Category: Front Page

The Human and Social Sciences Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with 50 candidates, who were selected to participate in the 2022 edition of the Leadership Training in Peace and Security (LTIPS), from 45 countries, to become official ambassadors of ICESCO for peace after graduation.

During the meeting, held on Wednesday (October 19, 2022) via videoconference, Ms. Ramata Almami Mbaye, Head of the Human and Social Sciences Sector, conveyed the message of congratulations by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, to the candidates on their selection to participate in the programme.

Besides, Ms. Mbaye reviewed the strategic vision and programmes of the Sector and emphasized the importance of ICESCO’s LTIPS, which pays special attention to youth and women playing their role in building the societies we want, stressing the need to respect the rules of the programme in such a way as to fully discharge their mission and contribute to the promotion of peace and its values.

In the conclusion, Ms. Mbaye announced that the Kingdom of Morocco will host the Peace Incubator for Youth, which will be established this year as part of the Programme.

For his part, Mr. Alioune Ndiaye, Programmes Manager at the Human and Social Sciences Sector, reviewed the axes of ICESCO’s “360° Peace Approach,” and shared information on LTIPS in its new version.

Afterward, the young candidates presented themselves and reaffirmed their commitment to actively participate in the programme to promote peace within their communities.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is participating in the 11th session of the International Festival Samaa Marrakech, which is organized, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammad V, may God assist him, by al Munyia Marrakech Association for the Revival and Preservation of Morocco’s Heritage, in partnership with ministerial sectors, local and regional councils, and scientific, cultural and artistic institutions in the Kingdom of Morocco, under the theme: The present and future of ancient cities: knowledge of the architectural and urban heritage and its memory in the Maghreb and the Arab East.

ICESCO is represented in the 5-day festival, which started on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, in Marrakesh, by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director General. In his address at the opening session, he emphasized that sustainable development indicators raise the classification of cities and improve their image at the global level, noting that one of the most important tasks of the ICESCO Islamic World Heritage Committee is to take care of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the Member States.

Dr. Benarafa added that within the List of World Heritage in Danger, there are 36 sites inside the Islamic world out of a total of 53 sites, which represents approximately 70% of the sites in danger. At the World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT, 2022), which was held in Mexico in September, ICESCO submitted a proposal to add a new goal to the list of 17 UN goals for sustainable development, mainly those related to culture and heritage.

The festival aims to introduce the values ​​of identity and cultural and spiritual traditions in Morocco and to pay tribute to the pioneering role of civil society in raising awareness of the need to preserve tangible and intangible heritage through scientific symposia and specialized sessions with the participation of international experts, architects, and researchers specialized in the field of the architectural heritage of ancient cities, as well as several other cultural activities.

The Culture and Communication Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the 1972 Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, held by the Ministry of Arts and Culture of the Republic of Cameroon, in partnership with UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for Central Africa.

Dr. Mohamed Aba Osman, expert at Culture and Communication Sector, represented ICESCO in the celebration, which concluded on Wednesday (October 19, 2022). Dr. Aba Osman participated in a meeting of heritage experts under the theme “Action and innovation for a world sustainable heritage in the service of central African communities.”

During the celebration, several experts, managers of world heritage sites and officials of heritage ministries from central African countries reviewed the efforts exerted to implement the provisions of the 1972 Convention, which aims to protect heritage and the challenges expected during the next fifty years, and provide guidance to harness the potential of world heritage in achieving sustainable development and promoting peace and dialogue.

The participants made some recommendations based on joint action to preserve heritage sites. They also adopted the Yaoundé Declaration, which emphasizes the importance of world heritage as a locomotive to innovate and build resilient and sustainable societies.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Mohamed Sghir Janjar, Deputy Director-General of King Abdul-Aziz Al Saoud Foundation for Islamic Studies and Human Sciences in Casablanca, and his accompanying delegation, to discuss the development of the partnership between the Organization and the Foundation in areas of common interest.

During the meeting, held on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed ICESCO’s eagerness to cooperate with stakeholders for the benefit of the Member States and Muslim communities around the world, noting that the Organization accords special importance to the field of digitization, including the development and digitization of libraries, relying on the latest capabilities that modern technology can provide.

The meeting touched upon the possibility of a partnership between the two parties in developing the ICESCO library, which will witness a qualitative transformation to keep pace with the present and its developments and anticipate the future, as ICESCO intends to make all its paper-based publications available digitally to all readers wherever they are.

ICESCO and the King Abdul-Aziz Foundation in Casablanca agreed to cooperate in organizing several activities in areas of common interest.

Following the meeting, Dr. Mohamad Zinealabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, held a meeting with the Foundation’s delegation to discuss the establishment of a series of annual seminars aimed at building a compendium of knowledge, and a proposal to translate into Arabic the most important foreign intellectual works and articles as soon as they are issued. The meeting also explored partnership and cooperation with ICESCO Think Tank “Culture for Rethinking the World” and the development of cultural policies related to the field of books, publishing and reading.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the first edition of the “Erasmus Scientific Days” international conference, which was held by the National Erasmus+ Office in the Kingdom of Morocco, in partnership with ICESCO’s Strategic Foresight Center, the Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakesh, the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, the European Union’s Representation Office, and the Association of University Presidents in the Kingdom of Morocco, to promote scientific exchange in the areas of higher education and innovation.

