[caption id="attachment_91565" align="alignright" width="100"] Yosef Ben-Meir[/caption]
Yossef Ben-Meir, Ph.D. is a sociologist and is also president of the High Atlas Foundation, based in Marrakech.Manon Burbidge is a post-graduate studying Human Ecology at Lund University, Sweden, and currently interning at the High Atlas Foundation.
By Yossef Ben-Meir MARRAKECH, Morocco — October 17 marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The commemoration of this day suggests that the way to end poverty is not a matter shrouded in mystery. In fact, its celebration denotes that, at a minimum, the manner to end poverty is most likely established knowledge. […]
OpEd: Bringing Poverty to Heel Read More »
Business & Finance, International, Lifestyles, Yossef Ben-Meir
By Yossef Ben-Meir and Ellen Hernandez MARRAKECH, Morocco — Harnessing the experiences and the history of religious and ethnic groups in Morocco must be a priority before the holders of that knowledge are lost to time. Moroccan-based civil associations, with the right support, are in an ideal position to gather and disseminate this knowledge for
Preserving Morocco’s multicultural identity Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Yossef Ben-Meir
Today, the people-driven approach to development is widely considered a way to create sustainable projects to advance economic growth, education, and health. However, it is not without its challenges and limitations, and has therefore been met with several pervading criticisms. For those of us who support and encourage participatory development (PD), we must ask ourselves what we need to do in order to ensure maximally productive and life-enhancing experiences for the communities with which we work, in the time we are in. (Yossef Ben-Meir, Ph.D)
Five challenges to participatory development Read More »
International, Lifestyles, Middle East, Yossef Ben-MeirThe idea of development itself, its definition, and even the method we use for defining it, would be a good place to begin toward discovering its potential in our lives. We cannot rely on any single, or even ten, definitions. We need to look at the full range of literature that arose following the end of World War II, decolonization, and reconstruction from when international development spawned in our era. How has development been defined across the decades? (Yossef Ben-Meir)
Building a development definition in Morocco Read More »
International, Middle East, Yossef Ben-Meir
The Tifnoute community of 44 villages (about 12,000 people) … is so remote that it takes 24 hours to get there due to having to circle around the Atlas Mountains in order to arrive, with the last 70 kilometers of which being unpaved paths. When, as Peace Corps Volunteers, we were assigned to the Toubkal park, we could choose to live anywhere among its valleys of villages, so when I heard that no one had gone to the Tifnoute, I said, “OK, I’ll do it, I’ll go.” I traveled in segments, and it took me three days to get there that winter in 1993. [Yossef Ben-Meir]
The Moroccan villager who changed my life’s course Read More »
International, Middle East, USA, Yossef Ben-MeirBill Nichols served as a volunteer consultant to the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) through the Farmer-to-Farmer Program (F2F) for two weeks in January 2020. Originally from New Mexico, now residing in Boston, Nichols collaborated as an F2F volunteer with four of HAF’s tree nursery cooperatives in southern Morocco. He was tasked with improving their productivity. One immediate benefit of his visits with Moroccan farmers at these sites is that he was able to share not only his technical and business skills but also to find ways for the four individual cooperatives within the same province to share their own specialized skills with one another. [Yossef Ben-Meir]
Farmer-to-Farmer program helps developing nations Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, USA, Yossef Ben-MeirI have long been and remain a believer in Morocco’s existing frameworks for the people’s development. There is, after all, a lot to like. Municipalities are to create development plans made from the participation of all communities and groups. Environmental management is understood to integrate the local people. Agricultural programs seek to achieve the value-chain with communities of small landholders. Morocco is committed to the goals of decentralization, renewable energy, liberation of women and youth from social and economic hindrances, and well-established southern unity. Multicultural preservation is a non-equivocal national choice. [Yossef Ben- Meir]
Morocco struggles with development plans Read More »
Business & Finance, International, Middle East, Yossef Ben-MeirHow can we achieve sustainable development, not just globally, but specifically in Morocco? We must first consider what the central features of this development are. We must incorporate many factors in creative and innovative design: education, gender, ethics, economics, politics, culture, history, geography, finance, and technical aspects in order for sustainable projects to have enduring success. We also need to employ a participatory approach. We have learned over time through trial and error and observation of how development assistance has been institutionalized in the past 70 years that participation and sustainability are inextricably linked. [Yossef Ben-Meir]
Sustainable development requires community consensus Read More »
Middle East, Yossef Ben-Meir
By Nicolas Pantelick MARRAKECH, Moroccoa — Meandering through the dusty foothills of the Moroccan Atlas Mountains, I played an earnest game of speculation. I knew of my destination, its history and constitution, but had yet to see it or feel the restless potential it encapsulated. The gentle hum of the engine, propelling me past the
Jewish-Muslim partnership flourishes in Morocco Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Yossef Ben-MeirMoroccan youth today, whether urban or rural based, face enormous obstacles in achieving their self-development and in creating the improvements they seek for their families, communities, country, and even for the world. [Yossef Ben-Meir, PhD}
Moroccan youth must work together to effect change Read More »
International, Yossef Ben-MeirBy Yossef Ben-Meir and Manon Burbidge MARRAKECH, Morocco — December 2018 is gearing up to be a pivotal month for migration on the world stage, and the epicenter is here, in Marrakech, Morocco, with two high-level fora taking place concerning development and migration. However, in order for the discussions that take place at these conferences
Global meetings weigh mass migration alternatives Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Yossef Ben-MeirBy Alon Ben-Meir NEW YORK — To dramatically slow the flow of illegal immigration and even end it does not rest on building walls or sending troops to the border, or by heartlessly snatching children from their mothers’ arms, or by incarceration, deportation, or prosecution. A big part of the answer lies in economic development,
2-prong policy needed to stem migrant flow to U.S. Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, USA, Yossef Ben-MeirBy Alon Ben-Meir NEW YORK — The re-election of Egypt’s President Sisi came as no surprise. Despite irregularities at some polling stations, President Sisi won handily because he remains the most popular president, and perhaps for good reason. A clear majority of Egyptians feel that unlike any of his predecessors, Sisi is dedicated to improving
Outside countries should help Egypt’s economy Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle East, USA, Yossef Ben-MeirBy Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir MARRAKECH, Morocco — In the Kingdom of Morocco, there are a number of sustainable development programs and policies that display innovation and promote social solidarity. These participatory democratic initiatives are designed to catalyze people’s development that meet multiple human needs at the same time. For example, the Municipal Charter of the
Moroccan Jewish community promotes interfaith harmony via development projects Read More »
International, Middle East, Yossef Ben-Meir