struggles and
possibilities of the country and its people and their migrations, maybe because
some of this reminds her of her own heritage.
The reason for one’s engagement doesn’t matter, so long as there is
engagement.[ii]
In March 2010, the Washington Moroccan American Club on its 20th
anniversary celebrated Moroccan Americans’ diverse cultural heritage through a
multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary experience.
Through 20 different events in and around Washington, D.C., the
celebration focused on issues involving Morocco and Moroccan-Americans with
political, social, educational and cultural themes and overtones as well as
entertainment. From women’s rights and
empowerment, cultural autonomy, press and media, environmental awareness and
advocacy, and the Peace Corps experience in Morocco, to Morocco in cinema,
Moroccan cooking, business, literature, music, travel and sports, the
celebration touched on many subjects of interest to Moroccans, Moroccan
Americans and their fellow citizens.[iii]
Capturing the spirit of the month, one club member observed about her vision of the 20/20 events: “I want to see the Moroccan American community thrive. Sharing the Moroccan American culture adds to our community and its families...by broadening perspectives, diminishing stereotypes, and encouraging generosity, all of which are important both to me and to our community.”[iv] Another club member added that the 20 years celebration is "our celebration of unity and love for each other," and that the 20/20 events recognize "the leadership of WMC [Washington Moroccan American Club]...for all of these years [of service and community building]."[v] The Mayor of the District of Columbia extended his personal congratulations.[vi]
Capturing the spirit of the month, one club member observed about her vision of the 20/20 events: “I want to see the Moroccan American community thrive. Sharing the Moroccan American culture adds to our community and its families...by broadening perspectives, diminishing stereotypes, and encouraging generosity, all of which are important both to me and to our community.”[iv] Another club member added that the 20 years celebration is "our celebration of unity and love for each other," and that the 20/20 events recognize "the leadership of WMC [Washington Moroccan American Club]...for all of these years [of service and community building]."[v] The Mayor of the District of Columbia extended his personal congratulations.[vi]
In its “something for everyone” approach, the Club sponsored
20 days of events. Among the locations
for the 20/20 events were venues, such as Johns Hopkins University (at its
School of Advanced International Studies or SAIS), Georgetown University, the
National Press Club, George Mason University, George Washington University, and
the Goethe Institute; and family-oriented sites, including the McLean Community
Center in McLean, VA, and Casablanca Restaurant in Alexandria, VA.[vii] The events concluded with a gala finale on
March 28.[viii]
A summary listing of the events follows:
Women's Empowerment in Morocco held on March 17 at the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, addressed issues of gender and
development in Morocco as they have affected Morocco's progress and evaluated
the effect of Moroccan gender equality initiatives. Among other things, the program examined the
historical background and the influence of poverty, illiteracy and patriarchal
attitudes, and considered the possibilities of women’s small business
development. According to the event co-chair, empowering women (or women’s
rights) is a key to development. The
event was the subject of a detailed article by the author of this article. [ix]
The Coming of Age of the Imazighen Question held at George
Washington University resulted from a partnership between the Washington
Moroccan American Club and Morocco's Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture (IRCAM
or Institute Royal de la Culture Amazigh).
Involving experts in Amazigh language and culture, the program focused
on various developments, such as the establishment of IRCAM, sweeping
educational reforms, and the issuance of the Amazigh Manifesto, which have had
significant linguistic, artistic, and socio-political implications. The spirit of the event was captured by one of
the event co-chairs who observed that he was “a passionate and avid advocate of
preserving the Amazigh culture…” and that he hoped that “that this event will
lead to more and more similar events to enlighten audiences on the richness of
the Amazigh culture and its significance for Moroccan and North African
politics and identity.”[x]
Morocco at the Movies looked at Hollywood's fascination with
Morocco as a premier film venue, which is fast developing its own film
offerings. It included a retrospective on American films made in Morocco and
presented two of the latest films from Morocco and the U.S. involving Morocco.
HMEMSA, a young Moroccan American network for education, which
stands for Home of the Moroccan Educators and Moroccan Students in America,
sponsored an event at George Mason University.
