Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
January 24, 2009

Morocco a model in economic and social fields, WB Managing Director.
Rabat, 23 Jan. (MAP)

World Bank (WB) Managing Director Juan Jose Daboub said, here Friday, that the economic and social experience of Morocco is a conclusive model, which may serve as an example for countries that face similar challenges. Experience developed in recent years by Morocco is a good example, which can serve as a model for other countries in the world that are facing the same challenges in economic and social fields, Daboub said in an interview with MAP.

He reiterated the commitment of the World Bank to continue its cooperation with Morocco, putting at the kingdom's disposal "our knowledge, experience and funds if necessary." He recalled in this regard, the three-year strategy of his financial institution, established under a new strategic partnership with Morocco, to create a conducive environment to enable greater private sector involvement, particularly with regard to job creation.

Concerning the large-scale anti-poverty National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), Daboub undelined that the initiative and local development continue to be at the heart of the activities of the international financial institution. Daboub also said that the World Bank encourages Maghreb integration and wants to be part of this "process", adding that such integration can only serve the interests of the region.

"The integration leads to more profit. It's a win-win approach," he insisted. Daboub, who kicked off a five-day visit to Morocco on Wednesday, held talks with Prime Minister, Abbas El Fassi, Foreign Minister, Taieb Fassi Fihri, and other government officials. He is accompanied by an important delegation, including notably WB deputy-President for MENA region, Daniela Gressani.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_a_model_in_e/view
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WB set to work with Morocco on path of prosperity, WB DG.
Rabat, 22 Jan. 2009 (MAP)

World Bank Managing Director Juan Jose Daboub said, here Thursday, that Morocco is "well prepared" to face the current challenges and expressed WB readiness to work with the kingdom on the "path of prosperity." "I strongly believe that Morocco, under the guidance of king Mohammed VI, is on the path of prosperity, and the World Bank would like to work on this path with the kingdom", said Daboub following a meeting with Prime minister, Abbas El Fassi.

He voiced happiness at Morocco's success and the reforms initiated in the North African country in various fields, underlining that Morocco is "well prepared to face the current challenges and to take them up in order to take advantage of the recovery that will take place in the near future." "Morocco's vision and its capacities to implement this vision make Morocco an example to cite for those going through difficulties," he said.

He deemed that his visit is very “important” to “work in close partnership with Morocco in various fields that can be improved, such as education, judicial system and creating a better environment to attract more private investment.” “So far, Morocco is doing well in terms of investment, tourism and exports,” he said, adding that this has been achieved in part thanks to the good monetary and fiscal policies that Morocco has put in place. Daboub on Wednesday kicked off a five-day visit to Morocco at the head of an important delegation, including notably WB deputy-President for MENA region , Daniela Gressani.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/wb_set_to_work_with/view
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Morocco's economy to grow 6.6% in 2009 Q1.
Rabat, 20 Jan. 2009 (MAP)

Morocco's economy is expected to achieve a 6.6% growth in the first quarter of 2009 up from 4.8% in the past quarter thanks to prospects for an agricultural campaign above the average of the past five years. The 2008/2009 agricultural campaign is off to a good start and augurs of bringing the production gap beyond expected levels, said the Rabat-based High Commissioner of Planning (HCP) in its situation note of January 2009.By end December 2008, rainfalls exceeded that of an ordinary year by 106%. This surplus has benefited to all agricultural regions and increased the water stored in dams destined for agriculture to 40.7%.

In these conditions and taking into consideration a cereal campaign nearing 70 million quintals, the agricultural value added could increase by 22.2% in the first quarter of 2009, thus contributing 2.9% to the national economic growth, underlines the document. According to HCP, the national economic activity would develop in a context marked by uncertainty about the extent of the repercussions of the international financial crisis and the ongoing fall of the prices of raw materials. It would decline in 2009 Q1 by 0.4% after a 0.9% decline in 2008 Q1.

Due to a decrease of activity among Morocco’s main commercial partners, foreign demand of goods destined towards Morocco would moderately slow down in 2009 compared to the 9% in 2008. This trend could continue in quarter 1 of 2009 with a growth rate not exceeding 2% due to a lackluster economic growth outlook and the slowdown of international trade.

After a good performance in the 1st half of 2008, exports of goods slowed in the 3rd quarter before plummeting in the 4th quarter (-16.3%), following the fall in foreign sales of phosphates and their derivatives, after a sharp rise in the 1st and 2nd quarters.

Out of phosphates and derivatives, foodstuffs and capital goods have supported exports, while consumer goods suffered from a decline in foreign demand. Imports, HCP said, boosted by energy products, semi-finished products and capital goods, increased in the third quarter by 10.1%. However, they dropped sharply in the 4th quarter, benefiting from the decline in commodity prices on the international market.

