Fulbright Alumni Conferences in Marrakech, Morocco, Nov. 3-7, 2006

Share your Photos of Morocco

Marshall Ellis — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:01:59 GMT

It was great seeing all of you in Marrakech last week. There were quite a few people taking photographs throughout the conference and I'm sure many of you also took photos while sightseeing in Marrakech and elsewhere in Morocco. We'd love to see your photos and share them with other Fulbrighters in attendance and also with those not able to make the trip. To facilitate this process, I have created a Flickr page to which people can submit and/or view photos taken during the Fulbright alumni events in Marrakech or during pre- or post- event travels in Morocco.

Sharing Your Photos
To share your photos via the Fulbright Association's Flickr page, please e-mail them to test30meet@photos.flickr.com. The subject of your e-mail should be the title of the photo and the body of your e-mail should be the photo credit (i.e. Photo by Marshall Ellis) and any descriptive information you would like to include about the photograph (i.e. the names of the people in the photograph). Please be considerate of those pictured in your photo(s) when choosing which to share.

Viewing Photos Taken in Morocco
To view the photos taken by Fulbrighters in Morocco, please go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/fulbrightassociation/tags/morocco2006/.

You can also access the photos from the Fulbright Association's conference web site at http://www.fulbright.org/conference in the newly created Photos section.

All participants in the Fulbright Association's 29th Annual Conference (Nov. 3-5), the International Fulbright Alumni Technical Assistance Seminar (Nov. 4), and the Moroccan Fulbright Alumni Association Conference (Nov. 6 & 7) are invited to share their photographs of the events and/or Morocco in general.

A more comprehensive post-conference communication is in the works, but I wanted to go ahead and reach out this afternoon with this request for photos.

Best regards,

Marshall Ellis
Senior Director, Membership
Fulbright Association

MFAA Releases Final Program for Morocco in Western Art

Marshall Ellis — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:02:16 GMT

The Moroccan Fulbright Alumni Association (MFAA) has released the final conference program for "Morocco in Western Art," which will take place in Marrakech, Morocco on Nov. 6 & 7, 2006.

You can download the program in PDF [2.77MB] here, on the MFAA web site, or on the Fulbright Association conference web site.

The program for the Fulbright Association's conference, "Fulbright Alumni: Expressions in Civil Society," (Nov. 3-5) is available online here.

Still looking for a hotel room?

Marshall Ellis — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:02:31 GMT

Hotel Options for Fulbrighters Coming to Marrakech for the Fulbright Alumni Conferences

The Fulbright Association Conference, the International Fulbright Alumni Technical Assistance Conference, and 1/2 of the Moroccan Fulbright Alumni Association conference will take place at the Kenzi Farah Hotel. Unfortunately, the Kenzi Farah Hotel has sold out, so if you're still in need of a hotel room, you'll need to make other arrangements.

We're maintaining a waiting list for rooms at the Kenzi Farah Hotel, so if you would like to be added to it, please let Marshall Ellis know. If we are able to get you a room, it will most likely be a double room that you will have to share with a fellow Fulbrighter. If you do not want to share a room, you should go ahead and make your own hotel arrangements as soon as possible. (see below)

Below are several hotel options we've been told have rooms available and where at least one other Fulbrighter has reservations. The Fulbright Association is in no way endorsing any of these hotels and has no connection to any of them.

Atlas Asni Hotel
Distance from Kenzi Farah Hotel: 5 min. walk
http://www.hotelsatlas.com/privilege-asni.htm
Reservations must be made online. You will be told they are sold out if you call.
Online reservation form: http://www.hotelsatlas.com/reservation.htm
Be sure to include "Fulbright" in the comments box when making your reservation!

Imperial Holiday Hotel
Distance from Kenzi Farah Hotel: 10 min. walk
http://www.midashotels.com

Hotel Jnane Mogador
Distance from Kenzi Farah Hotel: ??
116, Riad Zitoune Kedim
Derb Sidi Bouloukat
Marrakech médinga 40 000
+212 24426323 oder 24
Website http://www.jnanemogador.com
e-mail: contact@jnanemogador.com

La Maison Riad Nomade
Distance from Kenzi Farah Hotel: ??
Sidi Benslimane Kaa Sour Derb
Sidi Ahmed El Barje No. 94
Tel.: +212 24387414
mobile: +212 67208376
website: http://www.lamaisonnomade.com
e-mail: herbertkerz@web.de

Know of another hotel option? Share it by leaving a comment to this message.

