Amazigh.nl

Citaat van: Bouthghmas op 14/07/2010 om 08:30:07
Yazu adyini dimasrayin ig yuq3an  zdhath y wami  dyusa uspanio a tmort nnegh. Uxa itadaf ug mazruy nsan.
Kaji mara L'bukath nni udagsand onderwerpath nni atiri u dzmar adyiri ? majd aghyur cak.

melmi d yusa uspanyo gi tmurt negh ?

ma senned "causaliteit, het verslag van oorzaak aan gevolg"  ?

timegga-nni ma ghar-sen ci gevolg tamqqrant x umzruy n arrif ?

Marra tarzud attesnned mux d msar amenghi n arrif, iwden ttqqaren lektubat n tarix!

Citaat van: Señor Canardo Echo op 20/07/2010 om 00:29:28
Dat Bou Himara door veel auteurs wordt beschreven als een opportunist, die handig gebruik heeft gemaakt van de zwakte van het centraal gezag in Marokko, alsook van zijn lucratieve handelsconnecties met Europeanen, is alom bekend. Maar dat er ook historische auteurs rondlopen die Bou Himara - met name in de beginfase én ondanks zijn listen - wel degelijk ook een ideologische en weloverwogen zaak toedichten, is natuurlijk wat minder bekend bij de gewone massa. Zoals wel zou blijken uit de dood en successie van Bou Himara's voormalige werkgever, namelijk sultan Moulay Hassan I - uit de tijd dat Jilali nog gewoon Jilali werd genoemd en als ambtenaartje voor Hassans staatsapparaat werkte. De bizarre dood van Hassan en de politieke crisis die daarop volgde, vonden plaats in het voorjaar van 1894 en zouden volgens sommige historische auteurs aan de basis komen te staan voor de ideologische onderbouwing van Jilali's knap staaltje acteerwerk als de oudste zoon van sultan Moulay Hassan I. Als een van de weinigen gunt auteur Omar Mounir ons met zijn historische roman genaamd Bou Hmara: l'homme a l'anesse een interessante blik achter de schermen - met een nog interessantere conclusie - wat betreft the rise and fall van Bou Himara. En in tegenstelling tot de meeste auteurs schroomt hij daarbij niet om een link te maken tussen de dubieuze erfopvolging van sultan Moulay Hassan I en de daaruit voortvloeiende ideologische onderbouwing van de Bou Himara rebellie .....>

wie zijn deze "sommige historische auteurs/auteurs" ?

jij verdelingen niet het standpunt van de betrokken eersten, dat wil zeggen de Riffijnen.

spraak tegen spraak

jij heeft vertrouwen in het spraak van makhzen, iedereen gekozen zijn kamp !

ik heb mijn keus gemaakt, makhzen is mijn vijand

Citaat van: Torres op 16/07/2010 om 14:37:06
Misschien moet jij eens leren coherent Nederlands te typen.

bedankt voor het advies, in ieder geval is mijn het Nederlands genoeg begrijpelijk, want hij er heeft van de logica en de diepere zin. het commentaar hieronder is een voorbeeld van dwaasheid en onwaarheid.

Citaat van: Torres op 16/07/2010 om 14:37:06Arabische Marokkanen zijn Marokkanen die Arabisch als eerste taal hebben. Zoals je ook Frans-Canadezen hebt e.d.

Verarabisering bestaat niet. De Marokkaanse Arabische cultuur is niet hetzelfde als die van pak-hem-beet Yemen. Marokkaans Arabisch cultuur is geëvolueerd, niet opgelegd of overgenomen.
.

de Arabische taal is de moedertaal van geen enkele inwoner van Tamazgha.

alsdan waarom de alle staaten van Tamazgha een beleid van verarabisering voeren?

zoals een dariyatalige intellectueel zei : 
"Si l'Algérie est arabe pourquoi l'arabiser, et si elle n'est pas arabe pourquoi l'arabiser ?"
Kateb Yassine

Citaat van: Señor Canardo Echo op 14/07/2010 om 18:18:08
Dan weet je het nu.

jij is zeker dat marokkaans betekende het land van de ondergaande zon ?

