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Tacoma considers Sister City in Morocco

By John Larson

Tacoma Weekly
jlarson@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: September 20, 2007

Heather Tucci-Jarraf thinks Tacoma is ready for another Sister City. She wants to establish official ties with a city in a land she has a deep interest in – Morocco.

Tucci-Jarraf is a partner in Moroccan Treasures, a retail store downtown that sells furnishings and other items from the northern African nation. She is part of an organizing committee that has been meeting to establish a Sister City agreement between Tacoma and the Moroccan city of El Jadida. She pitched the idea to Tacoma City Council's Economic Development Committee during its Sept. 11 meeting.

Tucci-Jarraf told the committee that Morocco is the most westernized of the Arab nations. It is a monarchy, but has a democratically elected government. Church and state are separated in Moroccan culture, setting it apart from many nations in Africa and the Middle East where Islam dominates the government. Unlike many Arab nations, Morocco has good relations with Israel.

A port city on the Atlantic Ocean, El Jadida was established in the early 1500s. It was a Portuguese settlement until it was taken over by Moroccans in 1769.

Its beaches draw visitors from around Morocco and other Arab countries during the summer. "Morocco is where all the other Arabic nations go to have a good time but still be in their comfort zone," Tucci-Jarraf remarked.

El Jadida is gradually shifting away from an agricultural economy, she explained. Efforts are in place to maintain some agriculture as a component of a growing tourism economy, Tucci-Jarraf said. Efforts are under way to clean up the beaches and attract cruise ships, she added.

El Jadida serves as a port for Marrakech, a major city about 110 miles to the south. It has a considerable manufacturing sector, with clothing and machinery among the chief products made there.

It has a population of approximately 150,000.

Just like Tacoma, El Jadida is a "city of destiny." Morocco's king has bestowed this designation on El Jadida and four other cities. As a result, the national government is pouring millions of dollars into the city for various projects, Tucci-Jarraf said. This is attracting Chinese and Arab businesses to the city, she added.

She said Millennium Challenge Corporation, a United States government corporation established in 2004 to assist developing nations, has allocated $697 million to Morocco.

Morocco is the first Arab nation to create a plan to address domestic violence, according to Tucci-Jarraf. She said officials and residents of El Jadida are aware of the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, a facility in downtown Tacoma that serves victims of domestic violence.

A delegation from El Jadida is scheduled to visit Tacoma next summer. They will arrive shortly before Tall Ships 2008 and Freedom Fair, and will be in town during the two major events. Tucci-Jarraf said this is planned so the visitors can observe Tacoma during a normal period, then experience the excitement of two major festivals.

Delegation members want to visit the Judson center and learn about Port of Tacoma operations, so they can bring back ideas on serving domestic violence victims and improving their port.

Councilmember Rick Talbert serves on the board of the Judson center. Talbert said the fact El Jadida officials are interested in the center got his attention. He said this is an example of how Sister City partnerships can address social justice issues. "I am very excited by this opportunity," Talbert commented.

Ryan Petty, the city's economic development director, told committee members he was skeptical about adding another Sister City when he first heard Tucci-Jarraf's idea. This was primarily because the city cut funding to staff the program several years ago. Petty said his hesitation went away once he heard the full story. "This is just such a compelling situation," he remarked.

The committee voted for a due pass recommendation to establish a Sister City agreement with El Jadida. The matter will be before the entire council for a vote at an upcoming meeting.

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