Category: News update

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a major international celebration, both at its headquarters and via videoconference, on Thursday (March 31, 2022), under the theme “Perspectives of Women’s Poetry.”| The event brought together creative women poets, some of whom have won the ICESCO Women’s Poetry Prize “Poem of the Year of Women 2021.” ICESCO also released the first edition of its collection (diwan) “Women’s Poetry Shining in Darkness (Hina Asrajna adayajira shi’ran)” and the launch of the ICESCO Women Poets Forum.

ICESCO held this event to celebrate International Poetry Day and mark the close of ICESCO Year for Women 2021, which was honored by the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. The celebration saw the participation of high-level officials, diplomats and creative poets from the Islamic world.

At the outset of the ceremony, the participants listened to a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran followed by the presentation by Ambassador Khaled Fathalrahman, Director of ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue, wherein he welcomed the participants, noting that this celebration gathers a host of distinguished women poets to celebrate their achievements.

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, noted that the poem has always been a witness to history and peoples’ dreams, adding that the rhyme listens to our passion and the celebration the World Poetry Day is a universal celebration of the human civilization, which is based on tolerance, coexistence and peace. “This celebration shows our pride in poetry because we are a nation of poetry par excellence” he underscored.

He reaffirmed that this celebration, marking the close of ICESCO Year for Women 2021 and the start of the Celebration of Rabat, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022, is part of our effort for a brighter future and a sign that poetry will always remain a source of hope, optimism and brilliance.

At the close of his address, ICESCO Director-General announced the launch of the ICESCO Women Poets Forum as a new space for creativity. The participants then watched a video featuring Dr. AlMalik’s poem “Im’a Fi Yawm Achi’r (Gesture in the Day of Poetry)”, read out by Majdouline Bencherif, as well as another video of Ambassador Fathalrahman’s poem “Sawtuha Wa Zaman (Women’s Poetry Throughout History).”

During the opening session, the Lebanese poet, Nada El Hage, read some of the poems from her collection ‘Aber Adahcha’, commending ICESCO’s Celebration and highlighting her love for the Kingdom of Morocco and the spiritual connection she has with this country.

After that, ICESCO Director-General awarded ICESCO Prize for Women’s Poetry along with certificates of appreciation to the three winners, namely Hajar Muhammad Omar from the Republic of Egypt, Sherihan Al-Tayeb Kalbash Daleel from the Republic of The Sudan, and Laila Naji Ali Al-Omari from the Republic of Yemen. ICESCO also revealed the first release of its collection “Women’s Poetry Shining in Darkness (Hina Asrajna adayajira shi’ran),” which includes the distinguished poems that participated in the competition.

During the first session, the first and second winners, Hajar Omar and Sherihan Al-Tayeb Kalbash Daleel recited their respective winning poems “Hya Saydatu al-Ard (Lady of Earth)” and “Mir’at Lavinus.”

Afterward, ICESCO honored the Moroccan poet Fatima Bouhraka, who expressed her happiness and dedicated her second book, which is part of her series, entitled “Encyclopedia of Contemporary Arab Women’s Poetry between 1950 and 2020” to ICESCO.

In the following sessions, the participants enjoyed listening to the distinguished poems of the ICESCO Women’s Poetry Competition, in rhythm with the music.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) officially concluded its “ICESCO Year of Women 2021,” launched last year under the theme “Women for the Future,” under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem, Chairwoman of the National Union of Moroccan Women (UNFM), chaired the official ceremony, which took place on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, with the presence of high-level officials and leading women figures in different fields from Morocco and the Islamic world.

After a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), delivered an address in which he stated that it is a distinct pleasure to celebrate the conclusion of the ICESCO Year of Women 2021 under the high royal patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, and with the gracious presence of H.R.H. Princess Lalla Meryem, who has always shown great interest in women issues.