Citaat van: Señor Canardo Echo op 14/07/2010 om 18:18:08En ik zie in mijn glazen bol dat je niet van plan bent om een wezenlijke bijdrage te leveren aan deze discussie. Jij bent hoogstens van plan om van het dak van die gammele, Arabofobe toren te blazen, want wat "westwaarts" (of westelijk) betekent in jouw Riffijnse referentiesysteem kun jij mij namelijk ook niet vertellen of wel soms?

ik ben geen charlatan, ik ben geen goochelaar. uw overwegingen zijn op persoonlijke deliria gebaseerd, ik baseer ik me op de reden. mijn doel is de pogingen tot de arabische kolonisten in hun vervalsing en hun propaganda tegenwerken. het andere doel is valoriseren en bekendmaken de edele Franse beschaving. hiertoe, heeft alle beschavingen een visie midden, aldus moeten de Riffijnen eveneens ontwikkelen benadering een "amazigho-centriste"

Citaat van: Señor Canardo Echo op 14/07/2010 om 18:18:08Ik moet ook wel eerlijk bij zeggen dat, sinds ik jou ken, heb ik ook best wel een aardig beeld gekregen over censuur. Dat is inclusief die tevergeefse pogingen van jou om deze website zogezegd te "centreren" censureren.

opent een woordenboek

Citaat van: Torres op 16/07/2010 om 10:37:10
In 1830 hebben vele families van Algerijnse afkomst uit Oran (Wahran) zich gevestigd in Tetouan. Deze hebben hun muziek, eten en klederdracht meegenomen.

nog een ander die fabels vertelt.

de meerderheid van de aanhangers van Abdel kader zijn in het Midden-Oosten vertrokken. er bestaat nog een kleine kabyle gemeenschap in dit gebied.

Citaat van: Torres op 16/07/2010 om 10:30:05
Er bestaat niet zoiets als verarabisering.

Arabische Marokkanen identificeren zich prima met hun 'Berberse' afkomst en hebben dat een plek gegeven in hun Arabisch-Marokkaanse identiteit.

Azul

u geeft blijk van krachtige samenhang !

ik zeg u ze, de marokkanen zijn van psychologisch probleem getroffen en gebrek intellectueel.

Moroccan Organizations of human rights on Wednesday urged the Ministry of Islamic Affairs to investigate an imam who has allegedly made "insulting" statements towards the Amazigh language, in a mosque in Rabat. The Amazigh are the native inhabitants of North Africa.
The incendiary sermon was allegedly held after a prayer at the « Al Fath » mosque in the section of Yacoub el Mansour in Rabat.
The ministry defended the imam and denied the veracity of the news.
According to the Moroccan Organization of Human Rights (OMDH), the imam in question has compared the "Amazigh movement" to Zionism in a sermon at a mosque in the capital city of Rabat. The NGO did not report the exact words used by the imam but it has requested an investigation to clarify the matter.

"If Ahmed Tawfiq, the Moroccan Minister of Islamic Affairs, does not open an investigation of this particular imam, we will follow through with a civil suite” said the president of the OMDH, Ms. Amina Bouayach. The OMDH has "condemned the dangerous statements made by this imam and cautioned about the political and religious consequences that are liable to follow."
The Amazigh Network for Citizenship has denounced the incident in an open letter to minister Ahmed Tawfiq and to his counterparts at the Justice ministry, Mr. Tayeb Mohamed Naciri.



The ministry of religious Affairs was quick to react. In a statement that was sent to the official press agency, MAP, the Ministry denied the reports published by the OMDH and by the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH)’s president Khadija Ryadi.
The person to whom those words have been linked "is not an imam but a preacher that is employed by the local Rabat council of ulema (theologians)”, said the ministry. Forty worshipers that were present during the sermon have "categorically denied the media reports" in written statements submitted to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. According to the witnesses, “there were no insults to the Amazigh language or a link made between the Amazigh movement and Zionism”.
According to witnesses, the speaker mentioned the importance of the Arabic language in the teaching of the Quran, stressing that "some letters in the Tifinagh, the Amazigh language alphabet, could have a Phoenician origin. 
The Ministry said that the preacher himself is fluent in the Amazigh language due to his roots (from the city of Taliouine, between Agadir and Ouarzazate in the Souss region in southern Morocco).

Islam and the Amazigh movement are sensitive issues in Morocco. The detractors of the Amazigh movement argue that since the Quran is written in Arabic, the Arabic language is the only one that should be an official language of Morocco.
The Amazigh activists do not see any correlation between one’s faith and one’s language and they point to many Muslim countries with languages others than Arabic.

