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

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

By Hannah Rickard July 8, 2015 Interns from the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) visit the walnut facility in Asni to learn more about the production process and future plans from manager Hassan Inflass. Last week, three High Atlas Foundation Interns, Jamal Sebnat, Miranda LaBrash, and Hannah Rickard, grabbed a taxi from the Medina and headed

By Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir July 11, 2015 The implications of decentralization for societies in the context of human development. The Arab Spring signals a time of great potential to address the primary challenge currently facing governments and people in the Middle East and North Africa: to advance human development at a hitherto unseen pace and

By Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir July 15, 2015 Dr. Ben-Meir discusses the Peace Corps and its untapped potential for the Arab Spring and for international development as a whole. While typical two-year Peace Corps volunteer assignments are likely prohibitive in many Arab Spring countries, Peace Corps Response, the agency’s program for shorter, specialized assignments is perhaps

– Swiss Embassy Offsets Carbon Footprint by Planting Trees, Scoop, 15 July 2015. MARRAKESH – The Swiss Embassy in Rabat is offsetting its carbon emissions by supporting Sami’s Project, an initiative from the High Atlas Foundation that is dedicated to increasing the quality of education in rural Morocco. The Embassy’s donation of 46,800 MAD, implemented through the

By Ali Ait Oubkhane July 27, 2015 This blog post details Intern Ali Ait Oubkhane’s appreciation for the opportunity to work with HAF and assist both peer students and CSOs through the legal aid program. تقييم تجربة التدريب في مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير للمتدرب علي ايت اوبخان لا اجد الكلمات لأعبر على السعادة التي كنت اشعر

By Hajar Mouhajir July 31, 2015 This blog post in Arabic details Intern Hajar Mouhajir’s work with HAF assisting peer students and CSOs through the legal aid program. تقييم تجربة التدريب في مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير للمتدربة هاجر مهاجر  تشرفت بتجربتي في مؤسسة الاطلس الكبير حيث كانت تجربة شيقة مليئة بالاحماس والرغبة في مساعدة الاخرين مما

By Meryem Talhy and Dounia Jamal Eddine July 31, 2015 This blog post in Arabic details Mohammedia Interns Meryem Talhy and Dounia Jamal Eddine’s appreciation for the opportunity to intern with HAF and assist both their peer students and CSOs through the legal aid program. تقييم تجربة التدريب في مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير للمتدربة مريم طالحي

By Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir, HAF President July 31, 2015 Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir reflects on this year’s Throne Day by recognizing King Mohammed VI’s promotion of sustainable development and the potential for progress in not just Morocco, but all of the Arab Spring countries. Morocco’s experience during this tumultuous time in the region is largely due

By Hannah Rickard, Intern for Multicultural Initiatives August 6, 2015 HAF team members attend the annual Throne Day party as guests of the president of the Jewish Community of Marrakesh-Essaouira, Mr. Jacky Kadoch. On a warm, breezy evening on Tuesday, July 28th, High Atlas Foundation (HAF) Interim Executive Director/Director of Development Jacqueline Seeley, Communications Assistant

– Lending Land to Enhance Life, Scoop News, by Kati Roumani (HAF Moroccan Decentralization: Step by Step, Jerusalem Post, by Yossef Ben-Meir (HAF President), 6 August 2015. HOUSE OF LIFE is an innovative agricultural initiative whose implications are broad and resonate acutely with current world events; set in the specific context of Moroccan human development needs and cultural history, the

August 10, 2015 The High Atlas Foundation’s August Newsletter features updates on the HOUSE OF LIFE initiative, as well as Sami’s Project and the “Baby Booties” initiative in the Tassa Ouirgane community. High Atlas Foundation’s Commitment to Action HOUSE OF LIFE is an innovative agricultural initiative whose implications are broad and resonate acutely with current

August 14, 2015 By Hannah Rickard, Intern HAF interns travel to Essaouira to donate some of HA3’s own walnut oil to members of the culturally diverse HAF community.   (Date of Essaouira trip: 08/5/15) Escaping from the heat of Marrakech, HAF intern for technological and social media initiatives, Miranda LaBrash, and intern for multicultural initiatives,

August 31, 2015 The following text (translated from Arabic) discusses the most recent democratic planning workshop in Boujdour Province, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The workshop is part of a 12-month training program for 40 members of local civil society organizations. Training In Boujdour: August 6, 2015 Location: Associative Space Time: Half

September 7, 2015 The following press release comes from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The release is also available in French and Arabic. Geneva, Switzerland UNDP has launched today a global story-telling contest, Voices2Paris, to contribute to raising public awareness on the negative impacts of climate change as well as on the opportunities and solutions seen in actions

By Caroline Hoffmann, Report & Public Information Officer September 8, 2015 The following post describes a visit by American high school students to cemeteries in Essaouira, for the purpose of developing an understanding of Morocco’s rich history. American high school students on scholarship to study Arabic toured the historic Christian and Jewish cemeteries in Essaouira

By Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir, HAF president September 28, 2015 Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir explains the importance of a collaborative, sustainable approach to human development, which enables communities, assisted by trained facilitators, to plan their own projects. Socrates, I imagine, might well have found himself at home at a modern-day community meeting, during which local people discuss the

By Ida Sophie Winter September 28, 2015 The following blog post details how the High Atlas Foundation is helping rural Moroccan communities reap the benefits of value-added almond processing.   The High Atlas Foundation and 693 rural High Atlas families have produced 100 tons of almonds this year, many of which are grown on over 100

On October 22, 2015 the United States Ambassador to the Kingom of Morocco, Mr. Dwight Bush, hosted in his Rabat home, Villa America, a reception to celebrate the human development work of the High Atlas Foundation in Morocco. The special gathering included 100 guests from different walks of life but who all share a dedication to

By Elle Houby, HAF Development member October 27, 2015 Last week, on the evening of October 22, 2015, around one hundred guests gathered at Villa America, the U.S. Ambassador Dwight L. Bush’s residence in Rabat to celebrate a milestone for the High Atlas Foundation. In 2000, former Peace Corps volunteers founded the HAF with a vision

By Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir October 28, 2015 HAF president Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir expresses his gratitude for last week’s event hosted by the United States Ambassador to the Kingom of Morocco, Mr. Dwight Bush, in his Rabat home, Villa America, where a reception was held to celebrate the human development work of the High Atlas Foundation