By Yossef Ben-Meir, Ph.D. HAF Founder and President It is a particular joy for me to announce that my colleague for many years, Larbi Didouqen, is now the High Atlas Foundation’s Director in Morocco. I first met Si Larbi in 1993 when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer and he was the Director of the

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11.1.2018  High Atlas Foundations celebrates Cross-Country Planting Day, Tree planting event totaling 9,000 trees Marrakech, Morocco: The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) continues its legacy this Monday, January 15th , through a mass planting of pomegranate, almond, fig, walnut, and carob trees across Morocco. HAF is a Moroccan and United States nonprofit organization dedicated to

للنشر الفوري 11/1/2018 مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير تحتفل بيوم الزراعة عبر البلاد، مجموع ما ستتمّ زراعته في هذا الحدث : 9000 شجرة مراكش، المغرب: تواصل مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير (HAF)  كما جرت العادة في كل سنة وبشراكة مع المديريات  الجهوية للمياه والغابات، يوم الاثنين الموافق 15 يناير،  زراعة أشجار الرمان واللوز والتين والجوز والخروب في جميع أنحاء

Marrakech, Maroc: Comme à l’accoutumée, chaque année, la Fondation du Haut Atlas (HAF), en partenariat avec les directions régionales des Eaux et  forêts, continue à planter des grenadiers, amandiers, caroubiers, figuiers, caroubier, arganiers et noyers dans tout le territoire du Maroc. La Fondation du Haut Atlas est une organisation   non gouvernementale à but non lucratif,

 By Erracihd Montassir, HAF Project Manager    HAF’s partner–the Vacation Project (VP), which is a program created for social, service, and experiential travel–engages in voluntary work with communities around the world.  From the 2nd to the 4th of January 2018, VP and HAF visited our community partners in the Ouirgane municipality of the Azzadene Valley. 

By Fatima Zahra Laaribi Office Manager and Women Empowerment Facilitator The third Monday of January – this year on the 15th- is a day in which the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) held a special day of national tree planting across Morocco.  This has become an annual event since 2014, the year that HAF planted its millionth

By Erracihd Montassir, Sami’s Project Manager  This morning we planted with schoolchildren in Rhamna.  I had a great day with the kids and there will some surprises.  HAF’s Sami’s Project still celebrating the Big Event of the 15th January with schoolchildren.  After we planted in many provinces already, our direction was to Rhamna province this

By Amina El Hajjami Project manager It is amazing when people work in sustainable development with the aim of helping humanity in the present, as well as thinking about the well-being of future generations. What makes the work of Sami’s Project so great is knowing that this initiative will help you after death as the prophet Mohamed

By Errachid Montassir HAF Project Manager A beautiful arrangement has brought together the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) and The Vacation Project (TVP), which is their shared desire to create positive changes in Morocco.  HAF, working on sustainable development using a participatory approach, seeks to establish development projects in different parts of Morocco that local communities design

” الديمقراطية التشاركية و النمودج التنموي الجديد”   نظمت الوزارة المنتدبة لدى رئيس الحكومة المكلفة بالعلاقات مع البرلمان و المجتمع المدني بشراكة مع جهة مراكش اسفي يوم دراسي جهوي حول موضوع الديمقراطية التشاركية و النمودج التنموي الجديد و دالك يومه الاربعاء 24 يناير 2018 بالمركب الاداري و الثقافي محمد السادس التابع لوزارة الاوقاف و الشؤؤون

– Promoting human rights to support development in rural Morocco, The Jerusalem Post, by Gal Kramarski (Graduate Student and HAF Intern), 10 February 2018. • French: World News, 16 February 2018. • Arabic: Sadaalahdas, 14 February 2018. Introduction There is an intrinsic link between human rights and development. Development, in many cases includes a process of securing access to rights, and their

From Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir HAF President Dear Friends, It has been a journey for us putting together this year’s Annual Report, because we decided to make it comprehensive, including visually, of all of the work of the High Atlas Foundation since its beginning in 2000.  We hope that you like it, and that you feel a connection with

Errachid Montassir HAF Project manager Cooperation is necessary to meet human needs.  We as people are not able to meet our needs without the help of each other.  Our serious collaboration leads to the integration of society. HAF continues to establish development projects in different parts of Morocco, with an empowered network through skilled partnerships

By Russ Zick USAID Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Smallholder farmers in Morocco are engaged in upgrading their agricultural practices in order to increase income by expanding exports to Europe, the United States, and other Southern countries.  The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) has been engaged in that process with several programs such as assisting Moroccan cooperatives in obtaining

– Visionaries Then and Now, by Thomas Kimmel (Agricultural Expert), 21 March 2018, HAF Blog. • Arabic: Maghress Cawalisee, 16 April 2018. • French: HAF Blog, 14 November 2018. In the 1980’s, a solo American made a huge impact on Ouaouizerth, Morocco, an Amazigh village, located in the western High Atlas Mountains.  His name was J. Christopher Stevens, a Peace Corps.

