Task One:

At the onset of our arrival we had to check in with local authorities stationed on higher ground. We followed the path laid out by the frequent trips taken by the donkeys only to find that the Calif (mayor) was out. As we walked back we discovered the reason for his absence at his post. It was the inauguration day of a new soccer field and darshabeb (free school) which was to be built. A mass of men lingered around the new field. Women watched from a far occasionally resonating a reverberating shriek which I was told is a customary way to welcome guests. While most local women stood afar few women, including the ones in my group stood amongst the elite men from outside the village. I later found out that one of the females was an engineer of the project; another is a VP of an office and one a president of an association. Fortune also graced us with the chance to meet the president of the Tamazight communities, who interestingly enough is deaf. (a deaf leader… something to pounder on in the future)

Shortly, the Caid showed up to the event. At that time, an elder of the village approached him vocalizing his objection to the field being built as he believed the land was stolen from him. With a lack of a written documentation of the land being his, there is not much to be done. Distressed, the older man became louder and the confrontation escalated. A group of men formed around the conflicting pair. Attentively the Caid listened to the man and tried his best to resolve the quarrel for the time being. Patience and listening skills I found are an honored characteristic of authorities in Morocco. One is supposed to firstly listen to what someone has to say and be patient before taking any action. Despite efforts however, the older man would not settle and the event became a little physical. At this point the local police took action and had to move the man away from the Caid so that the Caid could continue on with the dedication.