This incident also follows a recent wave of deportations of Christian “proselytizers” by the Moroccan government that some analysts think is due to pressures from Moroccan islamists. 

Have the islamists become so embolden that they now have the Amazigh Movement in their crosshair?

>> http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/34-news-release/1102-morocco-islamic-preacher-compares-amazigh-movement-to-zionism

Citaat van: Bouthghmas_Noug3a op 12/07/2010 om 15:35:36
Het gekste is dat er niemand ging protesteren tegen al die plannen.

sent cekk, adef gi arena!

wat is jouw plan om te betwiste het project van de koning, de Riffijnen aan de marokkanen te assimileren ?

With the formation of a new provisional government of the Algerian region of Kabylie, the Western world might have gained a precious ally to fight al-Qaeda in one of its most strategic hideouts. If only someone noticed that this government was established in the first place.

What the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie [MKA] has been protesting is the Islamization of their society that the Algerian government was imposing, and particularly the introduction of Arabic as the official language of the country.

As the President of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), Ali Belhadj, stated in the 19990s: "There is no democracy because the only source of power is Allah through the Koran, and not the people. If the people vote against the law of God, this is nothing other than blasphemy. In this case, it is necessary to kill the non-believers for the good reason that they wish to substitute their authority for that of God."

The official Algerian government seemed not to have problems with such statements, at least up until the FIS and other radical Islamist movements started to gain ground to the detriment of the National Liberation Front Party (FNL), at the general elections that were subsequently shut down by the authorities for fear of loosing control over the country (1991). The rivalry between the Algerian army (which took control of the government) and the Islamist movements, not only lead up to an eleven year-long bloody civil war, but also to an unsustainable situation for normal citizens and especially for Kabyles, who were already being discriminated by the authorities for their "different"(Berber) identity.

After changing the Algerian constitution to grant himself more power, and eliminating presidential term limits through a much debated referendum, on April 9, 2009, the Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was confirmed in office for the third time on April 9, 2009, in what many called a "disputed election." Although for the OECD this election was "fair," many Algerian parties boycotted it.

The independent government of Kabylie, a mountainous region situated in the north of Algeria, was therefore formed in Paris on June 1st, in an attempt to contravene the influence of the Algerian national government. The formation of the new Kabyle cabinet did not get much attention across the media, but it could mark a defining moment in the struggle against radical Islam, given the fact that the MKA is certainly far more pro-Western than its official counterpart.

As the movement leader, Ferhat Mehenni, explained, "We are setting up our provisional government so that we no longer undergo the injustice, contempt, domination, frustration and discrimination that we have endured since 1962." The Kabyles have in fact begun demanding autonomy since the end of the Algerian War of Independence against France, 48 years ago.

Even though, at least on the surface, the actual Algerian government does not seem to care much -- Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia on June 2nd dismissed Mehenni's announcement as "nothing but din"-- this small cabinet-in-exile could end up causing more problems than expected. It is no coincidence that the Algerian authorities have already issued an arrest warrant for leader of the MAK.

Mehenni set-up a cabinet of nine ministers for his new government that should now represent five to seven million of Berbers (the numbers are disputed). His gesture was regarded by many as a provocation against the Algerian authorities, but apparently the 59 year-old political activist (and singer) has a lot of support from his people. As one Kabyle student, Idir, told the press, "national unity has not existed since the events in Kabylie in 2001. People seem to forget that 126 young Kabyle people were assassinated [then] by a corrupt government that has no legitimacy, and that no responsibility has been established for these crimes against humanity."

The creation of the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie dates back to 2001, during the so-called "Black Spring." At that time, the Algerian government tried (and partially succeeded) to suffocate the protests of the Berber activists who were demanding autonomy for the region. During the riots that ensued, hundreds of Kabylies were killed and many others injured.

Tensions between the Kabyle leaders and the central government started to erupt during the early sixties, but the real fight began in 1980, when the government tried to ban Berber poetry from universities to prevent new generations from speaking their ancestors' language. Later, during the civil War of the 1990s, many Algerian authorities found themselves fighting against the very Islamist movements that they previously supported and endorsed.

Given their natural resilience, the Kabyles (who first resisted the Roman and the Ottoman invasions, and have been fighting for their independence throughout the last century) could be most helpful against al Qaeda in North Africa. As Walid Phares, of the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies in Washington DC, noted, "[the Kabyles] are mostly secular and believe in democracy, and could become an efficient ally against the Jihadists." Phares added, however: "al Qaeda and the Salafists have strong bases in Algeria, and the Kabyles resist them fiercely so we have a strategic interest in helping them, but without crumbling our good relations with the Algerian secular Government".

