By Eliana Lisuzzo HAF Project Assistant The High Atlas Foundation (HAF)—headed by a distinguished Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and operational team of both Moroccans and Americans—is a U.S. and Moroccan 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was created by former Peace Corps Volunteers in 2000. HAF facilitates and builds people’s capacities in participatory democratic approaches to

By Eliana Lisuzzo HAF Project Assistant The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) is a United States-Moroccan nonprofit organization committed to facilitating community-identified initiatives that catalyze sustainable human development in Morocco. One initiative we are extremely proud of is Cemetery Preservation in Essaouira that rehabilitates Jewish cemeteries and makes them more welcoming for families and visitors, to

– Muslim-Jewish goodwill blossoms in Morocco, Qantara, By Yossef Ben-Meir (HAF President), 19 September 2018. • Arabic: Qantara, 23 September 2018. • German: Qantara, 27 September 2018. The High Atlas Foundationʹs fruit tree nursery project Since 2012, the Moroccan Jewish community has been helping local farmers by donating land around ancient cemeteries for the planting of fruit tree nurseries. The aim:

Jenny Spencer HAF’s intern. Ask an American college student what they want to do in their life and inevitably, at some point, they will say some version of “to make a difference.” Ask a young professional why they are transitioning in their careers and you are likely to hear “I want to find more meaning

Dear all, Germanwatch and the High Atlas Foundation have the pleasure to invite you to a webinar on energy access, with a focus on Morocco and Africa more broadly. The webinar will be held on the 18th. September 2018 from 1 pm to 2 pm Central European Summer time on webex (12:00h Morocco time today).

By Ibtissam Niri HAF Empowerment Facilitator Our workshops for cooperative-building efforts in the Oriental Region may have finished weeks ago, but the process for the High Atlas Foundation (HAF)–joined this week by the U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)–to follow up with its impact on participants continues. One year of preparation, 35 cooperatives, six provinces,

Gal Kramarski From Jerusalem, in Marrakech Several months after finishing my internship with the High Atlas Foundation, I got the chance to go back to Marrakech, this time, only for a visit. Though the purpose of the travel was truly exciting, an interfaith conference in Essaouira, I was more excited about visiting my friends from

  The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) has worked in the Oujda Region for three years. HAF’s Marrakech and Oujda teams came together in August to facilitate women’s empowerment and cooperative development workshops and are touring the region, now joined by our counterparts from The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). Since September 5th, we have met with cooperative members from four provinces, with two

Yahya Rhomari Member, Cooperative of Organic Agriculture in Berkane The development of organic agriculture in Morocco faces various technical, commercial, financial, and organizational constraints. Organizational constraints—primarily poor coordination between local cooperatives and associations—are of particular importance and must be addressed. The lack of effective relationships between such entities can consequently impede upon the interests of

By Eliana Lisuzzo HAF Project Assistant A cooperative is a business or organization managed jointly by voluntary members. When ran successfully, a cooperative will lead its members to meet their common goals as well as economic needs—of which any profit is shared among them. In Morocco in particular, being a part of a cooperative can

By Eliana Lisuzzo HAF Program Assistant In a little under just one week, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) has met with members of 21 cooperatives throughout four provinces of the Oujda Region in Morocco. We have learned the stories behind the development of their cooperatives, about their products, unique manufacturing techniques, the highs and the

Khalid (left) tells HAF about the challenges of starting a new cooperative and the solutions he and fellow Alaymoune members identified as a result of attending HAF’s training. By Eliana Lisuzzo Project Assistant The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) staff has met many driven Moroccan people with big plans to make a difference in their lives

By Eliana Lisuzzo HAF Project Assistant We met Nordine on a sunny Wednesday morning. His tan skin revealed how he spends many hours outside planting as well as tending to the already planted almond trees throughout Irzaine in the Berkane province, Oujda region. He proudly walked us through one of the fields with growing trees

Ibtissam Niri Office Manager Today was the last day of Imagine workshops in Oujda, but the first day to think about the journey of Empowerment in the Oriental region for 58 women of different cooperatives. From August 10st to August 17th, 2018, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) facilitated an eight-day women’s empowerment workshop in Isly Golf

– Morocco Provides Safe Spaces for Youth, The New Arab, By Julia Payne (Undergraduate student and HAF Intern), 8 August 2018. • Arabic: El-Bashayer, 1 September 2018.   As a society, we have hopes and dreams for the future; for our children, our countries, and the global community. These aspirations rest on the shoulders of the youngest generation.