The industry, with 2.7% growth in the 3rd quarter of 2008, is below its medium-term trend. This development is due, in particular, to the weak industries of textiles, clothing and electronics, as evidenced by the decline in sales outside the clothing industry, hosiery and electronic components, respectively by 7.1%, 16.8% and 23.5% over the same period.

The tourism sector also seems to suffer from the effects of an unfavorable international context. The favorable evolution of overnight stays spent by local tourists could not compensate for the decline of those of foreigners. Thus, during the first eleven months of 2008, global overnight stays fell 2.3 % compared to the same period of last year and the occupancy rate fell by 4 points.

Signs of decline also appear at sectors related to domestic demand. Thus, the pace of growth in the building activities was set at about 8.8% in the 4th quarter of 2008, after having been revived by 10.7% in the second quarter. The sales of cement slowed, reaching 3.8% compared to 13.5% in the 2nd quarter.

In the same vein, the value added of the energy sector seems to slip into an unfavorable economic situation that should continue in early 2009. It was mainly initiated by the shift of electric power, whose development slowed down (-0.1 pc) in the 3rd quarter, after it had recorded a 8.5% increase a quarter earlier. This slump has spread to the refining activities, which have seen their production adjusted to a less buoyant local demand, says the HCP.

Underlying inflation rose sharply from 2.8% in January 2008 to 5.5% six months later. These tensions appear, however, to subside in late 2008 and early 2009, taking advantage of the slowdown of the prices of imported raw materials, including non-fresh foodstuffs.

The labor market, for its part, continued its positive trend, which started in 2006, throughout the first three quarters of 2008. The net creation of employment has reached 145,000 jobs, compared to 112,000 in 2007, particularly in the sectors of goods and services and construction. In the 3rd quarter of 2008, unemployment rate was 9.9%, the same level as in 2007.

The combination of economic and financial shocks, which have affected developed economies, has broken the momentum of the growth of foreign incomes. At the end of November 2008, transfers of Moroccans living abroad registered a decline of 1.2% compared to the same period in 2007.

Household spending on consumption has strengthened through a more intense bank financing. Consumer credit therefore grew 32% in the first eleven months of 2008. Meanwhile, imports of finished consumer goods rose by 9.6%.

In early 2009, households could benefit from the combined effect of the improvement of agricultural incomes and reduction of paid taxes. They would still face a drop in labor supply, on a slowdown in non-agricultural activities.

The evolution of investment remained buoyant in 2008 despite a slight retreat compared to 2007. Thus, investment in public works continued to enjoy a revival of public policy. Meanwhile, industrial investments continued throughout the first three quarters of 2008, reflecting a desire to modernize the industrial equipment and an effort to catch up in the face of a climate that is unfavorable to the strengthening of the activity.

However, the receipt of foreign direct investment (FDI), which had greatly boosted the construction projects in 2007, saw its growth rate decline by 23.1% in 2008 at the end of September compared to the previous year. This downtrend further dropped, primarily in the 3rd quarter, as evidenced by the 15.6% decline in foreign investments destined to the real estate sector. Investments in the stock market continued their downward correction after a period of strong growth in 2006 and 2007. The MASI index ended the year 2008 with a decline of 13.5%. The volume of trade exchanges was affected by effects of the correction and fell by 33.6%.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_s_economy_to/view
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Inflation up 0.3% in December.
Rabat, Jan. 19 (MAP)

Inflation has edged 0.3% in December 2008 compared to November, the High Commissioner for Planning (HCP) said on Monday. The rise is mainly due to a 0.5% growth in food prices, and a 0.2% rise in non-food prices, a press release of the Rabat-based, state-run HCP said. Following this rise, the annual inflation rate for 2008 grew to 3.9% compared to 2007, it said, noting that the most appreciable growth was documented in Rabat, Tangier, Casablanca and Meknes.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/inflation_up_0.3_in/view
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Moroccan craft industry is exportable to all markets, minister.
Milan, 20 Jan. 2009 (MAP)

Moroccan craft industry is exportable to all markets thanks to its quality, diversity and richness, Secretary of State in charge of Craft Industry, Anis Birou, said. In a statement to MAP on the sidelines of the International Home Show, the minister praised the craft industry sector's capacity of innovation and evolution, noting that Moroccan craft products are works of art that reflect an outstanding know-how.