This is the problem: the diplomatic relations between US and Algeria are better now than ever; Washington and Algeria have started what is considered a "fruitful collaboration" on issues such as counterterrorism and law enforcement. And even if Mehenni's move is certainly provocative, it still lacks what counts most for any form of democracy: support from the masses.

Mehenni is very popular among youngsters in Kabylie, that is for sure, but there are no polls to support him and his new government-in-exile will likely have to knock on many doors before someone opens them. The international community, however, might benefit from collaborating with Kabylie's new provisional cabinet: al Qaeda's linked groups are still strong in Europe, and the al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in North Africa are still committed to destroying Western targets and building up an Islamist state within Algeria -- especially after the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) joined forces with al Qaeda. This is why an ally that knows the turf and â€" most of all â€" is totally committed to fighting radical Islam, would probably be more valuable than a stronger and bigger ally with no such background .

The US State Department does not even mention the MKA, Mehenni or his new government on its website, where instead there is an interesting contest taking place: participants are asked to send a video clip regarding democracy that begins with the sentence "Democracy is.…" About Algeria, though, the very first thing that is made clear is:

"The Department of State urges U.S. citizens who travel to Algeria to evaluate carefully the risks posed to their personal safety. Terrorist attacks, including bombings, false roadblocks, kidnappings, ambushes, and assassinations occur regularly, particularly in the Kabylie region of the country...Therefore, make sure to practice sound personal security measures and have a safe and happy holiday season...."

Despite what the USSD says, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika did not do much to oppose terrorism during his two terms: in 2005, for example, a referendum was passed in Algeria allowing certain terrorist combatants to be pardoned. After that, approximately 2,500 Islamist fighters returned to their safe havens and got back to fighting.

During WWI, Woodrow Wilson's principle of self-determination helped the Allies against the Central Powers when the Bolsheviks came to power and declared independence, but the same principle caused many problems used to give power to certain nationalities over their minorities.

The region of Kabylie, inhabited by a majority of Berbers, only asks for freedom, not power. Perhaps someone might start paying attention before it is too late?

>> http://www.hudson-ny.org/1399/new-ally-against-al-qaeda

Citaat van: Bouthghmas_Lantirnet op 22/06/2010 om 19:24:34
ouiiii, ayahvenjir, noteer dat maar bij je aantekeningen.

yeeh aya aggarud, exzar wi ci ilin, ma d agharbi nigh d arrifi ? a3del awal inek, essen min tta3nid, manis ttekkid ! necnin d irifiyen ur nedji d i3raben, d imughrabiyen, d imarukiyen, d ifasiyen, d indalusiyen, d ibidawiyen... zid zid

ik wist niet dat marokkaans betekende het land van de ondergaande !!

ik zie dat u volgens criteria en een arabische visie van de dingen wordt bepaald. volgens mijn cultuur en mijn visie amazigh, vormt Arrif mijn referentiesysteem bijgevolg ik ziet de zon westwaarts van Arrif naar beneden gaan, het land van de ondergaande is het Amerikaanse werelddeel

jij zou de betekenis van het woord censuur moeten leren, vanzelfsprekend jouw arabische meesters zijn de kampioenen in deze activiteit, alsdan is het gemakkelijk voor u om een idee van de censuur te hebben

Citaat van: Señor Canardo Echo op 13/07/2010 om 14:35:32
Een van die innerlijke politieke tegenstellingen die rond de eeuwisseling weer boven water kwamen drijven, had te maken met het Carlisme. Dit was een politieke beweging in Spanje, die vanaf de 1e helft van de 19e eeuw streefde om een andere tak van de Spaanse koninklijke familie op de troon te krijgen. De Spaanse troon werd sinds de Spaanse Pragmatieke Sanctie van 1830 - in strijd met het eeuwenoude Salisch gewoonterecht - door koning Ferdinand VII angstvallig binnen zijn gezin gehouden en doorgegeven aan zijn dochter Isabella II, waardoor zijn broer en Isabella's oom Carlos V buitenspel kwam te staan. Carlos pikte dit uiteraard niet en hij en zijn nakomelingen hebben als troonpretendenten gedurende de rest van de 19e eeuw dan ook van alles geprobeerd om de opvolgingslijn van Ferdinand te doen doorbreken .....>

jij vertelt de geschiedenis van Arrif of Spanje?

