Morocco unveils fund to support startups

News October 31, 2017

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Morocco’s FBI Dismantles Drug Trafficking Network, Seizes 2.5 Tons of Cocaine

News October 03, 2017

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Morocco can be the keystone of India-Japan partnership for Africa

environment October 03, 2017

Chinese eco-friendly electric buses are rolling out in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh in yet another example of growing Chinese footprint in the North African nation. The buses were supposed to roll out in November last year when Marrakesh hosted the 22nd edition of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. However, technical issues didn’t allow that to happen. Subsequent months saw trials and driver training that ensured the buses were finally ready to hit the road.

China’s growing investments in Morocco are wide-ranging – from building smart cities to establishing collaborative ventures in automotive manufacturing, aerospace, electronic information, textiles, etc. In contrast, India’s economic engagement with Morocco continues to be dominated by the trade in phosphates. This needs to change if India is to fully realise the potential of its relationship with Morocco. The latter sits on the crossroads of two continents with Europe just 15km away. Plus, Morocco can be India’s gateway to Francophone Africa where New Delhi’s reach has been traditionally weaker. And with Morocco returning to the African Union earlier this year, it can be the perfect partner for India in advancing its African interests.

Yet, India’s engagement with Morocco lags far behind that of China’s. This is explained by the difference in resources and skill sets that New Delhi and Beijing possess. India really isn’t known for building overseas infrastructure. But it can turn this around by teaming up with Japan. In fact, New Delhi and Tokyo are exploring modalities of cooperation for infrastructure and human development projects in Africa as part of a proposed Asia Africa Growth Corridor.

During Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to India last month, the two premiers “welcomed the efforts to explore the development of industrial corridors and industrial network for the growth of Asia and Africa, which will benefit various stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific region including Africa. They shared the desire to further promote cooperation and collaboration in Africa in line with the priority measures identified through the India-Japan dialogue on Africa and the processes of the India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) and Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD)”.

In other words, India and Japan are ready to team up for African development projects that are collaborative in design, sensitive to local needs, locally owned, responsibly financed and bottom-up in approach. Japan certainly has the technology and the skills to build quality physical infrastructure. While India has a proven track record in fostering soft skills and developing human resource through training and education. Together, India and Japan can be the perfect combination for Africa.

And in this respect, Morocco should become the first port of call for the Asia Africa Growth Corridor. The Kingdom’s stable security environment and sure-footed economy make it ideal to receive joint Indian-Japanese investments. Indian and Japanese joint-ventures can then use Morocco as a launchpad for forays into other African markets and Europe. In conclusion, teaming up with Japan provides India with greater strength to fructify its African interests. And Morocco with its stable economic and security profile can be the keystone of the India-Japan partnership for Africa.

source : .moroccoworldnews

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Why Morocco Supports Spain’s Unity in Catalonia Referendum

Opinion October 03, 2017

As tension mounted in Catalonia after a local independence referendum received a crackdown from Madrid, Morocco expressed its official support of Spain’s Unity. Some have connected the kingdom’s stance to the conflict in the Western Sahara, but one political analyst has a different explanation.

For decades, Morocco and Spain have been at odds over the kingdom’s dispute with the separatist Polisario Front. Madrid has long held a position that was regarded by Moroccans as hostile to what they see as the kingdom’s territorial integrity.

For some, the Spanish hostility had roots in the rich history of conflict between the sides, including over Spain’s continuous “occupation” of lands Moroccans believe are theirs, such as the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and the Chafarinas Islands.

According to this reading, Madrid tried to divert Morocco’s attention from those lands and keep the kingdom focused on Western Sahara by providing support for the separatist Polisario Front.

In the 1970’s Spain also reportedly encouraged Mauritania to claim parts of Western Sahara and supported Algeria to be an active player in the conflict, according to a document released by Wikileaks.

In Spain, Polisario has a sizeable following among Sahrawi students, activists, and politicians. Some Polisario’s leading members hold Spanish nationality, including Khadijetou Ould El Mokhtar Sidhmed, an organization representative recently deported from Peru.

The Iberian kingdom is also home to several local pro-Polisario NGOs.

Things started to change however when the Socialists came to power in Spain in 2004. Economic considerations, especially after the 2008 international crisis, and Spain’s increasing reliance on its partnership with Morocco to fight terrorism and counter unwanted immigration were also key factors behind Spain’s change of position regarding the issue.

In contrast with its standpoints in the past, Madrid declares today that is in favor of a “lasting” and “mutually agreed-upon” solution to the conflict, and that is keen to preserve the strong relations with Morocco.

But was the Western Sahara dispute the reason Mustapha El Khalfi said late September that the kingdom backed Spain in its rejection of the Catalan referendum?

Samir Bennis, Morocco World News’s senior analyst, says that Morocco’s pro-unity stance and its own territorial dispute are unrelated.