Sales at Lufthansa, British Airways

Melissa Miller — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:02:42 GMT

Both Lufthansa and British Airways are offering great airfare sales right now!

British Airways is offering deals on flights leaving from 19 U.S. cities for travel between Oct. 26-March 26 (excluding Dec. 20-24). This deal includes the possibility of receiving a free stopover in London with an option to stay in a London hotel from $49 per person, per night.

Lufthansa has announced its winter fare sale to more than 70 European destinations, with departures from several cities in the U.S., including the West Coast. The sale is valid for departure dates from Oct. 30-Feb. 28, with return dates by March 28. Your ticket must be booked by Oct. 14.

Direct links to both sales:

British Airways

Lufthansa

If you’ve found any good travel websites, please feel free to share them with others in the Fulbright community by leaving a comment to this post!

Worldwide sale on Air France

Melissa Miller — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:02:56 GMT

I found out through Travel Zoo (http://www.travelzoo.com) that Air France has just released its Worldwide Webfares for travel from Nov.1, 2006-March 31, 2007. Tickets have to be booked by Oct. 3, though.

For more information and to book flights, please go to Air France’s website at http://www.airfrance.com, and then click on “Worldwide Webfares” on the upper right-hand side of the page.

If you’ve found any good travel websites, please feel free to share them with others in the Fulbright community by leaving a comment to this post!

Morocco Recognized for its Efforts to Improve Literacy Rates

Marshall Ellis — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 09:19:00 GMT

UNESCO awarded Morocco the 2006 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy on Monday, Sept. 25. The award "is attributed to the Ministry of National Education of the Kingdom of Morocco for its Non-formal Education Programme, an innovative national literacy initiative designed specifically for marginalized adolescents in rural areas. The programme’s objectives include ensuring the right to education for all, democratizing education and promoting good governance. It provides short training cycle to permit recent drop-out adolescents to return to school and identifies students facing a high risk of dropping out of school. source"

Background Info
Morocco awarded Confucius Prize for Literacy UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy Launched

2006 UNESCO Literacy Prize winners announced

Morocco takes part in White House conference on global literacy

Grameen Foundation USA President Alex Counts to Speak at Fulbright Association Conference in Marrakech, Morocco

Fulbright Association — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 14:48:01 GMT

Alex Counts, Fulbright alumnus and president and CEO of Grameen Foundation USA (GFUSA), will present the plenary luncheon address on Sunday, November 5, during the Fulbright Association's 29th Annual Conference, "Fulbright Alumni: Expressions in Civil Society." Mr. Counts has been recognized for leading an organization that contributes measurably to reducing poverty, galvanizes resources for its mission, and plans for sustainability.
Click here to read the full press release

Links of Interest
Alex Counts' Bio
Grameen Foundation USA

2006 FASTCOMPANY Social Capitalist Award Winners Statement
FASTCOMPANY Social Capitalist Award Information

Grameen Bank (Bangladesh)
Muhammad Yunus (Wikipedia)

Conference Homepage
Registration Information
Program

Fulbright Association Homepage

The U.S. and Morocco: A Special Relationship

Fulbright Association — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:13:00 GMT

The United States and Morocco have enjoyed a close relationship for over 200 years. Fulbright exchanges with Morocco have been taking place since 1952, making it one of the earliest Fulbright Programs.

Did You Know:

Morocco was the first country to recognize American independence?
The Sultan of Morocco sought diplomatic relations with the United States in 1777 and both countries signed a Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1787.

Morocco is home to the oldest piece of property owned by the United States abroad?
In 1821, the Sultan of Morocco gave the United States one of the most beautiful buildings in Tangier to serve as the U.S. Consulate. The building was home to U.S. representation in Morocco until 1956 and is now a museum (the Tangier American Legation Museum).

Morocco is home to the only building on foreign soil listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places?
The Tangier American Legation Museum (see above).

To find out more about the U.S.-Morocco relationship, check out the links below.

Morocco-U.S. Relations, from the Moroccan-American Trade and Investment Council

Detailed Historical Information on U.S.-Morocco Relations from the U.S. Embassy in Rabat:
*Early U.S.-Moroccan Relations
*Friendship is Established and Strengthened
*Modern Relations Pre- and Post-Independence

The Tangier American Legation Museum

U.S. Department of State Country Background Note: Morocco

The Government of Morocco's National Portal of Morocco
(Available in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish)

Former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari to Speak at Fulbright Association 29th Annual Conference in Morocco

Fulbright Association — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 15:44:00 GMT

Former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari to Speak at Fulbright Association 29th Annual Conference in Morocco
Ahtisaari is UN Special Envoy to Kosovo

      WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 10, 2006)-Martti Ahtisaari, former president of Finland and recipient of the 2000 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding, will present the keynote address at the Fulbright Association's annual conference in Marrakech. Mr. Ahtissari will speak on Saturday, November 4, at the Kenzi Farah Hotel.

