Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
September 1, 2008

Morocco biggest market for micro finance in Mediterranean region, FEMIP.
Brussels, Aug.15

Morocco is the largest market for micro finance in the Mediterranean region, with nearly half of clients, reported the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), which is under the European Investment Bank (EIB). In its latest report, the FEMIP underlined that the micro finance sector is experiencing strong growth, noting that the amount of disbursed funds totalled $727.4 mln by the end of 2007. This sum benefited 1.32 mln active customers, including 63.9% of women.

Noting that Morocco has a well-developed financial sector, the report hailed the establishment of one-stop shops in Morocco to facilitate the creation of enterprises, as well as the interest, displayed by public authorities, in developing tourism sector and infrastructure. The report also highlighted the progress achieved in the area of governance, noting that "the strong desire of public authorities to improve the quality of services provided by the administrations has helped the implementation of reforms." "Further progress has also been documented as regards improving economic transparency," the document added, recalling that Morocco has recently adopted new banking regulations aimed at increasing the transparency of transactions and combating bribery and money laundering.

The report pointed out that, in 2007, the FEMIP disbursed some € 1.4 bln to its Mediterranean partners (notably Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebannon), with 68% of the financing going to private companies.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_biggest_mark/view
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Morocco earns 'Honorable Mention' of UNESCO International Reading Association Literacy Prize.
Paris, Aug. 26

Morocco was awarded the "Honorable Mention" of the Unesco International Reading Association Literacy Prize, MAP Paris learnt from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Tuesday. According to information disclosed by the UNESCO, this distinction was granted to the Moroccan association "Integration" for its outstanding work with the visually impaired and blind.Its program "Reading Access for the Visually Impaired in Marrakech" is an exceptional contribution to the efforts of universalizing literacy, the UN body added.

Literacy projects in Brazil, Ethiopia, South Africa and Zambia have won four UNESCO International Literacy Prizes this year. The winners were proclaimed in the French capital by the UNESCO Director-General, Koïchiro Matsuura, on the recommendation of an international jury. The awards will be granted on September 08, in Paris, on the occasion of the International Literacy Day.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/culture/morocco_earns__honor/view
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Moroccans worry about Ramadan, school expenses .
By Sarah Touahri 2008-08-22

Anticipated increases in food prices during the month of Ramadan have Moroccans worried, particularly given the rise in the cost-of-living index since last year. Food prices are already through the roof and the approach of both the new school year and Ramadan, with its high levels of consumption, is causing Moroccan households more stress than usual.

Morocco's High Planning Commission (HCP) announced on Monday (August 18th) that the cost-of-living index in July 2008 was 5.1% higher than the same month a year ago. Food prices were particularly affected, registering a price increase of 9.1%. Non-food products saw a rise of 1.8%.

A combination of higher oil prices and a shortage of domestically-produced grain are major contributing factors to the price hikes. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Morocco's production of the soft wheat used to produce flour and bread rose considerably in 2008, but "the quantity harvested is not sufficient to meet the needs of the industrial flour mills".

In an effort to guarantee steady supplies and price stability for grain for the month of Ramadan, the government suspended import duties on soft wheat on August 16th. The State also plans to absorb the costs of transporting imported wheat from ports to the mills, and to offer free warehousing for grain until it runs out.

Nonetheless, the greatest difficulty in coping with the rising cost of living will fall upon average and low income wage earners, many of whom look to the expenses of Ramadan with trepidation. Hamid Sefrioui, a public sector worker, told Magharebia he is having difficulty preparing for the month of Ramadan. "The cost of living is going up much faster than pay. We feel the squeeze on our pockets. I'm thinking about taking out a loan so that I can manage to get through Ramadan, because we consume twice as much this month," he said.

Amira Boughlala, a mother, said that while in the past she would plan to spend twice as much during Ramadan, things are different this year. "In principle, prices go up during this period because demand is very high," she said. "If you add the price hikes we've become accustomed to with the inflation we've seen over the past few months, it will spell ruin for poor families and those on modest incomes."

The simultaneous start of the new school year only adds to the financial burden on Moroccan families. Jilali Benadir, a teacher, cannot hide his anguish when considering the money he will soon have to pay out."I have two children in a private school," he told Magharebia. "I must pay 4,500 dirhams for just one month’s school fees and equipment; this is more than my salary. Add to that the expense of Ramadan."

