Category: News update

The Center for Civilization Dialogue and the Science and Technology Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) organized an art exhibition on climate action, under the theme “Creativity through Multimedia,” in partnership with several regional and international institutions and bodies and with the presence of representatives of embassies, diplomatic missions, civil society organizations and artists.

The exhibition, which was held on Friday, November 5, 2022, in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, aimed at contributing to strengthening the role of art in support of sustainable development goals through the exchange of experiences and knowledge between different international artists with multiple disciplines, raising collective awareness of climate change, encouraging dialogue between different cultures from inside and outside the Islamic world and promoting arts and cultures of the countries of the Global South.

The art exhibition witnessed the holding of workshops and an exhibition of artistic paintings, which express what the world is witnessing in connection to the climate and environment crisis and their repercussions on the planet, by relying on digital multimedia and visual performing arts, which review the creative industries ranging from traditional cultures to Metaverse applications.

During the opening session, Ambassador Khaled Fathalrahman, Director of ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue, stressed the importance of the three elements, represented by dialogue, art and the environment, as the basis for achieving progress and prosperity and building the societies we want, highlighting ICESCO’s vision and the action strategy of the Organization’s Center for Civilizational Dialogue, as an integrated and comprehensive approach to promoting the values ​​of dialogue and coexistence among civilizations.

For her part, Dr. Hoda Abdullah Al-Muqairhi, Expert at the Center for Civilizational Dialogue, highlighted the centrality of artistic dialogue, which would contribute to the development of new experiences and capabilities that contribute to strengthening integration and communication on climate change and raising awareness about the human responsibility in the field of the environment to build the future that we all want, achieve the goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda, mobilize the younger generation and future artists and promote their new digital artistic methods.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is participating in the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 27) with a special pavilion in the Green Zone. The conference is hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt in Sharm El Sheikh, from 6 to 18 November 2022, in the presence of kings, heads of state and government, ministers and delegations from 190 countries, in addition to international organizations, regional bodies, civil society institutions and environmental protection activists.

ICESCO’s participation in this major global event comes as part of the Organization’s vision and strategic orientation to support international efforts in the field of environmental preservation and to contribute to addressing the negative effects of climate change in its Member States.

ICESCO’s pavilion at COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh will organize several activities, commencing on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, as it will feature the Organization’s key publications in the areas of heritage protection, environmental preservation and governance of environmental natural resources. Several ICESCO Sector Heads and Experts will also present scientific presentations on the risks of climate change and ICESCO’s key initiatives, programmes and projects to support its Member States.

The ICESCO pavilion will also witness the organization of a photographic exhibition, documenting the repercussions of climate change on the historical sites inscribed on ICESCO’s Islamic world Heritage Lists. Visitors to the pavilion will also be able to view a set of videos produced by the Organization in the field of environmental protection, and its initiatives, programmes and training sessions to raise awareness among young people about the importance of climate preservation and the repercussions of climate change on heritage sites.

ICESCO’s participation in COP27 also includes organizing several parallel events. On Friday, November 11, 2022, the Blue Zone will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between ICESCO, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, UNESCO, the United Nations Development Program, the Industrial Modernization Center in the Arab Republic of Egypt to support the green transformation project and the use of solar energy in heritage sites and museums. On the same day, ICESCO, in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, will launch an initiative to establish a fund to protect heritage sites and museums in Egypt and the Islamic world from the damage of climate change.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the International Conference on “Developmental Media and Communication in the Service of Development,” organized by the Center of Literary and Linguistic Studies and Media and Communication Sciences of the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences of the University of Sidi Mohamed bin Abdullah of Fez, in cooperation with the International Academy for the Development of Media and Communication, and the Municipality of Ifrane, on November 4-5, 2022, in Ifrane, in the presence of a group of professors, academic researchers, media professionals and communication officials of several international organizations.

The conference discussed the key role of media in achieving development as well as the challenges and needs of developmental media in the Islamic world. It also witnessed presentations on the strategies and experiences of a number of countries and international organizations on communication to contribute to achieving sustainable development.

Mr. Sami El-Kamhawy, Director of Information and Institutional Communication Department, represented ICESCO at this conference. He presented a working paper on the major programmes and projects of ICESCO’s various sectors, departments and centers geared towards contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in the Member States and highlighted the role of Information Department to introduce the background and objectives of these programmes and projects, reach the widest public to achieve the desired results and provide statistics on reactions about these activities to be taken into account in planning and implementing future programmes and projects.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Faculty of Letters and Humanities of Mohammed V University in Rabat, held a workshop to share the content of ICESCO’s “Guide on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Families, Communities and Educational Actors” announced by the Organization as part of its “The Societies We Want” initiative to support the efforts of Member States to face various crises.

The workshop, which was held on Friday 4 November 2022 at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in Rabat and by videoconference, aimed at sharing experiences on the Guide and shining light on the general context and the conceptual, theoretical and methodological framework of its publication, as well as considering the possibility of expanding its targeted beneficiaries.

ICESCO was represented at this workshop by a delegation made up of Mrs. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of the Human and Social Sciences Sector, Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector, and Dr. Koumbou Bolly Barry, Head of the Education Sector, in addition to several experts.

At the beginning of the workshop, Mrs. Ramata Almamy Mbaye thanked all the partners who contributed to the preparation of the Guide and underlined the general context of its publication as part of ICESCO’s continuous efforts to address the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the countries of the Islamic world and the Muslim communities. She reaffirmed that the initiative of “The Societies We Want” aims at building safe societies through the exchange of experiences between institutions, bodies and international organizations.

