Morocco adopts tourism promotion plan

A 10-year plan to boost Morocco's tourism industry focuses on regional distinctions.

By Mawassi Lahcen in Marrakech and Siham Ali in Rabat for Magharebia – 06/12/10

A new tourism development plan in Morocco aims to invest 177 billion dirhams (15.8 billion euros) to double the number of tourists, increase tourism revenue and to create 147,000 new jobs in the sector by 2020.

"We want to create a really strong regional product, tailored to each region's specific characteristics, and providing the necessary resources," said Hamid Addou, Director of the Moroccan National Office for Tourism.

The Moroccan government, which prepared the plan and presented it to King Mohammed VI on November 30th in the national debate on tourism in Marrakech, drew up the plans, set the goals, and prepared a capital investment fund of 100 million dirhams to pay for the initiative. The program calls for increasing tourism revenues from the current 60 billion dirhams (5.4 billion euros) to 150 billion (13.4 billion euros) over the next decade.

Tourism Minister Yassir Znagui said that the government received pledges from several Arab sovereign wealth funds and financial institutions. Znagui and Finance Minister Salaheddine Mezouar signed agreements with Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, Qatar Investment Authority, the Moroccan-Kuwaiti Development Company, and al-Maabar Investments of the UAE.

The tourism minister also noted that the Moroccan government would contribute to the capital fund with an initial payment of 15 billion dirhams, and would then open the door to Moroccan and international investors.

In the meantime, seven Moroccan banks, including three branches of European banks, signed an agreement with the government in the presence of the King to fund the new plan. Among the projects are 13 new facilities for beach tourism. The seven banks promised to provide 24 billion dirhams over the next five years to finance these projects through loans covering 60% of the project costs.

Znagui said that the new plan would enhance the role of tourism as an engine for development, growth and employment, and would also enhance Morocco's openness to the world through tourism and cultural exchange. He added that the plan was prepared based on a series of consultations with local governments and that it took into consideration the abilities and qualifications of each province in Morocco and drew up provincial plans for the promotion of tourism.

The minister also pointed out that the management of the plan would be given to eight provincial agencies, in addition to a central authority that will be the contact point for matters related to tourism investments.

Meanwhile, Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization, lauded the Moroccan tourism promotion and the country's adoption of ambitious plans that provide the necessary clarity for investors and are based on partnership between the private and public sector, respect for the environment and realization of sustainable development. Rifai said that the 2020 plan represented an extension and continuation of the 2010 plan which allowed Morocco to increase the number of tourists from 4.4 million in 2001 to 9.2 million in 2010.

Economic actors have expressed their commitment to the strategy. Mohamed Horani, chairman of the Moroccan Business Confederation, has pointed out that the country is currently one of the top 25 tourist destinations in the world. He says that the sector is proving to be of huge importance to the country, given that it is the second largest contributor to GDP and the second largest employer.

"The idea now is to improve Morocco's positioning as a favored destination for investment," Horani said.

Othmane Cherif Alami, chairman of the National Tourism Federation, said that the public-private partnership is a successful approach, which proved its worth in the 2010 vision program, and it is sensible therefore to continue along the same route until 2020. The 2020 vision also has the objective of promoting internal and family-based tourism, which will be one of the priorities.

Economist Mohamed Jouadri told Magharebia that officials will try over the next ten years to overcome the obstacles which emerged during the 2010 vision program, such as the over-ambitious scale of some projects, and the lack of investment, which restricted what was available in the various resorts.

"But it seems that Morocco is hoping to overcome these obstacles to make its new vision a reality," he said.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/12/06/feature-02.

Morocco eyes gender equality in media

Recently released statistics revealed a deep gender gap in Moroccan journalism.

By Maria Tahiri for Magharebia in Casablanca – 06/12/10

Moroccan women are acutely underrepresented in the media sector, according to a recent report. National Moroccan Press Syndicate (SNPM) data show that women constitute just 26% of journalists in the country.

The SNPM revealed in its November 23rd study that 1,755 men hold a professional journalist card from the Ministry of Communication, as opposed to 632 women.

Although the number of accredited female journalists rose by 3% during the period from 2005 to 2010, the country still lags behind other North African states in terms of women's involvement in the media. In Egypt, women constitute 35% of journalists, while Tunisia boasts a 46% representation.

In an effort to narrow the gender gap, the SNPM launched a battle to increase women's engagement in the media.

"We decided to organize an awareness campaign to shed light on the importance of women's presence, not only as journalists, but also as officials who have the right to assume decision-making positions in their media institutions," SNPM chief Younes Moujahid said, noting the importance of female journalists' intensive involvement in unions to defend their rights.