hebt u reeds een boek gelezen over de geschiedenis van Arrif? hebben zij deze onderwerpen aangesneden? Waarom naar uw mening?

het is waardeloos

Azul xafek

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sjosjenq_I

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/22e_Dynastie_van_Egypte
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/23e_Dynastie_van_Egypte
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/24e_Dynastie_van_Egypte

Afsluiting Rif-tour

De RifTour, een rijdende tentoonstelling vol herinneringen aan Marokkaanse gastarbeiders, trekt vooral jonge Marokkanen. Een rijdend monument ter ere van Marokkaanse gastarbeiders. Begonnen in Imzouren - Marokko en eindigend in Utrecht - Nederland.

De tweede en derde generatie Marokkanen is geïnteresseerd in de geschiedenis van de migratie. Ze willen weten hoe hun ouders in de jaren ‘60 en ‘70 werden geronseld voor Nederland, zo vertellen de organisatoren. De bus is een initiatief van het Museon in Den Haag. Met de bus brengen ze de geschiedenis van Marokkanen in beeld. In de bus staan bioscoopstoelen waar bezoekers een film kunnen bekijken. Aan de wand hangen foto’s van  gastarbeiders in werkkleding. Bezoekers kunnen Marokkaanse en Nederlandse liedjes beluisteren met een koptelefoon. Achterin de bus staat een groot scherm. Daar draaien de documentaires over de immigratie.

Rifgebergte
De bus is in de zomer van 2009 van start gegaan in de Marokkaanse badplaats Al Hoceima. Daarna is de reis vervolgt door het rifgebergte. In 6 weken tijd zijn 17 dorpen en steden bezocht. Tijdens de tocht werden verhalen van thuisblijvers en mensen die terugkeerden naar Marokko verzameld. Ook konden mensen foto’s inleveren die werden gebruikt bij de tentoonstelling. Vervolgens is de bus naar Nederland gegaan om de grote steden aan te doen.
In Den Haag is de tentoonstelling naar gemengde scholen gegaan. Daar is een
lesprogramma aangeboden. De jongeren waren erg geïnteresseerd in de verhalen. In Utrecht heeft de bus onder andere in de wijk Kanaleneiland-Noord gestaan. In deze buurt is 90% van de bewoners van Marokkaanse afkomst. Kosmopolis Utrecht heeft de bus naar deze plaats gehaald. Annemarie de Jong, productieleider van de Vrede van Utrecht vertelt waarom de bus hier staat. ‘We willen met de bus vooral de dialoog tussen verschillende culturen tot stand brengen. We proberen aan te sluiten bij thema’s die leven in de wijk.’

Mannen uit Marokko
Over de tentoonstelling is ook een boek gemaakt: ‘Mannen uit Marokko, pioniers vertellen'. Hierin staat de geschiedenis van de eerste Marokkaanse migranten naar Nederland beschreven. Volgens de website zijn bezoekers enthousiast als ze de bus betreden. Een aantal heeft zijn reactie gegeven op de website:
'Mijn hart bloedt en bloeit weer als ik deze historische beelden zie! Er is zo veel dat ons bindt!'.
Een ander meldt: 'Leuk die geschiedenis. Ik herinner nu nog de eerste groep Marokkanen die bij ons bedrijf in Bodegraven kwamen werken. Ik vond het leuke, bijzondere en hardwerkende collega’s. Later kwamen ook de vrouwen. We raakten bevriend en aten heerlijk eten met elkaar. Ik woon en werk nu zelf in
Mauritaniёâ€¦dus een omgekeerde migrant?'
'Door het bezoek aan RifTour heb ik meer respect voor alle gastarbeiders. Met name voor mijn vader die in de jaren ‘60 naar Nederland kwam. Hij liet zijn vrouw, kinderen en familie en vrienden achter. Ik voel nu hoe moeilijk dat was. Ik weet nu ook hoe moeilijk en zwaar het voor hun was om hier in Nederland onder slechte omstandigheden te werken en te wonen.'
'Ik denk dat alles wat ik hier gezien heb alleen maar een druppel van de zee is, maar dat is wel erkenning voor deze gastarbeiders die zwaar werk verricht hebben om de economie van Nederland op peil te houden. Respect!!! Dank u!’