"I don't know what to do any more," he said, perplexed. "I've really tried to save up, but it hasn't worked."
In related news, King Mohammed VI called on the government on Wednesday to adopt a set of measures designed to "strengthen the purchasing power of citizens, control prices and combat corruption", MAP reported. The king stressed that a consumer protection code targeting abuse of power, extortion, corruption and tax fraud is critical at a time when food costs are up by 9.1%. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/08/22/feature-02
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King announces the launch of an operation to provide needy children with schoolbooks and stationery.
Tetouan (north) Aug.20

King Mohammed VI of Morocco, on Wednesday, announced the launching of a nation-wide operation to provide one million needy children with schoolbooks and stationery, in order "to help deprived families cope with the costs of the new school year." This operation aims at giving a "new momentum to the generalization of compulsory basic education, promote equal opportunity and tackle the drop-out problem," said the king in a nationwide speech marking the 55th anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People.

The monarch said that this operation will mostly be funded by the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), the authorities and institutions concerned, local governments and trustworthy institutions and associations. "These steps reflect my determination to make sure the emergency program for the reform of education is properly implemented," the king pointed out.

In this regard, the king urged the government “to prepare a well-thought-out program to provide accommodation for male and female teachers who are assigned to rural areas.” “various contract and partnership formulas for the execution of this program should be considered,” he said. “Through this initiative, the king noted, we want to make sure teachers and the staff involved in education in rural areas - especially in remote regions - are offered good working conditions which are conducive to stability and which will help them carry out their educational mission properly.”
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/king_announces_the_l/view
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Unemployment down in Morocco, but it’s still a long road
Compiled by Daily New Egypt August 22, 2008  RABAT

Morocco's unemployment rate, long a concern, has dropped steadily so far this year, on the back of services and construction growth. Further reforms to bolster competition and openness will help this trend continue. The State High Planning Commission announced on Aug. 7 that the Kingdom's official unemployment rate dropped to 9.1 percent in the second quarter, down from 9.6 percent in the first. This leaves Morocco with some 1.03 million people still unemployed, compared to 1.06 million at the end of March. Unemployment stood at 9.8 percent at the end of 2007, up 0.1 percent from the end of 2006.

Urban areas saw particularly strong growth, and the services and construction sectors were the two leading drivers of job creation. Services generated some 152,000 new jobs, with the business process outsourcing (BPO) and telecoms sector proving particularly dynamic. Meanwhile, government infrastructure projects, as well as heavy private investment in the real estate and tourism sectors helped boost the construction sector, which created 80,000 new jobs in the second quarter.

The latest figures will satisfy both the government and international organizations, up to a point. Some will question their accuracy, as they fail to include people who are not officially registered as jobless, and therefore ignore fluctuating employment levels in the informal sector.

Nonetheless, the trend of falling unemployment rates is a positive one. Joblessness has long been a cause for serious concern in North Africa.
Morocco has a lower rate than its Maghreb neighbors — Tunisia has a rate of around 13.9 percent, and Algeria announced a figure of 12.3 percent — but the issue is still a pressing one, for both economic and social reasons. A 2006 government report suggested that the Kingdom needed a net increase of 400,000 jobs annually for the next two decades in order to provide enough employment for its people. The document suggested that to fail to do so would risk unemployment and poverty, which could lead to social unrest, something that all countries would understandably like to avoid. It would cause particular worries in Morocco, jeopardizing the country's long-standing reputation of stability.

Moreover, with Spanish construction firms facing much leaner times, Morocco may soon face a new challenge of workers returning from across the Gibraltar Straits, potentially putting further pressure on the authorities to create jobs. With 30.5 percent of Morocco's population of 34.3 million aged 14 or younger, according to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), job creation for the young is one of the government's major priorities. Figures from 2007 indicate that 17.6 percent of those in the 15-24 age group are unemployed.

This proportion rises to around one third in urban areas — rural communities often employ the young in agriculture, including on the family farm, as soon as they leave school, contributing to relatively high youth employment rates (lower levels of official unemployment registration are also a factor).

The government's efforts to cut back a bloated bureaucracy have helped trim the public sector's payroll and ease the burden on the private sector. In 2006, for example, the government introduced a voluntary retirement scheme for the public sector, under which those opting to quit are not replaced. However, these programs have created unemployment worries among the middle classes and educated young people, who might have previously looked forward to a secure posting in the civil service as the payoff for university education.

Therefore the growth of employment in BPO and other technical fields, which tend to take on young graduates, is a very welcome trend. If the sector's growth continues, it could be a vindication of the government's policy of whittling down public sector bureaucracy, as these footloose industries tend to locate themselves in countries with a light regulatory touch and low levels of taxation. Indeed, in an increasingly competitive global economy — particularly for services like BPO — the authorities could usefully press ahead with supply-side reforms to ensure that Morocco remains an attractive location for investment, particularly in the service sector.

