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The ICESCO International Forum on Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment, held over three days by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) as part of ICESCO’s celebration of 2021 as Year of Women, concluded its proceedings by holding several training workshops for women entrepreneurs, within the framework of “Al Fihriya Academy.” These workshops focused on the mechanisms of creating and developing women’s small and medium enterprises, ways to secure the necessary funding, raising awareness of the role of business incubators in achieving sustainability, and financial management of projects, in addition to other issues.

Successful businesswomen, representatives of institutions and specialized companies, and ICESCO experts led the workshops, organized on the third day of the Forum held under the theme: “Women Entrepreneurship: A Future Key Lever for Sustainable Development.”

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, attended the launch of the training and learned about the theme of each workshop. He also spoke with the future female entrepreneurs and praised their ambition to succeed in the field of entrepreneurship, stressing the importance of promoting the culture of female entrepreneurship.

Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that the Organization will not cease to support women and provide them with the necessary opportunities to play their leading role in achieving sustainable development, pointing out that the proclamation of 2021 as ICESCO Year of Women, under the theme “Women for the Future,” bears witness to the Organization’s commitment to empowering girls and women to contribute to creating a brighter future for the Islamic world.

The Forum was launched on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, at the headquarters of the Organization in Rabat, with high-level participation of ministers, officials, ambassadors, experts and businesswomen. The event included several activities, including the exhibition “In the footsteps of Fatima Al-Fihria” at the ICESCO Gallery for Contemporary Art, which presents several works by Moroccan artists, in addition to a fair of the products of cooperatives and women’s businesses in Morocco. The second day of the forum (Thursday, 24 June 2021) was marked by rich discussions, creative ideas and practical proposals that will contribute to the success of women entrepreneurs’ projects, in addition to the exchange of inspiring experiences of women who have achieved great success in the field of entrepreneurship.

The second day of ICESCO International Forum on Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment witnessed rich discussions, creative ideas and practical recommendations to contribute to the success of women entrepreneurs. The three-day event, held as part of the celebration of ICESCO’s Year of Women 2021, also included presentations of women’s inspiring success stories in the field of entrepreneurship.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), delivered an opening address during the second day of the Forum, held under the theme: “Women Entrepreneurship, A future Key Lever for Sustainable Development,” wherein he reiterated his thanks and gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for His high patronage for the celebration of ICESCO’s Year of Women.

Dr. AlMalik underscored that ICESCO believes that women empowerment is essential to overcoming challenges which is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development. This includes their basic rights that ensure equal ownership, employment and skills development.

Dr. AlMalik praised the remarkable progress most Islamic countries have made in recent years in eliminating gender discrimination and standing against women and girls’ marginalization and violations of their rights, calling for further action on this matter.

Afterward, Mrs. Hala bint Mohammed Jaber Al-Ansari, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Women, Bahrain, stated that entrepreneurship was the sector most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Al-Ansari also reviewed the efforts of Bahrain in promoting entrepreneurship.

During her presentation, Ms. Claudine Aoun, President of the National Commission for Lebanese Women, stressed that women’s participation is key to achieving 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr. Fadia Kiwan, DG of Arab Women Organization, stated that personal capacities development is the ultimate mechanism to adjust to the free market given the current change in women’s capacities and aspirations.

Dr. Aida Beji Kallel, a member of the Executive Board of the National Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs in Tunisia, highlighted the importance of women entrepreneurship as key to societies’ success while reviewing the Chamber’s efforts in promoting entrepreneurship.

Ms. Leila Doukkali, President of the Association of Moroccan Women Entrepreneurs, emphasized the key role of women in achieving sustainable development for future generations.

Thereafter, the first session of the Forum’s second day included a discussion on the role and the importance of teaching women the principles and foundations of entrepreneurship, with the participation of pioneering women entrepreneurs and research professors from universities from around the world. The second session tackled the role of women’s entrepreneurship in building a sustainable future.