The presence of Morocco as guest of honor in this international show, held in Milan fair trade (North of Italy), testifies to the good reputation of the Moroccan craft industry, Birou said. He also noted that this is the first time Morocco partook in this important event to introduce its craft industry's diversity to the show visitors and offer opportunities for Moroccan craftsmen to conclude contracts with their peers from other participating countries. Spanning over 450m², the Moroccan pavilion featured the products of three companies specialized in the field of handicraft, namely Comaral, Majka and Zenemex.

The show, which wrapped up on Monday, is attended by people involved in the world of interior decoration and home improvement products and services.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/moroccan_craft_indus/view
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Morocco drafts National Strategy for Urban Development.
Skhirat, 23 Jan. 2009 (MAP)

The outlines of the National Strategy for Urban Development (SNDU) were introduced, here on Thursday, at the opening of the National Forum on Urban Development. Themed "the Challenges of Urban Development", the forum sheds light on the goals and methods of carrying out this strategy to secure a sustainable urban development and enable the emergence of competitive cities.

It also seeks to promote public actions through the development of local initiatives, devising an integrated urban policy that includes the social, economic and environmental dimensions, and carrying out an efficient urban governance based on decentralization.

Speaking on this occasion, Housing minister, Ahmed Taoufiq Hejira, underlined that the strategy aims to improve the urban population's quality of life and meet the challenges of fast urbanization and globalization. Organized by the ministries of Interior and of Housing, the forum features workshops on related themes mainly the role of the state in urban development.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_drafts_natio/view
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New agency for investment development.
22/01/2009

A new agency for the development of investments will see the light of day soon. The bill providing for its creation was unanimously voted for on Tuesday by the House of Advisors. The state-run agency's main mission is to organise communication campaigns promoting Morocco's investment opportunities. In collaboration with all the concerned public and private entities, it will organise all sorts of events that are likely to promote Morocco as a country of opportunities: fairs, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, etc.

The bill concerning its creation was also unanimously voted for in the House of Representatives on January 7, 2009. It was adopted in the presence of the minister of trade, industry and modern technology. The agency will also conduct the necessary studies for the identification of investment niches, the identification of the appropriate areas for the establishment of industrial zones and the development of activity zones relating to the fields of industry, trade and modern technologies. Besides enquiring about other countries experiences in terms of investment promotion, it will provide the government with reports and analyses on Morocco's competitive situation for a better visibility.

Led by a general director, the administrative board will include government representatives, professional associations' presidents and the president of the General Federation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), as well as three other individuals designed by the administration taking into consideration their competences in the field of investments.

In the last two decades, the Moroccan governments have made every effort to promote Morocco's attractiveness with regard to foreign investors. Morocco has thus undertaken a number of structural measures and reforms. The main changes in terms of investment are the introduction in 1995 of the Investment Charter and the creation in 2002 of the 16 Regional Investment Centres (CRIs). These centres offer a one-stop shop for business creation and an integrated service for investors. However, many investors have complained about the slowness of procedures and the problem of corruption, which requires the government to add these two issues to the agenda of the new investment agency.
http://www.moroccobusinessnews.com/Content/Article.asp?idr=18&id=731
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Economic restructuring: What role for FDI?

Economic restructuring constitutes one of the central elements in Morocco's reform process and its transition towards a more open economic system. This transition cannot be reduced to a destructive situation where new companies totally replace old system companies. So, this requires a number of companies belonging to the old system to restructure with view to becoming more competitive. In the context of implementing free trade agreements, it seems necessary to reevaluate the scale of the industrial restructuring that started with the beginning of reform process. In this restructuring process, what is the impact of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) on local companies?

The restructuring of companies aims at making them more competitive in an emerging market environment. However, this does not seem to be an easy task, as it requires a radical change in the behaviour of economic players who had habits specific to the functioning of the old system. Thus, the transition's progress depends above all on the companies' ability to adapt to the new constituents of their environment. The companies' reaction to the transition shock influences the possibilities they have today to face the international competitive environment. This is why, in the context of implementing free trade agreements, it seems essential to reevaluate the scale of the industrial restructuring that started with the beginning of reform process.

A defensive rather than strategic restructuring

Restructuring refers to two different concepts: the defensive restructuring which focuses on the survival of companies and the strategic restructuring which focuses on companies' development. The first can be achieved through cutting production costs, mainly salaries by payroll reductions, salary austerity and closure of underperforming production units. The second requires renewing companies' production lines to guarantee sustainable improvement in their performance. This needs investments to finance the employment of modern production technologies. Unlike defensive restructuring, the strategic one does not seems to be very attractive, as it remains limited to companies owned by foreign investors.