HMEMSA’s mission is to serve Moroccan students and Moroccan educators in
America through networking and access to relevant information. The presentation
discussed the goals of HMEMSA and the projects that are underway to achieve
them.
Another event featured the many faces of the Tangier American
Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM). It is the only National Historic Trust
Property outside the U.S. which preserves the heritage of America and Morocco,
reminding visitors of America’s long and friendly relationship with
Morocco. TALIM’s research library is one
of the most prominent libraries specializing in Morocco, and TALIM also
functions as a community center and museum.
A program on Moroccan cooking, held at the Casablanca
Restaurant in Alexandria, VA, focused on the origins of Moroccan traditional or
customary food, including the use of herbs and spices in Moroccan cooking, the
compositions of meals in Morocco, and the health benefits of Moroccan cuisine.
A High Atlas Foundation event considered rural development in
Morocco by providing an overview of the Foundation’s history, mission, vision,
guiding principles, and development approach. That approach centers around
community meetings in order to bring men and women together to identify,
prioritize, and implement socio-economic and environmental projects.
At the “Art and Poetry Slam,” held on March 13 at the McLean
Community Center, youths read aloud original or selected poetry or other
literature, with a focus on their original compositions on Morocco or their
Moroccan heritage or works of Moroccan artists.
Among the other events during the program were singing and playing the
Moroccan and United States national anthems and other classical, folk or
popular music and a puppet show. Instruments
included the piano and baritone horn.
Participants ranged from preschoolers to eighth graders.
Another program featured the Moroccan Association of Sister
Cities International, an organization created to develop cultural, economic and
social exchanges and strengthen bilateral and multilateral relationships
between cities in Morocco and the United States in order to promote peace and
community building and eliminate barriers of misunderstanding. The Morocco-U.S. sister cities at the time of
the event were: Agadir/Oakland, CA;
Tiznit/ Sommerville, MA; Jadida/ Tacoma,
WA; Chefchaouen/ Issaquah, WA; Marrakesh / Scottsdale, AZ, Casablanca / Chicago, IL; and El Hajeb
/Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Morocco-U.S. relations were updated in a program featuring
experts from the U.S. and Morocco.
Participants analyzed where the relationship is headed in the next decade,
considering its many aspects, including political, diplomatic, commercial and
economic, and military and security. At
the event, Dr. William Zartman, a professor at Johns Hopkins University at its
School of Advanced International Studies and a specialist on North Africa,
observed that “Morocco's proposal to grant autonomy to its southern provinces,
the Sahara, complies with current international practice.” According to Dr.
Zartman , “The principle of autonomy is a way of finding solutions to many conflicts
around the world….”[xi]
Exploring ways to strengthen the Moroccan American presence in
the United States was the focus of a town hall meeting in which the Washington
Moroccan American Club partnered with the Moroccan Society of Houston.
Another event addressed the role of Moroccan expatriate
journalists in advancing national and pan-Arab media discourse and the
effectiveness of the internet to promote the image of Morocco abroad as used by
state and NGO actors.[xii]
There were two separate sports programs, including the Hassan
Mendoun Memorial Soccer Tournament and the Youth 2K “fun run.” (The soccer tournament paid respects to the
late internationally renowned soccer player Hassan Mendoun.) The tournament drew teams from 8 states with
players from many countries and provided an example of “sports diplomacy.”
Two cultural days were
marked by demonstrations of Saharan or Sahrawi culture (including music and
dance and traditional crafts), complete with a goat skin nomad tent first
placed on DuPont Circle during the middle of the day on March 23, 2010 and then
placed next to the Smithsonian Institution on March 25. The DuPont Circle location is in the heart
of Washington, D.C. and near important government and business institutions and
where, on sunny days like March 23, thousands pass by daily.
Another program featured educational study tours to Morocco
for young college students to help them understand Moroccan culture before they
form stereotypes. The tours are
intended to build strong international and even interfaith relationships and
foster multi-cultural understanding.