Countries — including Morocco — that have liberalized labor markets making it easier to hire and fire workers, have often reaped a dividend of lower unemployment. Lower taxation and easing the bureaucratic burden would further promote business startups and job creation. Meanwhile, Morocco's strong trade ties with the EU have supported the growth of export-oriented industries, but commerce across the Maghreb region remains underdeveloped — a missed opportunity, given the potential for job creation should these fast-growing economies allow intra-trade to thrive.

Morocco's liberalization has seen joblessness fall and allowed growth rebound after a tough year in 2007. Continuing the drive for competitiveness and flexibility will help the country continue to thrive — and provide jobs for its young people. This article reprinted with permission from Oxford Business Group.
http://dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=15931
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King urges govt. to extend current tax scheme for agriculture till the end of 2013.
Tetouan (north) Aug.20

King Mohammed VI of Morocco, on Wednesday, urged the government "to see that the current tax scheme for agriculture remains in force till the end of 2013." "For this purpose, I am keen to set up, for agriculture, a tax scheme based on the principles of fiscal justice, social solidarity and the need to preserve the competitiveness of agricultural activities," underlined the sovereign in a nationwide speech marking the 55th anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People. "All such steps must fit in with general harmony of the nation's fiscal system," the monarch said, calling on the government "to consider a suitable, gradual tax system for the farming sector."

The new tax system "should be adapted and enforced as from the adoption of the 2014 appropriation bill," the king noted, insisting that the system “should take into consideration the social conditions of smallholders. We should continue to show solidarity with farmers by providing subsidies for traditional cultivation practices and small-scale food crop farming.”

He also urged the government “to enforce legislative and institutional mechanisms designed to enhance the citizens’ purchasing power, ensure price control and fight corruption,” calling on the legislative and executive branches “to expedite the adoption of a Consumer Protection Code.” « At the same time, we have to see to it that free pricing and competition laws are strictly enforced, and that the Competition Council is operating properly in order to achieve good governance in the economic field”, the monarch said.

As part of cleaning up the public service, the king underlined that “a central anti-corruption authority should be set up.” “Citizens understand that the high cost of living may well be the result of soaring prices on the international market, but they refuse to be the victims of greedy speculators and middlemen, or to pay the price for possible failure by the public authorities to fully enforce the law and prevent wrongdoing or abuse. The free market philosophy does not mean chaos or robbery,” the sovereign said.

“Everyone must therefore remain vigilant so that the rule of law prevails. We have to make sure that an independent judiciary, together with control and accountability agencies put an end to impunity and sanction speculators and wrongdoers,” the king pointed out. “This is particularly true when it comes to people’s livelihood, and to the adverse effects that speculation, exploitation, rent-seeking, cronyism, plundering of public assets, embezzlement, corruption, abuse of power and tax fraud can have on people’s lives,” the monarch underlined. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/king_urges_govt._to/view
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Over 200k people benefited from housing financing program, ministry.
Rabat, Aug. 27

Over 200,000 people from underprivileged social classes had access to housing thanks to the government funding program, known by its French acronym FOGARIM, a press release of the Housing Ministry said on Tuesday. Some 40,000 housing loans were granted up to July, i.e. a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2007, the press release added.

FOGARIM was created in 2005 as part of the government's bid to ease access to descent housing to individuals with low or irregular income. This low-cost housing has provided up to 350,000 housing units for about two million inhabitants, Housing Minister, Ahmed Taoufiq Hejira, has revealed recently. He said sixty cities across Morocco have benefited from the program, also known as social housing, and that the tax cuts decided in 2002 were intended to speed up the production pace and provide affordable social housing. The move has allowed a number of medium salary-earners to buy an apartment, since 70% of buyers earn a monthly salary of about USD 450, he said.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/over_200k_people_ben/view
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Two Moroccan movie projects granted € 700k by EU.
Brussels, Aug. 27

The European Union will provide some € 700k to fun two Moroccan cinema projects under the European-fostered program "the Media International Preparatory Action", the European Commission (EC) reported.

The first project, that will receive some € 111,624, deals with supporting Euro-Mediterranean movie industry under the coordination of Europa Cinemas (France) and the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM), whereas the second one, dubbed Media international, aims at developing the first international network of cinemas.

The funds granted to Morocco are part of an initial sum of €2 mln offered by the EU to 18 projects involving partners from Canada, Latin America, India, China, South Korea, Japan, Bosnia, Turkey and Georgia, the EC explained, noting that these projects include joint training of film professionals, reciprocal promotion of films and cooperation between cinema networks. "The idea of a culturally diverse and innovative film sector is triggering a strong desire for cooperation between Europeans and third country professionals. The positive reactions to the Commission's call for projects is a good preview of the EU's role in supporting cooperation that can create new business opportunities and boost Europe's audiovisual industries," said the EU Media Commissioner Viviane Reding in that regard.