Moujahid pointed out that the number of female students in Moroccan communication and media institutes was increasing year after year. But their chances to land a job in the press are still slim, given that media institutions prefer male journalists over females.

Furthermore, women experience discrimination in salaries, according to SNPM executive board member Mounia Belafia.

"It's between 18-19% less," she said. "This is in addition to other problems that female journalists endure when they face certain circumstances, such as pregnancy or sexual or moral harassment, without having the ability to report such acts in an official way." She highlighted that women face difficulties in achieving promotion to better positions in the industry.

Some women attending the report presentation said that female journalists have to struggle to prove their abilities and professional merit. In this context, Bahia Amrani, editor-in-chief of Le Reporter, said that a gender balance in media institutions was needed, adding that the difference in salaries should be based on good work and professional competency.

Meanwhile, Nora Samihi, a student at a Casablanca communications institute, told Magharebia: "Today, I don't feel there is any difference between me and my male colleagues when we go out together to the field to train in reportage, for example. However, I have no idea about professional practices inside a media institution. All I hope is that I won't face a different reality that disappoints me in this profession which I chose out of love and conviction," she said, adding that the number of female students in journalism institutes is greater than that of males.

The SNPM, however, has 1,819 male journalists among its members, compared to 459 females.

The report also said that women's presence was particularly weak in certain aspects of the Moroccan press, including caricature. Women represent only 5% of photographers and 17% of technicians.

To achieve its goal of enhancing women's participation in the media, the SNPM set up a council for gender and media. It aims to achieve gender equality by improving women's image in the industry, encourage the media to contribute to changing the prevailing images and stereotypes about women and their roles and support women's presence in different aspects of journalism. The institution also seeks to support female journalists' involvement in the decision-making process based on professional efficiency and equal opportunity.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/12/06/feature-01.

China Builds Theme Park In Spaceport

by Staff Writers
Wenchang, China (XNA) Dec 07, 2010

China is building a science theme park in the middle of its newest spaceport to promote space science among the country's younger generation.

The theme park, covering an area of 1,800 mu (120 hectares) in Wenchang City, southern Hainan Province, is located at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center.

The project is estimated to cost 3 billion yuan (455 million U.S. dollars) and is expected to be finished in 2013, the theme park's designers said.

Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, whose construction began in 2007, is planned as the launch pad for China's lunar probe rocket in 2013.

At the same time, the theme park will have four exhibition sections, featuring the earth, moon, Mars and the sun. Visitors can even enter parts of the launch station and watch the actual rocket launch, theme park construction officials said.

The theme park is being built by China Aerospace International Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong listed arm of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

There are currently three space launch sites in China, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_Builds_Theme_Park_In_Spaceport_999.html.

Tiangong Space Station Plans Progessing

by Morris Jones
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 7, 2010

In 2012, China will launch her first manned space mission since 2008. The gap between missions has been long, and it will be interesting to see the program continue. Despite the anticipation, we still know little about who will fly on the mission of Shenzhou 9, which is expected to dock with China's first space laboratory, Tiangong 1.

China has a pool of fully trained but unflown astronauts from its first group of flight candidates, which produced China's first manned space mission in 2003. Recently, China announced the selection of a second batch of astronauts, which includes five men and two women. Their identities remain officially concealed, despite the speculation of space analysts on some of their identities.

Who will actually fly on Shenzhou 9? At the moment, it's possible that the Chinese themselves haven't confirmed the crew. We don't even know for sure how many astronauts will be on board the spacecraft. This leaves ample room for speculation.

China has made vague statements about crews of two or three astronauts for the missions of Shenzhou 9 and 10, both of which are expected to dock with Tiangong. This suggests that there could be some experimentation in crew numbers, while the performance of both crew sizes is explored.

If China takes the cautious path, Shenzhou 9 will probably fly with a crew of only two. This could make it easier to manage events in an emergency. It also reduces the strain on logistics such as food and oxygen. Managing consumables aboard the Shenzhou spacecraft and the rather small space laboratory will be a critical issue on both missions.

China plans to test docking operations with Tiangong using the unmanned Shenzhou 8 mission, which should fly in late 2011. Nevertheless, the first manned docking and habitation of a space laboratory will be a big step to take, and will be challenging. For this reason, there is a strong possibility that the commander of Shenzhou 9 will be an experienced astronaut, flown on a previous mission. China has launched six astronauts on three flights.

Yang Liwei, who became China's first astronaut, can probably be ruled out for any future missions. He's too historically important to risk, and has certainly gained enough kudos from his flight.

