Peace Corps/Morocco 50th Anniversary Celebration Memorial Day Weekend May 26-27, 2012 Rabat, Morocco
Celebrate five decades of Peace Corps service to Morocco by over 4500 volunteers. This two-day series of events TBD will include, Insha'Allah, activities hosted by the Friends of Morocco and National Peace Corps Association, Peace Corps/Morocco, the US Embassy in Morocco and the government of Morocco. Read about the start of Peace Corps in Morocco. We expect media coverage.

Peace Corps Morocco is developing a Commemorative Book for the 50th Anniversary. They have been collecting stories, testimonials, memories and photos from Moroccans, who at some point in the last 50 years, have lived or worked with American Peace Corps volunteers. They also conducted a Photo Contest in 2011 for the same purpose. Photos still welcome. Poster

At the minimum, we will have a reception at the Peace Corps office campus at 2 Rue Abou Marouane Essaadi, Agdal 10100 Rabat Morocco on Saturday, May 26 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Additional events will be developed as interest and opportunities emerge. We are managing Expressions of Interest at Eventbrite.  Go there to see who is planning on attending. 

We would hope 100 to 200 RPCVs with their family and friends will take this opportunity to bring family and friends to their sites of service across Morocco (or just vacation in Morocco) during the two weeks before and/or after the weekend. Trip information

At this time there is no designated Reunion hotel as we suspect price and quality standards will vary among RPCVs. Year of Service groups may wish to designate a meeting location.

The Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM) was a Peace Corps training center 1971-75. Trainees and other will be interested in visiting Tangier and the Legation. Blog
Peace Corps 50th in Morocco at TALIM
Disco Time at the Legation's Cistern Chapel

Visit the Friends of Morocco web site for information about flights to Morocco; tour opportunities; car rental, bus and train information; hotels, riads and other places to stay.

Discuss and share at the National Peace Corps Association/Friends of Morocco Group page.

Discuss and share at the Friends of Morocco Facebook page

    The Friends of Morocco Week in Review reports are compiled weekly from English language news sources by Mhamed El Kadi in Morocco and posted most Saturdays to the Friends of Morocco web site

12/24 Week in Review: News clips from Morocco
12/17 Week in Review: News clips from Morocco
12/10 Week in Review: News clips from Morocco
12/03 Week in Review: News clips from Morocco

    Still below your annual giving target?  Consider the below, who are all growing US-Morocco links, for your 2011 Charitable contributions. 

              The Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM) welcomes financial support and contributions from those wishing to help the Museum maintain its facilities for scholarly research and discussion; promote the exchange of ideas and information with Morocco; and preserve this site for the pleasure of visitors to the region. All contributions are tax deductible from income reported to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

              Inspired by the Peace Corps experience, CorpsAfrica was founded in 2011 to provide young adults in Africa the opportunity to serve as volunteers in their own countries to help drive solutions to poverty at the community level. By the end of 2012, they plan to have the programs in Uganda and Morocco well underway - with dozens of "Community Facilitators" in place creating projects.  CorpsAfrica’s Board of Directors is organizing a meaningful tribute to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke on January 26 in Washington, DC through a fund in his name to support CorpsAfrica's first "Morocco Country Director" and related expenses for our three-year pilot phase. They are inviting friends, colleagues, returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and others who knew him, admired him, and were inspired by him, to support this project in his memory. Ambassador Holbrooke served as the Morocco Country Director for the Peace Corps from 1970 to 72. In fact, he said it was the best job he’d ever had. 

              The over-arching purpose of the High Atlas Foundation is grassroots development in predominantly rural disadvantaged communities in Morocco. HAF was founded in 2000 by former Peace Corps Volunteers as a way to build upon the relationships and knowledge gained during their years of service for the continued benefit of the Moroccan people.

              The Peace Corps Partnership Program applies 100% of your tax-deductible donation toward a specific Project, Special Fund or Country Fund.  Below are the current projects in Morocco in search of funding

Morocco	Summer Camp for Orphans	Welsch G.	CO	378-162	$693.50
Morocco	Eyewear for Moroccan Youth	Eubanks P.	TN	378-177	$1,865.00
Morocco	2012 Science Fair Competition	Camposanto S.	CA	378-178	$1,092.52
Morocco	Time to Play	Berger J.	NY	378-166	$6,215.57
Morocco	Morocco Country Fund			378-CFD	Ongoing

From the National  Peace Corps Association

      Peace Corps Connect engages those who served in the Peace Corps, or share the Peace Corps values, to build communities that inform, inspire, and integrate experiences that promote understanding and appreciation of other countries and cultures and sustainable development across the globe.    There are currently 25,169 members, including 561 Morocco RPCVs, with that number growing every day!  Friends of Morocco is an official group at Peace Corps Connect (and the 12 th largest) as is the High Atlas Foundation.  The Peace Corps Connect Community is going strong!  Find fellow volunteers, discuss projects, and become a part of the Community if you are not already. Find the 250k!

     and on Facebook

Friends of Morocco http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Friends-of-Morocco/161986458450?sk=wall

Peace Corps Morocco http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=10400683043 by Kari Detwiler (Smith)

Peace Corps Morocco http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=2218793296 by Elizabeth Campa

     and on YouTube

Asian American Peace Corps Volunteer Shares His Experience Living in Morocco

Jessica Risco: Peace Corps in Morocco

Peace Corps Morocco Swearing in Speech in Darija --Madeleine Meek

Berber Medley, Peace Corps Morocco

Richard Holbrooke on Morocco & the Peace Corps

Postcard from Morocco - Moses

Peace Corps Family Album - Morocco

Life in Morocco: Through the eyes of a US Peace Corps Worker

Cribs version of my PC house - Peace Corps Morocco Web Journal

Moroccan Weavers - 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Ex-volunteers of the Peace Corps speaking in Arabic about their experience in Morocco

And more here

      Peace Corps Wiki is a collaborative project whose goal is to create a free, interactive, and up-to-date source of information about serving as a volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps.  So far there are a total of 7,304 pages that have been written and edited by (R)PCVs and Friends of Peace Corps from around the world.  Feed the Beast. 