Other events included
WMC Container of Care: Destination Morocco, a donation project organized to
send gently used clothing, shoes, infant items and school supplies in a cargo
container destined for Morocco; and still another program reflected on the many
decades long commitment of U.S. Peace Corps work in Morocco.
The participants shared an interest in Morocco, which was
sparked directly or indirectly by the various sources referenced in the
introductory paragraph – Fulbright scholarship or other study or travel abroad
in Morocco, married to a Moroccan, Peace Corps service in Morocco and
more. Or in some cases, none of this was
applicable, but involvement came from the mere acquaintance with one or more of
such persons. In such cases, it is
irrelevant why it happened, but only relevant that it did.
[i] Copyright © 2010,
2012 by Norman L. Greene. Norman L. Greene resides in New York, N.Y. He has
written on a variety of topics, including Morocco and Moroccan affairs and
other subjects, particularly, the rule of law and related matters, such as
judicial, criminal and civil justice reform, and economic development. He has also observed and participated in
some of the events related to the Washington Moroccan American Club’s 20/20
anniversary celebration. Several of his
articles relating to such events are referenced in this report. All internet references to articles published
in 2010 were accurate as of that time.
Articles published in two places sometimes contain variations in the
text.
The picture introducing this report was taken at the Women’s
Empowerment program held at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in
Washington, D.C. on March 17, 2010 by Fatiha LLC, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
[ii] With respect to
the influence of Morocco on the career of the late U.S. Ambassador to Libya J.
Christopher Stevens, see Steven Lee Myers, For Veteran Envoy, Return to Libya
Was Full of Hope, n.y. times, Sept. 15, 2012, available at
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/16/world/middleeast/us-ambassador-to-libya-knew-the-ways-of-the-arab-street.html?_r=1&hpw
:
For those who knew him, Mr. [J. Christopher] Stevens was an
easygoing, accessible, candid and at times irreverent diplomat, with a deep
understanding of Arab culture and politics that began when he was a Peace Corps
volunteer, teaching English in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.
[iii] Portions of this article are adapted from earlier
articles by Norman L. Greene published on the Washington Moroccan American
Club’s website or by MoroccoBoard News Service or both, sometimes with slight
variations.
For background on the organization of the 20/20 event,
including the organizing committee’s meeting at the Casablanca Restaurant in Alexandria, VA on January 10, 2010, see
Norman L. Greene, Washington Moroccan American Club on Threshold of Its Twenty
Events Extravaganza, January 15, 2010, at
http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/34-news-release/829-washington-moroccan-american-club-on-the-threshold-of-its-march-2010-twenty-events-extravaganza, also published as Norman L. Greene, WMC 20 Organizing Committee of Washington
Moroccan American Club Holds Planning Meeting, available at
http://www.washingtonmoroccanclub.org/articles/wmc-20--organizing-committee-of-washington-moroccan-american-club-holds-planning-meeting-.html As that
article noted in part, “On Sunday, January 10, 2010, the Washington
Moroccan American Club held a well-attended meeting of the leadership for its
“20/20” project proposing 20 carefully selected events in March 2010 to
celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Club with two decades of
service to the Moroccan American community. “ Id.
[iv] Norman L. Greene, 20 Years, 20 Moroccan American American
Events Project Takes Shape, on MoroccoBoard News Service at
http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/34-news-release/920-20-years-20-moroccan-american-events-project-takes-shape,
February 28, 2010, also published as
Norman L. Greene, The Washington Moroccan American Club's Ambitious 20/20
Project Takes Shape, February 28, 2010, available at
http://www.washingtonmoroccanclub.org/articles/the-washington-moroccan-american-clubs-ambitious-2020-project-takes-shape--.html
(quoting member of the Washington Moroccan American Club.)
[v] Norman L. Greene,
20 Years, 20 Moroccan American Events Project Takes Shape at
http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/920-20-years-20-moroccan-american-events-project-takes-shape
also published under the title The Washington Moroccan American Club's
Ambitious 20/20 Project Takes Shape, February 28, 2010, available at
http://www.washingtonmoroccanclub.org/articles/the-washington-moroccan-american-clubs-ambitious-2020-project-takes-shape--.html
(quoting Washington Moroccan American Club member Khalid Nahi).
