Within the framework of the continued coordination between the two organizations, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) held a meeting to strengthen their partnership in the areas of common interest, serving their Member States and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development.
During this virtual meeting, the two parties reviewed the main lines of the activities of their sectors and departments as well as the initiatives and projects that could be implemented jointly in the fields of education, science, new technologies, scientific research, human and social sciences, and communication to achieve Sustainable Development Goals in the Islamic world.
Several officials from ICESCO and ALECSO participated in this meeting and agreed to select some common axes to be integrated into the activities of the action plans of both Organizations for 2023.
As part of the celebration of Yaounde as 2022’s Culture Capital in the Islamic World for the African region, the Culture and Communication Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), launched a capacity-building training session for the benefit of sixteen (16) cultural heritage, in partnership with the Ministry of Arts and Culture of the Republic of Cameroon and the Cameroon National Commission for UNESCO.
The opening ceremony of the training session, which kicked off on Monday, October 24, 2022, at the headquarters of the Cameroon National Commission in Yaounde, began with a presentation on ICESCO’s activities in the field of the preservation, safeguarding and protection of tangible and intangible heritage, through the inscription of heritage sites and cultural elements on the ICESCO Islamic World Heritage List, and a review of the Organization’s strategic orientations in the African continent.
Dr. Mahamat Abba Ousman, Expert at ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, and two local experts, are moderating the three-day session which brings together specialists and officials in the field of cultural heritage from several regions in Cameroon, and experts from the Ministry of Arts and Culture. The session is geared towards strengthening the capacities of sixteen (16) heritage specialists in Cameroon, by developing their competencies in preparing eight files for the inscription of four heritage sites and four elements of intangible heritage, in accordance with the requirements for inscription on the ICESCO Islamic World Heritage List, establishing monitoring and follow-up mechanisms by the Cameroonian Ministry’s officials and ICESCO experts, and submitting the files to the 11th session of the Islamic World Heritage Committee to be held in 2023.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture announced the candidates whose works have been selected to participate in “Turathy” photography competition exhibition, which is part of the celebration of Cairo as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022 and aims to encourage photographers from the Islamic world to creatively document buildings and heritage areas in both Cairo and other cities in the ICESCO Member States.
The candidates, whose works were selected to participate in the exhibition by the specialized jury, met at the headquarters of the National Organization for Urban Harmony in Cairo.
The participating works are divided into two categories, the first one on the heritage of Cairo, addressed to photographers and interested persons from the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the second one on the heritage of the cities of the Islamic world, addressed to photographers from other Member States of ICESCO. The selected candidates are as follows:
The first category on the architectural and urban heritage of Cairo: 97 candidates, with 120 works in total, were selected to participate in the exhibition;
The second category on the architectural and urban heritage of the cities of the Islamic world: 67 candidates, 115 works in total, were selected to participate in the exhibition.
The names of the candidates selected to participate in the exhibition, as well as their nationalities, can be found on the social media pages of ICESCO and the National Organization for Urban Harmony.
The names of the winners of the competition will be announced, the prizes will be awarded and the exhibition of the works participating in the competition will be opened concurrently with the closing ceremony of the celebration of Cairo, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022, the date of which will be determined later.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received a delegation from the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, headed by Dr. Abdulaziz Almagushi, Deputy Director General of the Foundation.
During the meeting, which took place on Tuesday 25 October 2022 at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main thrusts of ICESCO’s vision and action strategy, which aim at contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in the service of Member States and Muslim communities worldwide in the fields of education, science and culture. He also stressed ICESCO’s willingness to cooperate and reach out to all in order to implement innovative programs and projects everywhere.
In his turn, Dr. AlMagushi reaffirmed the Foundation’s readiness to establish fruitful cooperation with the Organization in various fields and disciplines, especially with regard to strengthening civilizational dialogue among peoples.
At the end of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik and several heads of sectors and directors of the Organization accompanied the delegation on a tour of the youth training incubators and visited the Mishkat room, which is equipped with the latest technologies for holding remote training sessions and workshops.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched its new annual programme “Mishkat for Arabic Language” for professional development and continuous training in the Arabic language for the benefit of non-Arabic speakers, devised in cooperation with the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance.