This result is no surprise because of two reasons. On the one hand, financial resources, technology transfers, managerial competences and the company's integration in the international production network render foreign investors the most prepared players to make radical restructuring. In this context, it sounds logical that companies taken over by foreign investors prove to be more successful than those owned by Moroccan shareholders. In addition, local firms find it difficult to improve the quality of their products and more generally to direct their strategy towards sustainable development. Investment dynamism is not enough to conduct strategic restructuring.

R&D investments are more likely to stimulate such restructuring. Despite the high growth of investments, a study has shown that the strategic restructuring of companies is still marginal. In fact, only 1% of them have invested important sums on R&D and less than 4% have acquired new technologies. Many of these companies attribute this lack of strategic restructuring to the weakness of the devices supposed to discipline the players. If this were linked only to the question of discipline or incitement, then there would be no reason for managers to undertake a large-scale defensive restructuring rather than a strategic one.

Constraining factors

Hence, it seems that three factors have strongly countered the development of national companies in the emerging market environment. Firstly, the tough competitive structure of the market seems to discourage companies from engaging in innovation activities. The weak market shares they can obtain in such a market structure is not enough to offset the cost of an innovation policy. Secondly, although these economies have a qualified labour force, this certainly needs to be trained to be able to respond to market requirements. Entrepreneurs tend thus to prefer an inexperienced staff to that trained in the old system, with the same educational level. Finally, companies' limited access to external financing has forced them resort to their own funds to satisfy their investment needs. But, self-financing is not up to the financial challenge that strategic restructuring requires.

The impact of FDI on national companies

Even if foreign investors are the players that embarked on the strategic restructuring of their companies, this action however constitutes a solution only for a limited number of companies. In other words, this solution does not at all resolve the question of strategic restructuring of all the companies. However, spreading these transformations to companies totally owned by local shareholders could constitute a means for generalising strategic restructuring to the whole economy.

The presence of multinational companies might have two contradictory effects on the activity of national companies. It can help improve local companies' performance, if they benefit from know-how transfers by observing multinationals' practices, through subcontracting and the rotation of trained work force. But this foreign presence can also lead to a deterioration of their results, in the sense that it creates an additional competitive pressure that local companies are not necessarily up to. Therefore, the nature of FDIs' impact on local firms depends on the intensity of the competition effect compared to that of know-how transfers.

The results of studies conducted on transitional economies lead to a certain scepticism over the effects of FDI. When the impact of FDI is really positive, it remains, to say the least, subject to restrictive conditions. On the one hand, companies find it difficult to face the competition multinationals. Some analyses go as far as to describe their presence as overall harmful to the performances of local firms, given the competition they suffer from. A recent study clearly shows that the effects are only positive when the multinational corporations direct their products towards the exterior, that is to say, when they do not compete with the local companies in the home market.

Moreover, local companies' difficulties in benefiting from the effects of these spillovers stems from their limited absorption capacity of multinationals' know-how. Studies have shown that investments in R&D have boosted local firms' ability to absorb new knowledge. They allow companies to benefit from the positive effects of the presence of foreign companies in their sector of activity. Distribution illustrates the extreme case of dualism between local and international companies.

Since the beginning of reforms, the idea that the FDI would encourage the dissemination of knowledge on the biggest number of local companies has shown its limits. The intensification of competition, which is expected from the association Agreement, runs the risk of increasingly exacerbating the competitiveness problem of companies, especially if the state does not redirect its industrial choices towards a policy favouring technological development. Free trade zones will certainly be accompanied by an FDI inflow. But, this is likely to maintain the duality between companies acquired by foreign investors and those totally owned by Moroccan shareholders. At the worse, this dualism could lead to the disappearance of local companies.

Different behaviours

Among the surveys conducted on company samples, three types of companies were identified, based on their reaction to free trade zones. Developing companies: those that have embarked on both defensive and strategic restructuring; spontaneously surviving companies: those that have undertaken defensive restructuring but hesitate to realise a strategic one; the last group includes companies that live on external aid: companies that have not managed to start a defensive restructuring, but are still surviving because economic players take charge of their losses. Only the first group will be able to absorb, without real difficulty, the shocks of free trade zone.

It is difficult to separate the determining factors that prevail in the Moroccan economy with regard to multinational corporations' investment decisions from the tendencies, already in place, that their activity might encourage and reinforce in the host country. A recurrent question is then to determine whether FDIs today, within the liberal context in which they are operating, are likely to trigger a long term development virtual circle, or on the contrary, perpetuate the dualism and disarticulation of the national economy. FDIs are a way for companies to exploit Morocco's specific position in the world market, which is a vulnerable and unstable position. Conversely, these elements of vulnerability and instability could end up intensified.
http://www.moroccobusinessnews.com/Content/Article.asp?idr=23&id=726
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Helping Morocco's outcast single mothers.
By James Copnall Monday, 12 January 2009
Khadija's baby Noha is almost one year old and is her mother's greatest joy. But in deeply religious and conservative Morocco, Noha is also Khadija's greatest problem. Khadija was not married to her child's father - and Moroccan society finds it very difficult to accept children born out of wedlock. "I used to go out with a man and he promised we would get married," she says. "But when I got pregnant he didn't want to know me any more."

