Gnaoua Festival’s Human Rights Forum Explores Morocco, Spain, and Portugal’s Shared Path

Essaouira – The 11th edition of the Human Rights Forum at the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival opened on Friday under the theme “Morocco, Spain, Portugal: a history that looks to the future”.

The forum, organized in partnership with the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME), aims to explore the rich and complex relations between the three countries as they prepare to jointly host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

The opening ceremony was attended by prominent figures including André Azoulay, Advisor to the King and founding president of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, as well as distinguished personalities from various fields.

The debates focused on topics related to shared history, the role of diasporas, mobility, and the impact of the 2030 World Cup on neighborly relations.

In her forum remarks, festival director and producer Neila Tazi emphasized the forum’s role in promoting development through culture and fostering discussions on important current issues.

She highlighted the festival’s commitment to coexistence and living together, noting that this year’s forum focuses on the joint World Cup bid with Spain and Portugal, which reflects growing political and economic ties.

Also at the forum, CCME President Driss El Yazami praised the festival for showcasing Morocco’s historical depth, cultural diversity, and openness to the world.

He noted that the unprecedented joint bid represents an opportunity to strengthen relations between the three countries but also poses challenges.

El Yazami emphasized the need to examine the roles of civil society, intellectuals, artists, and athletes in building healthy and lasting relationships.

The keynote speaker, former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, expressed his admiration for Morocco’s progress in human rights and women’s rights.

“The Mediterranean philosophy says that you cannot understand Spanish culture without Morocco and vice versa,” he said, stressing the importance of making the 2030 World Cup an event of shared friendship between the countries.

Zapatero also made a call towards defending principles of racial and gender equality and rejecting selfishness and egocentrism.

On the topic of bilateral relations, El Yazami noted that Morocco has a deep history of cooperation with Spain and Portugal, in both beautiful moments and in times of crisis. He emphasized the importance of civil society accompanying the efforts made by sports federations and governments.

The CCME president also highlighted the increasing tourist flows between Morocco and Spain, as well as opportunities to better exploit this domain with Portugal.

Concerning the World Cup, festival director Tazi sees the joint tournament bid as an opening for peace and dialogue, much like the Gnaoua Festival itself. “I hope it will be the world football championship for peace,” she said.

“When peace is imposed, when dialogue between peoples and cultures advances, when we respect and appreciate other cultures, languages, and histories, the world is bigger, more vast, and the citizens of the world can be happier. That’s what this festival does,” she added.

The 25th edition of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, which kicked off Thursday will continue on through tomorrow evening. The lineup features daring and improbable musical experiments for the delight of music listeners and masters alike from all over the world.