Included on the main Morocco Page are:

[ + ]Morocco projects
[ + ]Morocco volunteers
  Diversity and cross-cultural issues in Morocco
  FAQs about Peace Corps in Morocco
  Friends of Morocco
  Health care and safety in Morocco
  History of the Peace Corps in Morocco
  List of resources for Morocco
  Living conditions and volunteer lifestyles in Morocco
  Packing list for Morocco
  Training in Morocco
  Volunteers who served in Morocco

      Peace Corps Journals world's largest archive with over 10,000 blogs of peace corps stories hosts a collection of active and archived Morocco Peace Corps volunteers journals  It seemed like a good idea at the time. 
 

     From the Peace Corps Offers Regional Career Centers

This year, Peace Corps' Returned Volunteers Services began offering FREE one-day events in cities where Peace Corps has Regional Recruitment Offices, to further expand support of returned Volunteers throughout the United States. RPCVs learn how to tell their Peace Corps stories in a way that highlights their professional qualifications, participate in hands-on workshops, and interact with potential employers.

     MCC Project in Morocco Interested in opportunities to work on a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact project? Peace Corps Response is looking for a Farmer Business Development Specialist to assist an MCC-funded fruit tree productivity project in Morocco. The Peace Corps Response Volunteer will work with local farmers' cooperatives to ensure the adoption of sound business and financial practices. Competitive applicants will have experience in agricultural development, agroforestry, or agricultural marketing. RPCVs with Moroccan Arabic, Berber, or French language skills are especially encouraged to apply. This assignment begins in February 2012. Apply now!

     Speakers Match

With the Peace Corps' Speakers Match program, elementary and secondary school teachers can enhance their students' learning through classroom presentations by returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Interested classroom teachers and returned Peace Corps Volunteers can enroll in the Peace Corps' Speakers Match program by visiting http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/speakersmatch/

     includes a visit to Morocco

In June 2009, Richard Sitler embarked on an epic journey to document Peace Corps Volunteers serving communities around the world. Over the next two years, Richard would find himself traversing the planet while staying with Peace Corps Volunteers, experiencing their communities and work sites, and documenting what it’s like to be a Volunteer in the modern Peace Corps. Richard discovers Volunteers are using modern technology, such as laptops and cell phones, to not only enrich their experience, but to impact their community as well. He sees how retired professionals bring years of experience and knowledge to their organizations. And how, as it always has been, Volunteers are changing lives while being forever changed themselves.    This is the story of Peace Corps and its Volunteers, fifty years after conception .   Help the author recover his costs by donating to his campaign on: The Point:  http://www.thepoint.com/campaigns/making-peace-with-the-world

Order  Making Peace with the World, a commemorative book celebrating the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps, at  Other Places Publishing:  http://www.otherplacespublishing.com/mpwtw.html  A portion of publisher proceeds from this title will go to Peace Corps projects around the globe. 

     Have you ordered you 2012 International Calendar?

The 2012 International Calendar is an initiative of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Madison , Wisconsin. The Calendar lists important festivals, birthdays, and holidays from around the world. It is also designed as a teaching aid, introducing varied life styles, terrain, foods, occupations, and crafts. For the last 25 years, the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in Madison, Wisconsin have been producing the International Calendar. It features countries where Volunteers have served. Net proceeds from International Calendar sales - more than $1 million since 1988 - have been donated to community projects around the world.

     Circle of friends of Morocco is a Meetup group in the Washington, DC area.  Just fourteen months old, this Meetup Group has 192 members and has hosted 34 events and will assemble next on Thursday, December 27 at 6:30 pm ay Busboys & Poets 14th St. & V St., Washington, DC.  This is a social club for all Moroccan Americans, Moroccan Professionals, Moroccan students, and International People who love the Moroccan culture and want to add to your mix of international friends and meet interesting people.

Who should join?
-People that want to network with other Moroccans and Arabic speaking individuals in the DC/MD/VA area.
-People who like the North African Culture, like diversity and
-want to make a positive change to their social life...

      This message is sent BCC to members and lapsed members of Friends of Morocco for whom we have email addresses.  BCC to prevent well-intentioned (or malicious) SPAM.  Feel free to forward to onward to your friends who might appreciate knowing about these events and may not be on our email list.  Advise if you would NOT like to receive these periodic reminders.  For information about membership in Friends of Morocco see http://friendsofmorocco.org/memberinfo.html  Membership has its privileges

Tim Resch, President
Friends of Morocco
PO BOX 2579
Washington, DC 20013-2579

http://friendsofmorocco.org
timresch@gmail.com  

C 703 470 3166

Peace Corps/Morocco celebrating its  50 th anniversary reached out to Moroccans, host-families, and counterparts, and others who have shared memorable moments with Volunteers in the past 50 years to send in their cherished testimonies, memories  and photos with Peace Corps.  We understand that in the past 50 th years thousands of Moroccans and Americans have shared agreeable moments, in promoting a noble cross cultural cause of peace and friendship.  A 50 th anniversary commemorative book will be produced.