Mali: Colonel Assimi Goita Thanks the King for Morocco's Active Contribution to Resolving the Crisis in Mali

The leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People in Mali, Colonel Assimi Goita, expressed his thanks to King Mohammed VI for the active contribution of Morocco in the efforts to resolve the crisis in Mali.

Berlin, Germany., September 1, 2020 -- 15 km from Bamako, an audience was granted, at the military camp of Kati, to the Moroccan Ambassador in Mali. During this meeting, Colonel Assimi Goita expressed "his deep gratitude" to the King of Morocco for the active contribution of the Kingdom to resolve the crisis. The leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People in Mali recalled, in this regard, that the Ambassador of Morocco was the first diplomat to make contact with the new authorities on August 20th. Colonel Assimi Goita also welcomed the long-standing relations and the fruitful partnership between the two countries.

The two parties took the opportunity to discuss the latest developments in Mali following the events that took place in Aug. 18. Colonel Assimi Goita informed the Moroccan diplomat about the measures taken to calm the situation. He also assured that the political transition will be discussed between the different components of the Malian society.

The new Malian leader’s appreciation for Morocco’s efforts in Mali comes after the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for a “peaceful civil transition, allowing a rapid and supervised return to constitutional order.” In a statement, Morocco says that it has full confidence that its “Malian brothers” will “draw on the values of peace and national harmony rooted in them” in the aftermath of the coup. The statement concluded that Morocco remains fully committed to the “serenity and stability of Mali,”.

Prior to the coup, Morocco and Mali maintained a close partnership, particularly on issues of regional security and migration.

About Friends of Morocco:
Friends of Morocco (FOM), active since 1988, is an organisation of Americans and Europeans, mostly returned volunteers, with experience in Morocco with an interest in promoting political, educational, cultural, charitable, social, literary and scientific exchanges between Morocco and the rest of the world. FOM is a non profit organisation with the headquarter is in the USA and chapters around the world. The main objective of Friends of Morocco is to promote Morocco and to build bridges and connect people who have fallen in Love with this country, adopted its culture and made it their 2nd home. Friends of Morocco is a nonprofit organization with branches around the world.

Contact:
Elle P. Wolfgang
Friends of Morocco
Berlin, Germany
015213454385
tcprelease@gmail.com
http://www.freundevonmarokko.de/

Bewährte Praktiken für ferngesteuerte agile Entwicklerteams der VON Consulting Tech Division

Gewöhnlich effektiv in einer Büroarbeitsumgebung, insbesondere für Entwicklerteams, wird bei der Programmierung von Aufgaben eine agile Methodik angewandt.

Berlin, Germany., August 27, 2020 -- Gewöhnlich effektiv in einer Büroarbeitsumgebung, insbesondere für Entwicklerteams, wird bei der Programmierung von Aufgaben eine agile Methodik angewandt.

Die Frage ist: Kann sie sich auch bei entfernten und verteilten Teams auszeichnen?

Agile Methodik und Remote-Software-Teams

Um agile Teams auch in einer entfernten Umgebung produktiv zu machen, benötigen Sie in erster Linie einen Scrum Master, der in der Lage ist, eine heterogene Gruppe von Personen zu beaufsichtigen und sie zu unabhängigem Arbeiten zu ermutigen, und der in der Lage ist, die Arbeitslast aller Beteiligten als Team aufeinander abzustimmen, um eine reibungslose Fertigstellung von durchgehend funktionierenden Anwendungen zu gewährleisten.
Um dies zu erreichen, müssen die Teammitglieder zusammenarbeiten. Sie müssen sich häufig per E-Mail treffen, um sicherzustellen, dass sich alle darüber einig sind, was sie aufbauen, wer was tut und wie genau die Software entwickelt wird.
Darüber hinaus muss der Scrum Master einen ständigen Überblick über die Geschäftslogik sowie die Anwendungslogik (angefangen bei der Datenbank bis hin zur Benutzeroberfläche) behalten.

Es ist nicht einfach, es erfordert etwas Arbeit und Experimente, aber es ist überschaubar, wenn man einige kluge Tipps und Tricks anwendet.

