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On Thursday, November 24, 2022, the four-day regional workshop on capacity building of intangible cultural heritage professionals concluded its proceedings at the headquarters of the International University of Africa in Khartoum, Republic of the Sudan. The workshop was organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in partnership with the Sudanese National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.

The closing ceremony was attended by Dr. Graham Abdelkader, Sudanese Minister of Culture and Information, Dr. Mahmoud Sir-al-Khatim Al-Huri, Sudanese Minister of Education, Dr. Wafaa Sayed, Secretary General of the Sudanese National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, and Dr. Hunud Abia Kadouf, President of the International University of Africa.
ICESCO was represented at the workshop by Dr. Bilel Chebbi, Expert at the Culture and Communication Sector, who participated in the moderation of the workshop, and contributed to their training on methods to prepare nomination files for inscription on international heritage lists, and draft international assistance projects, more precisely the drafting of reports on the preservation of intangible cultural heritage.

This workshop benefited several experts in the field, staff members of the Sudanese National Heritage Council, in addition to participants from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the Republic of Tunisia, and the Arab Republic of Egypt. The proceedings were moderated by Dr. Mustafa Jad, Dean of the Higher Institute of Folk Arts in Egypt, and Dr. Ismail Ali El-Fihail, Director of the House of Heritage Center, member of the National Heritage Council in Sudan.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Fakkak, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities of the Republic of Iraq, and his delegation visited the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, received the delegation and took them on a tour of the various sections of the Exhibition of the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization.

At the end of the visit of the Iraqi delegation, which included Dr. Bhutan Dze Yi, Chargé d’Affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq to the Kingdom of Morocco, the Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities expressed his admiration for this great civilizational project, which highlights the Prophet’s biography and the Islamic civilization using scientific and educational methods as well as the latest technologies, indicating that Iraq is eager to host a similar exhibition of this museum.

Ms. Amira El-Fadil, Head of ICESCO Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, also took part in this tour with the delegation.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), to discuss developments in cooperation between the two Organizations and proposals for strengthening their partnership through the implementation of practical programmes and projects in the coming period.

During the meeting, which took place today, Friday, November 25, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, in the presence of Mr. Jamal El-Aloua, Secretary-General of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, Dr. Abdel-Fattah Al-Hajjari, Director of the Arabization Coordination Office in Rabat, and Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s key initiatives, programmes and projects as part of its new vision and strategic orientations, which accord great priority to supporting women, building youth capacities and skills needed for tomorrow’s professions and encouraging innovation.

He explained that ICESCO does not impose specific programmes and projects on Member States, but rather it designs specific programmes and projects for each country according to its priorities and needs and in coordination with the concerned authorities through the national commission for education, science and culture.

For his part, Dr. Ould Amar reviewed ALECSO’s key activities and its preparation for holding several ministerial conferences, mainly the Arab Ministers Conference to be held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in December.

The meeting touched upon discussing proposals for cooperation between ICESCO and ALECSO during the coming period, especially in the field of the Arabic language, the establishment of a reference system for students’ certificates and unifying efforts in implementing programmes and activities in the Member States of the two Organizations, to avoid recurrence.

After the meeting, Dr. AlMalik accompanied Dr. Ould Amar and his delegation on a tour of the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization to participate in detailed presentations of the various pavilions and sections of the Exhibition. ALECSO’s Director-General commended the organization on this civilizational exhibition hosted by ICESCO Headquarters, which is the fruit of the strategic partnership among ICESCO, the Muslim World League, and the Muhammadiyah League of Scholars in the Kingdom of Morocco.

Following the official inauguration of the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, may Allah preserve him, and with the presence of HRH Prince Moulay Al-Hassan, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Morocco, the Exhibition is open to visitors, free of cost, starting from Monday, November 18, 2022, every day from 10:00 a.m to 05:00 p.m.

A specialized team will organize the public’s visits to the Exhibition at ICESCO, which is the fruit of the strategic partnership among ICESCO, the Muslim World League (MWL) and the Mohammadia League of Scholars. The team will provide detailed presentations of the different pavilions and sections.

The Exhibition and the Museum contain three main components. The first component is the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, which is supervised by the MWL and contains several sections, notably, the Section of the Prophet, peace be upon him, as if you see him, the Section of the Treasures of the Sunnah and Arabic Calligraphy, the Section of the Prophet, peace be upon him, as if you are with him. It also contains the section on the position of Al Al-Bayt and their virtue, section on publications, artifacts and gifts, a screening room for films on the Prophet’s Seerah, a section on “Aadham Munir,” which features a simulation of the Prophet’s rostrum, which is an identical replica made from the same type of wood. The section also includes models of the Kaaba, Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawarra as they were in the era of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

The second component is a Panorama of the Prophet’s Chamber in the First Age,” which displays, for the first time in history, using 3D imaging and virtual reality, the daily life of the Prophet PBUH in his honorable chamber and presents an accurate depiction of the chamber’s contents and an overview of its history through creative films using modern 3D video techniques and effects.

