The photograph enchanted the jury that highlighted the ancestral technic, wickerwork, and the recycled ecological material: Doum palms.

National Jury Prize and the International Honorable Mention: Roses of Dades, a tradition at risk

The students from Abdelkarim El Khattabi from Tinghir, of the Darâa-Tafilalet academy of education, have been awarded the prize of the national jury, with their written report on ‘the roses of the Dades Valley: a candle that burns itself to illuminate the height of Dades’ for the category 19-21 years old. The high school students have been investigating on the overexploitation of this valley and the pollution of Oued Dades. Their work leads to the importance of raising awareness of the local population, especially of the local cooperatives which have as main activity the traditional distillation of rose’s petals to make essential oil and cosmetic products.

An International contest raised

The Moroccan students have been competing with those of 35 countries worldwide. The international jury of the young reporters for the environment contest is composed from representatives of UNEP, UNESCO, International Institute for Industrial and Environmental Economics (IIEEE), Wrigley Foundation, an international journalist, and a former YRE laureate (1996), and FEE.

The awarded students from the contest will receive a certificate and the publication of their written report or photograph in the Huffington Post kids.

The YRE program in Morocco has been granted 26 international prizes from 2002, year of this launch in Morocco.

The National Contest, Entrance door to the International Contest

The international jury deliberated after that the different national jury contests have selected their local finalists. In Morocco, the 15th edition of YRE contest of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection announced its result on the 12th of April: from which 650 photographs from 150 middle and high schools and 170 written reporters realized from 602 students from 140 middle and high schools. They have awarded six photographs and six written reports on the theme “Sustainable tourism: the responsibility of all.”

•The Prize of proximity: have been granted to Hassan II high school in Rabat, Rabat Salé Kénitra academy of education, for a written report on the Oulja potters’ that shows that their conversion to environmental practices may lead to stop the slow decline of an ancestral activity.

•The Awareness Prize for the 15-18 years old have been granted to the students from Khadija Al Mouaminine de Sidi Bernoussi High School (Casablanca-Settat academy). They have described an ecological city through the eyes of a stork that is flying over the area. They have highlighted also that the urbanistic plans have integrated sustainable development, especially the sustainable mobility.

•The contrast Prize for the 11-14 years old have been attributed to El Hassan Middle School from Tangier for the well know Haffa Coffee, where celebrities as the famous writer Bowles, Mohammed Choukri or Jean Genet have their habits to go there, and probably was a source of their inspiration. The students recommend the renovation of this heritage, today at risk.

•The Prize of the national jury for the 19-21 years old have been given to Abdelkarim El Khattabi high school of Tinghir (Daraa Tafilalet Academy) for their written report on the threats on the roses of the Dades Valley, where ancestral tradition of the production of the essence oil of roses is endangered by pollution and overexploitation.

•The Inter-generation Prize for the 15-18 years old have been distinguished El Ihssane 3 from El Jadida for their work on the cultural tradition of falconry and the importance of preserving it and transmitting to youth.

•The Innovation Prize for the 19-21 years old have attributed to Cherif Idrissi High school in Oujda for their written report on the valorization of the waste of olive pomace as fuel, allowing the reduction of the regional ecological footprint and the pressure on the forest.

The prize of winning photographs have been discerned to six schools from the different academies of education, for illustrations such as the cedar of Ben Smim of the middle atlas, the natural bridge of Imin Ifri near Demnate, the Doukkalas stones structures: tazotas, the Huceima souk, and the old doors and scents of Agadir.