On December 11, 2005, the High Atlas convened the annual meeting of its Board of Directors.  We are very happy to welcome to our board the following new members-- Fatima Ferza-Anderson, Kimeo Carr, Mohamed Chbani, Charles Dahan, John Farino, Charlie Kellett, Cynthia Mirei Kerr, and Kate McLetchie.  We are fully dedicated to an ever more effective service to the rural communities of Morocco.

At the meeting, HAF’s President, Jason Ben-Meir, reported on his most recent trip to Morocco, which was made possible by a grant from Royal Air Maroc.  Jason met with the Minister of Social Development, Family, and Solidarity, Mr. Abderrahim Harouchi.  As a result of the meeting, HAF is now working with the Moroccan government to develop a training workshop for rural teachers in participatory activities that promote community development.  Jason also met with the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Social Sciences, Dr. Mohamed Dasser, and we are developing together an agreement that will create a Center at the university for training and studies in issues related to community development, and that will also house the administration of HAF in Morocco.  Jason discussed with former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco, Edward Gabriel (who serves on HAF’s Advisory Board), plans for a fundraising event in Casablanca that will have diverse and broad participation.  Finally, Jason also met with our partners for an ambitious tree planting project, which is pending funding from the Middle East Partnership Initiative.

The Board voted to support several new projects, including two women’s cooperatives (one outside Taza and the other outside Marrakech), an irrigation basin near Tafraoute, and a tree planting project also outside of Marrakech.  These important grants were made possible by our generous donors.

With the planting season just around the corner, it is time to call out – Plant a Tree. Our project goal for this initiative (which also includes potable water) is an ambitious $500,000. Benefits for communities involved in this project include income diversification and employment, ecosystem restoration, technical capacity building, diversification of household diets, the formation of local associations, and prevention of socio-economic dislocation and urban migration caused by international free trade.

To all who were part of the High Atlas Foundation’s “Kick-off” Reception in New York City, we sincerely thank you.  We are thrilled to tell you that we had over 140 guests and achieved our fundraising goal - $20,000!  The proceeds will go towards an irrigation and tree-planting project in the Ait Wafqa Commune near Tafraoute (benefiting over 100 families) and help build three women’s cooperatives that Peace Corps Volunteers are assisting. 

We would like to give a special thank you to our Honorees, Moroccan Ambassador Aziz Mekouar and H.E. André Azoulay, Advisor to His Majesty King Mohammed VI.   We are immensely grateful to our sponsors - ABM Institute, Caterpillar, Chemonics International, Edward L. Millstein Foundation, Hackerthreads, Harris Rand Lusk, Jnane Tamsna, and Royal Air Maroc. 

Jason Ben-Meir and Liz Fanning traveled to Washington, DC, on Friday, July 22, 2005, for a series of meetings around the upcoming reception and gala events in New York City.  They met with Ambassador Aziz Mekouar at the Moroccan Embassy.  They updated the Ambassador on the progress of the reception set for September 15 at Le Souk in the East Village, and asked for and received extensive support from the Embassy.