from all over the world make a pilgrimage to Essaouira, keeping memories of the city’s Jewish character alive. By Claudia Mende
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The High Atlas Foundationʹs fruit tree nursery project
Muslim-Jewish goodwill blossoms in Morocco
Since 2012, the Moroccan Jewish community has been helping local farmers by donating land around ancient cemeteries for the planting of fruit tree nurseries. The aim: ending systemic rural poverty by transitioning from grain to crops more suited to local growing conditions. By Yossef Ben-Meir, director of the High Atlas Foundation
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Women's self-help project "Amal" in Morocco
The single mothers of Marrakesh
Single mothers in Morocco still experience social discrimination today. They upset the traditional image of the nuclear family, although that has long since become outdated. The "Amal" project in Marrakesh supports theses mothers, who are often among the poorest members of society. By Claudia Mende
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Film review: "Kilikis, the town of owls"
The power of reflected suffering
Directed by Azalarabe Alaoui, the Moroccan film "Kilikis, the town of owls", though not a documentary, is based on the notorious Tazmamarat prison, where political opponents were incarcerated during the reign of the late King Hassan II. Time to face up to the past? By Ismail Azzam
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Book review: Mahi Binebine's novel "Le Fou du roi"
At His Majesty's pleasure
Mahi Binebine's father spent 35 years at the court of the Moroccan King Hassan II, not as a diplomat or a minister, but as the king's jester. Although the storyline sounds like something straight out of the Arabian Nights, it is in fact based on real events. By Volker Kaminski
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Book review: Saphia Azzeddineʹs "Bilqiss"
"Just being born a woman is a provocation"
"Bilqiss" is a provocative novel that hit French bookstands in 2015, telling a sardonic tale of a courageous woman in an unidentified Muslim country where it is a crime to read poetry, use make-up or own lingerie. By Dagmar Wolf