“Morocco’s support to Spain is in line with its foreign policy, which rejects secessionist movements and defends the sovereignty of states and their territorial integrity,” says the analyst.

Bennis explains that this position has remained unchanged, giving as an example Morocco’s refusal to recognize Kosovo and its denunciation of the recent independence vote in the Iraqi region of Kurdistan.

On Thursday, El Khalfi said that Morocco stands with the Iraqi government in its rejection of the referendum which he said threatens the “security and territorial integrity” of the country.

The other reason why Rabat is backing Madrid in the ongoing tension with the Catalan government, Bennis continues, is that Morocco respects the Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborliness concluded with Spain in July 1991.

The treaty put a premium on the defense of each country’s sovereignty, stresses the analyst.

By supporting the position of the Spanish government, Morocco is honoring this agreement, which clearly stipulates that both countries respect the sovereignty of each and “refrain from interfering in its internal affairs.”

While Morocco has made its position clear, Algeria, which has long justified its backing of Polisario by emphasizing people’s “right to self-determination,” has refrained from commenting on the crisis. Polisario, Algeria’s protégé, has also remained silent.

source : .moroccoworldnews

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Why a creative side project could benefit your health - and your career

Health September 30, 2017

“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.”

Desk-bound millennials could be on the brink of a ‘creativity crisis’ according to new research.

A recent survey discovered that 64% of people felt that they were failing to live up to their full creative potential, and that figure increased to 71% among 18-34 year olds. The study, carried out by the people behind the art app Bloom, also found that nearly three quarters of those surveyed regretted not opting for more creative careers.

The cost of having limited opportunities to express our creativity is becoming clearer. 85% of survey respondents believed that working on a creative activity allowed them to feel more relaxed and helped to relieve stress – suggesting that a life devoid of that creativity might have a negative effect on happiness and well being.

Poet Caroline Bird reflects that some of us have neglected our creative sides since childhood, because other things now seem more ‘important’.

“Sometimes when we get older the ‘real world’ gets its claws into us,” Bird tells Refinery29. “We start using words like ‘outlet’ instead of ‘right’. Because I think it is a right. Everyone needs to express who they are, and the ways are countless: some people express themselves through movement and muscle, some people knit words together, some people are captivating in the pub… but the important thing, I think, is to know you have the right to be heard and that you have something to share.”

Creative activities that force us to close our laptops and put down our phones can also induce a meditative, zen-like state of mind. For example, an online study that surveyed over 3,500 knitters, published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, found a relationship between knitting frequency and feeling calm. Respondents noted that knitting was “soothing,” “restful,” and helped them unwind from the pressures of work. In the same study, researchers also found that knitting led to an increase in happiness among almost all participants.

Meanwhile, experts advise that working on creative projects either at work or in our free time is likely to have a positive effect in our professional lives.

“Humans need to be taken out of regular patterns of behaviour or a comfort zone so that we have the opportunity to learn new skills,” says clinical neuropsychologist Dr Priyanka Pradhan. “This then gives us a sense of accomplishment and mastery which boosts confidence and resilience.”

Ready to introduce some creativity into your life? Start with these three tips for having a creative moment every day, discover the apps that will feed your imagination, then try one of these innovative side projects.

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Moroccan police fail to stop an underage marriage from happening

News September 26, 2017

Child marriage in Morocco is still prevalent, with over 100,000 minors reported to have been married off as of 2014. But, recently police in the northern city of Tetouan intervened to stop one such incident from happening.

Police in the northern Moroccan city of Tetouan attempted to stop a 13-year-old girl from forming a union with a man 17 years her senior, according to Morocco World News.

The ceremony, which the family revealed was an engagement, not a wedding, was taking place in a room in the downtown area of the city.

Upon questioning, the girl's family said that the girl was not "being forced" into the union, emphasizing that it was "her decision."

The ceremony reportedly continued after police left, according to Morocco World News.

Photos of the ceremony began making the rounds on social media, drawing criticism and backlash soon after.

"When daughters are seen like 'crops' that need to be 'sold' and 'consumed' before they become corrupt."

Twitter Ads info and privacy

Child marriage has been banned in Morocco since 2004, however, legal loopholes have made it possible for girls under the age of 18 to get married - a phenomenon most common in rural areas.

Previously, girls as young as 15 were allowed to marry.

Under Moroccan law, child sex abuse is treated as a crime.

Penal code article 467 prohibits forced child labor, and articles 467 to 499 prohibit forced prostitution and the prostitution of minors.

In 2012, Morocco's 'marry the rapist' law was put under the international spotlight after 16-year-old Amina al-Filali committed suicide seven months into being forced to marry the man who raped her in an attempt to save her "family's honor."

In 2014, Morocco's parliament amended Article 475 of the penal code, which previously exonerated the rapist if he married the victim.

Amendments to Article 475 came one year after the country's Islamist-led government proposed the changes.

