Rabat, Day 2: Innovation and Preservation

April 16—We had another phenomenal day in Rabat, filled with enriching talks, cultural visits, and lessons on how to preserve language and culture -- and even learned how to prepare delicious Moroccan food under the tutelage of a master chef! 

In the morning, we visited MACECE, the Moroccan-American Cultural and Educational Exchange.  While at MACECE, we attended two thought-provoking lectures.   First, we heard from Dr. Youssef Farouqi, Adviser to the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development.  He spoke about green energy, Morocco's efforts in sustainability, and how Morocco's unique geographical position and lack of natural resources have led to many innovative approaches.  We also learned about some notable achievements Morocco has made in recent years.  For instance, we learned that Morocco's electrification rate has gone from 20% to 100% in the past 20 years - an incredible jump and a sign of their commitment to energy equity. 

Next, Dr. Souad Eddouada shared her research on gender dynamics and women's rights, and specifically her work on women who are fighting for land rights.  She alluded to this NY Times article in her talk.  I look forward to sharing her insights and expertise as well as images from the article as a way of studying gender in Morocco with my students.  Fascinating and inspirational!  Dr. Eddouada also mentioned in her lecture that she has a busy week since she is attending an event in Detroit later this week - another Michigan connection. The mitten state is well-connected!

​Next, we visited Colegio Español de Rabat, a Spanish language school.  After an informative introduction to the school's history and mission, we had the chance to visit a classroom and interact with some of the young students.  Since most of the children at this school speak at least four languages, I was able to talk to a few of them in English and share the "This is Pioneer" books my Pioneer students made.  They especially loved seeing the sports images, as they are big football (soccer) fans.    In the photo below, they are looking at an image of Pioneer's "Senior Sunrise" event.  Thanks to Pio World Lit student Maggie Macrory for submitting this engaging photo and caption!

After lunch, we headed to the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture, where we learned about the institute's efforts to preserve Morocco's Amazigh culture and language.  King Mohammed VI has been a big supporter of this effort (and we've also learned that he is extremely beloved, this according to every Moroccan we have met!)  As part of our visit, the master linguist Khaled Ansar taught us the Amazigh alphabet (photo below.). His session offered us extraordinary insights into what it takes to preserve and standardize a language so that it stays alive for future generations.   As part of our language lesson, we learned how to say each Amazigh letter and even learned how to write our names!  The Kingdom of Morocco website published this news story about how the strategy used to standardize Amazigh is a model for "revitalizing precarious cultures."  It was magical to learn about the ways that linguists made practical, deliberate, and collaborative decisions to ensure the Amazigh language lives on in the Kingdom of Morocco.

The Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture

After the Royal Institute, we continued on to two other cultural gems in Rabat: The  Mausoleum of King Mohammed V and the historical medina.  Both have a rich history and stunning architecture.

The medina of Rabat

Mohammed V Mausoleum

After visiting the mausoleum, we headed up to the rooftop of  Roots Academy, an English and Arabic language school, for a cooking class.  We learned how to make chicken tagine, the eggplant dish "zaalouk," and a delicious dessert called "breway."  The food was delicious and it was an outstanding way to see how food bridges cultural divides and connects us to people we've just met!

Needless to say, the day was packed with Moroccan language, culture, and food. 

​Here's a 2-minute highlight video of the day's events!