Hier sind einige nützliche Schritte, die wir bei der VON Consulting Tech Division in Betracht ziehen und in die Praxis umsetzen sollten.

Wesentliche Schritte für agile Teams, die aus der Ferne arbeiten

Überprüfung der technischen Standards

Unabhängig davon, ob Sie sich für die paarweise Programmierung (2 oder mehr Entwickler programmieren gemeinsam, um die Qualität des Codes zu gewährleisten, so dass ältere Entwickler Junior-Entwickler als Mentoren betreuen können) oder für die testgetriebene Entwicklung und Automatisierung entscheiden, stellen Sie sicher, dass sich alle über die Annahme technischer Standards im Klaren sind, um Sicherheit, Codequalität, Namenskonventionen und andere technische Standards zu gewährleisten.

Ansätze überprüfen

Agile Teams, die auf die Zusammenarbeit per Fernzugriff umstellen, sollten ihre Prozesse nicht völlig neu gestalten müssen, aber je nach Größe des Teams und den verfügbaren Kollaborationswerkzeugen müssen ScrumMaster unter Umständen über die Struktur von Sitzungen nachdenken.

Sich zu Aufgaben verpflichten

Agile Teams, die von der persönlichen Zusammenarbeit zu einer Zusammenarbeit aus der Ferne übergehen, müssen ihre Sprintgeschwindigkeit neu einstellen und das Niveau und die Komplexität der Arbeit überprüfen, die sie realistischerweise ausführen und erledigen können.

Wert-Dokumentation

Agile Entwicklungsteams geben arbeitendem Code Vorrang vor der Vorabdokumentation, aber das bedeutet nicht, dass die Dokumentation von Architektur, APIs und Code nicht notwendig ist.

Investitionen in Spikes, CI/CD und Bekämpfung technischer Verschuldung
Teams, die erwarten, über längere Zeiträume aus der Ferne zu arbeiten, finden es vielleicht einfacher, sich auf eher technische Geschichten zu konzentrieren, die den Entwicklern helfen, sich auf die Erledigung einer Arbeit in Bereichen zu konzentrieren, in denen sie die Vorteile direkt sehen.

Überprüfung der Einsatz- und Risikostrategien
Die Organisationsprinzipien, die von der Geschwindigkeit und Häufigkeit des Einsatzes bis hin zu den Arbeitsformen und Anwendergeschichten, die priorisiert werden, alles bestimmt haben, müssen aus einer neuen Betriebsperspektive überprüft werden.

'Agile Teammitglieder müssen die optimale Nutzung von Technologien finden und sich an Kommunikationsstile anpassen, um Teamproduktivität, Zusammenarbeit und Qualität zu gewährleisten', fügt Frau Vivien Untaru, Geschäftsführerin der VON Consulting Tech Division, hinzu.

People. Quality. Tech.

VON Consulting hat Büros in San Diego, USA, 3 Büros in Cluj-Napoca, Brasov, Bukarest, Rumänien und ist auch in Düsseldorf, Deutschland, vertreten.

VON Consulting hat 150 IT-Talente an Bord und hat mit Kunden aus der EU und den USA gearbeitet, hauptsächlich in den Bereichen IT, Telekommunikation, Netzwerke und Halbleiterindustrie.

Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter www.vonconsulting.net.

VON Consulting Tech Division Continuous Testing Best Practices for Application Development Teams

Continuous testing is an optimal way to provide developers with feedback before code reaches a delivery environment. It

Berlin, Germany., August 27, 2020 -- Continuous testing is an optimal way to provide developers with feedback before code reaches a delivery environment. It is particularly important for running code quality and security analysis so that developers learn and adopt better coding practices.

Teams that define a strategy and leverage agile principles for value, development, and implementation are most likely to reduce risks and deliver value from their testing efforts.

To do so, developers, engineers, and quality assurance specialists need to collaborate on testing strategies and implementations. Such collaboration is critical to test every build and delivery in the CI/CD (continuous integration & development) pipeline.

Continuous testing – how to start off

Continuous tests must be easy to automate, run in a reasonable duration, have defined pass or fail criteria, and have well-defined paths to remediate issues.

