Magharebia

A movement in Morocco seeks to achieve the full recognition of the Amazigh language and identity. Amazigh activists, however, suffered a setback when the language was not fully incorporated in the public education curriculum.

Reconciliation has been a major theme so far of Pope Benedict XVI's trip to Turkey. The Pope called for dialogue between Christianity and Islam based on truth.

The US Legal and Business Fellowship Programme -- a project that trains women from the Maghreb and the Middle East -- provided the theme for a roundtable meeting at the US Embassy in Algiers.

The 4th national campaign on violence against women was launched in Morocco on Monday. The aim is to raise awareness of the damaging effects of violence on families.

Algerian Public Works Minister Amar Ghoul has characterized the east-west highway project -- which will create 100,000 jobs -- as the "project of the century".

A three-day international colloquium on the Tidjani Sufi order began November 23rd at the University of Laghouat in Algeria with a hundred intellectuals and cultural figures from 29 countries. Participants discussed contributions made by the brotherhood and giving Islam a "human face".

A security fund for low income persons is providing Moroccans with opportunities to buy homes. Traders, street vendors and craft workers stand to benefit the most.

Mouloud Mammeri University in Tizi-Ouzou recently hosted an international conference on micro and nano-technologies. The event attracted technology specialists from countries around the world.

For Algerian-American Khalil Bendib, humour is the best way to create a cultural dialogue. Through his cartoons, Bendib hopes to further people's understanding of Muslims, Arabs and North Africans.

An exhibition called "Ibn Khaldun: The Mediterranean in the 14th century" has opened in the Tunisian capital. The exhibition, which runs through January 23rd, features documents and drawings of the Arab philosopher's life, as well as symbols of East-West cultural exchanges that are as relevant today as they were 600 years ago.

Tunisian director Nouri Bouzid talked to Magharebia about his film "Making Off". He made the film to show the dangers of youth being brainwashed by religious extremism. He feels that human rights are more important that turning to violence to uphold extremist dogma.

Algeria hosted the Arab Businessmen's Conference for the first time. Participants agreed that Arab-Arab investment is not reaching its potential and that Algeria is an attractive place to invest. Reforms and strengthening of public-private partnerships were stressed at the conference.

Algeria's improved financial situation, mainly from its oil revenue, has allowed it to pay off its debts to the Paris Club with a final payment to Germany. The nation will now focus on paying off London Club creditors and its external debts.

Moroccan argan tree expert Dr Zoubida Charrouf feels the argan tree is a vital Moroccan resource with many uses. She is trying to combat deforestation of the argan through setting up women's co-operatives to produce oil and raise international recognition of the product.

After completing their humanitarian duties in Lebanon, the crew of the USS Whidbey Island visited Tunisia. Tunisian journalists were given a tour of the Navy ship, while sailors met with their Tunisian counterparts, talked about their work and toured the surrounding area.

Moroccan associations involved in a movement to increase women's parliamentary representation to one-third after the 2007 elections will be guided by a recent study identifying remaining obstacles to women attaining leadership positions. The study preparer feels a change in societal mentality is necessary for the changes to occur.

Films about religious extremism were the most-common genre at the Carthage Cinema Days festival in Tunisia.

Government services throughout Morocco have been paralysed since November 15th because of strikes by local government officials. Demands included re-instatement of several dismissed workers, re-establishment of the bonus programme, making pay more reflective of education and experience, and raising the minimum wage.

Tunisian director Fadhel Jaibi talks to Magharebia about his latest work "Khamsoun", which tackles the issue of terrorism. The play has yet to be staged in Tunisia because Jaibi refuses to adhere to the Ministry of Culture's request to censor certain parts.

French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Algeria resulted in the discontinuation of the pre-consultation with Schengen countries before Algerians are granted French visas. This is the latest step in the warming of French-Algerian relations since they were damaged in 2005 by part of a French law extolling the effects of colonialism on North Africa.

Morocco is beset by a shortage of youth clubs, their uneven distribution across the country and their inadequate infrastructure. Some researchers are concerned about the effects of youth having limited entertainment outlets

Skilled makers of hand-woven carpets in Morocco now must cope with cheaper factory-made products. The government is seeking to make the artisans' carpets more valuable on the domestic and international markets.

Tunisia was elected to the executive board of the new International Trade Union Confederation, but will have to work on the national level to meet the requirement of equal female participation in leadership positions.

Tunisian media critic Khemais Khayati's new book "Seeping Sand" dissects the extremist religious discourse of some Arab satellite media and discusses its influence over young people.

A report by the ICT observatory of the ANRT shows the number of Moroccan internet subscribers is increasing due to lower prices for high-speed access and the amount of mobile telephone users is increasing at the expense of fixed lines.

Increased security at Ceuta and Melilla has lead to more illegal migrants travelling from Algeria to Spain via small boats. The problem was worse during Ramadan as couriers sought to take advantage of perceived less vigilance by authorities. Unsafe conditions caused many boats to sink.

Moroccan universities were paralysed on November 9th because of a 24-hour strike by the National Union for Higher Education. Professors want training colleges linked to universities, more resources and recognition of French doctorates.

Tunisian lawyer Saida Garrache, general secretary of the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, talked to Qantara about the difficulties of doing her work in a country that stifles civil society. Tunisia's strict monitoring hinders the organisation's funding, meetings and public outreach.

A UNICEF/Justice Ministry study finds that violence against children permeates all parts of Moroccan society. Morocco is tackling the problems through creating national programmes and child protections units.

At the conclusion of a week-long conference in Cairo on Arab women in the media, participants agreed to create a network for monitoring the image of Arab women in the media. Some are optimistic about the plan, while others warn the network will face many obstacles.

Last week's Arabian Sights Film Festival in Washington, DC, drew big audiences, positive feedback and lively discussions. The Maghreb, which is well-known for its cinematography, accounted for nearly half of the festival's films.

The Diplomatic Circle in Rabat organised an annual charity bazaar to raise money for Morocco's underprivileged. Algeria participated in the event for the first time this year.

Franchises in Casablanca are trying to make clothing affordable for a large segment of consumers. But for some shoppers, the prices are still too high.

El Jadida recently became the fourth Moroccan city with an SOS Children's Village to group poor and abandoned children together as siblings under the care of a mother. The village recently sought to help others to mark International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Moroccan Rachid Jankari's French-language blog and Mohamed Hjiouij's Arabic-language blog are finalists in the third international "Best of Blogs" competition organised by a portal of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

The 11th Algiers International Book Fair opened at the Algerian Society of Fairs and Exhibitions. With representatives from 668 publishing houses in attendance, the event will run until November 10th.

Young Moroccan Sanaa Elaji published her first novel "Majnounatou Youssouf" in 2003. She discussed the book and her thoughts about Moroccan women with Magharebia.

Microfinance is thriving in Morocco. Poor people who cannot qualify for traditional loans can now start businesses with micro-credit loans.

Breast cancer is a growing problem in Morocco due to a lack of awareness and early detection of the disease. The problem is compounded by insurance companies not wanting to pay for detection measures, limited public treatment facilities and the high cost of private care.

Cairo is hosting a conference on the representation of women in Arab media. Speakers from all over the Arab world are discussing the state of women in the media and hope to develop a plan to better record and evaluate their portrayal by the media.