Launching of workshops for the preparation of the action program of the commune of Salé in its fifth phase

In preparation for the communal action program, the president of the commune of Salé, Mr Jamaâ El Moâtassim, presided on Wednesday 12 July 2017 in the main hall of the commune in Bab Bouhaja, a workshop dedicated to the cultural aspect being an integral part of the program; in the presence of the secretary-general of the Ministry of Culture, the president of Bouknadel commune, the presidents of the borough councils, representatives of the external services, certain personalities active in the cultural and artistic field, a group of cadres and officials of the commune.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr Jamaâ El Moâtassim underlined that the organization of the first workshop, a series of workshops to be held in preparation for the action program of the fifth phase and concerning the material and financial programming of projects devoted to the cultural field, the aim of which is to develop a clear matrix of consensual projects by the interested parties, to participate in the promotion of the cultural heritage of the city and to achieve Its development. Mr. Jamaâ El Moâtassim added that the city of Salé is distinguished by its cultural impulse in all its material and immaterial manifestations and that the municipal council aims at the investment of its components and cultural specificities, a manner likely to strengthen its competitiveness and its position among the other cities of the Kingdom; and this requires thinking about the broader concept of culture as an industry and economic activity contributing to the economic development of public domains through the creation of employment opportunities and the recruitment of available capacities. The speaker also stressed the need to improve the means of cooperation and partnership between the municipality and the competent parties for the management of the cultural services currently being carried out and those to be developed in the future.

For his part, Mr Mohamed Lotfi Lmrini, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, affirmed the importance of organizing a workshop devoted to the field of culture and which marked the city of Sale over the centuries, appreciating the role of the cultural industry in achieving communal development, given the financial resources and employment opportunities comparable to those of other industries. To this end, the speaker stressed the need to invest in the cultural field of the city, through major axes including good management of the sector by building the necessary cultural infrastructure and broadening the circle of projects, with a focus on the development of innovative and distinct projects associated with the name of the city.

In the same line, Mr. Abdessamad Zemzami, president of the commune of Bouknadel, highlighted the cultural qualifications of the city of Salé, allowing it to occupy a privileged place among the other Moroccan cities, and that the exploitation of these qualities should be a priority for all municipalities in the city, in order to strengthen its positioning at the regional level and achieve its development, calling for reflection in the creation of artistic and cultural platforms that make the city known internationally , like many cities.

And after a presentation, the representative of the research department responsible for accompanying the municipal services in the preparation of the action program of the municipality, entitled “Cultural heritage, a key lever for local development” which is based on the cultural components of the city, the participants discussed how to enhance the city’s cultural heritage and plans to commercialize its cultural qualifications in order to contribute to its development and strengthen  its cultural influence at national, even international level. As a result, the workshop provided an opportunity to formulate a set of recommendations that will be considered for their inclusion in the program.