Kelsey Abrahamsen Sophomore, Bowling After more than 25 hours of traveling to Morocco, we were greeted warmly upon our arrival by our local partner from the High Atlas Foundation, Rachid. We spent the night in Casablanca before beginnng our (roughly) five-hour drive to Marrakech the following day. Once in Marrakech, we checked into our beautiful Riad (hotel),

by Julie Blaze Senior, Lacrosse Day 3 Today was our second full day in Morocco, but our first day of service. We first met with the CEO of High Atlas Foundation, the foundation we are partnering with here in Morocco. HAF works to help communities participate in the development of their own village’s infrastructure through

Help us compete for the $1,000 grand prize in the 2018 @GlobalGiving Photo Contest! Vote today, and when you sign up for updates your vote will count 3x! https://www.globalgiving.org/poll/vote/?pollOptionId=1187   We’re participating in @GlobalGiving ’s annual Photo Contest and among hundreds of nonprofits… WE ARE FINALISTS! Now we need your help to win $1,000: follow the

by Tal Carmel In January 2018, FRÉ’s founders and a couple ambassadors had the opportunity to plant Argan trees in Morocco. During the trip, they visited with the women who harvest the Argan seeds at the Izourane co-op in Tidzi, Essaouira. It was from this visit that FRÉ’s founders decided they wanted to do more

By Katherine O’Neil Claremont McKenna College (USA), HAF Intern On Friday, July 13, I visited the Tifaouine Women’s Cooperative in Amizmiz, Morocco with High Atlas Foundation (HAF) Coordinator Errachid Montassir and Land O’Lakes expert volunteer Lynda Drennan Swenson. The purpose of this visit was to provide a brief training seminar on marketing and financial management

This video is a genuine testament to the emotional drive and intentional visionary spirit backing the High Atlas Foundation. In concise pitch, the organization’s president, Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir, presents an intersection between STEM principles and the core goal of sustainable development that the organization strives to establish. Ben-Meir presents his vision for the crossover of

By Saloua Rmita HAF intern from Eastern Mediterranean University in Northern Cyprus Office Chérifien des Phosphates (The OCP Group) organized an Act4Community Forum with its staff in Safi (Marrakech region) concerning their volunteerism to support civil society actions for human development. The aim of the Forum is to spread awareness and inspire volunteers to create

By Alex Frumkin Duke University, travel abroad student A week ago, I visited Marrakesh and had the chance to meet Yossef Ben-Meir, president of the High Atlas Foundation. I thought both Dr. Ben-Meir and the organization were very interesting, so I decided to interview him. I asked him questions about the organization, life in Morocco,

Tadmamt tree nursery, Province of Al Haouz (23 July 2018) By Saloua Rmita (Eastern Mediterranean University in Cyprus) Hajar Ennamli (National School of Management and Trade in Oujda) HAF Interns Marrakech We are volunteering with High Atlas Foundation in Marrakesh, for the purpose of living an unforgettable experience and discovering HAF’s activities.Our first project site

By Said Bennani, HAF Project Manager Here at the Abdelaziz Ben Driss Center for the Protection of Children, HAF’s team in Fes and the youth living at the center are appreciating all the visits of our partners from other places in Morocco.  Not only visitors from Morocco come, but also people travel from far away,

Check out this podcast episode of – On the Issues – where HAF’s president Yossef Ben-Meir is interviewed.  It is interesting and fun because it is a conversation with his father, Dr. Alon Ben-Meir, who is a professor of international relations at New York University.  They talk about sustainable development, Morocco, and project experiences.  Enjoy.  

– Why Education Isn’t the Only Solution: An Overview of Female Employment in Morocco and the Region, Global Research, by Katherine O’Neill (Undergraduate student and HAF Intern), 24 July 2018. • Arabic: Al-Watan Voice, 6 August 2018 The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has the lowest female employment rate of anywhere in the world. Though most countries

Nathan Park, HAF Intern Marrakech, Morocco Morocco World News just released an article covering the “first UN-sponsored Global Compact on Migration” that occurred on July 13th in New York City.  Morocco was praised for the way that it has dealt with the international migration crisis by its democratic and innovative policies. In 2013, the government implemented a

– Can the Moroccan Approach Inspire a Development Revolution?, Business Ghana University, by Julia Al-Akkad (Undergraduate student and HAF Intern), 21 July 2018. • Arabic: Al-Bayadar, 1 August 2018. • French: Africa News Agency, 30 July 2018. Decades of conflict and complex power dynamics between Jewish and Muslim communities have resulted in a deep-rooted aversion towards cultural engagement. This continues to

By Hajar Ennamli and Amy Zhang Marrakesh, Morocco On June 15th, 2004, Morocco and the United States signed their free trade agreement. In addition to removing informational frictions and trade barriers between them, these countries committed to sustainable environmental protection through consistent enforcement and administration of environmental laws.  In the environmental chapter, the two nations