[vi] The Mayor, Adrian M. Fenty, issued a letter dated March
2010 as follows:
As Mayor of the District of Columbia, it is my pleasure to
extend congratulation to The Washington Moroccan American Club, on the occasion
of your 20th Anniversary.
The Washington Moroccan American Club has served as a place
where Moroccan-Americans and Friends of Morocco gather to socialize and
strengthen relationship throughout the community.
As you gather to celebrate this special occasion, we look
forward to your continued efforts to help enhance the quality of life of
others.
A copy of the letter was previously available at
http://www.wmc20.org/welcome-note-to-wmac--from--the--mayor-of-the-district-of-columbia--adrian-fenty.html
(last visited March 2010).
[vii] Norman L. Greene,
20 Years, 20 Moroccan American American Events Project Takes Shape, on
MoroccoBoard News Service available at http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/34-news-release/920-20-years-20-moroccan-american-events-project-takes-shape,
February 28, 2010, also published as
Norman L. Greene, The Washington Moroccan American Club's Ambitious
20/20 Project Takes Shape, February 28, 2010, http://www.washingtonmoroccanclub.org/articles/the-washington-moroccan-american-clubs-ambitious-2020-project-takes-shape--.html
. This report borrows extensively from
this article, but for ease of reference, quotation marks are omitted.
[viii] See Soirée de
Gala à Washington pour marquer le 20ème anniversaire du WMC, available at
http://www.washingtonmoroccanclub.org/articles/soirée-de-gala-à-washington-pour-marquer-le-20ème-anniversaire-du-wmc.html
and Gala Ends Month of Morocco Related Events in Washington by WMC, March 30, 2010,
available at
http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/34-news-release/953-gala-ends-month-of-morocco-related-events-in-washington-by-wmc
[ix] Norman L. Greene, Provocative, Fast-Moving Conference
Held in Washington on Women’s Empowerment in Morocco, March 23, 2010, available
at
http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/34-news-release/949-provocative-fast-moving-conference-held-in-washington-on-womens-empowerment-in-morocco Among other things, the article noted, the program co-chair and co-moderator “opened the proceedings by noting that the
panelists were the ‘rock stars’ of the topic of women’s empowerment in Morocco
and represented the fulfillment of the planning committee’s ‘wish list’ for the
program. Recalling the slogan from the 1992 [Bill] Clinton [presidential]
campaign ‘It’s the economy, stupid,’ she observed that the battle cry today,
for those seeking to advance development, should be: ‘It’s women’s rights,
stupid.’” Id.
[x] Norman L. Greene, 20 Years, 20 Moroccan American Events
Project Takes Shape, MoroccoBoard News Service, available at
http://www.moroccoboard.com
/news/34-news-release/920-20-years-20-moroccan-american-events-project-takes-shape, February 28, 2010, also published as Norman L. Greene, The Washington Moroccan American Club's Ambitious 20/20 Project Takes Shape, February 28, 2010, available at http://www.washingtonmoroccanclub.org/articles/the-washington-moroccan-american-clubs-ambitious-2020-project-takes-shape--.html(quoting program co-chair). As an update, subsequent to the program, as part of the 2011 Moroccan Constitutional reforms, Amazigh was recognized as one of the official languages of Morocco.
/news/34-news-release/920-20-years-20-moroccan-american-events-project-takes-shape, February 28, 2010, also published as Norman L. Greene, The Washington Moroccan American Club's Ambitious 20/20 Project Takes Shape, February 28, 2010, available at http://www.washingtonmoroccanclub.org/articles/the-washington-moroccan-american-clubs-ambitious-2020-project-takes-shape--.html(quoting program co-chair). As an update, subsequent to the program, as part of the 2011 Moroccan Constitutional reforms, Amazigh was recognized as one of the official languages of Morocco.
[xi] See Morocco's autonomy proposal complies with
international practice, U.S. academic, previously available at
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/sahara/morocco_s_autonomy_p_10/view (last
visited April 2010).
