Thursday, 28 March 2024 17:29

Symposium : His Majesty King Mohammed VI contributes to effective leadership in Africa (Mr. Patrick Rajoelina)

The second day of the symposium on climate changes in Africa, organized by the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME), Saturday 12 November 2016 was focused on education in Environmental protection.

Participated to this meeting : Mr. Rachid Benmokhtar, Minister of Education and vocational Training of Morocco, Mr. Cheikh Bécaye Gay, Director General of Research at the Ministry of Higher Education and Research of Senegal, Mr. Nevers Mumba, Ex -President of the Republic of Zambia, Moulay Ahmed Iraqi, former Minister of the Environment in Morocco, Mr. Saramady Touré, Ambassador of Guinea to Canada and former Minister for the Environment, Mr. Patrick Rajoelina, president of the environmental NGO "The Society of Friends of Madagascar" in France. attended The encounter was hosted by Mrs. De Laure Nesmon Pie, journalist in yhe Ibory Coast and Mr. Isidore Kwandja Ngembo, independent researcher in Canada.

Mr. Rachid Benmokhtar welcomed the CCME’s initiative to bring African talents together without borders. An opportunity, he said, to forge the bonds of cooperation between the countries of the continent.

"In the domain of education, several attempts have been made to bring together Moroccan and African expertise in the world but xe still have not  concrete results, whereas according to our statistics we have as many moroccan researchers in Morocco and abroad, so there is a need to exchange, "said the minister.

M. Rachid Benmokhtar, Ministre de l’Éducation Nationale et de la formation professionnelle du Maroc

Mr. Rachid Benmokhtar, Minister of Education and vocational Training of Morocco

"But we see today that, even if they have not succeeded, these attempts have not been vain,  because the skills abroad realized that they must rely on themselves to come together. There is a  will to find oneself being stronger than any difficulty, "he continued.

Concerning the protection of the environment, Mr Benmokhtar said that "at the level of his ministry," actions have been taken to reinforce students' belonging to their city, their municipality, which will also a way to strengthen the responsibility, especially towards their environment ". This, "because we are convinced that if human behavior is the cause of climate change, education is also responsible".

"With the support of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Environment, chaired by HRH Princess Lalla Hasna, 1735 eco-schools have been built and we are working to popularize knowledge and raise students' awareness of the climate challenge by encouraging The fields of science and art, organizing competitions at the school level, "he added.

 The Minister said at the end  "the most important part of this symposium are the recommendations, which will serve to define mechanisms for scientific cooperation between the countries of the South".

Mr. Cheikh Bécaye Gay, for his part, explained the actions taken by his ministry to protect the environment: "Senegal is in the process of reforming its higher education, respect the environment and trying to apprehend the consequences of global warming, which is seen as  central. "

M. Cheikh Bécaye Gay, directeur général de la recherche au Ministère de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche du Sénégal

Mr. Cheikh Bécaye Gay, Director General of Research at the Ministry of Higher Education and Research of Senegal

"For the COP21, we have set up research units in universities of the country and have created  funding mechanisms encouraging calls for projects and productions teams of graduate schools," the official said .

Cheikh Bécaye Gay, also took the opportunity to thank the CCME for the organization of this symposium "an extraordinary  platform  between African researchers which should serve as an example to follow in our respective countries."

Mr. Nevers Mumba, for his part, says that the real problem in Africa is the lack of effective leadership, "everything begins and ends with leadership, we can continue to organize symposiums and conclude agreements but we will never evolve in the absence of effective leadership ".

Mumba

Mr. Nevers Mumba, Ex -President of the Republic of Zambia

"Africa is full of resources:  sun, mining, wind, much wealth but how is it possible that the inhabitants  are still so poor ? The answer is undeniable: the African people must stop complaining about the lack of means, " Mr Mumba said.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Saramady Touré congratulated the CCME "for the actions in favor of the mobility of African expertise," adding that "through these kinds of activities, today the African diaspora has its say and now, we expect governments to support this dynamic. "

touree

Mr. Saramady Touré, Ambassador of Guinea to Canada and former Minister for the Environment

As for the question of leadership, widely debated during this meeting, Mr Touré said that "the Kingdom of Morocco has everything it needs to be the leader of Africa, namely the confidence of African countries and the legitimacy enshrined by the Moroccan presidency of COP22 ".

Mr. Moulay Ahmed Iraqi demonstrated through his intevention that Africa has the duty to regain control and rely exclusively on its own resources.

M. Moulay Ahmed Iraqi, Ex-ministre de l’Environnement au Maroc

Moulay Ahmed Iraqi, former Minister of the Environment in Morocco

"Africa harbors extraordinary natural resources, contributes only in 1% of the world economy, and that is the problem," said Iraqi

"42 million migrants are fleeing the effects of global warming, of which only 2 million are arriving in Europe, and the western countries are already complaining about it. This must lead us to find solutions at the level of our continent.»

"I am a doctor and I believe in the important role of academic studies but I have done politics because I am convinced that it is at this level that we can make a difference ».

Mr Laraqi recommends the "scientists to create an inter-university committee to support scientific research, which  governments can only follow," he concluded.

After exposing the natural assets of Madagascar, Mr Patrick Rajoelina was interested in the Moroccan presidency of COP22: "It is a unique  opportunity today for Africa to have Morocco as President of COP22 and I think that Morocco is able to respond to the challenge of climate change ".

M. Patrick Rajoelina, président de l’ONG environnementaliste « La Société des amis de Madagascar » en France

Mr. Patrick Rajoelina, president of the environmental NGO "The Society of Friends of Madagascar" in France

"His Majesty King Mohammed VI provides federative leadership for Africa, reinforced in particular by the return of Morocco to the African Union," Rajoelina said, adding that "the continent relies on the singular expertise that Kingdom has accumulated in sustainable development and protection of the environment ".

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