Category: News update

The workshop aimed at building the capacity of professionals in the field of inventorying intangible heritage and raising public awareness on the importance of cultural heritage held in Gharyan, Libya by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the Libyan Ministry of Education and National Commission for Education and Culture and Science, concluded its proceedings.

The event, which took place on December 5-6, 2022, under the theme: “Our Intangible Heritage: Risks and Challenges,” was geared towards introducing Libyan society to its abundant heritage, and promoting the country’s cultural richness. It also sought to highlight the legal and institutional frameworks regulating intangible heritage, methods of its documentation and inventorying, the risks and challenges it is facing, and the means for ensuring the viability of Libya’s intangible cultural heritage.

The workshop’s opening session, which was held at the headquarters of the University of Gharyan, saw the attendance of Dr. Musa Al-Maqrif, Libyan Minister of Education, Mr. Abdallah Al-Sousi, Secretary-General of the Libyan National Commission, Dr. Mohammed Ebrahim Ghoma, President of the University of Gharyan, and Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, who attended the session via videoconference.

During the opening session, Mr. Bilel Chebbi, Expert at ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, delivered an online presentation on the role of the Islamic World Heritage Center in valorizing intangible cultural heritage and building the capacities of heritage professionals in the Member States, and the importance of inscribing cultural sites and goods on the Islamic World Heritage List.

The Education Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is holding a workshop in the city of Koudougou, Republic of Burkina Faso, to strengthen the capacities of workers in the field of childcare in emergencies, in cooperation with the National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO, under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in Burkina Faso, for the benefit of officials and employees of the ministries decentralized departments.

The three-day Workshop, which started on December 7, 2022, aims to strengthen the capabilities of participants in the field of emergency childcare, especially in the less secure areas of Burkina Faso, by enabling them to understand basic theoretical concepts and practical mechanisms related to education in emergencies, supporting their knowledge in the field of gender, and developing strategies for appropriate care in favor of displaced children within reception centers.

The Workshop’s opening was attended by Dr. Fatie Ouattara, Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO and ISESCO in Burkina Faso, Dr. Slimane Coulibaly, Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of National Education, Mr. Daouda Sanon, Representative of the Technical Secretariat for Education in Emergencies at the Ministry of National Education, and Ms. Bambara Ouedraogo Juliet, Representative of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. The Burkinabe participating officials stressed the importance of the topic of the Workshop and expressed their gratitude to ICESCO for its efforts in the field of childcare.

A delegation of women journalists taking part in the 4th Edition of the Arab Women Journalists Forum held on 5-6 December 2022, visited ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, where they were received by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General.

During the meeting, Dr. Benarafa underlined that ICESCO’s new vision accords great attention to building women’s capacities and supporting women entrepreneurs through a set of practical programs and projects.

The ICESCO official also noted that ICESCO exerts tireless efforts to promote gender equality and provide equal education and leadership positions opportunities for women, in cooperation with the Member States’ competence parties. He added that the Organization gears its work towards developing education systems, upgrading curricula and contributing to training and qualification efforts.

The women journalists expressed their delight to visit ICESCO Headquarters and get a closer look at ICESCO’s work and roles in the fields of education, science and culture.
The meeting saw the participation of several representatives of the Maghreb Arab Press Agency (MAP) and a number of ICESCO’s heads of sectors, departments and centers.

Following the meeting, the Arab women journalists visited the various sections and pavilions of the International Museum and Exhibition of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, which ICESCO’s headquarters currently hosts, in partnership with the Muslim World League and the Mohammedia League of Scholars in the Kingdom of Morocco.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) congratulates the Kingdom of Morocco, on the great achievement of the Moroccan national football team, which reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

ICESCO commends the high spirit and heroic performance of the Atlas Lions in all their matches in the tournament, with sincere prayers that the Moroccan national team continues its brilliance in the upcoming matches to win the cup, Allah willing.

ICESCO also appreciates the good organization of the current World Cup by the State of Qatar, which has received world recognition, while preserving the Arab and Islamic identity and culture.