The programme, which runs for over nine months from October 2022 to June 2023, was launched on Monday, October 24, 2022, by the Organization, through a hybrid meeting in the Mishkat Hall at ICESCO Headquarters. The meeting brought together a host of ten (10) international experts selected to facilitate twenty (20) training sessions as part of the first-time programme that ICESCO provides for teachers of the Arabic language in ten countries of West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia and Central Asia.
In his address at the meeting, Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General (DG) for External Centers and Academic Chairs on Arabic Language, stressed that the Mishkat Programme is part of the Organization’s vision which emphasizes the need to ensure quality, sustainability, innovation and alignment with the needs of Member States.
The Mishkat Hall hosted, on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, the first training session facilitated by the education expert Dr. Mohamed Ismaili Alaoui under the theme: “Skills of Teachers of the Arabic Language to Non-Arabic Speakers” in which five groups of Arabic language teachers from Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Guinea and Cameroon participated remotely, and a sixth group attended in-person. Also participating by videoconference and individually were trainees from other countries and regions. Other individual participants from different countries and regions also took part in the session both remotely and in person.
The session to be held on October 26, 2022, should bring together five groups of Arabic language teachers from Malaysia, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Bashkortostan and Vietnam.
It is worth noting that the said programme is implemented in concert with ICESCO’s Regional Educational Centers, training poles and scientific chairs of Arabic language for non-Arabic speakers in various universities around the world.
The Human and Social Sciences Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), held a workshop on the role of transformative education in building peace, strengthening resilience and preventing violence in schools, in cooperation with the Libyan National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and the University of Derna in Libya.
The four-day workshop, whose proceedings kicked off on Monday, October 24, 2022, at the University of Derna, is aimed at introducing the audience to transformative education and enabling them to use its ability to transfer values, life skills and the principles of citizenship from school to the local environment and the real world, and identifying mechanisms for integrating issues related to peacebuilding, resilience and the prevention of violent extremism into cultural activities inside and outside schools.
The opening saw the presence of the Secretary-General of the Libyan National Commission, members of the Commission, and the Rector of the University of Derna. Dr. Hassan El-Hajjami, Expert at ICESCO’s Human and Social Sciences Sector, and members of the Sector’s team represented the Organization at the workshop via videoconference. In his intervention, Dr. El-Hajjami emphasized that ICESCO is committed, through its various initiatives, to enhancing efforts and coordinating joint action to mobilize energies and competencies to eliminate violence and instill peace and stability in societies.
He reviewed ICESCO’s major peacebuilding efforts, namely the establishment of the ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue, the ICESCO Regional Center for Education on the Culture of Peace (CRECP) in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, the programme for the integration of ICESCO’s 360° peace approach in academia, and the Leadership Training in Peace and Security Programme (LTIPS).
The Sector of Partnerships and International Cooperation at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part, Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at an international workshop on the best practices and lessons learned in the fields of building women’s capacities and gender equality. The workshop was held by the World Bank and the Saudi Institute for Public Administration, at the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington D.C., and via videoconference.
In her address at the workshop, Ms. Amira El-Fadil, Head of ICESCO’s Sector of Partnerships and International Cooperation, highlighted the international and regional policies and the public sector’s programs on gender equality in the workplace, stressing ICESCO’s commitment to sustain work with its international partners in the field of building women’s capacities through a series of training workshops.
The session discussed social gender indicators, data sources and implementation mechanisms of women capacity building activities. The workshop was attended by experts and representatives of several international and regional organizations, including the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), UN Women, the European Institute for Gender Equality, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, in addition to participants from a number of countries including Australia, Kazakhstan and the Kingdom of Morocco.