The HAF-Fes Team organized last Sunday a tree planting event at Azrou, with students from Al Akhawayn University and the village association at Ain Aghbal. One of the professors from Al Akhawayn University, Dr. Duncan Rinehart, participated in the day.  Professor Rinehart is a former colleague of HAF President Yossef Ben-Meir, when he was a

Ecosia, a social business based in Germany, has made green, empowering, sustainable, and soon a prosperity-generating difference with farming families and schools in 23 provinces of the Kingdom of Morocco.  A wonderful partner, Ecosia is enabling the fulfillment of true Moroccan stories of youth finding opportunity, women’s greater agency, diverse partnership, multiculturalism, natural restoration, and

By Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, Ph.D. USAID-HAF Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Marrakech The Farmer to Farmer (F2F) program is a USAID development initiative that is implemented throughout the world. During the past 20 years, I had the opportunity to volunteer for 80 assignments in 14 countries. In Morocco, the F2F program is administered by Land O’Lakes International Development (LOL),

By Errachid Montassir HAF Project Manager The growth of sustainable development as a mainstream concept and practice in Morocco has been progressing but not as much as most people (particularly rural, and women and youth everywhere) have hoped.  Morocco has progressive and helpful laws and programs that give the opportunity and responsibility to all communities

Un voyage récent au Maroc a été ma dix-septième mission de bénévolat avec le programme « Farmer to Farmer » de l’USAID.  Ce qui a fait que celui-ci est différent, c’est que l’horizon temporel se déroulera sur des décennies, par opposition à des semaines et des mois.  L’ingéniosité individuelle et de groupe crée un paysage d’arbres, tout

By Eliana Lisuzzo HAF Program Assistant  — Just as every other nation in the world, Morocco faces consequences of climate change including higher temperatures, more extreme weather conditions, and rising sea levels due to the human population’s collective treatment of our earth. Morocco particularly struggles with waste management and rising urban air pollution. Without implementing

Developing Capability for Seed Storage and Preservation in Morocco By Russ Zick USAID Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Small holder farmers in Morocco are engaged in upgrading their agricultural practices in order to increase income by expanding exports to Europe, the United States, and other Southern countries.  The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) has been engaged in that process

On February 20, in partnership with the Middle East Partnership Initiative, HAF in Oujda conducted the first capacity-building workshop in the training room of Midar Agricultural Training Center located in the city of Midar, in the province of Driouch. This session knew presence of 19 participants men and women representing ten cooperatives from different areas

By Fatima Zahra Laaribi Financial Manager and Trainer    I had the honor of taking part in the 1st Maghreb Training of Trainers on Digital Security. The High Atlas Foundation was selected out of 95 associations from all over the Maghreb to further strengthen its capacities as a non-profit organization in the safe use of technology

– Conserving Traditional Crop Diversity and Wild Medicinal Plants in Morocco, by Abderrahim Ouarghidi (Agricultural Expert), Worldstage, 21 May 2018. • Arabic: Al-Watan Voice, 12 May 2018. Morocco is a key producer of fruits and vegetables for global markets thanks to the government’s push for commercialized crop production – but at what cost? This article explores how “modern” crops

By Eliana Lisuzzo HAF Program Assistant — An old Moroccan proverb, “One hand can’t clap,” is one that embodies both the approach to and application of the work implemented by The High Atlas Foundation (HAF). HAF is made up of a team of people dedicated to empowering Moroccans by engaging them in the process of

By Fatime Zahra Machloukh Student at Cadi Ayad University When we talk about Cadi Ayyad University, we are talking about a history, which involves a long period of hard work and great efforts. The eclectic student population is the best part of this University, since it comes from different places, with different ideas, goals, ambitions

For most people who are familiar with Islam, they are aware that Ramadan is a holy month; that it consists of fasting from sunrise to sunset. However, Iftar is not simply the breaking of fast. It is also a time when friends and family can gather in celebration. On May 26th, current and previous HAF staff and volunteers

– From Transit to Integration: A Moroccan Initiative for Community Development, Morocco World News, by Nathan Park (Undergraduate student and HAF Intern), 31 May 2018. • Arabic: Marrakech 24, 12 June 2018. By Nathan Park HAF Intern International migration from sub-Saharan Africa towards Europe and the United States has significantly increased over the past decade. These migration trends, especially

By Salma Chamikhe and Gal Kramarski HAF Interns Women from mountain villages took part in the IMAGINE initiative as they participated in the 4-day empowerment workshops in their home communities and at the High Atlas Foundation’s office in Marrakech, Morocco.  The men-free zone boosted the women’s ability to candidly share their feelings as they answered