Let’s take functional tests that run through thousands of test scenarios. They may very well take too long to execute and might run better overnight as scheduled jobs.

Another example? Security tests that report many warning alerts, which we recommend should be reviewed by info-sec personnel rather than stopping the build pipeline.

The reasoning to take from all of the above: a data quality test that can’t easily connect to the code, developer, or team that created the issue should not be in the CI/CD pipeline. It will halt the build for everyone and may require an extensive team to review the issue.

Continuous testing strategies – team configuration

In the continuous testing strategy set-up, we recommend using an agile approach. To do so, define a persona-based continuous testing strategy.

The agile development team must respond and correct issues when a CI/CD build fails and what testing gets prioritized.
Your persona-based testing strategy should include developers (for code quality and modifications), ops teams (for performance issues, reliability of app testing), information security teams (for code analysis, penetration and security risk assessments), quality assurance specialists (for app testing such as APIs, browser and mobile user interfaces), architects (for protocol standards API quality), database governance specialists (for data quality and security).

Continuous testing - implementation and best practices

You first need to automate the continuous tests, by integrating them in the CI/CD framework, and then configure alerts, so that the right people are notified of issues discovered.

The tools for running the tests must integrate smoothly with Jenkins, CircleCI, Bamboo, or other top CI/CD tools used for continuous integration and continuous delivery. Tools such as SmartBear, BlazeMeter, Tricentis qTest, BrowserStack, SauceLabs, Postman, and many others have integrations and plug-ins for Jenkins.

Some companies and organizations that work in manually configured development, test, and production environments struggle to keep configuration and infrastructure changes synchronized across them. Depending on feasibility, we recommend standardizing the environments and using infrastructure as code tools (Puppet, Chef, or Ansible) to manage configurations before investing in continuous testing.

Testing should be a safety net before pushing changes to an environment. It should provide actionable feedback and require executing the right set of validations for the appropriate stage of the delivery pipeline.

People. Quality. Tech.

VON Consulting has offices in San Diego, USA, 3 offices in Cluj-Napoca, Brasov, Bucharest, Romania and is also present in Düsseldorf, Germany.

VON Consulting has 150 IT talent on board and has worked with clients from the EU and US, mainly in IT, telecom, networking and semiconductors industries.
See more on www.vonconsulting.net.

US Capital Global Increases Financing for the US Healthcare Industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic

San Francisco-based private financial group experiences rising demand for customized and scalable alternative financing solutions from enterprises serving the US healthcare industry.

San Francisco, California, USA., August 24, 2020 -- Owning and operating a business in the healthcare industry can be highly rewarding. Nevertheless, healthcare is also an industry that can come with larger overheads and requires significantly higher levels of capital expenditure. Structuring and securing the right debt or equity business financing is therefore essential.

Providing Custom Financing for Healthcare Companies

US Capital Global’s healthcare finance team understands the industry and the challenges owners and CFOs face. The firm has deep experience in financing businesses across a wide range of healthcare sub-industries, including medical devices and equipment, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical facilities and services, and drug manufacturing.

“US Capital Global has a reputation for being an innovator in the healthcare financing space,” said Jeffrey Sweeney, Chairman and CEO at US Capital Global. “Over the past 36 months, the firm has already facilitated or provided over $150 million in financing for lower middle market businesses that serve the US healthcare industry. Our finance professionals understand the challenges and opportunities in the industry, and can design a healthcare financing solution that fits the specific needs of your business.”

Example Transactions

For further details about these selected transactions, visit: https://www.uscapglobal.com/transactions.php
and select 'Healthcare' under the 'Industry' dropdown.

Disclaimer: Advisory services offered by US Capital Global refer exclusively to broker-lender advisory services for companies, and do not include any registered investment advisory.

About US Capital Global:
US Capital Global has been committed to providing small and lower middle market businesses and investors with sophisticated debt, equity, and investment opportunities usually available only to larger middle market companies and institutional investors. The US Capital Global group manages direct investment funds and provides wealth management and capital raise services. Operating with its registered investment bank affiliate, US Capital Global Securities, LLC, the firm acts as a licensed placement agent for companies, funds, and projects, and collaborates closely with its peers in professional banking and investment advisory. www.uscapglobal.com

 CoinMarketAlert Provides Real-Time Tools to Manage 7,000 Crypto Coins

One of the most frustrating parts of monitoring cryptocurrency investments is obtaining accurate and timely information.