"With the current MEDIA programme is already earning accolades for its impact at European level, such as funding Oscar and Palme d'Or winners, it will be exciting to see it play on a world stage. This is definitely an important coming attraction for film fans who will now have more opportunities to watch films from all over the world," she added.

The proposals accepted are part of a preparatory action called MEDIA International, for which the European Parliament voted a budget of €2 million last December. It aims mainly to explore ways of reinforcing cooperation between European and third country professionals from the audiovisual industry.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/last_culture/two_moroccan_movie_p/view
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Moroccan music festivals liberate feet, minds
Alfred De Montesquiou, Associated Press  Sunday, August 24, 2008

This is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, but you wouldn't know it from the music festivals. The Casablanca festival turns the commercial capital into an urban Woodstock, with masses of young people clogging the mosque-filled streets and partying to the pulse of hip-hop, rock, pop and Arabic music. An estimated 2 million people attend free concerts at a dozen venues each year, many snapping up the action on their cell phones.

Casablanca is only one of about 400 yearly festivals sponsored by authorities across the country, not to mention the sports, dancing and singing contests organized on popular beaches every summer.

The promotion of culture and leisure by Morocco's moderate government has a political undertone. The country's increasingly powerful Islamist groups view it as a deliberate attempt to deviate youth from traditional Islamic values. Even some government officials admit the aim of the merrymaking is to promote the liberal values they'd like to see society embrace rather than radical Islam.

Most youth don't see it that way. They just enjoy the free music and the opportunity to party in this country of 34 million where unemployment is particularly high among young adults and where parents usually keep a tight grip on their children. "I like these concerts. ... The artists are role models for young people," said 19-year-old Fadoua Hakki at a hip-hop event in Casablanca. Oumaima, 17, praised the "big strides" made by the new generation of homegrown Moroccan rappers. "They're very good, and they voice our concerns," she said.

The streets full of trendy teenagers dancing to the Tecktonik craze that has swept Europe stand in striking contrast to the near-medieval living conditions in Morocco's countryside or the sprawling slums around Casablanca, which have become a hotbed of Islamism. Such festivals would be unheard of in more rigorous Muslim states, where the mixing of boys and girls, free sale of alcohol or even dancing in public can be forbidden. But Morocco, a strong U.S. ally and a major tourism destination, prides itself on a cultural diversity that allows scantily clad girls to attend a concert side by side with women wearing Islamic head scarves.

Artists in Casablanca this year included international reggae and hip-hop stars. The yearly Gnaoua mystical music festival in the resort town of Essaouira attracts top jazz and rock players, and in Rabat, Morocco's capital, this year's edition of the Mawazine world music fest included Whitney Houston's return to the stage, jazzman George Benson and French electro DJ David Vendetta.

Mawazine takes place a stone's throw from King Mohammed VI's palace and under his direct patronage. Organizers say bringing in big names to festivals reflects Morocco's traditions of mixing cultures and people from Europe and Africa. "That openness can only continue if there is an exposure to cultures from the rest of the world," said Ahmed Ammor, the head of the Casablanca festival organizing committee. "It's part of the king's project for society. That's why you see a festival in nearly every town."

With a budget of about $3.18 million, Ammor's festival remains the largest. Like many official events in Morocco, it is half funded by public money and half by large companies close to the government. Ammor himself works for free, presiding the rest of the time over a subsidiary of the national carrier Royal Air Maroc.

Major police presence can been seen around most festivals, as at any other public event in Morocco. Organizers say unruliness is rare, noting that parents often attend with their children and then take them home. But many have qualms with all this revelry. Some critics say funding the stars' contracts costs the state a fortune. Others deplore the import of Western music such as rap, which they accuse of corrupting Moroccan youth. Others still say the large spring festivals are badly timed because they interfere with exam periods.

"There are too many festivals in Morocco. ... As soon as one finishes, another starts. No wonder young people don't read anymore," said Zine Eddine Bekkal, a Casablanca shopkeeper. The most vocal critics are usually affiliated with the Islamists, who hold growing sway in Morocco. The gap between the educated, wealthy and Westernized elite and the vast majority of the impoverished population has been widening.

"We stand against the debauchery observed during these festivals," the leader of Morocco's biggest authorized Islamist group, the Justice and Development Party, Abdelilah Benkirane, said on a state TV talk show. "Have you seen the type of groups they invite? The suggestive, scantily clad women?" he was quoted as saying by the liberal-leaning TelQuel weekly magazine.

