MOROCCO: An example for the entire region in the Moroccan town of Asilah

BEIRUT, Lebanon (The Daily Star), August 22, 2008: Editorial Mohammad Benaissa has provided an inspiring example for the entire region of the huge impact that one individual can potentially have on his or her home community. Benaissa is known around the world for his high-profile posts in the Moroccan government, including ambassador to the United States and foreign affairs minister. But in his hometown of Asilah he is best known as the man who has almost singlehandedly brought about a complete economic, social and cultural transformation. Asilah, whose history dates back over 3,600 years, when it was used by the Phoenicians as a trading post, was in a terrible state in 1977. The small Atlantic coast village of 11,000 people was in complete disrepair, with its walls collapsing, garbage and sewage piling up on the streets, and residents living in poverty with no immediate hope of a better economic future. Benaissa decided to do something about the state of his home community. The town had no oil or gas reserves, but it had one valuable resource that Benaissa sought to mobilize: creativity. In 1978, Benaissa, together with another local resident, Mohammed Melehi, used that resource to launch an international arts festival. The concept of the festival was that it would create a forum for common ground where Arab and Muslim intellectuals, including scholars, artists, writers, poets, could meet with their international counterparts for an open exchange of ideas. Benaissa sought to maximize the economic benefits of the tourism boost by continuing to reinvest funds produced by the festival into the town's rehabilitation. But Benaissa's initiative has seen Asilah go from from sleepy, dilapidated town to a thriving center of tourism and investment that has brought multiple benefits to the entire community. By 1989 the festival was attracting 150,000 people from across the Arab world Europe, Asia, the United States, Latin America, bringing with them a demand for local goods and services. In just a decade's time the village's public spaces and infrastructure had vastly improved and the average family income had nearly quadrupled. And the town that was not even a pit stop on the international tourism map has become a center of dialogue and a gathering point for intellectuals around the world. What a difference one man, and a bit of dedication, can make. Copyright © 2008, The Daily Star. Seniors World Chronicle adds: ____________________________________________________________________________ Earlier this year, in Abu Dhabi, 71-year old Mohamed Benaissa was named Cultural Personality of the Year in the 2008 Sheikh Zayed Book Award, walking away with a prize of one million UAE dirham. (Photo: MiddleEastOnline) Benaissa was recognised for his unique contribution to Arabic culture and the pioneering role he played in founding the Asilah Festival for arts, culture and thought at an award ceremony attended by Deputy Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Sheikh Zayed Book Award, an independent award conferred by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), recognises significant contributions to Arabic culture in nine diverse categories and is designed to help foster scholarship and creative development in Arabic culture.