Cast out
Khadija, whose pretty face regularly breaks into a slow but frank smile, was also cast out by her family. She came to Casablanca to give birth, and then stumbled across the Feminine Solidarity Association. The non-governmental organisation found her a place to live, a small and simply-furnished room with few adornments round the corner from the centre it runs.

At the centre she is learning a trade - making the sweet pastries that Moroccans prize so highly. The women in the centre learn to cook, make pastries or sew. The results of their work are sold to the public - the association even has a restaurant. And crucially the centre has a creche, where the babies are looked after while the mothers work. After a stay of up to three years, they leave, but armed with a new skill which will hopefully allow them to earn money to support their children.

The centre is the life's work of Aicha Ech Chana, a woman of formidable purpose and drive, who is outraged by the way Morocco treats single mothers. She quotes from the Koran to show why mothers should not be rejected even if they are unmarried, and bubbles with energy when dissecting the social conventions that shun the girls she looks out for.

"Even intellectuals don't accept the idea of single mothers," she says."They think of adoption. But the biological mother is always the best parent."Single mothers are now more aware of their rights, they know the father should accept his child. But to make him get married is another issue."

Growing problem
Anthropologist Jamila Bargach is an expert on the issue."Single mothers are, generally speaking, considered as pariahs," she explains."It's considered an affront to the family, to the neighbourhood, to the city and to the person." Although no statistics exist, it seems likely the vast majority of single mothers are rejected by their families, whatever part of society they come from.

It is a growing problem too, as - in the eyes of Morocco's conservatives - young Moroccans copy the sexual habits of the decadent West. Ms Bargach says what single mothers experience is hugely difficult for both the mother and her child."The women itself, it takes them a long time to forgive themselves for what they have done, and also to establish a sane relationship with their child. "The child is there to remind her she has done something that was the cause of the rejection of the family, so it is an extremely difficult situation," she explains.

Both Ms Bargach and Ms Ech Chana say the father needs to take greater responsibility when children are born outside of marriage, and there have been some tentative legal steps to push fathers in this direction. Nevertheless, life as a single mother is extremely difficult. Khadija is one of the lucky ones - thanks in part to the efforts of the centre, her family has decided to welcome her back into the fold. But many other women have to bring up their children alone, in the most difficult of circumstances.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7818384.stm
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Morocco's tantalizing flavors.
By Seth Sherwood  January 11, 2009

The cookbook author Paula Wolfert paced around a demonstration kitchen in Marrakesh's ritzy Es Saadi hotel, fielding questions from a group of American tourists on a subject dear to her heart: cooked granules of semolina, better known as couscous. Some questions were historical: How old is couscous? ("Semolina in North Africa dates to the 12th century.") Others were practical: Can you make couscous in a rice cooker? (Yes, but a clay vessel works better.) The group, which included restaurateurs and food writers, scribbled notes attentively.

"Moroccan cuisine is very hot in America these days," said Wolfert, whose 1973 cookbook, "Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco," won last year's Cookbook Hall of Fame Award from the James Beard Foundation. "It's an exciting time to eat in Marrakesh."

As the fascination with Moroccan cuisine has taken off - both in the United States and around the globe - epicures and chowhounds are flocking to the ancient ochre-hued city of Marrakesh. Foreign-led food tours are sprouting. Homegrown cooking classes are multiplying. And high-end restaurants run by European hotshots are opening alongside the city's nonpareil street food and old, home-style establishments.

The excitement begins in Djemaa el Fna, the central square, which offers an immersion in the city's myriad eats. As the dusk call to prayer fades from the tall minaret of the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque, hundreds of men and boys in soiled chefs' whites erect makeshift food stalls. They fire up grills and reach into steaming cauldrons to serve up bean soups, deep-fried sole, grilled eggplant strips, tripe stew, hard-boiled egg sandwiches and skewered meats. Each stand is numbered with a tall, handwritten sign, and putting together a meal in Djemaa el Fna is like cracking a safe: it's a matter of finding the right combination.

Start at No.6, where Ahmed ladles bowls of escargot (10 dirhams, or $1.22), before advancing to No.32, where Hassan and his team grill mounds of tiny beef sausages served with mild red tomato chutney (12 dirhams). The payoff is at No.10, where Mustafa slices off tender strips of slow-cooked lamb that you eat with a dash of ground cumin and warm disk of bread (25 dirhams). Sweet mint tea balances the flavor of the savory meat.