More hard-line Islamist groups, like the semilegal Justice and Charity movement - viewed as the largest in Morocco - see more than bad morality to the partying. "It's not only dissolute, it's cynical," said Nadia Yassine, spokeswoman for the movement and the daughter of its founder, Sheikh Yassine. "It's like ancient Rome: bread and circus to keep the masses happy," she said, accusing the government of trying to divert public attention from Morocco's lasting problems, such as unemployment, poverty and corruption.

Moroccan government officials say the drive for culture comes within a wider plan to improve public education and build new infrastructure throughout the destitute hinterland. But they also gingerly admit they are waging a struggle for the hearts and minds of the country's youth.

One high-ranking Interior Ministry official, who spoke anonymously because this is not a publicly avowed government policy, recalled how some Islamists began speaking out against public beaches. Groups walked the seafront to preach for better morals and fewer bikinis, or set up segregated areas. "No one wants to be bothered on the beach, so people began shying away," the official said.

The government's reaction was to promote sports and leisure activities as well as song and dance contests on beaches during the summer, he said. "Sure, this bothers the 'bearded ones,' " grinned the official, using a slightly derogatory slang to refer to Islamists because of the long beards they often grow.

Ammor, the festival organizer, said the government is on a mission to make Morocco a place where Arab and Western cultures can interplay, rather than dwell on the growing tensions of the past decade. "People call it a clash of civilizations," he said. "I think it's a clash of ignorance."

This article appeared on page A - 15 of the San Francisco Chronicle
  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/23/MNVT12DQ9V.DTL
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Unique Flavors Of Morocco Available In Old Saybrook.
Web Host Melissa Pionzio | The Hartford Courant  August 22, 2008 OLD SAYBROOK

When they opened their Moroccan market and café together in 2005, Mohammed and Kathleen Benjdid offered a somewhat standard menu of mayonnaise-laden cold cut sandwiches and products similar to those found in many convenience stores. But nearly four years and six menus later, the couple have slowly introduced the flavor-packed Moroccan sandwiches, wraps, dishes and products that were such a part of Mohammed's culture and upbringing in his Moroccan home-town of Tissa -- which is also the name the Benjdids selected for their business.

"I started to change it, moving and shifting, adding more and more Moroccan dishes," said Mohammed of his Tissa's Market and Café menu. "Instead of mayonnaise, I would mix pesto with olive oil and use it in a sandwich or wrap. People would say saffron, what's that? Once they got used to the different flavors I would add different Moroccan dishes to the menu."

Items like the Ojja breakfast sandwich with eggs, lamb sausage, salsa, Harissa (made from chili peppers) and provolone on a French baguette; Moroccan lemon chicken with carrots, onions, olives, sauteed onions, lemon and fresh spinach and goat cheese and the humus wrap with roasted red peppers, artichokes, Kalamata olive tapenade, cucumber and mixed greens. Top that with gourmet coffees, fruit smoothies, fresh made breads and Kathy's home made cakes, dessert squares and tarts, and meal-time becomes a whole lot more interesting.

Mohammed also began to offer Taste of Morocco Fridays in the fall and winter months and Mediterranean Fridays in the summer, to give his customers the opportunity to sample different types of dishes and to build his pre-made, take-home meal selections.

"That way, I was able to know what people liked so I could make dishes that people could take home for dinner," he said.

In addition to the savory fare that is cooked fresh and can be eaten right away, Tissa's refrigerators are also stocked with selections of Mohammed's home-made humus, spicy Moroccan carrot dip, traditional Harira and white bean soups, stuffed grape leaves and Tagine-style meals with chicken, lamb or beef. On a recent visit to the market, the refrigerator shelves were nearly empty. But Mohammed will mostly likely have them re-stocked once the busy lunch crowed subsides. "I can't keep the humus and the spicy Moroccan dip in there. As soon as I make it it's gone," said Mohammed, who has plans to offer Mediterranean cooking classes this winter.

In place of standard convenience store cereals, packaged cookies, candies and canned soups, Tissa's shelves are stocked with colorful rows of Mediterranean products such as flavored teas, Turkish coffee, exotic spices and containers of eggplant, olives, peppers, lentils and couscous. There is also a small selection of Moroccan-made shoes and handbags; simple, yet elegant tunics and pants for men and gorgeous multi-hued kaftan gowns for women – in casual linen or formal silks - all hand embellished with embroidery and sequins. "There is such amazing handwork on these kaftans," Kathy said admiringly, as she handled a portion of a kaftan's lemon yellow silk underdress, to reveal that the seam had been sewn over with fancy metallic piping.

Pottery such as terra-cotta Tagine cooking ware, enameled bowls and plates, glass tea sets and hand-painted lamps and wall sconces are also sold. The products, which can be used every day, are also appropriate for Ramadan, an important, month-long Islamic holiday that encourages fasting, prayer, charity and self-accountability. This year, the holiday begins on Aug. 31 and continues through Sept. 29.

