Najia Elboudali

Najia Elboudali

Biography

Najia Elboudali is President of the Association Synergie Civique - Civic Synergy - a group of activists, NGOs, artists, and researchers, whose mission is to consolidate and sustain human rights, and to reinforce the capacity of communication - "The Civic Synergy is a way for the democratization of knowledge." Each year, the Synergie Civique organizes different workshops on formation, writing, and 'Civic Caravan', in order to reinforce the dialogue between the rural and the urban, and between Morocco and Arab and European countries. The last 'Civic Caravans' organized by the Synergie Civique and coordinated by Professor Najia Elboudali were: the tenth Civic Caravan, about 'The women weavers of dreams and the new magicians who build the modern Morocco', Casablanca, April 29-30, 2006; the Civic Caravan of Turin, about 'Morocco in change', Turin, June 28-30, 2006; the Civic Caravan of Bahrain, about 'The Cow Boy and the Sindibad, duality between dialogue and power, Pencil and Sword', in collaboration with the Center Alkhalifa of Culture and Research, Al Manama, March 13-20, 2005; the Civic Caravan of Bologna, about 'The Moroccan Sindbads', Bologna, October 11-13, 2004. Najia Elboudali intervenes widely in Moroccan and European Media, above all concerning women's status in Morocco. In 1998, she was cited by the magazine, Women of Morocco, as one of the 100 individuals who impacted change on Moroccan family laws. She has been invited by the Rai (third Italian TV channel) to lead a séance about women's legal status in Morocco. Najia was born on January 15, 1959, in the past Medina of Casablanca. She has a PhD in Geology and is a Professor at the University Hassan II, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock. Her research in geology led her to the mountainous regions which awakened her to the full plight of women in rural environments. Her research experiences inspired her to become a vocal and committed advocate for women's issues. In 1998, along with other activists defending women's rights, she founded the Center Fama - an information resource center for women rights issues. Najia headed Center Fama voluntarily from 1998 to 2001. In 2003, she was honored by the King of Morocco Mohamed VI, and received the Foundation Mohamed V for Solidarity award.