The third component consists of an “Exhibition on the attachment of Moroccans to the Noble Prophet, a symbol of love and loyalty,” which is supervised by the Mohammadia League of Scholars in the Kingdom of Morocco. This exhibition displays treasures that include historical manuscripts, rare paintings and coins, models of Moroccan architecture, decorations and inscriptions, and traditional tools.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a series of meetings with the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Sultan Qaboos University for Post Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, and representatives of several Omani ministries, on the sidelines of a symposium on digital entrepreneurship, organized by ICESCO in cooperation with the Omani National Commission in Muscat on November 22, 2022.

Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of the Strategic Foresight Center, represented ICESCO in the meetings, where he reviewed the Organization’s vision and orientations, and its key implemented programmes and projects for the benefit of its Member States in its fields of competence, as well as the initiatives of ICESCO Strategic Foresight Center, which aims at spreading a culture of anticipation and foresight.

The first meeting was with Ms. Amina Al Balushi, Secretary of the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and the second meeting was with Dr. Amer Al-Hinai, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Post Graduates Studies and Research at Sultan Qaboos University, and Dr. Ali Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology in the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Saif al Haddabi, Undersecretary for Research and Innovation in the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and Mr. Salem Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor for Human Resources Development in the Sultanate of Oman.

During the meetings, which touched upon ways of enhancing cooperation between ICESCO and these authorities, through the development of joint programmes and projects, the Omani officials expressed the Sultanate’s eagerness to cooperate with ICESCO in this regard.

On the 25th of November every year, the world celebrates the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. On this occasion, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) calls for joining efforts to eliminate all types of violence against women and girls, raise awareness of its negative repercussions on individuals and societies, combat all forms of gender-based discrimination, rehabilitate women and preserve their gains.
In observance of this Day, which the world celebrates this year under the theme ” UNITE! Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls,” ICESCO stresses the need to engage women in decision-making and social development as an essential lever for sustainable development, and address various educational, health, scientific, humanitarian, social and cultural challenges.

On this day, which marks the start of 16 days of activities on combating violence against women, ICESCO warns that despite the international efforts made to counter this form of violence, the figures of UN-Women are worrying as one of every three women suffers from gender-based violence whereas less than 40% of women, who experience violence, seek help. Besides, the phenomenon of digital violence against women is exacerbated by the accelerating pace of digital transformation.

Moreover, ICESCO reiterates its support for Member States’ efforts to eliminate violence against women, focus on building women’s leadership capacities and provide girls and women with professional and social skills. The Organization also launched its Young Professionals Programme, which provides training for young women on the best professional practices to build their leadership skills.

Other young women benefit from the Organization’s LTIPS programme, the first edition of which trained 30 young men and women, who became ICESCO ambassadors for peace. The current edition will benefit 50 young women from 45 countries.

The Sector of Education at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the 9th Official Development Assistance Conference (ODA), which focuses on the aid provided by the Korea Government to developing countries in the field of education. The Conference was hosted by the Ministry of Education in the Republic of South Korea and is organized by the National Research Foundation of Korea, and Konyang University, in partnership with Save the Children Foundation and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

The Conference, which was held face-to-face and via videoconference, today, Wednesday, November 23, 2022, aims to promote digital innovation, build international partnerships and exchange expertise in the fields of education and official development assistance. The Conference was attended by the Korean Minister of Education and several representatives of academic institutions and regional and international bodies and organizations specialized in the field of education.

Dr. Kim Sungbong, Expert at the Sector of Education, represented ICESCO at the Conference, where he gave a statement highlighting ICESCO’s vision, action strategy and efforts to support digital education in its Member States. He also cast light on the Organization’s educational initiatives and activities, which focus on incorporating digital innovation in education, calling on participants to cooperate with ICESCO in developing educational systems in the countries most in need.

As part of the participation of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in the 9th United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum, in Fez, Kingdom of Morocco, Ms. Ramata Almami Mbaye, Head of the Human and Social Sciences Sector of ICESCO, took part in the session on “Global citizenship education: shaping global citizens through transformative education.”

During the session, held following the opening of the forum, on Tuesday (November 22, 2022), Ms. Mbaye reviewed the efforts of ICESCO in the field of education and capacity-building for children and youth, stressing that global citizenship cannot be an expression of the values of one dominant culture, but should rather focus on the shared universal values.

She highlighted the need for transformative education and learning, which nurture shared values and respect for diversity, equity and inclusion, noting that ICESCO stresses the importance of knowledge as a tool for positive transformation in our societies through new and innovative initiatives such as ICESCO International think Tank “Culture for Rethinking the World”, the Societies We Want initiative, and ICESCO’s Leadership Training for Peace and Security Programme, which are comprehensive mechanisms to build peace and develop youth.