But for the most refined take on traditional cooking, follow the ladies. Led by the chef Halima Chab and her all-female staff, the restaurant Al Fassia (55 Boulevard Zerktouni, Gueliz; 212-24-43-40-60; www.alfassia.com) specializes in the striking mixtures of meats and sweets that characterize the best Moroccan food.

Exhibit A: Pastilla. To most city dwellers, the pigeon is a nuisance, a menace to statues. But at Al Fassia, the bird is cooked, diced and deployed in a perfectly flaky pastry along with finely chopped pistachios and almonds. Topped with a dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar, the concoction becomes remarkably delicious. Followed with a tagine of chicken and caramelized pumpkin, the meal is a study in savory-sweet sublimity.

Cooking in Marrakesh is also getting increasingly haute, thanks to a growing number of top French chefs. Christophe Leroy, the toast of Saint-Tropez, is now running La Table du Marché, a sleek French restaurant at the luxurious Hivernage Hotel (Rue des Temples, Gueliz; 212-24-42-41-00; www.christophe-leroy.com). And Fabrice Vulin, after earning Michelin stars in France and Switzerland, is making a new name for himself at Dar Ennassim (Le Pavillon du Golf, Circuit de la Palmeraie; 212-24-33-43-08; www.pavillonfabricevulin.com), a high-design villa in the fashionable Palmeraie district.

"The quality of produce here is amazing," said Hadrien Villedieu, a veteran of the Michelin-starred Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris. Only 26, he's now running the chic white restaurant of Le Bab (Rue Mohamed el Beqqual; 212-24-43-52-50; www.babhotelmarrakech.com), a new boutique hotel. "And I'm often astonished to find fish that are better than in France," he said, "and the same for the meats."

Besides sampling these new flavors, amateur chefs can experiment with their own. Cooking schools have sprung up everywhere in recent years, from old-school restaurants like La Maison Arabe (www.lamaisonarabe.com), to fancy hotels like Kasbah Agafay (www.kasbahagafay.com).

Among the first to offer Marrakesh cooking classes to foreigners was the Rhode School of Cuisine (www.rhodeschoolofcuisine.com). Today, the England-based company offers a dozen one-week Marrakesh cooking classes. Recent students included Rick Browne, a cookbook author and host of the PBS show "Barbecue America," who spent a week at the luxury villa Dar Liqama, shooting a special segment on Moroccan grilling techniques.

In and around the Rue Mouassine, in the old Medina, you can forage for conical tagine pots and bottles of rare argan oil, made from the pit of a fruit unique to the country. And then there are the spices. "The cumin of southern Morocco is just fabulous," said Wolfert, the cookbook author, as her class headed to dinner at Le Tobsil, famous for its couscous and tagine. "I brought two freezer bags to stock up. That's going to be my Christmas presents this year."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/09/travel/trfood.php
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Beautiful people of Morocco.
Elena Fenrick, Canwest News Service Published: Friday, January 16, 2009

With a vibrant culture, rich in contrasts, Morocco claims a unique spot in both Africa and the Arab world. Ancient tradition merges daily with pop culture and modernity. This is a country where nomadic Saharan guides are Celine Dion fans and veiled women eat McArabia sandwiches at McDonald's.

In the Anti-Atlas mountains, "Long Live King Mohamed VI" is spelled out in Arabic script formed by white rocks. Near the same mountains, on the outskirts of an oasis town, several disabled Moroccans drive high-tech motorized wheelchairs across a stony plateau. I was fortunate enough to call this gorgeous land of contrasts "home" for three months as a Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer.

Headquartered in New York, CCS operates home bases in 12 countries around the world. After graduating from high school in 2007, I wanted to travel and experience living somewhere other than Lloydminster. Morocco was at the top of my list of places to see, it being a unique fusion of Mediterranean, African and Middle Eastern culture. I wanted to experience the Arab world for myself rather than stereotyping a society based on media portrayal.

CCS Morocco's home base is located in Rabat, the country's political capital and current imperial city. Gorgeously situated on both the Atlantic Ocean and Bou Regreg River, remainders of the French Protectorate are still visibly ingrained in the architecture and style. Only a fortress-like wall separates the Ville Nouveau (new city) from the ancient Medina (old city).

Ranging in ages from eight to 82, nearly 50 volunteers went through the house during my 12-week stay. Each seemed to be on both a personal journey and a quest for a greater good in the world. Hearing their wealth of travel experiences made me want to see and do everything, all at once.

