Moroccan Heritage Month — Reflections on The Necessity of Communities
November of each year has been declared Moroccan Heritage Month in Toronto by the Mayor. I had the privilege of being invited and attending the exclusive celebration of Moroccan Heritage Month by The Consul General of Morocco in Toronto.
This gathering was a celebration of heritage, culture, and a reminder of my roots. I think it is important to know why I have decided to post this after November. Celebrations and recognitions begin with one event but do not end there. For me, it is just the beginning of celebrating Moroccan contributions and thinking about what can be done for the future growth of the community.
It was an honour to attend this event and inspired me to challenge my boundary of knowledge. This includes researching deep into the history by learning about the Indigenous Moroccan Amazigh culture, and reflecting on various historic events.
The future of a community is not only immersing yourself in the rich history but for it to thrive, there must be gatherings. Coming together is the ultimate way of ensuring values, history, and growth of a community are passed on to future generations.
When you think of community, you might immediately think it’s about how others build and something you can show up to, but without initiative and connecting others to your community, how can it thrive? How can it grow? Community is not about how you show up but how you create an initiative for that community.
As we are re-learning as a society how to navigate social settings, remote workspaces, and an ever-changing landscape of virtual realities, it’s important to challenge ourselves to go back to our natural habitats — communities.
With the continued effort of Consulates and Morrocans abroad, I think the future is bright. We must come together and value the in-person gatherings as much as we can and not forget to take the initiative of our ideas and passions for them to thrive.
I am looking forward to what Moroccan communities have in store! I want you to leave reading about this and think about what value and initiatives you want to take in your community for it to thrive.