Zug, Switzerland., August 24, 2020 -- One of the most frustrating parts of monitoring cryptocurrency investments is obtaining accurate and timely information. CoinMarketAlert has solved that problem with its innovative crypto portfolio tracker platform and price alert tools for over 7,000 types of crypto coins and tokens.

Digital currency investors simply create an account to begin tracking their digital currency portfolio. Individuals receive real-time price alerts and breaking news, allowing them to make informed decisions. Monthly statements are also provided. Traders can choose a gold or silver subscription level to accommodate their individual needs.

With the array of cryptocurrency tools available at CoinMarketAlert, there's no need for investors to spend valuable time searching for the latest information on their assets. All notifications are provided in real-time. The company also provides portfolio value notifications, weekly statements via email, and enables individuals to track the physical location of assets.

Traders receive market alerts when their selected coin goes above or below their selected price. Notifications are immediately delivered via email, discord, push notification, or Telegram, depending upon the investor's preference. CoinMarketAlert offers more than a dozen different alerts encompassing, but not limited to profit and loss, volume and price percentage changes, market caps, and when new crypto coins are released for trading.

CoinMarketAlert offers a single solution that's easy, convenient and immediate for managing multiple cryptocurrencies from any location around the globe. The tracker enables traders to take advantage of real-time valuations and see an overview of their risk tolerance for a robust market strategy with one-click on their custom dashboards. An affiliate program is also offered to earn a 20 percent recurring commission.

Individuals can create their own custom alerts and the company has a five-star rating among users that consider it an indispensable part of an effective strategy for managing any form of cryptocurrency no matter where it was purchased or is being held. The real-time price alerts and timely signals available with CoinMarketAlert provide investors with the potential to increase their income levels multiple times over.

For more information, visit: https://coinmarketalert.com/

About CoinMarketAlert:
CoinMarketAlert is a cryptocurrency price alert system that issues notifications to all connected devices whenever a selected cryptocurrency increases or decreases in price. Our mission is to provide the best price alert tools for new and experienced cryptocurrency traders to help them protect their investments. We currently help almost 10,000 customers achieve their goals.

Online Dispensary Toke Announces Successful Outreach - Dominating Company Significant Share of Local Sales

Cannabis smokers and marijuana edibles and extracts consumers North America wide have long expressed a clear preference for cannabis delivery over cannabis retail shopping for a myriad of reasons.

Toronto, Canada., August 24, 2020 -- Cannabis smokers and marijuana edibles and extracts consumers North America wide have long expressed a clear preference for cannabis delivery over cannabis retail shopping for a myriad of reasons. Some prefer the convenience, others say the privacy is important to them, and others just prefer the savings, choice and the smooth customer service process. Especially since Covid hit the country along with the rest of the world in March, changing shopping habits across North America, this has only become more true with people across Canada being told to stay home whenever possible. Now cannabis dispensaries and those researching the issue are reporting that even as things begin to open up again, Ontario area customers say, they are sticking to their favourite online dispensary at Toke, a reputable online marijuana dispensary whose reputation in the marketplace has been growing considerably, along with its influence in the cannabis community - since the site went live, says they are definitely seeing the benefit of that.

In a statement released to media across the province today, Toke owner said “ We have spent a year developing our new platform and I can comfortably say that there is not 1 online site that offers what we have which makes us Canada’s BEST online store, focusing on providing the ultimate customer experience”.

Customers say that time has been well spent. It’s true that their offerings make them stand out from other online marijuana dispensaries, both medical and recreational. Toke is well known for offering only the finest cannabis products sourced from the best craft growers - and they offer both mail order and trusted same day delivery. Whether customers are looking for traditional bud - flower like indica or sativa, or choosing from their vast selection of edibles, extracts, topicals and other cannabis related products of all kinds, they say they are never disappointed by the product selection they find at Toke, certainly not the case with brick and mortar and retail dispensaries according to those who have used them in the province.