      A diplomat for more than 30 years and president of Finland from 1994 to 2000, Martti Ahtisaari has served as peacemaker in some of the world's most troubled areas. In November 2005, Mr. Ahtisaari was appointed the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the future status process for Kosovo.

      Since leaving the Finnish presidency, Mr. Ahtisaari has facilitated the peace process between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement, chaired an independent panel on the security and safety of UN personnel in Iraq, and served as UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and Personal Envoy of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairman-in-Office for Central Asia. Mr. Ahtisaari oversaw inspections of IRA weapons dumps in Northern Ireland with fellow inspector Cyril Ramaphosa. At the request of the European Court of Human Rights, he drafted a report on the human rights and political situation in Austria.

      In 2000, Mr. Ahtisaari founded the Crisis Management Initiative, where he serves as chairman of the board. The 2000 Fulbright Prize recognized his contributions to strengthening civil society, extending democratic practices, and furthering peaceful cooperation and coexistence, abilities which have repeatedly led foreign governments to seek his aid in resolving difficult and violent conflicts.

      Mr. Ahtisaari is also a member of the joint advisors' group for the Open Society Institute and for the Soros Foundations Network, which operates in various countries. He chairs the Balkan Children and Youth Foundation and the Global Action Council of the International Youth Foundation.

      The Fulbright Association's 29th Annual Conference, "Fulbright Alumni: Expressions in Civil Society," will be held from Nov. 3 through Nov. 5 as part of a series of meetings in conjunction with the Moroccan Fulbright Alumni Association, the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange, and the U.S. Department of State. Additional information on the association, the annual conference, and related meetings is available online at www.fulbright.org/conference.

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Links
Conference Information

Conference Registration

Conference Program

Fulbright Association Home Page

Attractive prices on flights from Europe to Marrakech

Melissa Miller — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 10:08:00 GMT

The German airline HapagFly is offering some great deals from several locations in Europe to Marrakech. One member found a round-trip ticket from Frankfurt/Main to Marrakech for about 200 euros (about 257 US dollars). The website is http://hapagfly.com. (You can choose your language preference on the upper left-hand side of the webpage.)

If you see any good airfare deals, please let us know by commenting on this post or contacting our office at fulbright@fulbright.org.

Search for discounted fares on StudentUniverse

Melissa Miller — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 10:35:00 GMT

One of our members pointed out the website StudentUniverse (http://www.studentuniverse.com/) as a great place to find discounted airline fares for eligible students and faculty at the college/university level. You have to sign up on the website, and StudentUniverse will confirm your student/faculty status with your home institution. Details about eligibility requirements can be found here: http://www.studentuniverse.com/faqs.html#1. You can also search for deals for rail fares, hostels, and trips.

If you’ve found any good travel websites, please feel free to share them with others in the Fulbright community by leaving a comment to this post!

Is your passport still valid?

Fulbright Association — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 14:06:00 GMT

Now is a good time to check your passport to make sure it hasn't expired (or isn't expiring anytime soon)! We'd hate for an expired passport to prevent you from joining us in Morocco.

U.S. citizens can click here for instructions on renewing U.S. passports by mail, in person, or through an expedited process.

U.S. Citizens: Join us in Morocco AND vote in the mid-term elections

Fulbright Association — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:11:00 GMT

Many of you may have already realized that Tuesday, Nov. 7 is both the last day of the Moroccan Fulbright Alumni Association’s conference and the day mid-term elections will be held in the U.S. Not to worry! You can do both!

The Advocacy section of the Fulbright Association’s web site contains information on voting by absentee ballot for each state. To access the information for your state, follow the instructions below.

Click on Elections & Candidates and you’ll be taken to a page displaying a map of the United States. Click on a state for election-related information in that state. The absentee voting information can be found in the “Voter Information” box halfway down the page.

Another way to access the information is to modify the following URL and paste it in your browser’s address bar.

Copy and paste http://capwiz.com/fulbright/e4/rlist/?state=XX into your browser’s address bar and replace the XX at the end with your two letter state abbreviation before pressing the Enter button. Then, once the page loads, you’ll find the link to absentee ballot information in the “Voter Information” section.

