The Road To Morocco — 1986
By MAYOR JAMES E. DIXON, City of Dixon, IL

Election to the Office of Mayor rarely leads a person to any locale more exotic than the sewage treatment plant. When your city is the Boyhood Home of the President of the United States, however, you can expect the extraordinary.

The City of Dixon was invited to send its Mayor, as a guest of the government of Morocco, to a conference on local government which opened in Casablanca on June 18, 1986. As the only participant at the conference from America, I was the object of special attention and courtesy which made the visit particularly memorable.

The Kingdom of Morocco is situated on the northwestern coast of Africa at the entrance to the Mediterranean. For Americans, it is an extremely important strategic location. The Moroccan City of Tangiers faces Gibraltar. Marrakech, to the south, is the gateway to the Sahara through the Atlas Mountains.

Fertile valleys, rugged mountains, rocky desert and 2,000 miles of coastline remind a visitor in Morocco of the geographical variety of California, but you don't need Humphrey Bogart of a Cafe Americaine to tell you it is not. Snake charmers, storytellers, rug dealers, dentists, donkeys and spice merchants all noisily compete for your attention and business in the market. You know instantly that you are in a different world.

Part of the North African community of Arab nations, Morocco has close cultural ties to Europe. After years of trade and personal interchange, much of the Hispanic culture and architecture reflects the Moorish/ Moroccan influence. King Hassan II, currently celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of his coronation, has likened Morocco to a tree nourished by roots deep in the soil of Africa which breathes through foilage rustling to the winds of Europe.

In the early 1970's, unrest and change swept much of North Africa. King Hassan sought to direct change towards constructive, democratic development. He led his country to a constitutional monarchy. The country is still in the process of evolving its own form of democracy. After electing a national parliament and the development of several national political parties in the 1970's, the first series of popular elections of mayors and city councils took place in 1980. In 1987 municipal elections will be expanded to more communities with the ultimate goal being local autonomy patterned on the political traditions of North America and Western Europe.

The problems of elected and appointed local officials in Morocco are essentially the same as we face in Illinois. Public finance, the delivery of quality public

August 1986 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 5

services, inter-community cooperation, economic and community development, and cooperation with national and regional legislative and executive authorities, were the subjects most on the minds of the participants in the conference. Mayors from foreign countries were invited to share their experiences in these areas with representatives from local communities throughout Morocco.

The conference opened in Casablanca with a general session attended by all of the delegates, the King and his administrators, and a large contingent of the diplomatic corps and news media. I was invited to speak, as was the Minister of the Interior of France and the Mayors of Jerusalem and Dakar. My remarks were directed primarily to the local officials and were based on a theme that we can be good leaders only if we are good servants. Since mayors and local officials deal in the most direct and important public services, such as sanitation and public health and safety, we provide our citizens with the means for a decent human life. It often seems that our work is ordinary, but if we deliver these services with love and compassion we bring justice and harmony to our community. I told the delegates that even though public administration on the local level was sometimes very difficult, it was noble work of which they could be very proud.

King Hassan, who is scheduled to confer with President Reagan in Washington, urged the delegates to work towards greater democracy in local affairs. He particularly stressed greater emphasis on quality services in the smaller and middle sized communities through regional and inter-community cooperation. He had recently presented to Parliament a new "value added" tax program to fund a variety of local programs.

The remaining sessions of the conference took place in Meknes, one of the four historical capitals of Morocco along with Casablanca, Fez and the current capital of Rabat. Meknes is a beautiful city in the Middle Atlas Mountains. As with Casablanca, the influence of the French, who controlled that country from 1912 to 1956, is clearly evident. Broad boulevards, traffic circles and sidewalk cafes abound. But the Moroccan remains in full control in the Medina, or old, walled city, where you find narrow streets, mosques and minarets, men in hooded cloaks (djellabas), women -wearing veils, and donkeys everywhere.

Mayors and local government officials from all over Morocco and many African and Mediterranean countries discussed proposals and committee reports for four days. Subjects for discussion by sub-committees included local public services, inter-community cooperation, urbanism, and human and financial resources.

Instantaneous interpretation service was provided during this session in four languages — Arabic and French which are commonly spoken by Moroccans, as well as Spanish and English.

The debate was lively. Occasionally it became heated, particularly when spokesmen were representatives of minority parties. The most common complaint was that local officials were being asked to assume greater responsibilities without the necessary tax revenues and manpower. It was not unlike a meeting of municipal officials in Illinois.

Although the sessions were much the same as comparable American gatherings, there were three obvious differences. The delegates in Morocco were generally better dressed than their American counterparts. No polo shirts or sneakers were in evidence. Most wore business suits, but there was a generous mixture of turbans and flowing robes. Meetings often started later than the scheduled time, but delegates regularly worked through four hour sessions without a break. Sessions often continued as late as 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. Finally, there was almost a complete lack of significant participation by women. I was told that the King has tried to encourage and develop the involvement of women in government, but that change was being accomplished only very slowly.

With the conclusion of the conference on Sunday, I had the opportunity to tour the country. I had been furnished with a limousine, chauffeur and aide for the duration of the visit, so I drove through Fez and the Middle Atlas Mountains to spend two days in Marrakech. The Twenty-Sixth National Festival of Folk Art was concluding as I arrived. I had a rare opportunity to see the final ceremonies. Almost 750 Moroccan musicians and dancers performed traditional folk music and dances under a huge desert moon within the fortified walls of a twelfth century Moroccan palace.

A visit to a Berber village in the Anti Atlas Mountains above Marrakech brought the biggest surprise. As I entered the village, I was greeted by its Mayor, fifteen young girls in traditional dress, and twelve accomplished musicians. I enjoyed the hospitality of the Mayor, sipping tea in the cool courtyard of the kasbah overlooking the green valley of Orika, while the entertainers sang and danced for nearly an hour. A large group of villagers also turned out to get a look at their American visitor.

Before I was ready it was over — the big tents, the whole roast lamb on huge platters, the whirling dancers and the donkeys on narrow, winding roads. The climate and color are ideal for tourism, from the snow in the mountains to the oasis in the desert. Moroccans are friendly and generous. They love Americans. I would have preferred to stay longer.

Morocco has a long, colorful history and an ancient culture. The United States is much younger, but has a tradition of local autonomy and democracy. Certainly we can learn a great deal from each other. I hope my participation in the conference gave local mayors and other public officials a glimpse of democracy in America. It was certainly an experience this American Mayor will never forget. •

Page 6 / Illinois Municipal Review / August 1986