In addition to the regular promos they offer on a weekly basis, customers also have the opportunity to benefit from loyalty and point programs where customers can save money on each order. Looking for an entry level way to work in the emerging cannabis industry? With Toke joining their multi level affiliate programs where people can earn income very easily.

Public Transit Systems may be in trouble, Reducing Downtime and Maintenance Expenses will help. ECOFuelMax

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic Transit ridership across the country has reduced substantially reducing income.

Boca Raton, Florida, August 20, 2020 -- Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic Transit ridership across the country has reduced substantially reducing income. Select Municipalities have helped by reducing Maintenance Expenses by reducing Carbon Pollution/Particulates. A Win-Win for everybody.

A good place to start helping Governmental agencies, Companies and the Public would be to reduce expenses while reducing Pollution. On average a Municipal Transit Bus for a minimal expense of less than $400.00 can reduce maintenance Expenses and Downtime +/-$3,000/yr per vehicle.

For over 10 years tens of thousands of Municipal Transit and Yellow School Buses have been successfully reducing Carbon Pollution/Particulates while saving money for their Counties. In addition to the Corona Virus 30+ Metropolitan areas across the United States last year lost ridership due to reliability issues, lower fuel costs and teleworking. In 2020 some Municipalities have claimed a 70%+ los of ridership, Congress has been summoned to help, will they?

In Texas, California, Florida as well as select Municipalities across the Country have realized the ECO Fuel Pollution Solution has been financially beneficial in addition to reducing Pollution. The ECOFuelMax is CARB approved and has been used by Homeland Security, NASA and the US Government for over a decade.

Now that you have been made aware of a No Risk, Money Back Guaranteed proven opportunity, what are you going to do? Those interested in doing a test and learning how reducing Carbon Pollution can reduce Maintenance Expenses and Downtime go online https:/ecofuelmax.com or call and speak with a Human. GO GREEN – Burn Clean!

Cognivive Inc. Announces World’s First Prescription Interactive Rehabilitation Device Under New FDA Regulation

Cognivive Inc. is digital medicine company that develops neurorehabilitation treatments, delivered in the form of  highly motivating virtual reality games that patients use at home to speed and improve recovery from stroke, monitored and guided by treating clinicians. Theirs is the first prescription interactive rehabilitation device under new FDA regulation. Cognivive's remote-use treatments are the perfect solution to the challenges posed to neurorehabilitation care by covid-19.

Davis, California, United States., August 14, 2020 -- A virtual reality device designed by Cognivive Inc. to help stroke patients recover mobility is the first product under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s new prescription use only “interactive rehabilitation exercise device” classification. The new classification, announced by the FDA in July, was made possible by the 21st Century Cures Act, which aims to accelerate development of innovative medical devices and get them to patients sooner. CogniviveVR, which can be used at home, helps patients recover control over their arms and hands by delivering personalized treatments delivered in the form of highly motivational games.

FDA registration positions Cognivive to market the device to clinicians, clinics, hospitals and health systems as a prescription digital medicine for post-stroke neuro-motor rehabilitation. “Stroke presents a massive problem in that 85 percent of patients have difficulties using their upper extremities, and 65 percent of them have not really recovered five years after the stroke,” said Dr. Tony Simon, a neuroscientist and co-founder and CEO of Cognivive. “The effects on quality of life are huge. Getting patients to do physical therapy at home, which can be boring, unmotivating and frustrating, has been the holy grail. We have developed an effective – and engaging – solution.” The COVID-19 crisis, which has kept many patients home without in-person access to post-stroke physical therapy, presents a timely opportunity for digital health technologies that can be used remotely and prescribed via telemedicine, Simon added. “Since Cognivive’s treatments are designed to be used at home by patients under the guidance of their treating clinician, but without the need for direct supervision, they are exactly what neurorehabilitation providers need to speed and enhance recovery treatment remotely.”