The Forum, which kicked off on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, at ICESCO headquarters, saw high-level participation of ministers, officials, ambassadors, experts and businesswomen. The event also included an Art exhibition “In the Footsteps of Fatmia Al-Fihriya,” hosted at ICESCO’s Contemporary Art Gallery, which features a large number of paintings of female Moroccan artists, as well as an exhibition of products of women cooperatives and several companies in Morocco.

The headquarters of the Islamic World Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) saw the opening of the International Forum on Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment, under the theme: “Women Entrepreneurship, A future Key Lever for Sustainable Development”.

The three-day Forum held as part of the celebration of ICESCO’s Year of Women 2021, aims to introduce pioneering businesswomen, discuss and exchange views on encouraging women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities, as well as celebrate the International Day of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

The Forum’s opening ceremony saw high-level participation of ministers, ambassadors, experts and businesswomen.  Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, delivered an opening address wherein he expressed his delight at organizing such an event. He underscored that the Forum is an opportunity to celebrate women pioneers who managed to overcome various obstacles and prove that women are key partners in building human civilizations and campaigning for the drafting of policies and guidelines to develop women’s entrepreneurship and promote the role of women.

Dr. AlMalik also noted that the high-level participation in the Forum reflects the great expectations held for the Organization to contribute to building a better world that strives for equality and genuine partnership between men and women.

Mr. André Azoulay, Advisor to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Forum’s guest of honor, stressed that achieving prosperity and sustainable development relies heavily on helping women gain access to their rights and achieving equality, noting that social inequalities our societies face drain the economies of the region.

Mrs. Astana Abdulaziz, Ambassador of Malaysia to Morocco, also a Forum guest of honor, congratulated ICESCO for the proclamation of 2021 as the Year of Women. She called on countries of the Islamic World to develop women empowerment policies, by taking specific measures that focus on developing the skills of women entrepreneurs and providing them with necessary guidance and funding to facilitate their entry into modern and profit-generating fields.

The guests visited the Art exhibition “In the Footsteps of Fatmia Al-Fihriya”, hosted at ICESCO’s Contemporary Art Gallery, which features a large number of paintings of Moroccan artists. The attendees also checked the exhibition of products of women cooperatives and several companies in Morocco.

The agenda for the second day of the Forum, Thursday, June 24, 2021, features an international hybrid symposium on “Women Entrepreneurship Education in the World: Prospects and Challenges, and the Role of Women Entrepreneurship in Building a Sustainable Future.” The symposium will bring together several female experts, academicians, and decision-makers in the field of women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment.

The third day of the event, Friday, June 25, 2021, includes workshops organized within the framework of “Al-Fihriya Academy” for the benefit of future women entrepreneurs. The event will conclude its proceedings with the production of videos and feasibility studies to highlight the best practices and means to promote women’s entrepreneurship.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) signed agreements to create chairs as part of its Network for International Chairs for Thought, Letters and Arts. The agreements were signed with prominent universities and research institutes from Morocco, Tunisia, Germany, Brazil, and Senegal.

The signing ceremony, held on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, via videoconference, saw the participation of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO DG, who reaffirmed that ICESCO International Chairs for Thought, Letters, and Arts bear witness to the Organization’s interest in universities and institutes as civilizational hubs for thought production, stimulating scientific research trends and in-depth studies with concrete social and cultural impact.

Dr. AlMalik noted that in line with ICESCO’s proclamation of 2021 as the Year for Women, women will be given priority in benefiting from the opportunities the Chairs provide and assuming supervision positions within the Chairs to promote the status of women.

The DG stated that the signing of these agreements is part of the approach of renewal characterizing ICESCO’s new vision, a vision that would, he noted, open new prospects for the Member States to keep up with global changes.

The presidents of universities, heads of research centers and Chair officials taking part in the signing ceremony expressed their thanks to ICESCO for its great interest and sustained efforts to open up to educational and research institutions and support studies and research works in service of the Islamic world.