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RAPE CULTURE

Opinion August 23, 2017

after the last video of a young girl’s helpless cries pierce through the cruel laughter of her assailants. -Desperately trying to free herself from the merciless grasps of her attackers, the girl is pulled left and right, her shirt and pants pushed down to denude her flesh.- Huge demonstrations against rape were held across Morocco on Tuesday, driven by a viral video that depicts three young men forcibly undressing a woman and sexually assaulting her on a bus, while other passengers laughed and cheered.

that's all the effect of the rape culture that exist hardly in Morocco

WHAT IS RAPE CULTURE?

Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.

EXAMPLES OF RAPE CULTURE

Blaming the victim (“She asked for it!”)
Trivializing sexual assault (“Boys will be boys!”)
Sexually explicit jokes
Tolerance of sexual harassment
Inflating false rape report statistics
Publicly scrutinizing a victim’s dress, mental state, motives, and history
Gratuitous gendered violence in movies and television
Defining “manhood” as dominant and sexually aggressive
Defining “womanhood” as submissive and sexually passive
Pressure on men to “score”
Pressure on women to not appear “cold”
Assuming only promiscuous women get raped
Assuming that men don’t get raped or that only “weak” men get raped
Refusing to take rape accusations seriously
Teaching women to avoid getting raped

VICTIM BLAMING

One reason people blame a victim is to distance themselves from an unpleasant occurrence and thereby confirm their own invulnerability to the risk. By labeling or accusing the victim, others can see the victim as different from themselves. People reassure themselves by thinking, "Because I am not like her, because I do not do that, this would never happen to me." We need to help people understand that this is not a helpful reaction.

Why Is It Dangerous?

Victim-blaming attitudes marginalize the victim/survivor and make it harder to come forward and report the abuse. If the survivor knows that you or society blames her for the abuse, s/he will not feel safe or comfortable coming forward and talking to you.

Victim-blaming attitudes also reinforce what the abuser has been saying all along; that it is the victim’s fault this is happening. It is NOT the victim’s fault or responsibility to fix the situation; it is the abuser’s choice. By engaging in victim-blaming attitudes, society allows the abuser to perpetrate relationship abuse or sexual assault while avoiding accountability for his/her actions.

What Does Victim-Blaming Look Like?

Example of Victim-Blaming Attitude: “She must have provoked him into being abusive. They both need to change.”

Reality: This statement assumes that the victim is equally to blame for the abuse, when in reality, abuse is a conscious choice made by the abuser. Abusers have a choice in how they react to their partner’s actions. Options besides abuse include: walking away, talking in the moment, respectfully explaining why an action is frustrating, breaking up, etc. Additionally, abuse is not about individual actions that incite the abuser to hurt his partner, but rather about the abuser’s feelings of entitlement to do whatever he wants to his partner.

When friends and family remain neutral about the abuse and say that both people need to change, they are colluding with and supporting the abusive partner and making it less likely that the survivor will seek support.

HOW CAN MEN AND WOMEN COMBAT RAPE CULTURE AND VICTIM BLAMING?

Avoid using language that objectifies or degrades women
Speak out if you hear someone else making an offensive joke or trivializing rape
If a friend says they have been raped, take your friend seriously and be supportive
Think critically about the media’s messages about women, men, relationships, and violence
Be respectful of others’ physical space even in casual situations
Let survivors know that it is not their fault
Hold abusers accountable for their actions: do not let them make excuses like blaming the victim, alcohol, or drugs for their behavior
Always communicate with sexual partners and do not assume consent
Define your own manhood or womanhood. Do not let stereotypes shape your actions.
Be an Active Bystander!

In the end Sexual assault is NEVER the victim’s fault. Sexual assault is a violent attack on an individual, not a spontaneous crime of sexual passion. For a victim, it is a humiliating and degrading act. No one “asks” for or deserves this type of attack.

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A Moroccan Girl

Morocco unveils fund to support startups

Morocco’s FBI Dismantles Drug Trafficking Network, Seizes 2.5 Tons of Cocaine

Morocco can be the keystone of India-Japan partnership for Africa

Why Morocco Supports Spain’s Unity in Catalonia Referendum

Why a creative side project could benefit your health - and your career

“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.”

Moroccan police fail to stop an underage marriage from happening

Child marriage in Morocco is still prevalent, with over 100,000 minors reported to have been married off as of 2014. But, recently police in the northern city of Tetouan intervened to stop one such incident from happening.

RAPE CULTURE

that's all the effect of the rape culture that exist hardly in Morocco

WHAT IS RAPE CULTURE?

EXAMPLES OF RAPE CULTURE

VICTIM BLAMING

Why Is It Dangerous?

What Does Victim-Blaming Look Like?

HOW CAN MEN AND WOMEN COMBAT RAPE CULTURE AND VICTIM BLAMING?

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