The workshop is part of the National Saudi Observatory Program for Gender Equality in the Workplace in the Public Sector, which aims to help the Saudi Institute for Public Administration develop a set of indicators to promote and measure the progress attained vis-à-vis the achievement of gender balance. The program also aims to support decision-makers and other users of statistical data in assessing the gender gap and identifying the challenges to women’s participation in the public sector as a workforce, in order to find effective solutions for more balanced workplaces.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received M. Badr Alaredh, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Yemen, and his delegation, at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, on Tuesday (25 October 2022).
During the meeting, which saw the participation of Mr. Ezzedine Al-Asbahi, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the Kingdom of Morocco, Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy DG of ICESCO, and several heads of ICESCO Sectors, Departments and Centers, the two parties reaffirmed their keenness to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and Yemen in the educational and scientific, cultural and humanitarian fields.
Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key programmes and activities of ICESCO, particularly youth capacity-building and training on leadership for peace and security as well as space sciences. He also highlighted the major programmes scheduled for implementation in Yemen, most notably the project to address girls’ school dropout, in cooperation with strategic partners.
The heads of sectors and departments also delivered presentations on the potential programmes and projects of cooperation between ICESCO and Yemen, which are designed based on ICESCO’s new vision to meet the priorities and needs of Member States.
For his part, the Yemeni Minister of Justice commended ICESCO’s efforts geared towards supporting its Member States, and highlighted the present needs of Yemen, including youth capacity-building in the field of innovation and modern technology, and building the capacities of judges and members of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Yemen in the fields of antiquities, heritage and treatment of detainees. He also requested ICESCO’s technical expertise to help preserve the Court of Aden’s library, which includes a large collection of historical books and manuscripts.
In conclusion, the two parties agreed to start the implementation of a number of joint programmes, in coordination with the Yemeni National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.
The Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in an international conference under the theme “Arabic Language, Beyond Legacy,” organized in commemoration of the United Nations Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through its regional office in Rabat and the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, in partnership with the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Majdi Bin Haji Ibrahim, Head of the ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, Dr. Youssef Ismaili and Dr. Anas Hussam Al-Nuaimi, Experts at the Center, and Ms. Somia Djacta, Director of ICESCO Office at UNESCO, represented the Organization during the two-day event that is taking place at the headquarters of the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences in Rabat.
In his address at the opening session, Dr. Majdi emphasized the role of Arabic in fostering understanding among peoples by promoting intercultural communication, building bridges between civilizations, cultivating amity, consolidating peace and security, and renouncing violence and extremism. “Serving the Arabic language is at the forefront of ICESCO’s priorities. The Organization works on reinforcing the Arabic language’s status as a symbol of the Islamic nation’s cultural identity, a reservoir for its immortal heritage, and a hallmark for its civilizational, intellectual and cultural distinctiveness,” noted the ICESCO official.
He also reviewed ICESCO’s contributions to the service of the Arabic language in its non-Arabic speaking Member States, and its efforts to disseminate the language and strengthen its presence in the Islamic world and the world at large, by offering relevant competent authorities, institutions and individuals, the needed educational and academic services and technical advice.
The Sector of Science and Technology at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the jury meeting to review and select three winners from among 16 participating teams in the contest, ICESCO Program for training the youth on building and developing small projects in the fields of technology and innovation in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, implemented in cooperation with the New Space for Innovation Foundation and the “We’nnovation Hub.” ICESCO seeks to widen the scope of this program to include all its Member States.
The participating teams gave presentations on their projects in a meeting held face-to-face in Lagos, Nigeria and via videoconference. The jury consisted of Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at the Sector of Science and Technology, a working team from the Sector, and several experts and specialists in the fields of entrepreneurship and startup financing
At the end of the meeting, the names of the winning teams at the national level were announced. “Tetrecycle multi-services” team, won first place for its project on renewable fuel extracted from biomass found in agricultural waste, the “Vabbar” team won the second-place for its project on an online marketplace for the exchange of African and foreign currencies, while the “Erido Agro” team won the third place for its project on training young farmers on ways to sustainably increase the quality, quality and diversity of their crops.
This program had been launched in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, and seeks to reach ten countries by the end of 2022. It falls within ICESCO’s action plan and strategy to support more than 150 startups in the fields of science and technology in the Member States by the year 2025.