The agreements provided for the creation of the following chairs:

1. ICESCO Chair on “Encounter and transmission of arts and knowledge Orient-Occident” at Orients Occidents Nexus gUG Institute in Germany.
2. ICESCO Chair Ibn Khaldun for Culture and Heritage at the Center of Arts, Culture and Letters at Ksar Said Palace in Tunisia.
3. ICESCO Chair for “African Renaissance and Promotion of Traditional Knowledge” at Sheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal.
4. ICESCO Chair for Thinking about Coexistence in the Islamic World” at the Center of Arts, Culture and Letters at Ksar Said Palace in Tunisia.
5. ICESCO Chair for Comparative Letters and Arts at the Faculty of Languages, Arts, and Letters at Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra, Morocco.
6. ICESCO Chair for Art and Nature: Hybrid Approach.

At the close of the signing ceremony, Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy DG, announced that the Organization will launch two awards, namely Best Chair Performance and Best Research Conducted as part of the Chair. He stated that the goal is to create fair competition among the different chairs.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Mr. Othman Al-Ferdaous, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in Morocco, explored cooperation prospects between the Organization and the Ministry in the fields of culture and heritage as well as the co-organization of several cultural events.  

During the meeting, held on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Rabat, the two parties reviewed the progress of several cultural and heritage projects that ICESCO is implementing in cooperation with the competent authorities in Morocco. These include the Museum of Intangible Heritage in Jamaâ El Fna Square in Marrakech and the restoration of some Moroccan historic landmarks.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, ICESCO Deputy DG, and Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector at the Organization, attended the meeting, which focused on co-organization of cultural events. The meeting also discussed ICESCO’s participation in the 2022 International Tan-Tan Festival for Camels and Desert Culture, an event that is inscribed on both the Islamic World Intangible Heritage List and the World Heritage List.

The two parties discussed the key aspects of the cooperation agreement that they agreed to sign soon and stressed the importance of inscribing other Moroccan heritage sites and elements on ICESCO’s Islamic World Tangible and Intangible Heritage List.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Lebanese University in Lebanon signed an agreement to establish ICESCO Chair on “Arts, Culture and Humanities East-West: Intercultural relations and inclusiveness,” at the Doctoral School of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences. The Chair aims to promote comprehensive research works and knowledge exchange through scientific, cultural and creative activities, and strengthen East-West Civilizational ties.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG); Dr. Mohammed Mohsen, the Dean of the Doctoral School of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences at the Lebanese University; Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy DG of ICESCO; and Dr. Dima Hamdan, Chair Supervisor, took part at the signing ceremony, held on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, via videoconferencing, with the participation of several heads of sectors and experts at the Organization.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik expressed his happiness at signing the agreement, noting that the Chair will strengthen ICESCO’s ties with its Member States, considering that Lebanon is a culturally diverse country.

Dr. AlMalik added that this step is in line with ICESCO new vision based on openness, noting that the Organization has developed international art programs to support creativity and promote the works of intellectuals and artists within and outside the Islamic world.

“The Organization has established an international network of chairs on literature and arts to support scientific chairs and restore the role of culture within scientific research,” stated Dr. AlMalik.

Dr. Mohammed Mohsen expressed his happiness at signing the agreement while highlighting the prominent position of the University, which enrolls around 80 thousand students, 10% of whom are from Arab countries, and has 7,000 Professors. The University encompasses three doctoral schools that currently enroll 800 students and collaborate with various international institutions around the world.

Dr. Dima Hamdan stressed that the Chair will strengthen East-West ties and aims to restore Lebanon’s role in promoting civilizational and cultural convergence and knowledge exchange, encouraging student creativity, and fostering the culture of peace.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the National e-Learning Center of Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi National Commission for Education, Science and Culture held today, Tuesday 22 June 2021, via videoconference, a meeting to discuss drafting a framework for cooperation and partnership in the field of education between ICESCO and the Center and explore prospects for advancing education.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG); Dr. Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Walidi, General Manager of the Center; and Prof. Hattan Muneer bin Samman, Secretary-General of the Saudi National Commission. Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy DG, several ICESCO heads of sectors and advisors, and a number of the Center’s officials also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik stated that ICESCO’s new vision adopts an approach of renewal in the programs it offers within its areas of competence. He added that he is looking forward to building fruitful cooperation with the Center to transfer the remarkable expertise and successful experiences of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the field of e-learning to several countries in the Islamic world.

Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that the Saudi Center is a source of pride and a great model for advancing education systems in the Islamic world through promoting trust, complementarity and innovation in the field of e-learning.

Dr. Al-Walidi noted that the significance of e-learning lies in its ability to provide quality education and guarantee equal opportunities to a maximum number of learners, expressing the Center’s readiness to provide support and share expertise and experiences with ICESCO and its Member States.

Prof. Samman reaffirmed the National Commission’s keenness to support ICESCO and build fruitful partnerships between the Organization and Saudi institutions and bodies within ICESCO’s areas of competence.

Mr. Najmeddine bin Issam Al-Homssi, Director of Strategic Relations at the Center, gave an overview of the Center’s roles and goals, which focus on improving the quality of e-learning, granting authorizations, overseeing programs, conducting research works and studies, and providing consultation in the field of e-learning.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to set up a joint working team to outline the parameters of the partnership between ICESCO and the Center. They also agreed to continue meeting to draft executive programs to be agreed upon.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held on Monday, June 21, 2021, the second session of the Leadership Training in Peace and Security Program. The Program is held in partnership with the UNESCO Office for the Maghreb, the Conference of the Ministers of Education of French Speaking Countries (CONFEMEN), and the Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports of French Speaking Countries (CONFEJES).

The key Program aims to hone the leadership skills of young people as they are the agents of change who are capable of establishing peace and building the societies we want. It also seeks to make them true ambassadors of peace in their societies by providing them with knowledge and tools through exchanges with inspirational leaders and experts.

At the beginning of the opening session, held both face-to-face at ICESCO headquarters and via videoconference, Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of the Sector of Human and Social Sciences at ICESCO, welcomed participants, noting that the Program represents a platform for knowledge, research, and experience exchange among leaderships, experts, and young people.   

In his opening address, Mr. Nidal Benali, a trainee in the 2021 Leadership Training in Peace and Security Program, President of the National Local Youth Councils Network in Morocco, stressed the need to join efforts to achieve peace and security through building the capacities of young people to become active citizens.

For his part, Mr. Abdel Rahamane Baba-Moussa, CONFEMEN Secretary-General, highlighted the importance of incorporating peace and security in school curricula and programs, stating that education is the key to peace. The CONFEMEN official called on states and governments to build education systems that allow for life-long learning and embraces education on the principles of peace and security.  

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), talked in his address about the Organization’s vision in the field of peace and youth leaderships and stressed the need for decision-makers to open to young people and their ideas as it is only logical to include them in shaping the future. Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that achieving prosperity and sustainable development hinges upon promoting and capitalizing on the youth’s innovative capacities in various fields, ensure their active participation and build their leadership capacities.

During the session discussion, ICESCO DG answered the questions of the Program trainees, university students, and civil society activists from different Member States, reaffirming the need to build partnerships, promote cooperation among countries and societies, and foster scientific research to come up with innovative solutions to the conflicts undermining peace.

The DG urged participants to seek the truth and refrain from taking rumors and fake news at face value. He also recommended they travel and immerse themselves in other cultures to enhance their views about the other and build a better future.

The Expert Session featured several remarkable presentations, including “Education for peace” that Dr. Conrad Hughes, Director of the International School of Geneva, delivered; and “Global citizenship and peace” that Dr. John Crowley, Chief of Section for Research, Policy and Foresight at UNESCO, delivered.

The session also featured a presentation on “The significance of the Gender-based perspective in establishing peace and security” that Dr. Lina Abi Rafii, Executive Director of the Arab Institute of Women, delivered. She stated that the desired change cannot be achieved without a proper understanding of the world we live in, calling on young people to strive to improve the situation of women as it is a way to achieve peace, security and prosperity.  

The Leadership Training in Peace and Security Program will continue with several virtual training sessions that will be held between June and September 2021. The Program focuses on 10 modules focusing on peace issues. The 2021 trainees will form the first group in the ICESCO Youth and Women Network for Peace.