Op 27 juni werd de busreis feestelijk in Utrecht afgesloten. Het museon heeft plannen om de riftour naar Amsterdam en naar het openlucht museum in Arhem te brengen. Riftour is een project van Museon, Centrum voor de Geschiedenis van Migranten, VSB fonds, Mondriaan Stichting, Stichting Doen en de gemeente Den Haag.

Meer informatie over de bus en de locaties op de website riftour.nl

>> http://www.wereldjournalisten.nl/artikel/2010/07/05/riftour/

Boudinar rural commune: Tremendous natural resources


Inhabitants of Morocco’s northern region adapt to climate change by storing rainwater, developing resilient crops, preventing soil erosion.


By Mohammed Tafraouti â€" BOUMAAD, Morocco

There is not avoiding the mighty “Ameqrane” River as we set out from the village of Boudinar towards the village of Boumaad and later on that of “Tiza”. Scattered tree limbs, water rivulets flowing soundlessly, and murky puddles of stagnant water wallow in far corners, like desperate liquid pools bowing shyly before the majesty of the great river.

On the left bank, a strip of water stubbornly forges its way into the great river, like a snake slithering purposefully towards a well known destination, laden with water as if fed by a clear source in the upper reaches of the mountain, meandering and gushing with such force that no finality seems possible other than embracing the folds of the Mediterranean sea.

A beautiful herd of predominantly dark brown goats graze, spattered with a few famished sheep greedily searching for grass to ease the signs of underfeeding that clearly mark their frames.

The two 4X4 hurry along to reach” Boumaad “village through the “Ameqrane” valley, turning left and then right in search of an easy path to their final destinations: the village of “Boumaad” and later on that of “Tiza”.

A man, busy sifting pebbles and sand in the middle of the river raises his head inquisitively at the passage of the vehicles. Piled by his side are two meager heaps of sand.

Finally, and after a 45 minute drive along the river, a turn takes us away from the river bank and up the mountain as we embark on a maze of turns and twists. Clouds of dust rise around us, blocking our visibility at times and forcing us to inch along in our climb up the mountain. The narrow dirt road takes us towards the village/summit where the population lives and from where we can admire the imposing majesty of the “Ameqrane” River.

Tiza Village

The inhabitants of “Tiza” Village depend on traditional subsistence cultures and annual crops of grains, legumes, olives, some fruits and animal breeding. Unfortunately, climate changes have adversely impacted on these traditional cultures, rendering them less profitable and more detrimental to the local environmental system.

The fertile clay soil of the region has greatly deteriorated as a result of erosion and the soil and underground water salinity which results from the rising sea level of the Mediterranean Sea.

The land, source of livelihood for the population, is today threatened by soil erosion, floods and droughts. These phenomena shrink the surface area of arable land and undermine the plant cover, destroying in the process the ecosystem and the basic structure. This in turn exacerbates poverty and rural migration, particularly among the young men.

The populations of ” Boumaad” and “Tiza” bear up against exceptionally violent rain storms which cause the Ameqrane River to well up in destructive floods, cutting off the villages from the rest of the collectivity.

On the other hand, the region suffers severe droughts which severely affect a population that depends entirely on natural resources harvesting and mostly rain fed agriculture.

Adaptation to Climate Change and Preserving Resources

A field study conducted by the research team of the Adaptation to Climate Change in Morocco (ACCMA), a project funded in the framework of Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa (ACCA) program, jointly funded by the International Development Research Center (Canada) and the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, documented the impact of sea level rise and extreme weather events on the natural and socioeconomic systems. Sea water intrusion, beach and soil erosion are among identified impacts. Such changes will negatively affect living conditions in the region as well as disrupt the ecological order, exacerbating the vulnerability of the social and economic structure of the region.

The scientific study carried out by ACCMA and the consultation meetings with stakeholders, focused on the necessity of adapting to climate change and improving the living conditions of the population in the villages of Boumaad and Tiza in the eastern part of the Rif (between Al Hoceima and Nador and close to the Mediterranean Sea). These efforts, which take shape within the framework of a joint program involving the inhabitants of the two far apart villages and the program for adaptation to climate change, comprise the collection of rainwater and the development of new farming and soil preservation techniques, the aim being to sustain the local ecological system, break the isolation of the region and support local adaptive capacities.