Mohammed says he learned his culinary skills from his mother, whose cooking is so good it is often sought after for local weddings and important events in Tissa. As a boy he learned to grow and use fresh produce while working on the large farm his father managed, where a variety of products including olives, corn for the milking cows, figs, lemons, grapefruits and oranges, artichokes and melons were grown, along with changing crops of soy beans, sunflowers or chick peas. "People ask me if I went to school to learn to cook and I say 'no, you are born with it,'" said Mohammed. "It is life that you learn it from."

Tissa's Market and Café' is located at 855 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook. For information, call 860-395-1781 or visit www.tissascountrymarket.com. from http://www.courant.com/community/news/mr/hc-itowns-1tissas-story,0,724913.story
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Morocco to launch anti-corruption authority.
By Sarah Touahri  2008-08-26

Moroccan politicians and civil society leaders welcomed the creation of a new anti-corruption authority in Morocco but cautioned against its affiliation to the government. The Central Authority for the Prevention of Corruption, first authorised in a decree last year but never realised, moved closer to becoming an actual government entity when King Mohammed VI appointed Abdesselam Boudrar, one of the founding members of Transparency Maroc, as its chief.

In an August 20th speech, the monarch called on the government to work actively to see that the body becomes a reality. "In our efforts to ensure that public affairs are conducted in an ethical manner, we must now establish the Central Authority for the Prevention of Corruption… It behoves all of us to show vigilance and resolve, to obey the rule of law and the authority of an independent institution and to make use of monitoring and accountability mechanisms in order to put an end to impunity and tackle corrupt behaviour and fraud," the King announced.

According to the March 2007 decree, the new body will be responsible for oversight and information-gathering regarding corruption and co-ordinate anti-corruption policy. Made up of representatives of various ministerial departments and organisations, the authority will be accountable to the prime minister. Although it has been hailed by numerous politicians and civil society figures, some have criticised the body's lack of independence from the government.

Transparency Maroc Secretary-General Rachid Filali Meknassi told Magharebia that it is now essential to establish the body so that the endemic phenomenon of corruption can be addressed. He also commented that the King’s announcement sends out a clear political message to the government that it should now lend its weight to these efforts.

Meknassi noted that the authority will have a purely consultative role: "Its purpose is not to initiate legal proceedings or launch inquiries." "I hope the authority will be not just a forum for discussion, but rather a body capable of coming up with concrete solutions," he added. The president of the Committee for Justice and Legislation within the lower house of parliament said that the body’s affiliation with the prime minister’s office will prevent it from carrying out its mission effectively. "It is imperative that this authority be independent so that it can look into all cases of corruption, no matter how sensitive," Mohamed Ansari commented.

Deputy and lawyer Fatima Mustaghfir told Magharebia that unless the efforts of all players within society are consolidated, the new authority will not be able to combat the growing phenomenon of corruption in Moroccan culture. "We need to have a large-scale media campaign to change people’s attitudes and raise their awareness of the dangers of corruption. The King’s announcement that the authority is to be created is a sign of the scale of the phenomenon. All national institutions must unite to put an end to this problem," she said.

Morocco still languishes near the bottom of Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. Its position improved slightly in 2007 from 79th to 72nd of the 179 countries studied by the NGO. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/08/26/feature-03
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Morocco abounds with entertaining and creative festivals.
By Sarah Touahri  2008-08-27

As the number of festivals grows each year in Morocco, the Ministry of Culture is handing the reins of festival organisation and management over to civil society and regional authorities. The number of festivals organised in Morocco is increasing year after year. Even the smallest towns have taken to hosting events, to coax their residents out of isolation and into active participation in local and national social life.

Currently, the Ministry of Culture organises 17 regional festivals each year. Civil society and local authorities organise more than 13 others, and enthusiasts of the silver screen have at least 30 film festivals to choose from. The increase in festivals has been concurrent with a trend towards local control of their organisation and management."Starting this year, the seventeen festivals previously organised by the ministry will be handed over to the regions and communes," said Culture Minister Touriya Jabrane. "We shall provide our financial subsidy, but that is where our contribution will stop. From now on, the ministry is to manage just three festivals directly: The Volubilis Festival, the Meknès Drama Festival and the Casablanca Book Fair," the minister said. "This is part of our future strategy, where our involvement in all cultural events will be simply that of regulator, co-ordinator and evaluator," Jabrane added.

Art critic Mahmoud Meziane explained to Magharebia that the burgeoning number of festivals is an opportunity to establish exchanges with other cultures and increase the visibility of Moroccan art. "Festivals in Morocco have never been so numerous, so diverse in theme and so widely distributed geographically... A festival enables the public to be educated, it encourages people to go to cinemas for example; and as a result, we're seeing the nation's art flourish," he said.