For his part, Dr. Zine El Abidine reviewed ICESCO’s orientations within the framework of its new vision and action strategy, which adopts openness to cooperate with academic institutions, civil society organizations and donors, aiming to support Member States’ development efforts and contributing to the development of social, health and educational welfare, among other things.

In the same vein, Dr. Jamal Eddine El Hani, dean of the Faculty of Letters and Humanities, welcomed the participants to the workshop and stressed the importance of this Guide that can assist families, educational managers and local communities to cope with various pressures.

In her speech, Ms. Naseem Awl, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Morocco, welcomed the cooperation between ICESCO and UNICEF, stressing the importance of addressing mental health issues through a psychosocial approach and focusing on children and vulnerable groups.

Then, Dr. El Mostafa Rezrazi, on behalf of the team in charge of preparing the Guide, made a presentation on the aspects related to the conceptual, theoretical and methodological framework of the Guide and the general context of its publication, along with a summary of the guidelines and best practices concerning the protection of the child, the family, the school and the local communities in times of crisis.

At the end of the workshop, in which many National Commissions of ICESCO Member States took part, the floor was given to participants who raised questions and ideas that enriched the debate.

The Social and Human Sciences Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting 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 in the Kingdom of Morocco, the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation, and the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region to finalize the “ICESCO Marathon for Social Cohesion and Resilience,” due to be held on November 27, 2022, in Rabat.

During the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the Moroccan National Commission, and coordinated by Mr. Jamal Eddine El Aloua, Secretary-General of the Commission, Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO’s Human and Social Sciences Sector, reviewed the Organization’s vision for sports as a powerful and effective tool for promoting the values ​​of coexistence, tolerance, dialogue, resilience, and sustainable development.

The marathon will take place in Rabat on the sidelines of the launch of the Youth for Peace Incubator, as part of the launch of the Leadership Training in Peace and Security (LTIPS) 2022, on November 24-26, 2022, in Tangier. Through this initiative, ICESCO and its partners affirm their commitment to pursue efforts to foster social cohesion and community resilience and contribute to enhancing mental health and well-being in the Member States through physical activities.

The participants in ICESCO International Forum on the Future of Teaching Strategies in the Light of Current Developments made several recommendations, including the call for promoting the use of scientific and technological developments in the educational process, building a new model for the school of the future, reducing the risks of the digital and knowledge gap, investing in teachers and meeting their needs, promoting the values ​​of citizenship and volunteering in school life and mobilizing sustainable resources to finance education.

The second and last day of the Forum, held via videoconference, featured three working sessions, which saw the participation of a number of experts and academics. The first session tackled the experiences of several schools, colleges and research centers in using modern teaching strategies through an approach that combines creativity, innovation and gender equality in education. The second session focused on the new trends in teaching strategies while the third session explored the future visions of modern teaching strategies.

During the closing session, Dr. Koumbou Polly Barry, Head of ICESCO’s Education Sector, thanked all the ministers and experts, who participated in the Forum and identified the new challenges facing the future of teaching strategies to ensure the integration of educational technologies in Member States’ educational systems.

She also highlighted the results and recommendations of the Forum, including the adoption of modern teaching methods within the cultural context of each educational system, the enhancement of teachers’ capabilities through the use of technological means and the integration of the values ​​of citizenship to ensure the right to equal education, calling for the need to adopt these recommendations to enhance the role of modern teaching strategies to develop the educational process.

It is worth mentioning that the first day of the Forum witnessed the participation of a group of ministers of education from many ICESCO Member States as well as experts and prominent international figures, who enriched discussions with their experiences, visions and ideas for developing teaching strategies in light of the current technological developments.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) declares its solidarity with the State of Qatar and affirms its unwavering support to the country in facing the suspicious campaign against it for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Organization underlines that Qatar has provided all the resources and conditions required for the success of the World Cup, and has ensured absolute compliance with all requirements for organizing this major international event as testified by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

In this regard, ICESCO calls upon all its Member States and other peace-loving countries to condemn this unprecedented campaign that no host country has ever faced, and stand alongside the State of Qatar in these circumstances that require equitable support, given that this campaign affects the peoples’ cultural rights and specificities and does not respect the cultural diversity which various international conventions and treaties preserve and which falls within the areas of competence of multiple international organizations, namely ICESCO.

The Organization calls for detaching this global football event from all polarizations that could affect its course to serve narrow interests aimed at diverting the world’s attention to minor issues that dissent from international consensus. It is worth stressing that Qatar has met all the necessary requirements for hosting the 2022 World Cup in an atmosphere imbued with authentic Arab hospitality, animated by the country’s pride in its Gulf and Arab neighbors, and reflective of the human dimension in such endeavors, making Qatar a worthy host that deserves all support and appreciation.

The Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers of ICESCO is holding a training session on writing African languages in the Arabic script, in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Yusuf Al-Khalifa Center for Writing Languages in Arabic Script at the International University of Africa (IUA) in the Sudan and Khartoum International Institute for the Arabic Language, for the benefit of a number of participants speaking different African languages.

The training session, which kicked off on Monday (October 31, 2022), at Khartoum International Institute for the Arabic Language in Sudan, aims to enhance the participants’ skills in the fields of linguistics, language computing and educational sciences using the latest developments in modern technologies, identify educational strategies and procedural steps for computing the oral languages in the Arabic script, and present research projects in local languages in the Arabic script on various topics.

The three-week training will be supervised by Dr. Boubaker Hassan Qadrmari, Director of Yusuf Al-Khalifa Center, and Dr. Saber Abdullah Mohamed, Head of the Training Department at the International University of Africa, in addition to experts specialized in the field of education, linguistics and media. At the end of this training, the participants will present their projects on writing local languages in the standard Arabic script.