CogniviveVR transports post-stroke patients to a virtual resort world where they can immerse themselves in a fantastical vacation environment while exercising their brains and bodies. Patients wear an off-the-shelf, lightweight headset loaded with Cognivive software. They use hand-held controllers, allowing them to respond to stimuli as if in the real world, whether hitting a ball, firing a cannon or swinging a paddle. “With stroke, you have to retrain the brain to regain control of the body,” said Simon. “We recreate the conditions where we make the movements possible then leverage the neuroplasticity of the brain to create new connections in neural circuits.” Unlike most other virtual reality stroke recovery solutions, Cognivive’s system constantly measures the user’s movements and uses proprietary algorithms to automatically adjust its challenge to the patient’s current abilities, making treatment highly personalized and more motivating. Dr. Bruce Dobkin, director of the NeuroRehabilitation Program at the Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, has tested the CogniviveVR software, and calls it a “potentially formidable patient care option.” “Dr. Simon has an unusually well-conceived understanding of the requirements for a novel VR intervention to enhance a disabled person’s cognitive-motor systems toward better recovery after stroke or any other neurological disease that induces loss of sensation, strength and functional use of an arm/hand,” he said in a statement.

About Cognivive:
Incorporated in January 2017 with the backing of the University of California Davis Venture Catalyst program, Cognivive was the recipient of two UC Davis STAIR grants and a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research Grant from the National Institutes of Health. The company has raised over $750,000 in angel investments and plans its first equity round in early 2021. Additional funding will allow Cognivive to expand the therapeutic capabilities of treatments and to carry out clinical trials. In addition to Simon, company principals include Ted Aronson, a game developer who is co-founder and Chief Creative Officer; Dr. Joseph Salisbury, a neuroscientist and software engineer who is Head of Digital Therapeutics; and Dr. Anastasia Peck, a physical therapist who serves as clinical lead.

US Capital Global Increases Its Presence in London with New Office Led by Managing Director Roger Allen

Leading private financial group for the middle market appoints UK-based Managing Director to head-up the firm’s London Office.

Brighton, Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom., August 8, 2020 -- US Capital Global is pleased to announce its increased presence in London and the appointment of Roger Allen as Managing Director of the firm’s new London Office, located in the heart of the City.

Headquartered in San Francisco, US Capital Global operates worldwide with a strong presence in San Francisco, Las Vegas, and London. The group provides sophisticated debt, equity, and investment products to middle market companies and investors, using the latest FinTech and RegTech innovation. Regulatory hosting and compliance services in the UK are provided for the group by Strata Global Limited.

With close to 40 years’ experience within the financial markets, including nine years in asset management, Mr. Allen leads US Capital Global’s London Office with a strong background in FinTech, RegTech, real estate, alternatives, and medical investment sectors. He has a firm appreciation of ESG and impact investing and is focused on connecting investors and financial allocators to expert fund managers and entrepreneurs with a compelling edge, specialising in niche strategies and innovative projects.

“I’m truly grateful to be augmenting US Capital Global as its UK Managing Director,” said Mr. Allen. “Over the past few years, US Capital Global has steadily increased its presence in London, frequently hosting events with The Fintech Times and Security Tokens Realised, and working with some very exciting UK and Europe-based companies. These include Smart Matrix, the British next-generation wound-care company; Takeout Group in Denmark, the socially conscious SaaS food delivery experts; and the pioneering Norwegian green tech real estate firm, MIRIS. I look forward nurturing US Capital Global’s partnerships with our existing British and European clients, while also establishing new mutually-supportive relations with innovative businesses on this side of the Atlantic.”

“Global studies show a significant rise in UK FinTech start-ups,” said Jeffrey Sweeney, Chairman and CEO at US Capital Global. “In 2019 the UK set a new record for FinTech investment by raising over $4.9 billion, which equates to over half of the $8.5 billion European total. US Capital Global continues to be an active agent on this exciting frontier, and we are keen to expand our presence in London and foster new relationships with innovative partners in the UK and Europe. Roger has ample experience in socially conscious business acceleration, and we are thrilled to welcome him onboard and have him at the helm of our growing London Office. We invite all interested parties to connect with us, to learn more about our products and services.”