Now that you have access to the information you need to vote before Nov. 7, you can join us in Morocco without that to worry about! Visit http://www.fulbright.org/conference for conference information today.

Traveling to Marrakech from London or the UK--Check out this £49 fare

Fulbright Association — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 10:37:00 GMT

If you'll be traveling to Marrakech from London or the UK, you might want to check out this option, which I found at http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/2006/07/more_flights_to_1.html.

More flights to Morocco from GB Airways

GB Airways, a franchise partner of British Airways, has announced a major boost to flight frequency on its routes from London to Morocco.

The airline has said it will increase its service from London to Marrakech, with the introduction of two flights a day from Heathrow, in addition to a daily service from Gatwick.

Heathrow will also be home to a twice-weekly service to the imperial city of Fez, complementing the existing daily flights to Casablanca.

The flights form part of GB Airways's winter schedule. One-way flights from Gatwick to Marrakech start at £49, including all taxes, fees and charges.

Managing director Kevin Hatton said: "With a total of 32 weekly flights to Morocco, passengers can now travel at their convenience to some of the most popular short-haul winter sun destinations."

© Cheapflights Ltd Craig McGinty

The Fulbright Association is in no way endorsing GB Airways. We are just bringing this deal to light so Fulbrighters planning to attend the November Fulbright alumni conferences will be aware of another option.

New Travel Web Sites Provide GREAT Prices on Flights to Marrakech

Fulbright Association — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:54:29 GMT

While catching up on the WSJ last night, I came across an article on new travel web sites and how they're making it easier than ever for the general public to find and book the cheapest flights.

I tried out two sites a few minutes ago, plugging in dates around the conferences and came up with the following fares:

Yahoo! FareChase
DC to Marrakech: $548.76 (including taxes)

FareCompare.com
DC to Marrakech: $706.00 (including taxes)
Chicago to Marrakech: $906 (including taxes)
Seattle to Marrakech: $869 (including taxes)

I can't guarantee that you'll find these exact same fares, but they provide a general sense of what's possible. Playing around with the time of day and/or day of week of your flight can have a considerable impact on the cost (up or down), so experiment with different days. The added hotel/food costs of arriving a day early or leaving a day late might just end up being more than covered by the savings you'll realize in the cost of your plane ticket.

Below are links to several online travel sites. Take a look at a few and see what you find. I know there have to be countless other sites out there, but these are the ones with which I have personal experience and which have been good to me in the past. Please share your online travel web site recommendations by leaving a comment to this post.

FareCompare: http://www.farecompare.com
Yahoo! Farechase: http://farechase.yahoo.com
Kayak: http://www.kayak.com
Travelocity: http://www.travelocity.com
Orbitz: http://www.orbitz.com
Expedia: http://www.expedia.com
Cheaptickets: http://www.cheaptickets.com

The art of buying and selling in Morocco

Fulbright Association — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 12:41:00 GMT

Buying and selling is an art form in Morocco. It's important to understand this before you hit the markets, otherwise you'll be missing out on a great experience...and will surely end up spending much more than you should on anything you buy.

Every price is negotiable and the dance between buyer and seller over the final price is as much a part of the purchasing process as is swiping your credit card to complete a sale at a store in the U.S.

I came across a great article this morning that describes the process beautifully. I highly recommend reading it...especially if you plan on buying anything while in Morocco this fall!

http://escape.news.com.au/story/0,9142,19379739-27978,00.html

Pre-Conference Seminar for Chapter Representatives

Kristjen Lundberg — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:21:00 GMT

This year's annual conference will again feature a pre-conference Chapter Development Seminar on Friday, Nov. 3, 2:00 - 5:00 pm.

All chapter leaders and members are invited to attend. In fact, the impact of participation will be increased if a number of vounteers from each chapter participate, so we encourage you to recruit chapter members to attend the seminar and conference.

(For information on a conference subsidy available to nominated chapter leaders, please click here.)

We would like your help in devising the program for the Chapter Development Seminar. Topics of discussion currently under consideration include:

Transitioning leadership
Broadening the base of chapter support
Conducting advocacy and outreach for the Fulbright Program
Successfully gaining media coverage and submitting letters to the editor
Motivating and managing volunteers
Applying for and managing an Outreach, Mentoring, and Enrichment grant

Additional ideas and suggestions are welcomed. Please feel free to post them here or to direct them to Kristjen Lundberg, Director, Chapter Relations at kristjen.lundberg@fulbright.org.