This leaves five potential commanders. Zhai Zhigang, who made China's first spacewalk, could also be off the list, due to his own place in history. The list shrinks to four. But again, it must be stressed that all of this is an educated guess.

Another astronaut from China's original batch will probably join him. All of the first group of astronauts are approaching their "use by" date as suitable flight candidates, due to China's highly strict criteria for astronaut selection. It makes sense to fly more of these men while they are still eligible.

China has indicated that some members of the original astronaut group will probably retire without a mission. This statement reinforces the idea that at least one of the next two manned Shenzhou missions will contain non-rookies from the first group, and/or members of the second group. Getting more members of the first batch into space is another factor that could push the crew size of Shenzhou 9 to three.

Alternatively, the third seat could go to a more recent recruit. China has indicated that members of the second group of astronauts could fly to the Tiangong laboratory. By 2012, it seems reasonable to assume that they will be fully trained for flight. There's a lot of interest in the possibility of flying a female astronaut on Shenzhou 9.

If there is a third astronaut on Shenzhou 9, it could certainly be a member of the second batch, but this author speculates that the astronaut will probably be a man. China will be keen to fly a woman fairly soon, and it's surprising that women were not integrated into the astronaut program at an earlier stage.

But there will be far more impact if this happens on Shenzhou 10. Shenzhou 9 will grab attention and headlines for being the first manned Chinese space docking and space laboratory crew. Shenzhou 10 will repeat these achievements, but with less novelty. Placing a woman on this second crew to Tiangong 1 would allow the mission to achieve more distinction.

So, who will fly on Shenzhou 10? Based on the aforementioned reasoning, one of the two women selected in the second batch of astronauts seems most likely.

If the previous crew was capped at two, then this flight will probably carry three astronauts. There could be another astronaut from the first batch, probably unflown previously.

The third seat could be taken by an astronaut from the first or second batch. Alternatively, this could be a mission with just two astronauts.

China has typically divided its astronauts into separate crew groups, and trained them in parallel for the same mission. There will probably be two independent groups training for Shenzhou 10, with one of the female astronauts in each group. One of the groups will eventually be selected as the prime crew, with the other serving as backup.

All of this is guesswork, but there's not much solid evidence on the record. China has not been very revealing with details of its new astronauts or its crew plans. As usual, it's fun to speculate.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Tiangong_Space_Station_Plans_Progessing_999.html.

Warring Greeks Find Peace In Ancient Egypt

Monday, 6 December 2010

TAU researcher uncovers origins of Greek trade city in Egypt's Nile delta region

Naukrtis, a Greek trade emporium on Egyptian soil, has long captured the imagination of archaeologists and historians. Not only is the presence of a Greek trading settlement in Egypt during the 7th and 6th century B.C.E. surprising, but the Greeks that lived there in harmony hailed from several Greek states which traditionally warred amongst themselves.

Dr. Alexander Fantalkin of Tel Aviv University's Department of Archaeology is delving deeper into this unique piece of ancient history to come up with a new explanation for how Naukrtis developed, and how its inhabitants managed to operate on foreign soil and create a new sense of common identity.

The Greeks that inhabited Naukrtis, explains Dr. Fantalkin, may have come from warring city states at home, but they formed a trade settlement in Egypt under the protection of powerful Eastern empires. This link not only brought them together as a culture, but explains how they were allowed to operate in the midst of Egyptian territory. Dr. Fantalkin's theory was recently presented at the Cultural Contexts in Antiquity conference in Innsbruck, Austria, and will soon be published in the proceedings of the conference.

Making the best of oppression

Naukrtis is remarkable for two main reasons, Dr. Fantalkin says. First, the Egyptian empire allowed Greeks to operate a lucrative trade emporium at the delta of the Nile, complete with special privileges. Second, the Greeks who lived there, though from different tribes, lived and worshiped together, pointing to the emergence of a national Greek identity. The city also acted as a symbiotic nexus for the interchange of Greek and Egyptian art and culture.

How this arrangement came to be has always puzzled researchers, Dr. Fantalkin notes, explaining his new theory about Naukrtis. In Eastern Greece, the Greeks were plagued by powerful Eastern empires such as Lydia, which was located in the central and western parts of current day Turkey. The Greeks were forced to operate under the Lydian regime, paying tribute to their overlords.

