The 14th Summer University for Young Moroccans Living Abroad, which provides a forum for meetings and exchanges between these young generations and their homeland, opened on Monday in Rabat.
Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates (Moroccan Exparts Department), this initiative, which runs until August 1, 2023, is part of the Department’s programs to strengthen the identity of new generations of Moroccan emigrants.
This year’s event will see the participation of 300 young Moroccans living in over 30 countries, 66% of whom are female students aged between 18 and 25 and studying at various universities and colleges.
The Summer University is an ideal opportunity for these young Moroccans living abroad to meet, exchange ideas and discover first-hand the richness of their country of origin, in particular its history, culture and value system based on dialogue and tolerance, while at the same time enabling them to find out about major strategic projects and discover Morocco’s cultural, economic and tourist assets.
Through this initiative, these young people will have the opportunity to become acquainted with the Moroccan value system, which advocates dialogue between cultures and religions, enshrines the principle of responsible citizenship and is committed to universal human values.
Speaking at the event, Ismail Lamghari, Secretary General of the Department of Moroccan Expatriates, said that this initiative, which forms part of the implementation of the national strategy for the diaspora, had become an annual event for this category of Moroccan society, with the aim of strengthening their ties to their country of origin and preserving their national identity, as well as promoting their integration in host countries.
The more this category is culturally attached to the Kingdom, the more it will have an interest in investing in it and contributing to the development projects launched, he said.
In this respect, Lamghari called on these young Moroccans to represent their country as they should and to promote its rich cultural heritage, while highlighting the advances made by the Kingdom in various fields, stressing that the qualitative reforms Morocco is undergoing require the contribution of these expatriate skills to development projects and their involvement in defending its interests with host countries.
For his part, Ahmed Abbadi, Secretary General of the Mohammadia Rabita of Ulema, spoke of the civilizational heritage that consolidates ties with the mother country and the attachment to its values, which aim to immunize young people against hate speech and extremism.
In his speech on how Morocco became a land of coexistence between cultures and religions, Abbadi saw the initiative as an opportunity for young Moroccans living in Morocco or abroad to discover the Kingdom’s intellectual, cultural and civilizational riches, and to learn about the projects and worksites launched in several regions.
In this respect, he invited the beneficiaries of this summer university to convey a radiant image of the country, to represent it with dignity in the host countries and to open up to Moroccan culture founded on the values of tolerance, moderation and citizenship.
The Summer University program includes visits to historic sites in Rabat, as well as conferences, thematic workshops and meetings focusing on investment in Morocco, the New Development Model and the latest developments in the Sahara affair, in addition to issues of interest to the younger generations of the Moroccan diaspora.
Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse