Before I break the news here about how great the forum was, let me start by defining the word competency. It is defined by others as "the ability to do something successfully or efficiently". Competency is excelling at what you do and going above and beyond of what is expected from you. At the AMCN forum, most, if not all participants were competent, but what striked me most was their ability to innovate and engage in activities that were beyond their job descriptions and "the expected". It was heart warming to see how motivated these Moroccans were and how eager they were to give back to their home country.
When the President of HMEMSA, Amine Chigani, suggested I submit a project proposal for the forum, I immediately thought of an idea that I have been thinking about for a while. I thought it was a great opportunity for me to actually start the definition and planning phase of the idea. I did not know how fast other people will get seriously involved and push the idea to the next level. I immediately connected with people who could help, and got great feedback from people in Texas, New York, California, Wisconsin, Virginia and even Morocco. Not that I didn't believe in the idea, but having feedback, support, and another person than yourself tell you it can work, made a big difference and gave me more motivation. Henry Schwartz and Boushra rafi were the biggest part of this initiative. From day one, they believed in the concept, worked hard to make a strong case for it, and took crucial roles as team members.
I had the opportunity to present the idea of "E-Mentorship" at the forum in front of government representatives from different ministries in Morocco and in front of business professionals coming from all over the U.S.
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| Me, Ambassador of his majesty to the U.S, and Boushra |
The forum was also a fun event for me to meet other Moroccans and connect with the community while learning about all the great achievements they have all done in the United States. The words from the ambassador of his majesty on the official launch of the American Moroccan Competencies Network, were very well phrased, as it showed his commitment to helping the community, and helping us give back to our home country while shining in our fields of expertise here in the U.S.
The next meeting was announced to take place in Rabat, Morocco in March 2013.