ICESCO DG noted that this celebration is not fortuitous, but is rather a carefully-thought-out initiative aimed at paying homage to women for being at the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19, one of the most deleterious crises in contemporary history that impacted all aspects of our lives and had serious repercussions on various fields.
He also reviewed the key programmes and activities held as part of ICESCO’s Year of Women 2021, notably:

• ICESCO Program for Building Women’s Entrepreneurial Capacity.
• ICESCO Program for Improving Sanitation Services in Rural Schools;
• Celebrating International Days and dedicating them to women;
• ICESCO Peace Ambassadors Program;
• Allocating ICESCO prizes to women;
• Establishing ICESCO Scientific Chairs for Women;
• The “Women Pioneers Around the World” Program.

In conclusion of his address, Dr. AlMalik conveyed his gratitude to H.R.H. Princess Lalla Meryem for gracing the event with her generous presence, extending thanks to the honorable guests, before reciting a poem that he composed in recognition of women’s role in society.

The “Awareness Bells on the Role of Women in the Future of the Islamic World” were then launched, followed by the Princess’s visit to an exhibition showcasing handicrafts and products made by Moroccan women’s cooperatives.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ms. Camélia Ntoutoume Leclercq, Minister of National Education of the Republic of Gabon, and together they explored prospects of cooperation between ICESCO and Gabon in the fields of education and women empowerment.

At the beginning of the meeting, held Wednesday, March 30, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik congratulated Ms. Leclercq on her appointment as Minister of National Education in Gabon, wishing her all success in assuming this great responsibility. Dr. AlMalik also thanked the Minister for accepting ICESCO’s invitation to attend ICESCO’s closing ceremony of the Year of Women 2021, which was granted the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

For her part, the Gabonese Minister expressed her delight to visit ICESCO Headquarters and conveyed the greetings of the Prime Minister of Gabon, who she represents in the ceremony. The Minister also noted that Gabon takes great pride in its special partnership with ICESCO, which first saw the light in October 2021, when the Director-General visited Libreville and met with senior Gabonese officials, most notably, H.E. President Ali Bongo.

The meeting addressed areas of ongoing cooperation between ICESCO and Gabon, the key programs and activities recently implemented in the country, and the visit of the ICESCO delegation to Libreville to take stock of the priorities and needs of Gabon in the fields of education, science and culture in the next period.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties reiterated their keenness to maintain the fruitful cooperation between ICESCO and Gabon, especially in the fields of education, women empowerment and youth capacity building.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met Ms. Benita Diop, African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security. The meeting discussed the prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and the African Union for supporting and building women’s capacities and consolidating the values of coexistence and peace.

At the outset of the meeting, held at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, Ms. Diop thanked Dr. AlMalik for the invitation to attend the closing ceremony of ICESCO Year of Women 2021, commending the Organization’s programs and activities to support women and enhance their roles.
For his part, ICESCO DG stressed that supporting women is part of the priorities of the Organization’s new vision and action strategy. 2021 was proclaimed as the Year of Women in appreciation of the great roles that women play at all levels. The end of this celebration does not imply the discontinuation of the programs and activities implemented to support women in the Members States and encourage policies aimed at achieving gender equality.

The meeting touched on the prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and the African Union for supporting women and building their capacities.

In conclusion, the two parties agreed to hold expert meetings to agree on several programs and activities of cooperation.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Isatou Touray, Vice-president of the Republic of the Gambia, and together they explored prospects of cooperation between ICESCO and the Gambia in the fields of education, science and culture.

During the meeting, held on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik expressed his thanks to Dr. Touray for accepting ICESCO’s invitation to attend the closing ceremony of ICESCO’s Year of Women 2021, which was granted the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco.
For her part, the Gambian Vice-president expressed her delight to take part in this ceremony in support of ICESCO’s determination to empower and build the capacities of the women in the Member States, commending the initiatives, programs and activities held as part of the Organization’s celebration of women.

The meeting was attended by several ICESCO’s leaderships and reviewed the main focuses of the Organization’s vision and strategic orientations by 2025, which are based on extensive communication with the Member States to identify their priorities and needs in order to design the appropriate programs and activities for each country. The ICESCO officials also gave an overview of the many programs the Organization is implementing in cooperation with the competent authorities in the Member States.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to hold expert meetings between ICESCO and the Gambian competent authorities to identify programs and activities that can be the stepping stone for fruitful cooperation and partnership between the two parties.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Hayat Qatat Al-Qirmazi, Minister of Cultural Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia, explored ways to promote cooperation and partnership between ICESCO and Tunisia in the cultural fields.