Despite this situation, the so-called Eastern Greeks continued to lead advances in material culture and intellectual achievements. They were also politically savvy, Dr. Fantalkin says, when it came to economics. At the time Naukrtis was created, Lydia had a formal alliance with the Egyptian empire. A select group of Greek businessmen used this connection to set up a trade emporium — they paid tribute to their Lydian benefactors and were guaranteed rights and freedoms as Greek representatives of the Lydian empire. Thus, they made the best of an oppressive regime.

The land of the free?

Previous theories suggested that the Greek traders settled in Naukratis of their own free will, creating a brotherhood of merchants in the process, indifferent to interstate rivalries at home and bound firmly by a common interest in trade. In reality, Prof. Fantalkin speculates, they operated as formal representatives of the Lydian power.

"On one hand," he continues, "the Greeks were given new opportunities for trade. On the other, they owed taxes to the empire that ruled over them. This was not a free settlement of Greek merchants as was previously thought, but an organized move on behalf of a more formidable empire."

Naukratis, in his opinion, should be considered a unique and particularly important instance of "contact zones" in antiquity, in which Greek trade, although controlled by the Egyptians and mediated to a certain extent by the Lydians, both contributed to and profited from the imperial ambitions of others.

Source: redOrbit.
Link: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1961357/warring_greeks_find_peace_in_ancient_egypt/index.html.

Dozens evacuated after heavy flooding in Spain

Tue, 07 Dec 2010

Seville, Spain - Heavy rains Tuesday sparked flooding in southern Spain, forcing the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes near Seville, local officials said.

The local hospital was also evacuated.

More than 150 firefighters, soldiers and volunteers were mobilized in Ecija, a town of 40,000, after the river Genil and its tributary Argamasilla overflowed their banks.

Floodwater inundated homes and garages, but the flooding caused no injuries, Ecija mayor Juan Wic said.

Flooding was also reported in other parts of the southern region of Andalusia, where road and rail traffic suffered interruptions.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/356948,dozens-evacuated-after-heavy-flooding-in-spain.html.

Israel's 'regrets' Argentinian recognition of Palestine - Summary

Tue, 07 Dec 2010

Tel Aviv/Ramallah - Israel Tuesday condemned as "highly regrettable" Argentina's announcement that it recognized Palestine as "a free and independent state" within its borders prior to the 1967 Six-Day War - but the Palestinians welcomed the move.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner wrote to Palestinian President Abbas Monday to inform him of her government's decision to recognize Palestine.

Israel's foreign ministry described the decision as highly "damaging," because Argentina was "in fact shattering the foundation of the peace process."

The recognition while peace negotiations are ongoing and no final peace deal has yet been reached "is contrary to the existing legal framework of the peace process," spokesman Yigal Palmor said.

That legal framework states that a permanent and definitive solution to the conflict, including the establishment of a Palestinian state, can only be the outcome of negotiations and mutually agreed solutions, he argued.

He said the Argentinian declaration did not affect the situation on the ground, nor did it help the Palestinians because it did nothing to promote Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation.

"We have embassies and we have made our opinions known to the local authorities through our diplomats," the Foreign Ministry official told the German Press-Agency dpa.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki welcomed Argentina's decision, which came only days after its Mercosur partner Brazil made the same move.

He said he expected the third Mercosur partner, Uruguay, would soon follow suit, as would the rest of Latin America.

Malki said Europe is also gradually upgrading the level of Palestinian representation in its countries, with the Palestinian diplomats in France and Spain upgrading their status from representative to ambassador.

On Monday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on a visit to Turkey, welcomed the steps by Brazil and Argentina. He said that he has asked Turkey's help in getting world governments that had not yet recognized Palestine to do so as soon as possible.

Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, from Brussels, described Argentina's move as "an important turning point."

He said he expected many countries to soon follow suit.

Monday's announcement by the Argentine government followed Brazil's Friday declaration of recognition.

The move came in response to a request for recognition by Abbas in late November. Abbas visited both Brazil and Argentina last year.

Uruguay reportedly shares the policy line of its two larger neighbors, although it has not made a statement on the issue so far.

Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations have been halted over Palestinian demands that Israel freeze all its construction in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, before direct talks can resume.

The Palestinians are suspicious of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-oriented government, and fear it is more interested in holding negotiations to avoid international isolation, than in achieving actual, viable results.

Netanyahu, of the nationalist Likud party, for his part argues that the Palestinian leadership is not interested in negotiating with him, and is raising unprecedented preconditions to avoid this.

The Palestinians have warned that in the absence of progress in serious peace negotiatings by next summer, they will turn to the United Nations Security Council for a resolution recognizing a Palestinian state in the borders of before the 1967 Six-Day War, during which Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan and the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/356949,recognition-palestine-summary.html.