Young people in particular are delighted with the multitude of festivals and view them as an opportunity to have fun and to discover new talent. Sofiane Bandali, a young musician, told Magharebia that thanks to festivals such as Mawazine, young people have been able to find a way into the hearts of the Moroccan people. "Without these events, young people cannot gauge the public's reaction and continue to perform and innovate... Young troupes have been able to showcase their talent in recent years, performing live in various places across Morocco," he added.

Student Karim Boudali likes the festivals because they provide a good source of entertainment. "We can't wait for these annual events," he said, "even though some of the festivals are poorly timed, because they clash with the examination season." Music teacher Ahmed Meliane told Magharebia that above all, festivals encourage young people to explore their abilities. "The festivals held in recent years have enabled musical trends among young people to seen, along with their creativity. It's a real push in the right direction for art." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/08/27/feature-03
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The flavor of Morocco in your kitchen
Story published at magicvalley.com on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 The Washington Post

This slightly sweet dish can be served with couscous or as an accompaniment to grilled meats or fish. It is seasoned with ras el hanout, a classic spice mixture used in Moroccan cooking.

Adapted from "Flavors of Morocco: Delicious Recipes From North Africa," by Ghilli Basan (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2008).

Moroccan Ratatouille With Dates (6 to 8 servings)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion, cut in half lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin slices
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, cut in half lengthwise (seeds and ribs removed), then cut crosswise into thin slices
1 medium eggplant, trimmed (peeled or unpeeled) and cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
2 medium zucchini, trimmed (unpeeled) and cut crosswise into thin slices
8 ounces pitted dates, cut in half lengthwise
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice
2 teaspoons homemade or store-bought ras el hanout
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 to 7 stems flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onion begins to soften. Add the bell pepper, eggplant and zucchini and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the zucchini flesh picks up a yellow color but is still a little firm. Add the dates, tomatoes and the spice mixture, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes; taste for sweetness and add the sugar, if desired, stirring to combine. Cook, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among individual plates and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve hot.

Per serving (based on 8): 195 calories, 3 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 233 mg sodium, 7 g dietary fiber.

Ras el Hanout

This is a version of the classic spice mixture used in Moroccan cooking. Makes 1/4 cup.

Grains of paradise, called for as an optional ingredient, are hot and pungent West African seeds with hints of ginger, cardamom, coriander and citrus. They are available at specialty markets and through online gourmet purveyors. Ras el hanout mixtures also are available at specialty markets.

1 teaspoon whole or ground allspice
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon whole cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1-inch piece galangal (optional)
1 piece long, thin red pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon grains of paradise (optional)

Combine the allspice, cinnamon stick, mace, cayenne pepper and the cardamom, coriander and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat. Dry-roast for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan often, until the spices are fragrant. Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder; add the cloves, ginger and black peppercorns and the galangal, red pepper and grains of paradise, if using. Grind to a powder. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place until ready to use.

Adapted from "The Revised and Updated Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics," by the editors of Martha Stewart Living (Clarkson Potter, 2007).
http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2008/08/20/features/wednesday/142688.txt
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For Bread Alone
by Mohamed Choukri translated from the Arabic by Paul Bowles
Telegram 2006 A book review by Danny Yee © 2008 http://dannyreviews.com/

Mohamed Choukri's autobiographical novel For Bread Alone describes a bleak childhood and youth in Morocco. Fleeing drought and starvation in the Rif, his family comes to Tangier and then Tetuan. Most of his siblings die, of neglect or starvation or abuse, but he survives the beatings of his father, the pangs of hunger, and the dangers of the street. He lives by begging, petty theft, prostitution, smuggling and occasional work, and he learns to enjoy sex, drugs and alcohol. For Bread Alone ends with Mohamed's decision to learn how to read and write, inspired by a chance meeting in prison — and he went on to become a writer and a lecturer in Arabic literature.

This narrative is grounded in direct experience and the immediate concerns of everyday existence. Other characters appear and disappear without explanation and there's little that connects with the broader world, apart from peripheral involvement in the rioting that came with independence in 1952.

For Bread Alone is a superficially sordid story, but it is told in a matter-of-fact way, using sparse, simple language and dialogue, and the thoughts and experiences of the down-and-out Mohamed seem entirely natural. The result is compelling rather than depressing, a strikingly memorable account of life in the Moroccan underclass.

