Ifrane: Young MREs Meet at Al-Akhawayn University

The 3rd edition of the winter university of young Moroccans of the world opened Saturday in Ifrane, under the sign of “living together”.

Initiated by the ministry in charge of Moroccans living abroad in partnership with Al-Akhawayn University, this meeting, which is attended by dozens of young people, aims to consolidate the ties of new generations of Moroccans living abroad with their motherland, Morocco, to promote intercultural exchanges and to enshrine the values of tolerance and respect for others.

The 3rd edition of the Winter University is also an opportunity for these young people to exchange with experts and national skills in order to strengthen their integration in the host countries and open up new professional prospects.

Speaking at the opening of this meeting, the Minister Delegate in charge of Moroccans living abroad, Nezha El Ouafi, stressed that living together is strongly rooted among Moroccans around the world, “who have always been a model of interaction with others in host countries.”

This program is part of “the implementation of the national strategy of Moroccans of the world to strengthen their ties with their homeland and preserve their national identity and human ties, while helping them integrate into their host countries,” El Ouafi said, adding that the winter university is part of the “Cultural Universities Program”, launched by the ministry since 2009, and whose beneficiaries have reached more than 2,800 young people.

For his part, the president of Al-Akhawayn University, Amine Bensaid, stressed the need to redouble efforts to consolidate the national and spiritual identity of Moroccans around the world, especially the new generations, and to accompany them so that they can meet the various challenges they face in host countries.

Mr Bensaid stressed that this event is an opportunity for participants to strengthen their interaction with their country Morocco and to discover the richness and diversity of its cultural heritage and its values based on dialogue, tolerance and respect for others.

This edition is attended by young Moroccans from around the world aged between 18 and 25 years, who have distinguished themselves in different fields. They come from several countries including Spain, Italy, Algeria, Belgium, Canada, France, Tunisia, the Netherlands and England.

The program for this third edition includes several workshops focusing on the values of living together and a conference on the theme: “Unity and territorial integrity: paths and current events”.