Category: News update

Under the theme: “All for Social Cohesion”, The first edition of the ICESCO Marathon saw wide participation from various groups who compete to win first places in this event, which was organized on, Sunday, November 27, 2022, by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, and the Royal Moroccan Federation for School Sports, in coordination with the Wilaya of the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region.

The marathon, which was held on a 7-kilometer track, starting from ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, represented a message to all stakeholders to join efforts in order to consolidate social cohesion and resilience, utilize sports activities to promote social welfare and peace and achieve cohesive and resilient societies.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General, signaled the start of the marathon, in the presence of Mr. Jamal Eddine El Aloua, Secretary General of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, and Ms. Nozha Bidwan, Moroccan Olympic champion, as well as public figures and representatives of several ministries, diplomatic missions and civil society organizations.

The marathon saw the participation of many schoolchildren, girls, women and men from different ages. After the end of the race, medals and prizes were awarded to three winners in each category of children, youth, women, men over 40 years old, and people with special needs. Participation certificates were also given to all participants and souvenir photos of the event were taken.

ICESCO’s Youth and Women Leadership for Peace and Security Programme (LTIPS) and the International Workshop on Youth Incubator for Peace Projects, held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in partnership with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, wrapped up on Saturday, 26 November 2022.

The event began with the Peace Incubator sessions, which focused on innovative ideas and practical proposals to contribute to the success of youth peace projects, as well as sharing experiences between inspirational leaders and youth leaders in peace and security building.
Afterwards, Mr Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Mali, addressed a video message to the participants in which he reaffirmed his country’s support for ICESCO’s initiative for building peace and security, wishing the participants every success.

During the two sessions that followed, several heads of sector and department at ICESCO and international experts discussed ways to prevent violent extremism and promote communication for peace, food security and the environmental dimensions of peace. Similarly, participants in the 2022 edition of the LTIPS Programme presented creative ideas and stressed the importance of consolidating the values of communication between cultures and civilizations and building bridges of tolerance and peace.

Then, certificates were presented to the 50 members of this edition, representing 45 countries, as well as certificates of participation to 40 young men and women from the “Misk” Charity Foundation and the “Mawhiba” Foundation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and 40 other young people from Moroccan civil society organizations.

Also Mr. Muhammad Sanoussi II, former Emir of Kano State in Nigeria and advocate of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, addressed the Ambassadors for Peace by videoconference, stressing that the world needs ambitious young people capable of using their skills to build sustainable peace. He also praised ICESCO’s efforts to build peace and security and spread the values of tolerance and coexistence.

Mr. Bakary Y. Badjie, Minister of Youth and Sports of The Gambia, shared his personal experience with the young participants and expressed his thanks and gratitude to Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of the Organization’s Human and Social Sciences Sector, for the implementation of this special programme.

For his part, Mr. Abdelouahed Azibou, Regional Director of Youth and Sports for the Tangiers-Tetouan-Al Houceima Region, called on the participants in the Programme to pursue their efforts to promote peace, tolerance and living together.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UAE National Commission for Education, Culture and Science on a project to inscribe traditional African games on ICESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage and World Heritage Lists.

The MoU was signed virtually on Friday 25 November 2022 by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, and Mr. Mubarak Al-Nakhi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, Vice -Chairman of the UAE National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.

At the end of the signing ceremony, Dr. Benarafa welcomed the efforts of the United Arab Emirates to support the Organization’s Member States, particularly African countries, in the fields of education and culture, mentioning in this regard the support provided for the inscription of the endangered heritage in these countries. He also praised the remarkable partnership between ICESCO and the UAE National Commission.

For his part, Mr. Al Nakhi welcomed the cooperation with ICESCO in preserving the tangible and intangible heritage of the UAE, stressing that heritage is the legacy that is passed on between generations and the receptacle that preserves their identity and specificities. He also affirmed his country’s willingness to support various initiatives aimed at strengthening the attachment of people to their cultural identity.

It is worth noting that this MoU aims to support African countries in the inscription of traditional games on the Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists of ICESCO and UNESCO, as well as to create a committee in charge of monitoring and evaluating the implementation of this project.

The signing ceremony was attended by Ms. Amira El Fadil, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, Mr. Omar Hamed, expert in the same sector, Mr. Salim Al Habsi, Director of Programmes at the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences, and Mr. Mohamed Al Ansary from the Culture and Communication Sector.

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.