Doctor Abdellatif Khattabi, ACCMA coordinator and Professor at the National School for Forest Engineers, confirms that climate change forecasts performed by ACCMA predict an increase in temperatures, a drop in rainfall levels, a worsening of droughts coupled with a sharp discrepancy between water demand and offer. The drop in rainfall levels, mainly during the spring season in the area under study will adversely impact on the local agricultural activity, and ultimately on the community’s scarce resources.

Khattabi goes on to say that the study conducted seeks to build the local populations’ capacity to adapt to climate change impacts and improve their living conditions through improvement of agricultural and water management practices, and the implementation of measures that promote income generating activities.

Outcome and Achievements

Detailed soil and water management strategies have been devised in order to guarantee a good adaptation to drought and erosion. New climate change adaptation practices were identified for implementation in cooperation with the inhabitants to achieve the sustainable development of their living conditions. Such practices include the selection of tree varieties that adapt easily to water scarcity, soil salinity and erosion, such as olive, carob, almond and fig trees, alternative farming techniques that promote high value-added crops, building a reservoir to store the water resources available in the village, digging new reservoirs and favoring the drip irrigation system, as well as testing and applying new techniques aimed at sustaining soil quality.

To build the capacity of the community to face up to the negative impacts of climate change, the ACCMA project has organized several training workshops benefiting the targeted populations. The workshops enable them acquire new skills and know-how in climate change adaption through, inter alia, water management, maintenance of rainwater catchment reservoirs and the sustainable maintenance of local crops. The purpose of these exercises is to improve living conditions, alleviate poverty and vulnerability within families, halt or at least reduce rural exodus, and contain the risks of soil erosion and therefore preserve the echo-system and local agriculture.

Obstacles and Impediments

Community activities within the Tiza village are not made any easier by the distances separating houses but this obstacle can be overcome through the intensified mobilization of local communities by tapping into local solidarity traditions. Another obstacle, this one cultural, is reluctance to involve women despite the important role they play in managing natural resources and the fact that they stand deeply affected by climate changes, mainly water scarcity. However, the Tafedna Association for Development and Solidarity, with the help of ACCMA project and the Community Based Adaptation Program (CBA) is now promoting and organizing activities that target women in various contexts and with the assistance of various other role-players advocating women’s rights.

Boumaad Village and Impact of Climate Change on Women in an Agricultural Society

The ACCMA study is aimed at building women’s capacity to acclimatize their local agricultural environment to climate changes, particularly to the challenges of dwindling water resources, impoverished plant cover, soil erosion, the loss of crops and cattle and the destruction of environment and basic structures. The project will extend assistance through improving water management and storage, increasing water proximity to women to alleviate the hardships linked to water conveyance and bettering their living conditions. It will also benefit farmers who will be provided with water for irrigation purposes.

Women account for 75% of the village’s population since most men have either temporarily or definitely migrated in the search of greener pastures. Subsistence in the village relies on the traditional growing of annual crops supplemented by sheep farming and beekeeping, fishing and commerce, although these contribute to a lesser extent to income. Women play a major role in the agricultural process at the various stages of land farming: tilling, irrigation, weeding, preservation of fields and crops, harvesting and storage of the agricultural produce.

“Boumaad” village suffers from the absence of a connection to the piped potable water with some of the houses being located more than 1.5 kilometers from the nearest drinking water source. In fact, a woman may spend up to one hour and a half per day carrying water to be used for drinking, household chores, farming and irrigation.

Professor Abdellatif Khattabi explains that women at “Boumaad” suffer tremendously from the direct impact of climate change on their lives. A woman is therefore more vulnerable to the effects of climate change considering the efforts expended in ferrying water through strenuous paths, a chore that leaves little time left for other activities.

Unlike men, a woman cannot leave the village to find other sources of income. She depends on local resources such as the rapidly swindling cultures, a situation further compounded by the almost nil educational opportunities open to women. This situation has drawn the attention of the ACCMA project which strives to provide an opportunity for the population, particularly women, to acquire new skills and engage in diversified activities with the help and participation of local associations. The project will help women tackle all these vulnerability factors, and this help will include a literacy program for women and girls from the village, laying pipes to convey drinking and irrigation water from its sources, building a small reservoir close to the water sources, and adopting a pilot project of drip irrigation for a better management of limited water resources. It also seeks to improve women’s knowledge about climate changes, the application of rationalized farming and water management techniques through the process of information and expertise sharing that takes place during the field visits to the sites of other projects.

>> http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=40007