Feb. 24, 2010
Contact:
Leah Seupersad, 404-413-1354
University Relations
ATLANTA - The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States, H.E. Aziz Mekouar, will speak at Georgia State University at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 24) in the Student Center State Ballroom.
The ambassador is the keynote speaker for Georgia State's "Morocco Day," where GSU's Model Arab League Team will announce that the organization will represent Morocco in this year's regional and national competitions. The event, which is free and open to GSU students, faculty and staff from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will also include live music, poetry readings, a traditional accessories exhibit and a showing of the documentary, "Voyages d'Orient."
"I personally hope to learn more about Morocco's political ties to the United States as well as to see how many students have an interest in international politics," said Micah Hughes, president of the GSU Middle East Socio-Political Association, a student organization designed to foster interest in the Middle East socially, politically and culturally. "By having multiple engaging activities for students to participate in, we have fulfilled part of our job as a student group, and that is to expand the horizons of students who might not know of the richness of Middle Eastern and North African culture."
Aziz Mekouar became Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States on June 19, 2002. Before that, he served as Moroccan Ambassador to Italy, Portugal and Angola. He was elected independent chairman of the Council of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in November 2001 and re-elected in 2003.
GSU's Model Arab League Team hopes Mekouar will propel their research on the country's position on a range of topics that they will debate at a regional and then a national simulation of a meeting of the League of Arab States in Washington D.C. March 26-28. During competition, the students will represent Morocco's views on a variety of committees, such as political affairs, joint defense, Palestinian affairs and economic affairs.
"Besides researching details of Morocco's positions on the issues on the agenda, the team also trains in the rules of procedure of the League, public speaking, negotiating, resolution writing and other diplomatic skills. In past years the team has performed at the top at these conferences," said Rashid Naim, a senior lecturer in political science who coaches the team.
Morrocco Day is sponsored by the Georgia State University Middle East Institute, the GSU Middle East Socio-Political Association, the American Moroccan Association of Atlanta and Imperial Fez Authentic Moroccan Cuisine.