Note: For Bread Alone was written in classical Arabic, but translated via colloquial Moroccan with the assistance of the author.
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Guardian book club: A lot of questions, no answers.
John Mullan on Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud. Week one: the child narrator
John MullanThe Guardian, Saturday August 23 2008 Article history

Near the end of Hideous Kinky, the unnamed child narrator and her elder sister accompany their mother as she goes out begging in the streets of Marrakech. Her mother's Moroccan boyfriend has written a letter in Arabic ("In the name of God I am a stranger in your town, fallen on a hard moment ...") devised to extract small sums from the locals. When they meet an American tourist, however, he wants to know more about them before he gives them anything. "Who was Mum? Where was she from? Why didn't she have any money?" He wants to help, he says, but he evidently has to be "utterly convinced by our story". Her mother becomes impatient: he is interrupting her "begging time". "Can't you see I'm working?"

The American wants to know the "story" and so do we. But by having a child narrator Esther Freud has denied the "story" to us, just as it is denied to him. Who is the narrator's mother? Why is she in Morocco? Why do the friends who accompany her there then leave? We can infer answers, but we are not told them. Basic information is missing because the narrator, being a child, would not think to give it to us - thus her namelessness - or does not know it. How old is "Mum"? What did she do before she came to Morocco? Who occasionally, unpredictably sends money to them? (Going to the bank to see if money has arrived is one of their main activities.) Which of her mother's various male friends does she sleep with?

Much does not occur to the narrator. The book-jacket blurb tells us that this is the 1960s, but nothing in the narrative says so. We are in the timeless zone of childhood. What information we get is dropped incidentally. Almost halfway through the novel the narrator suddenly mentions "the tinkling of Mrs Maynard's sweetshop door on the pantiles in Tunbridge Wells" (inevitably and comically, her fearlessly alternative mother hails from this home counties bastion). It is ordinary for parents not to tell children things. "Mum wouldn't say where we were going." But in this novel the lack of explanation is out of the ordinary. Some of the absent information is rather important to the narrator. In conversation she wonders who her father is. At Christmas a parcel of sweets and children's books arrives, and their mother tells them who has sent it. "'Your Daddy,' she said. 'From England.'" We hear nothing more about him.

Child narrators are rather rare in fiction. Most juvenile narrators are what we have come to call "teenagers". The narrator of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is 13; the heroine of Samuel Richardson's Pamela is 15. More recently Christopher, the narrator of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, is 15, while Jason Taylor, who narrates David Mitchell's Black Swan Green, is 13. It is not surprising that novelists should be interested in the age when childhood passes into adulthood, and a narrator might be reaching for articulacy. There are fewer truly child-ish narrators. Jonathan Safran Foer's post-9/11 novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, has a nine-year-old narrator, but he is made a peculiar polymath in order to widen his narrative possibilities. Roddy Doyle's Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, with a 10-year-old first-person narrator, is perhaps closest to Hideous Kinky

Strictly speaking, we do not know the age of Freud's narrator. Late in the novel, whose action lasts less than a year, she tells us "I could only count to four which was how old I was". This is the only time her age is specified. Just before the novel ends she has her birthday - presumably she is five, though she does not say so. Yet as a narrator she must be older than this. She is able to use words such as "entourage", "culminated" and "stringently". Indeed, the peculiarity of words used by adults is one of the protagonist's delights. Thus the novel's title: "hideous kinky". They are the only words that she and her sister Bea have ever heard their mother's mysteriously silent friend, Maretta, say. "Hideous kinky" has become their favourite chant - and the adjectives seem pretty suitable for their experiences living hand-to-mouth in north Africa with a mother in apparent pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. She uses Moroccan words without further thought, but she savours new English words, from "roofrack" to "anarchist" to "polio", with amazement. She and Bea delightedly make them into songs. "Trampolining, fire-eating, central heating, shithouse."

This is not one of those novels - Great Expectations, To Kill a Mockingbird - where an adult looks back at his or her child self. Freud's narrator is given a carefully simplified prose style of connected statements devoid of speculation. Colours and smells are exactly rendered, but she does not even wonder about human motivations. Her statements avoid exactly the ascription of motives and the attempts at explanation that we would usually expect from a narrator. One of the most useful characteristics of the child narrator is this absence of interpretation, which has to be willed by the novelist, but must seem "natural" in the narrator. She merely reports the signs of adult meaning: the men who make obscene gestures to her mother, her mother's hand trembling as Maretta silently refuses her offer of soup, all the various adult whispers. The reader is left to construct the story.

· John Mullan is professor of English at University College London. Join him and Esther Freud for a discussion on September 3 at the Newsroom, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1. Doors open at 6.30pm, talk starts at 7pm. Entry is £8 (includes a glass of wine). To reserve a ticket email book.club@guardian.co.uk or phone 020 7886 9281.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/23/fiction.books.estherfreud
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