The home-base staff is composed entirely of Moroccans, which helped me to feel less like a tourist and more like a part of the country. We were educated on different aspects of culture, people, language and religion through speakers, field trips and activities.

Before arriving in Morocco, we'd been given information about our volunteer placement. Honestly, I was apprehensive about working at a children's hospital, but I went in with a determination to not let it scare me. There was nothing to be afraid of. We were warmly welcomed, even by the mothers who had spent weeks at their child's bedside. Many of these women were from rural areas and spoke only Arabic. I couldn't understand their words, but I did understand that they were both the toughest and most personable people that I'd ever known. Communicating was an interesting challenge, with more than a few hilarious misunderstandings.

Our days in the oncology ward were spent colouring, painting, playing board games and doing puzzles with kids, all of which promoted a constant exchange of English and Arabic. Though grief and sadness also existed in the ward, the positive attitude of the children shocked me. These kids seemed wise beyond their years, yet most were able to temporarily dispel their fears by laughing and socializing.

Day-to-day life in Morocco was an adventure. Traffic in Rabat is hectic, and the fast-moving city buses are often crammed wall-to-wall with passengers of all ages. Tickets are cheap at only four dirhams (roughly 56 cents Cdn), and foreigners who take the city bus usually leave with some memorable stories and observations.

On the weekends, volunteers have the option of travelling about the country. For me, this included trips to the Sahara desert dunes near M'Hamid and to Fez, the country's "spiritual capital."

Buying a train ticket to Fez is an easy transaction; getting on the correct train is not quite as easy. Six of us spent a half-hour stranded in Kenitra, waiting for the train we should have taken. Fez was fantastic and fulfilled my childhood dream of being in Disney's Aladdin. The Medina, famous for its tanneries and one of the world's oldest universities, comprises thousands of medieval streets and alleyways.

Our guide led us to an Amazigh (Berber) carpet house, a women's co-operative that produced silk scarves, a herbal pharmacy and the famed tanneries.

In my opinion, Morocco's greatest asset is its people. Family is a priority to them, and time isn't measured as rigidly as it is in Canada.

The genuine kindness of strangers was a recurring theme wherever we went. People wanted to help us. Yes, there were those who wanted to sell us something such as a henna tattoo or their guiding services. But, many were simply curious about why we were there and wished to show hospitality to foreigners.

The local shop owners in the souk (marketplace) and waiters at certain cafes began to exchange pleasant greetings with us.

When I brought a few friends back to a specific jewelry shop, the owner recognized me and gave me a tiny, silver Hand of Fatima necklace as commission.

In a pilot project, some of the volunteers met regularly with a group of students from Mohamed V University. To help them with their English, we discussed a wide variety of topics and saw Morocco from their perspective. Getting to know the students was a great opportunity for cultural understanding. Most hadn't personally known any North Americans before, and some thought that westerners wouldn't like them because they are Muslim. We explained that we were their friends and wanted to learn about their country and Islam. One girl explained to us the phenomenon of educated Moroccans going to live abroad. Instead, her intent is to use her education within Morocco to help strengthen the economy and create jobs.

Morocco deals with huge issues such as poverty, unemployment and high rural illiteracy rates. Organizations such as CCS or the Peace Corps can't solve these issues, but they can make a difference. Helping cultures to better understand and appreciate each other creates friendships that can lead to lasting, positive change in all areas of society.

Before going to Morocco, I hadn't travelled alone and was paranoid and suspicious of strangers. Turning on the TV or picking up a newspaper can give people a thousand reasons to be afraid of the world. Yes, there are valid reasons to be cautious, but it's so easy to forget about random kindness and compassion.
Though I was the volunteer who was "helping others," the people of Morocco taught me much more than I taught them.
http://www.canada.com/topics/travel/story.html?id=1181013
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A look beyond the tourism brochures in Morocco.
By Karen Kindler, Stripes Travel reader. Stripes European Travel, Thursday, January 22, 2009

The little girl, curly brown locks scattered across a doll’s perfect face, stands close to her mother alongside the rushing mountain stream. Clothing in a profusion of color is stretched out over sandstone boulders. It’s laundry day in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

We tourists tramp along the pavement on the other side of the river, cameras aimed at the village women bent over their baskets, squatting by the water. Most turn their backs or shield their faces. They are used to tourists and their cameras.

The little girl’s young mother smiles shyly, and bends to whisper to the girl. A tiny brown hand is raised in greeting. The cameras snap furiously. The little hand drops, turns upright. Give me … it says. Give me.