About US Capital Global:
Established in 1998, US Capital Global leverages the latest FinTech and RegTech innovation to provide sophisticated debt, equity, and investment products to lower middle market companies and investors. The US Capital Global group manages direct investment funds and provides wealth management and capital raise services through its affiliates, including US Capital Global Investment Management LLC, US Capital Global Wealth Management LLC, and its FINRA-registered broker-dealer, US Capital Global Securities LLC. The group collaborates closely with its peers in professional banking and investment advisory. www.uscapglobal.com

To learn more about US Capital Global in the UK and Europe, email Roger Allen, UK Managing Director, at rallen@uscapglobal.co.uk

A Throne Speech Focused on Covid-19 and the Challenges Facing Morocco and a Call for Solidarity

Speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the King of Morocco’s accession to the Throne: A message of solidarity and hope for Morocco and its economy at this difficult time of the pandemic.

Berlin Germany, August 4, 2020 -- During the annual speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the King of Morocco’s accession to the Throne, the monarch said that he cares as much about Moroccan citizens' health and the safety of their family members as much as he cares about his own Children and Family – even more so in the difficult times as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The King also told the Moroccan people that «It is quite natural in such circumstances to experience fear and anxiety", adding that what has sustained the hope and confidence of Moroccans are the important decisions and the crucial measures taken immediately after the first Covid-19 infections appeared in Morocco". Decisions, the King added, were for “the sake of the safety of our citizens and in the interest of our nation,". “The sense of discipline, the level of awareness and the responsiveness shown by the citizens and by all the nation's forces during this past period are, indeed, a source of pride. Everyone has fulfilled their obligations diligently and responsibly” the King said.

The Monarch expressed his thanks and appreciation to the various government authorities who carried out their duties to curb the spread of the epidemic, calling the people of Morocco patriotic. The sovereign reiterated that he is “aware of the magnitude of the adverse effects this crisis has had, not just on public health, but also at social and economic levels. This crisis has affected all productive sectors, family incomes and the state budget". The King also said that he called for the creation of a special fund to address the health situation as well as the economic and social repercussions of the epidemic, announcing that he is “heartened to see that this initiative has been spontaneously embraced and that it continues to be actively supported,".

King Mohammed VI affirmed that the next phase will require concerted efforts on the part of all Moroccans in order to rise to challenges. Therefore, the King called upon “ all the nation's stakeholders, without exception, to be actively involved in the national endeavors to handle the current situation efficiently and tackle its economic and social repercussions,"  adding that "We should ensure that the gains made recently, during this short period, mark a turning point that allows us to build on the strengths shown by Moroccans, speed up the reforms required by the present situation and make the most of the opportunities at hand,". The king also calls for the expansion of social welfare coverage to all Moroccans, saying that “Such a plan requires tangible reform of current social protection systems and programs in order to increase their direct impact on beneficiaries, especially through the rolling-out of the national social register,” . In this context, the King added  that “universal access to social protection coverage should serve as a lever for the integration of the informal sector into the nation's economic fabric.” . Therefore, the Sovereign called on the “Government to complete the development of a comprehensive, practical approach that includes the timetable, legal framework and financing options needed to achieve effective universal social protection”. The aim, the King said, is to “ensure social protection for all Moroccans”.

The King concluded  that " an ambitious economic stimulus plan will be launched. This plan will enable our productive sectors to recover and to increase their ability to provide jobs and preserve sources of income". The sovereign also called for the creation of a national agency to be tasked with ensuring the strategic management of state contributions and assessing the performance of public institutions. King Mohammed VI also called for “vigilance, solidarity and respect for safety measures iin the fight against the spread of the coronavirus".

About Friends of Morocco:
Friends of Morocco (FOM), active since 1988, is an organisation of Americans and Europeans, mostly returned volunteers, with experience in Morocco with an interest in promoting political, educational, cultural, charitable, social, literary and scientific exchanges between Morocco and the rest of the world. FOM is a non profit organisation with the headquarter is in the USA and chapters around the world. The main objective of Friends of Morocco is to promote Morocco and to build bridges and connect people who have fallen in Love with this country, adopted its culture and made it their 2nd home. Friends of Morocco is a nonprofit organization with branches around the world.