ICESCO reaffirms that sport is one of the soft powers that contribute to the consolidation of the values of peace and coexistence, and calls for investment in people’s connection with sports, especially football, to enrich the dialogue between various civilizations and cultures.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), called for integrating technology into teaching the Arabic language, allocating valuable prizes for translation and interpretation in the field of international organizations, qualifying diplomats linguistically, and investigating the causes not relying on Arabic in international organizations. He also called for establishing scientific chairs in international universities, motivating media professionals, encouraging social media pioneers, and setting up Arabic-speaking clubs, to show the potential of the Arabic language and its sustainable civilizational capabilities.

This statement came in his address on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, before the first two-day Conference of the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language on Arabic Language for International Organizations,” held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with high-level participation of heads of international organizations, specialists and interested stakeholders, aimed at benefiting from various experiences to support Arabic and to explore its reality and the key challenges it faces.

ICESCO’s Director-General started his address by commending the organization of this Conference, under the generous patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may God protect him, as an indication of the importance of the subject and its objectives as a field of knowledge, to which the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, have accorded special attention.

Dr. AlMalik appreciated the efforts of the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language, its initiatives and successes in many activities, highlighting the importance of the partnership that brings together the Academy and ICESCO in the field of promoting the Arabic language and the need to search for and rectify the defects and their source regarding the use of the Arabic language in the international organizations, as well as importance of building the relationship between Arabic and other languages on civilizational logic and not competitive confrontations, and developing a vision for translation that takes into account the creative nature of Arabic language and its richness.

ICESCO’s Director-General reaffirmed the Organization’s keenness and readiness to launch with King Salman Academy practical programmes and adopt promising initiatives to promote the international presence of the Arabic language. He concluded his address with verses from his poem “The Richness of Arabic.”

A campaign to raise awareness of the importance of tangible and intangible heritage was launched in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in partnership between the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the Jordanian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and the general directorates of education in various Jordanian governorates.

The campaign, which kicked off in the city of Petra on Sunday, December 4, 2022, spans across multiple Jordanian governorates and is aimed at raising awareness among students and civil society members of the importance of preserving tangible and intangible heritage through a range of activities and training workshops on the importance of promoting heritage and means for its protection.

Dr. Osama Al Nahas, Expert at ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, represented the Organization during the campaign’s launch, during which he delivered an address reviewing ICESCO’s efforts towards safeguarding heritage and raising awareness of its role in fostering national identity and achieving sustainable development goals. The Expert called for action to anchor the culture of heritage preservation and recognize its importance among all segments of society, particularly children and youth.

For her part, Mrs. Ibtisam Ayoub, Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission expressed her gratitude to ICESCO, praising the Organization’s efforts to raise awareness of the various threats to cultural heritage and its role in its preservation and valorization.

The campaign’s launch featured traditional musical performances and exhibitions of traditional handicrafts, popular Jordanian dishes, products and items, and paintings of famous Jordanian historic landmarks.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a workshop, on 1-3 December 2022, in Burkina Faso, on the challenges of preserving and protecting cultural heritage against terrorist threats, in cooperation with the Ministry of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, the National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO, and the General Administration of the National Museum of Burkina Faso.

The workshop aimed to enhance the capacities of 30 professionals in the field of preserving and protecting cultural heritage, identifying potential crises and threats to museums and cultural heritage, identifying means of protecting and preserving cultural heritage during armed conflicts and mastering various mechanisms for protecting cultural property.

During the opening of the workshop, Mr. Lombo Marius, on behalf of the Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, and Dr. Fatié Ouattara, Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO, commended ICESCO’s initiatives aimed at strengthening efforts to curb illicit trafficking in cultural property and protect the cultural heritage of Muslim countries.

The workshop also cast light on the implementation of international agreements to protect cultural heritage during crises and armed conflicts and enabled professionals to exchange experiences in the field of protecting cultural property in times of insecurity.