At every stop on the roads winding through southern Morocco it happens. Children explode from mud-brick hovels and rock-strewn wastes to converge on the bus. Some have trinkets or dates for sale. Many have nothing — just long faces and outstretched hands. Women trudge by, their donkeys laden with brush. Sometimes they smile and accept a photographer’s polite request to take a portrait. Often the hand comes out. Give me.

Boys follow us; they speak English, French and German. They try to sell something, to make a connection to the outside world, to provide for the future. "What will you do?" I ask one young man who attaches himself to me during a tour of a date grove. "Marrakech?" I ask."No," he answers. "You pay for housing there. And food. It’s too much. You can’t make enough money. I want to go to United States." I buy his box of dates. I give him much more than he asked for. I wonder what will become of him and the many other boys and young men who follow us.

We visit affluent towns, too. Tourist havens with wide roads lined with modern apartments, the paint crisp and clean, the doors solid and brightly colored, the shutters firmly sealed. They are ghost towns. The Moroccans who own them live and work elsewhere — in the big cities, in Europe, in America. They maintain their little palaces back home and return for Ramadan or a wedding or a funeral. Their neighbors, the ones who didn’t escape, make shoes or crafts for tourists in tiny windowless dirt-packed rooms that open onto the streets in the shadow of the shuttered mansions.

A hammer pounds all night. The tourists will want shoes in the morning, the old man says. His sons will work through the night. I buy a pair — all leather, soft and warm, made by young hands in a dark corner on a late-winter morning. I pay less than $10. Two more pairs are sold to my fellow travelers. We leave.

"Ah, but they are content," Habib, the tour guide, tells us. Then moments later he points to a remote mansion nestled on a rocky outcrop, silent like the others. "Moroccans, some of them," he grumbles, "They all want more … more money … more.…"

Content? I think of the children, the many children … the rocks and desert … the women by the stream … the boys handing Hotmail addresses to foreign women … the self-satisfied tourist with his bagful of penny candy and his thousand-dollar camera. I think of the wide expanse of this country and the many others to the south and the many more children and hovels.

And I worry. About the gulf between those who have and those who don’t, and all who want more. And how it can spawn desperation, then hate ... and worse. And I’m sad.

Karen Kindler, a retired colonel with the Air Force Reserve, is working on a memoir of her active-duty European adventures. E-mail her at siestanow@yahoo.com.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=103&article=60165
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Morocco: Disappearing the Amazigh.
Jillian York Writer and Activist Based in Boston January 23, 2009

So it looks like the Moroccans are at it again. Instead of just letting people be who they are, the government is still going on about their naming laws. In other words, if you want to give your child an Amazigh (Berber) name, tough luck. Moroccan human rights groups recently proposed a list of Amazigh names be added to Morocco's approved list of names, however, the proposal was quickly struck down. Alarabiyareports:

The Moroccan civil registry recently rejected 13 Berber names after receiving a list from the Ministry of Interior with specific Berber names considered in violation of law 99-37 that determines names fit for males and females.

Now, realistically, it's a much smaller percentage of Moroccans who would choose to do so, but the fact of the matter is, Amazigh people are the true Moroccan natives. They are spread throughout the country and beyond. They are urban and rural. And the Moroccan government is trying to tell them that, by naming their child an Amazigh name, they are giving them a name which is "contrary to Moroccan identity."

What exactly, then, is Moroccan identity? Is it Arab identity? The official language of Morocco certainly is Arabic (although it could be argued that what is actually spoken on the streets is only a distant cousin). Still, it is estimated that 23 of Morocco's 30+ million people speak one of three Amazigh dialects. And according to sociologist and writer Mohammed Chafik, up to 80% of Moroccans are of Amazigh ethnicity.

In neighboring Algeria, where the number of people speaking a Berber dialect is significantly lower (at about 29%), Berber is actually considered a "national language" (though not an official one). Now, I'm not 100% sure, but it seems that in Algeria, there is more naming freedom; either Amazigh names are on the "approved" list, or the law has been done away with entirely. In Morocco, however, you must select a name from a list of (entirely Muslim) names which reflect "Moroccan identity."

Oddly enough, in the past few years, trendy new names have been cropping up in Morocco; names popular in the Levant, such as "Rime," or popular in Iran, such as "Nasreen," have made their way into the Moroccan identity. But try to name your daughter Numidia, and all hell breaks loose.

When will Morocco realize that Amazigh are part of their national identity? Once the languages have died off (another contentious issue is the teaching of Tashelheit, Tamazight, and Tarifit)? Once there are no more Tanasts, Shadens, or Numidias? Once all Amazigh political parties have been banned for good? Or will the history of the Amazigh simply be erased?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jillian-york/morocco-disappearing-the_b_159765.html
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