Men Who Influenced Course of History

I used to provide guidance to our students in the Conflict Resolution and Alliance of Civilizations Master's program, affiliated with the Chair of the Alliance of Civilizations, which I have the honor to be its president. These students come from various nationalities (Morocco, Haiti, Mauritania, Senegal, Benin, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Comoros…). I used to tell them all about the paths of prominent figures, such as Mr. Henry Kissinger, the American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant, who served as the United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. I encouraged them to read some of his books, like his book on diplomacy and his book on the global system to understand the international environment.

One of these figures, who is considered an example in the field of production in various areas that contribute to intellectual and societal development, is Mr. Othman Benjelloun, whom I have had the privilege of knowing and working alongside. His name is always associated with the construction of schools and charitable institutions in Morocco and Africa. And for this reason, I would like to dedicate my article this week to one of the greatest men as I always consider him to be and who is celebrating his birthday today. Together, Mr. Benjelloun and his wife Dr. Leila Meziane considered culture, education, and sustainable development as their eternal quest.

The Foundation BANK OF AFRICA has so far built schools in the rural towns as part of an ambitious program to build 1,000 schools.

And I do not think that any other work deserves tribute be paid than this work. It is an investment in knowledge —and knowledge is light. An investment against ignorance —and ignorance is darkness. It is an investment in sustainable development.

A few years ago, Mr. Benjelloun, and Dr. Meziane, received the prestigious Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Awards in New York as a tribute to the efforts of the Foundation BANK OF AFRICA. This prestigious nomination was given by David Rockefeller, chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation and Dr. Peggy Dulany- Rockefeller, chairman of the Synergos Institute.

This nomination honors the efforts of the celebrants and, in particular, the achievements of “Medrasat.com”, which has been in operation for more than 20 years, building and managing collective schools in the rural sides of Morocco and Africa. The names of Mr. Benjelloun and his wife are now added to those who were awarded at previous sessions of the annual event such as Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Nelson Mandela. The award not only went to heads of states, but also to contractors and philanthropists worldwide, like Richard Branson, Ratan Tata (India), His Highness Karim Agha Khan, and Michael Blauberg.

"My thinking goes to Othman Benjelloun as a friend, as well as a wise and experienced man," said Henry Kissinger, a senior American diplomat. "First, it was said that he never had to make his way to the top echelons. One of the most important features in my opinion that one can own is seriousness and the ability to work. We can always find a distinguished person to give us a technical answer, but we can't find a person to rely on even when the circumstances are difficult."

Mr. Benjelloun is a man of a great character. Whenever I sit with him, I see determination and selflessness. In addition to his sharp memory and intelligence, He is very eloquent, a brilliant events analyst, and a clever predictor of the future. He is one of the very few who fought the scourge of sustainable development in all aspects, and has a hand in education and human resources.

Besides, Mr. Benjelloun masters evaluation and persuasion. He has a decent and special style of his own when it comes to conversations. He is never offensive or presumptuous, however, gentle and patient when it comes to correcting people.

Mr. Benjelloun lives with thousands of his employees as one family. He is a man of good virtue, who always appreciates and praises his assistants highly, describing them as “men of capability, innovation, and creativity.” It is his way of reminding mankind the reason for their existence on earth is: work, worship, love, do good, and, above all, trust in God.

These qualities are what I want our students to embrace, as they will one day become statesmen, ambassadors, senior officials, nation builders, and founders of institutions.