🇧🇪 La Belgique soutient la Cour pénale internationale Lors d'une récente conférence, j'ai eu l'occasion de discuter avec Mme Hadja Lahbib, ministre des affaires étrangères et comme elle l'a déclaré lors de la conférence, ministre du futur. Elle m'a affirmé que la Belgique soutenait pleinement la CPI dans son enquête sur les crimes de guerre dans la bande de Gaza. Elle a également souligné l'importance de créer un consensus au sein de l'UE pour adopter une position commune face à Israël. Elle m'a expliqué que l'UE, en collaboration avec la Jordanie et l'Égypte, travaille activement à trouver une solution politique avec les autorités palestiniennes. Concernant la reconnaissance de l'État palestinien par certains pays de l'UE, Mme Lahbib a commenté que cela résulte de la difficulté de créer un concensus sur la réponse européenne à la question. Elle a précisé que, au-delà de la valeur symbolique de cette reconnaissance, une véritable reconnaissance doit se construire sur une base stratégique solide, capable de mener à un apaisement durable des tensions dans la région. En ce sens, ce processus est encore en cours de développement. #Diplomatie #UE #Belgique #Gaza #Palestine #Paix #PolitiqueInternationale

It was a pleasure to discuss with you Birgit Van Hout, and my colleagues Laura Guthrie, Christian Wijnroks, M.Aziz Ghenima, Mana Mees, Rochane El Kahi and many others in such a meaningful discussion. As Youth Ambassadors for The ONE Campaign, we are committed to raising awareness and engaging in meaningful discussions. Your openness to hearing our insights and experiences underscores the collaborative spirit necessary to tackle global challenges.

Why do we need a DG Meme? 😏 Yesterday at the #BeersPoliticsEUsession on the topic of "Communicating about the EU"! this question was raised (almost exactly like that) and it was eye opening on the desperate need for a more terre-à-terre communication style to reach normal audiences. Institutions struggle to get their messages outside the Brussels Bubble walls and sometimes the political decisions that are taken do not reflect the real needs of the stakeholders as we saw not so long ago with the farmers protests around Europe and at Place du Luxembourg. In the run-up to the European elections, it's urgent to tackle these problems as they play a key role in the disinformation that leads to the rise of the far-right. Europe does not understand the people and people do not understand the EU. Let alone the difference between the European council, the council of Europe and the council of the European Union as the host Harold Tor-Daenens jokingly said at the end. On the bright side though this debate is taking place and apparently DG Meme is really partnering with the European Parliament to communicate about the elections... I am curious to see where this is going... Thanks to the speakers Ángela González Montes, Calum MacKichan and Annica Ryng And glad to meet inspiring people Paul Walsh, Florentina Penescu, Jef Willems, Édua Papp, Valentin Dupouey and Filip Lugovic #BeersPoliticsEUsession #DGMeme #EuropeanElections #Communication

From Rabat to Brussels: A Journey of Curiosity 🚀🤔 I’m on a journey that’s taken me from the bustling streets of Rabat, Morocco, all the way to Brussels, the vibrant heart of Europe. Picture this: I'm 4 years old, trying to get my tongue around "l'Ambassade de l'Inde" as I walked past the Indian Embassy on my way to kindergarten with my father. Those early impressions of diplomats playing badminton 🏸 and the vivid colors of Saris and Dastars (turbans) didn’t just spark my curiosity—they lit a fire. Before I even understood what culture or diplomacy were, I saw firsthand how different and yet similar we all can be. Picking flowers from the embassy's bushes for my mom, I started asking questions. What's India all about? Why the unique clothes? Why badminton and not football? Fast forward 20 years, and here I am in the EU, still driven by that same curiosity. Those childhood curiosities are now driving me to explore, learn, and connect. They've taken me to the EU and might even lead me to India someday. 🌏 My aim is to kick off a series of posts and podcasts 🎙️ to dive into why I'm fascinated by diplomacy and politics, where I'll share what excites me in the fields of journalism, political communication and the important subjects in European policy. I'll also chat with the pros to get the scoop on what really goes on in policy making - the people, the decisions, and how they talk to the world. 🌐 Stay tuned for a journey into the heart of diplomacy and culture! Let's explore this diverse and intriguing world together. 🚀 Many thanks to Paul Walsh for encouraging me to start this new adventure...

"When will you no longer be Moroccan?" 🇲🇦 Sounds like an odd question, right? Well, apparently not really for the HR representative of an organisation who interviewed me recently in Brussels. Usually, these questions are not as straightforward, but this time her tongue slipped... My natural response was, "I will always be Moroccan." Then the HR representative clarified she was referring to obtaining European citizenship... "In five years if I stay here"... But will I 🤔 Normally I don't post much on social media, but I've had enough of being treated that way in the job market over and over, and I feel compelled to shed light on the reality of being a qualified Moroccan seeking a job in Brussels in the field of European Affairs or communication. Please enjoy the aftermath of this encounter reminiscent of many emails I've received before, and probably to the ones received by thousands of people coming from a "third country" in the "southern neighborhood" : "Dear Wael,   B*** (not to mention the organisation) would like to thank you once again for the time you took to attend the interview for the above mentioned position and your interest in our organisation.    Unfortunately, we have to inform you that you have not been selected for the position.    Whilst you were not selected for the current opening, the interview team did not take this decision lightly. We were really impressed by your very positive and dynamic approach, your enthusiasm and willingness to learn was obvious.   Please continue to have a look at our web-site, and please do not hesitate to send your application if any job opportunity would suit you.   We enjoyed making your acquaintance and our discussions indicated that you have much to offer your next employer. We wish you success in your future job search. Good luck!" #JobSearch #DiversityAndInclusion #Brussels #ProudMoroccan

Merci Thierry VALLAT, Edouard Gaudot, Mohamed Al Hani ainsi que l'équipe de CFI, les rédacteurs en chefs et les journalistes sans oublier les intervenants lors des master class pour avoir rendu cela possible