Morocco on the road from Washington DC, USA to Laayoune, Morocco
Following the success of its “20/20 events”)in March 2010 in Washington, D.C., the Washington Moroccan American Club (“WMC”), is once again calling on the Moroccan-American community in the US and abroad to participate in its Mobile Conference.
This time the approach is international and mobile. WMC first proposes to generate events in selective locales throughout the United States, sparked by a recreational vehicle or traveling museum, a Moroccan exposition on the road. The project, which will operate through a network of Moroccan-American organizations, and Moroccan Association extending to Europe, will gather a number of organizations in selected states with Moroccan-American communities that will sponsor events relevant to Moroccan-American themes. The event will launch with the arrival of the vehicle which will itself contain exhibits on key issues relevant to Moroccan-Americans.
Following the completion of the tour within the United States, it expected that the project, will then “go international,” travelling through the United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, France and Spain, and ending up in Laayoune, Morocco.
Themes under consideration for the mobile conference include those addressed in the 20/20 events and many more. So in addition to subjects such as women’s empowerment in Morocco, with its successes and challenges; Amazigh culture and advances, present and historical Moroccan-United States relations; media in Morocco, interfaith dialogue; we will also focus on new topics such as economic or financial ones, such as investment and real estate in Morocco.
The 20/20 events also built in the concept of mobility inherent to the mobile conference. Although most of the 20/20 events were in fixed locations, an exhibit of Sahara art and culture, including music and dance, traveled between two internationally known locations where thousands of passers-by were provided an opportunity to learn and participate, first in Washington, D.C.’s DuPont Circle, an important intersection of some several major avenues located in the heart of the city, in the middle of the workday, and then to the Smithsonian Institution, a renowned international tourist center visited by millions a year. At both locations, the exhibits were in a large goatskin nomad tent.
The mobile conference planners believe that the mobility of the new concept complements the next phase of WMC’s approach of building cultural awareness and understanding throughout the United States and worldwide. It is, once again, looking to and relying on Moroccan-Americans and friends of Morocco for their personal involvement, as well as their help in identifying academic and other experts for program events.