Dr. Kais Hammami, Head of ICESCO’s Strategic Foresight Center, and Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to the Director-General (DG) for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), represented the Organization during the two-day conference, which concluded its proceedings on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, and took place at the headquarters of the Cadi Ayyad University.

During the event, Dr. Hammami emphasized the importance of foresight in anticipating the future of learning and teaching, highlighting the constant and intricate changes that the world is currently witnessing. He also noted the need to advance the education sector and develop the necessary skills to fulfill the jobs of tomorrow.

The participants, which include researchers, university professors, experts and specialists from institutions and organizations working in the field of higher education, discussed a range of initiatives, scientific research papers and projects aimed at building and strengthening the capabilities of university faculty, staff and students.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the International Conference on Tolerance, Peace and Sustainable Development in the Arab World, organized by the League of Arab States, in cooperation with the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace.

The Conference was held at the headquarters of the League’s General Secretariat in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, and saw high-caliber participation of ministers and officials from Arab countries, in addition to representatives of several international organizations.

Held on 17-18 October 2022, the Conference casts light on the efforts of international governmental and non-governmental organizations in fighting against hate, fanaticism, spreading the culture of tolerance, monitoring obstacles and challenges and anticipating a future vision for spreading the culture of peace and anchoring its principles for sustaining peace and achieving development in the Arab world.

Mr. Najib Rhiati, Cultural Advisor of ICESCO Director-General, represented ICESCO at the event, where he highlighted ICESCO’s efforts to anchor the principles of peace and counter extremism through holistic approaches to education, science and culture, with the ultimate aim of promoting tolerance and achieving sustainable development.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is holding an international workshop on building the capacities of camel breeders and introducing them to good practices in this field. The workshop is organized in cooperation with the Institute of Rural Economy in the Republic of Mali and the Malian National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO and benefits a number of camel breeders and experts from Mauritania, Niger and Senegal.
The opening session of the four-day workshop was held on Monday, October 17, 2022, in Bamako and was attended by Mr. Youba Ba, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Rural Development in Charge of Livestock and Fisheries. The Malian official commended the partnership between ICESCO and the Institute of Rural Economy which aims to improve the industry of camel breeding.

For his part, Mr. Modibo Sylla, Director of the Institute of Rural Economy, reaffirmed that camel breeding is a key industry in Mali, given its myriad benefits for the rural population, expressing his hope for developing stronger partnership relations with ICESCO.

The representative of the Malian National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO also hailed ICESCO’s support for its Member States to help them train and build the capacities of their human resources. He also stressed the significance of this workshop, in light of the international interest in camel breeding today.

In his address, Dr. Ismail Diallo, Expert in ICESCO’s Sector of Science and Technology, reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to accompany its Member States in developing good measures and practices of natural resources management based on an anticipatory approach. He noted that camels are a key element in achieving food security through improving agricultural production in the rural areas deteriorating due to climate change.

On October 17th of every year, the world celebrates the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which aims to recognize the efforts and struggles of those living in poverty, join global efforts towards eradicating extreme poverty, which affects a large proportion of the world’s population, and ensure the participation of people living in poverty in the decisions that affect their lives and communities to build a better future.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) seizes the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which is celebrated this year under the slogan “Dignity for All”, to call for the promotion of initiatives and programmes aimed at ensuring the socio-economic rehabilitation of vulnerable groups through the participation of the local community in the implementation of public policies and the strategies on poverty eradication in order to preserve the dignity and well-being of all as human dignity is not only a basic right, it is also the basis for all other fundamental rights.

Besides, ICESCO warns of the seriousness of the recent statistics on poverty worldwide. According to the United Nations, about 1.3 billion people live in multidimensional poverty, a number which includes a large proportion of children, youth and women of all ages. The statistics of the United Nations Development Programme indicate that the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the proportion of poor people in the world, in addition to climate change, breach of peace and stability, migration, violence and discrimination against women, all of which contribute to exacerbating socio-economic vulnerability.

In this context, ICESCO supports the efforts of its Member States to combat and eradicate poverty through its strategy and programmes, which aim at strengthening the educational systems, ensuring quality, inclusive and equitable education for all groups, qualifying youth and women through innovation and entrepreneurship, and building their capacities in the fields of science and technology, agriculture, manufacturing hygiene product, and the preservation and valorization of cultural heritage.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, ICESCO launched a large number of pioneering and innovative programmes and initiatives, which turned socio-economic rehabilitation into a powerful lever to eradicate poverty and achieve equality in a number of its neediest Member States.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the 10th ceremony of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Translation Award, which was held in the Grand Celebration Hall at Cairo University in the Arab Republic of Egypt, in the presence of ministers, high-level officials, intellectuals, thinkers, professors and the general public.

The King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Translation Award seeks to enhance knowledge exchange to achieve mutual benefit from human achievements, and deepen cultural communication between peoples. Since its establishment in 2006, it has been encouraging creative people in the fields of knowledge, arts, culture, and Arabic and human literature, praising the efforts exerted by translators and major scientific and academic institutions concerned with translation in the world, and stimulating them to produce excellent translation works in the fields of humanities and applied sciences to and from the Arabic language.

ICESCO was represented at the ceremony, which took place on Thursday (October 13, 2022), by Mr. Najib Riati, Cultural Advisor to the Director General, Supervisor of the Program of Culture Capitals in the Islamic World.