During this meeting, held at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik thanked Dr. Al-Qarmazi for accepting the invitation to attend the closing ceremony of ICESCO Year of Women 2021. For her part, the Tunisian Minister expressed her thanks for this invitation and her happiness to participate in the closing ceremony of the celebration that included an array of achievements to support women.

The meeting touched upon the cooperation relations between ICESCO and Tunisia in several cultural programs and activities, including the restoration of the House of Ibn Khaldoun, in Tunis. The two parties stressed the need to complete the restoration of this archaeological monument, which is part of the heritage of one of the major philosophers, historians and sociologists.

ICESCO DG and the Tunisian Minister of Culture also discussed cooperation in the project of the establishment of the International Center for Calligraphy and Ancient Languages in Tunis, which will be equipped with the latest documentation technologies, particularly in the field of Arabic calligraphy.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to strengthen cooperation and partnership between ICESCO and Tunisia in the cultural fields, particularly after the great success of the celebration of Tunis, the Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2019.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the International University of Rabat (IUR) in the Kingdom of Morocco, launched on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, a program for Piloting the Introduction of ICESCO’S Peace 360º Approach in Academia, which aims to strengthen educational programs in the field of peacebuilding and security in ICESCO’s Member States, through an approach based on a comprehensive and multidisciplinary methodology. The program will be implemented within the framework of the IUR’s Master program in Conflict Resolution and Governance of Peace.

The Program opening ceremony, held at the IUR headquarters and via videoconference, saw the participation of several experts and researchers in the fields related to building security and peace.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), started the ceremony with a speech in which he highlighted the importance of the Programme, which was launched within the framework of the celebration of Rabat as the 2022 Culture Capital in the Islamic world in achieving peace and security, confirming that the concept of peace is not only related to the absence of war, but also to the establishment of institutions and policies to promote a culture of peace and security in societies.

He noted that this initiative represents ICESCO’s new vision, which seeks, through the promotion of peace, to contribute to the development of human capital in the Islamic world, stressing the role of universities in understanding new phenomena and overcoming the challenges facing our societies.

For his part, Dr. Abdelaziz Benjouad, IUR Vice President, highlighted the importance of cooperation and partnership between ICESCO and the University to achieve peace and security and strengthen sustainable development goals.

Ms. Ramata Almami Mbay, Director of ICESCO’s Human and Social Sciences Sector, stressed that the Organization aims, through this program, to train young leaders who can contribute constructively to building sustainable peace, reviewing ICESCO’s initiatives in cooperation with a number of parties in the field of civilizational dialogue and countering hate speech and extremism.

In a prerecorded message, Dr. Abdel Rahamane Baba-Moussa, Secretary-General of the Conference of Ministers of Education of French-Speaking Countries (CONFEMEN), stressed the need to invoke the educational aspects in developing policies and plans aimed at building peace and promoting coexistence, cultural dialogue and mutual respect.

In her speech, Ms. Amira Al-Fadil, Head of ICESCO’s Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, emphasized that the Program constitutes the start of a strategic project for the Organization with the participation of many students at several levels of studies and in different countries.

Mr. Nebil DABUR, Director General of Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), congratulated ICESCO for launching the Program, stressing that the absence of peace is a real challenge facing the countries of the Islamic world.

During the ceremony, Dr. Alioune Sall, Executive Director of African Futures Institute delivered an introductory lecture on the topic of peace and human development, highlighting the importance of peace in achieving development, providing favorable conditions for development, fostering hope and confidence in the future and encouraging investment.

In conclusion, Prof. Julien DURAND DE SANCTIS, Director of IUR Master in Governance of Peace, expressed his happiness with the cooperation between ICESCO and the University, stressing the importance of studies related to conflict and peacebuilding begins with the ability to study and understand violence.