CAES Morocco: Leading Across Differences

  Social status of Amazigh (berbers) Throughout our tours, I met guides who emphasized their Amazigh ethnicity. At first, I felt that they were proud of their origins, people, and culture, and I’m sure this is true. However, I also feel that they make these emphatic declarations because they feel marginalized and shamed, leading them to stress this part of themselves even more. I was most certain of this when the tour guide in Fes said that the king had trouble garnering the people’s support when he married his Arab wife because the marriage was not representative of the majority ethnicity. After the backlash, the king revealed his Amazigh lineage. But this begs the question: why wasn’t this always known? Why was he hiding it? In the past, Morocco has consistently tried to assimilate and Arabize the Amazigh people by falsifying their history and promoting other languages, religions, and cultures (Marcus, 2025). The promotion of Darija, French, and other languages over the Amaz...

  As a person with a chronic illness, I was curious to know what the general experience is of those with noncommunicable illnesses in Morocco. I found that, as of the World Health Organization’s findings in 2025, almost 85 percent of all deaths in Morocco are attributed to noncommunicable diseases. 73 percent of all spending on long-term illnesses goes to four main conditions: hypertension, end-stage kidney disease, cancer, and diabetes, and resources remain limited with only 1.5 healthcare workers for every thousand people (WHO, 2025) The Ministry of Health and Social Protection has initiated several programs to build more healthcare infrastructure, including the National Multisectoral Strategy for the Prevention and Control of NCDs, beginning in 2019. This strategy includes the constructions of healthcare facilities around the country, such as oncology centers and reproductive health clinics, and increased screening for noncommunicable illnesses.The Health Reform Strategy, addi...

    The social contract of modest dressing in Morocco and other Muslim countries is something I grappled with for almost the entire duration of our trip. I felt that it was too hot to wear so many clothes, or that it was an impingement on my own bodily autonomy and freedoms, and a relic of a patriarchal society. While some of these things may have some relevance and truth to them, I had also only skimmed the surface of the other functions of the style of dress.     The first thing I realized was that the long sleeves and pants, as well as a hijab or scarf, also function as effective sun protection. You don't have to wear sunscreen if your skin isn't exposed in the first place. The most poignant aspect, however, was the effect dressing in such a manner had on my relationship with my body. Within the United States, there has been a recent pushback on the movement termed with "body positivity", as Ozempic and other semaglutide cocktails become available for mass-ma...

 I found this TED Talk extremely interesting, as Hetain Patel did an incredible job using expressive examples to show his message rather than simply telling it. I was initially confused when Patel began speaking Mandarin, but I quickly realized it was a powerful demonstration of assumptions and identity. His idea that attempting to imitate someone, and failing, can actually deepen our understanding of ourselves made me reflect on my own life. Growing up, I was always trying to be like my older brother. I played the same sports, picked up his hobbies and interests, and wanted to be just like him. Over time, I realized we were very different people, and through that imitation, I discovered what I did and didn’t enjoy. This ultimately helped me better understand myself and recognize the impact those around me have on my identity and self-concept.

    Something I noticed among our travels around Morocco that held consistency was the public school system. From the surface, all of the primary schools looked well-maintained and very functional. We often passed just as children were let out from school, and they usually looked happy to be there, joking with their friends and behaving just like kids do in American public schools. As someone who attended a subpar Title I public school in inner-city Atlanta, I'm well aware of the disparities in education and resources between public and private schools in the region.     Upon doing research, I learned that public school is available for free to all children in Morocco, and not dependent on their nationality or migratory status (UNHCR Morocco, 2026). Additionally, refugees are able to apply for financial assistance in the case they need support for funding schooling-related costs, such as transportation, food, and school supplies. While this appears to be a good ...

       Across our journey across Morocco, we saw many flags representing nations and peoples, yet the distinct multicolored pride flag, which peeks its head out from coast to coast in the United States, was noticeably absent. This absence, paired with the additional gender constraints on women we saw throughout the country, led me to question how lesbian communities exist and survive within Moroccan society. Under Article 489 of the Moroccan Penal Code, homosexual acts are illegal and punishable with imprisonment. Additionally, there are no discrimination protection laws against homosexuals in Morocco, and there are no rights enshrining same-sex marriages or adoptions (Griffin, 2022; Rights in Exile, 2023). Due to the illegality of homosexuality and the lack of protections for lesbian communities, I was unable to find a sufficient number or percentage of the Moroccan population that identified as lesbian. Homosexuality in all forms is generally (but certainly not alw...