Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
Former President of the Spanish Government
An unmissable event during the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, the Human Rights Forum organized for its 11th edition a series of debates around the theme “Morocco, Spain, Portugal: a history with a future”. Professors, writers, diplomats and intellectuals helped enrich the debate on the future and the common destiny between the three countries organizing the 2030 World Cup.
This is your first time attending this festival and the human rights forum. What do you think about it and what is its role and importance today?
Peace is the most important task that humanity must accomplish and the one that it has had throughout history. Peace is dialogue, respect, proximity. And that is precisely Spain, Morocco and Portugal. The three will organize the 2030 World Cup, which will be, as we hope, an event to promote peace. When peace is imposed, when dialogue between peoples and cultures is established, when we respect each other, when we learn to know each other, when we call on other cultures, other languages, other histories, the world is bigger, wider, and citizens can be happier. And that is what this festival represents. It is a song to happiness, to dialogue, to love, through art and culture, that is to say, through intelligence, because intelligence allows us to be closer, more cultured and also allows us to coexist.
Relations between Morocco and Spain?
We are living a great moment in the relations between Morocco and Spain. It is true that there is a great commercial and economic relationship well established between the two countries, but there is something more important which is none other than respect and appreciation. We cannot understand the history of Spain without Morocco and the Arab world and we cannot understand the history of Morocco without Spain. We have left reciprocal footprints. That is why I think that we must congratulate both governments that there is such a positive relationship and that this is a legacy that endures and that it is an example for Europe and its relationship with Africa. So that this Morocco turned towards Africa, which has so many problems and difficulties and suffering, is also a concern of Europe and Spain.
What is your relationship with Morocco?
I come to Morocco very often. Morocco is so welcoming and I am treated so well here, so logically I have to reciprocate this great affection that this great nation gives me.
Faiza Rhoul / ECO Inspirations
