The involvement of migrants in twinning between territories

Migrations & Development

Migrations & Développement is a French-Maroccan association created in 1986 by Maroccan migrants in France to carry out development activities in their villages of origin: Moroccan Atlas and Anti-Atlas hit by a serious drought since the mid-1970s. Gradually, an integrated rural development program was developed in participation with local poeple. This was supported by researchers, Northern donors and Moroccan local and national authorities. In 2000, after a broad regional consultation, support actions for economic activities are undertaken : support for farmers (producers of saffron, olive oïl, argan, etc.) and helps a rural tourism solidarity program based on the investment of migrants in rurals inns, built in their village of origin.

The action of M&D is bases on three principles :

1. participation of local poeple in the decision-making and projects funding ;
2. village solidarity ;
3. partnership with local authorities.

Training of actors (politicians, exécutives village associations, local governments, collaborators) is a major focus of the interventions of the association. In this context, it launched, in cooperation with the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Montpellier, the ECOPTER project (Operational Scholl of Earth products) which aims to promote and commercialize local products in France and Morocco. This training is designed for Young French poeple of immigration and youngh Moroccans living in villages. The involvement of migrants in the development is a fundamental issue of the association. It's in this context that the project "Rooting without uprooting" fits since June 2010 in a global approach of strenghtening the capacity of associations from migration, both in France and Morocco, in partnership with the Ministry of Moroccans living abroad. Current projects concern the following actions:

1. Promotion of aromatic plants and propmotion of the involvement of rural women in local economic development ;
2. Installation of street lighting in the village of Imnach (Rural municipality of Tinzert) (Municipality involved in TOGETHER network) ;
3. Support to producers of saffron in the qualitative improvement of their production ;
4. Support to productive/solidarity investment of migrants in rural communities of southern Morocco ;
5. Capacities strengthening of the associations of Moroccan living in the South of France (PACA, Languedoc Roussillon, Rhône Alpes, Aquitaine and Midi Pyrénées) ;
6. Partnership with ACIM for ptojects leaders in Morocco and investors from the Moroccan disapora.

Otherwise, the blog of the capitalization of M&D about the role of migrants in the development of their territory is launched. The interest of this blog during the data collection phase is that everyone can contribute to its supply, and respond and comment on documents, photos, stories posted by others.