Attention Chapter Leaders: Conference Subsidy Available!

Kristjen Lundberg — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:18:01 GMT

Attention, all chapter leaders!

The Fulbright Association is pleased to announce that it will waive the 29th Annual Conference registration fee of $130 for a leader nominated by his or her chapter.

Please help us in selecting the leader who will receive the subsidy for your chapter. Each chapter may nominate one volunteer leader for this special recognition. Please note that the chapter participant who receives the subsidy will be responsible for his or her own travel, hotel and other per diem expenses.

Anyone in a leadership position in the chapter who meets the following criteria may be nominated. The nominee must:

Be an active chapter leader or participant who will be in a leadership position for at least another year (through 2007);

Lack access to reimbursement for conference expenses from his/her employer or another third party;

Be available to attend the entire preconference chapter seminar (Friday, November 3) and conference program through Sunday, November 5; and

Commit to sharing knowledge and experiences with other chapter members and visiting Fulbrighters and report on these activities to the national office.

To nominate a chapter leader, please submit a recommendation letter signed by the chapter president. (Please note that if the chapter president is being nominated the recommendation letter should be prepared and signed by another member of the chapter board.)

The recommendation should including the following:

Information on the individual’s contributions to the chapter, including any offices held within the last two years and details of service to the chapter, such as organizing programs, participating in advocacy initiatives, writing newsletters or other communications, coordinating hospitality for visiting Fulbrighters, maintaining Web sites, writing grant proposals, or other contributions, to be specified;
Information on the role the individual will play in the chapter in 2007; and
A statement of financial need and a commitment to participate in the chapter seminar and the entire conference program to be signed by the nominee.

Nomination letters are due no later than July 31, 2006. Please submit nominations and direct questions to Kristjen Lundberg, Director, Chapter Relations at kristjen.lundberg@fulbright.org.

International Education Task Force Update

Jenise Englund — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 18:37:53 GMT

Because civil society, values, and cultural traits are certainly expressed in the in the schools P-16 as well as University graduate studies, I believe that the curricula, secular and religious emphases will be fascinatingly presented and represented by the panelists on the International Education Task Force panel, scheduled for Sat., Nov. 4, from 9a to 10:30a. Below are details of the panel. I look forward to seeing you in Marrakech!

Jenise Englund
Co-Chair, International Education Task Force

The Universal and Unique Expressions of Cultures on Curricula, a Program of the International Education Task Force
» Moderated by Jenise Englund (Germany 1961, 1962, 1996, UK 1984, Norway 1991, Belgium 1992), Co-Chair, International Education Task Force; International Education Consultant, EEE

Malindi's Journey: Researching and Teaching the Connections between Africa and China Through the Silk Routes, and the Impact on Student Achievement in Elementary and Middle School
» Alicia Carroll (Kenya & Tanzania 2004), Teacher, Mission Hill School, Boston Public School System
» Lucy Montgomery (Kenya & Tanzania 2004), Teacher, Josiah Quincy Upper School, Boston Public School System

Discussion of Secondary School Curriculum and Experiences in Morocco and the U.S.A.
» Miloud Aakiri (USA), Teacher of English as a Foreign Language
» Charafa Jai Mansouri (USA 1995), Poet, Writer, and Teacher of English as a Foreign Language

Discussion of the Bologna Accords and the Efforts to Harmonize Undergraduate Education Across the European Union
» Gerald Siegel (Yugoslavia 1998, Belgium 1997, Macedonia 2004), Professor of English, York College of Pennsylvania

International Art Exhibition Update

Elmer Craig — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:29:44 GMT

Jules Maidoff, internationally known painter, Fulbrighter, and one of the founders of Studio Art Centers International, which is located in Florence, Italy, has agreed to be our juror for the Arts Task Force Art Exhibit in Morocco.

Al Zaruba and Pat Maloney, the co-chairs for the exhibit, are to be congratulated for all the hard work they’ve done and the CDs with the submitted works are now being sent to Jules for judging.

I want to thank everyone for entering their work and taking part in the exhibit. At last count, there were just over 40 entrees submitted and Pat and Al will be informing you all of the results of the jurying process as soon as is possible.

Please continue to watch this location for more up to date information that will be of importance and don't hesitate to be in touch with me with questions.

Yours,

Elmer Craig
Chair, Arts Task Force
efcraig@bellsouth.net
305 681 2312