Mahdi Elmandjra

Mahdi ElMandjra
Born	March 13, 1933 Rabat, Morocco
Died	June 13, 2014 (aged 81) Rabat, Morocco
Nationality	Moroccan
Occupation	futurist, economist and sociologist

Mahdi Elmandjra (Arabic: مهدي المنجرة‎‎; March 13, 1933 – June 13, 2014) was a Moroccan futurist, economist and sociologist.^[1]

Education

Elmandjra started his high-school education at Lycée Lyautey (Casablanca) in 1944 where he got his Baccalaureat in 1948 . He then went to Putney School, Vermont, U.S. (1948–1950) before joining Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (1950–1954) where he obtained a B.A. Government degree. Elmandjra then went to England where he enrolled in the London School of Economics, and the University of London (1954–1957) obtaining a PhD.

Career

Mahdi Elmandjra graduated from Cornell (USA) and obtained his PhD from the London School of Economics. He has taught international relations at the University of Rabat since 1958.

Elmandjra has held many occupations throughout his career. After finishing his studies, ElMandjra started his career as Director General of the Moroccan Broadcasting Service (RTM) and as a Counselor of the Moroccan Mission to the UN. He occupied various functions in the UN body from 1961 to 1981 including that of Assistant Director General of UNESCO for Social Sciences, Human Sciences and Culture as well as Coordinator of the Conference on Technical Cooperation between Developing countries at the UNDP.

He was President of the World Futures Studies Federation and of Futuribles International as well as the founding President of the Moroccan Association of Future Studies and the Moroccan Organization of Human Rights.

He is a member of the African Academy of Sciences and of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco. He has been a Visiting Professor to Tokyo University (1998) and a Visiting Scholar of the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) at the Tokyo Keizai University (1999).

UNESCO (1961-1969)

• Chief, Africa Division (1961–1963);
• Director of the Executive Office of the Director general (1963–1966);
• Assistant Director General for the Social Sciences, Human Sciences and Culture (1966–1969);
• Visiting Fellow, Center for International Studies, London School of Economics, Univ.of London (1970);

UNESCO (1971-1976)

• Assistant Director General for Programming and Future Studies (1971–1976);
• Special Adviser to the Director General,(1975–1976);
• Professor, Faculte des Sciences Juridiques, Economiques et Sociales, Universite Mohamed V, Rabat (1976–1979);
• Assistant Secretary general, United Nations Programme for Development (UNDP): Coordinator, Conference on Technical Cooperation between African Countries (Nairobi, 1980);
• Special Consultant to the United Nations during the International Year of Disable Persons,(1980–1981);
• Special Advisor to the Director General of the Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics IBI)(1981–1987);
• Adviser to the Secretary general of the United Nations on the programmes of the UN System against the Abuse of Drugs (1990–1991);
• Professor, Faculte des Sciences Juridiques, Economiques et Sociales, Universite Mohamed V, Rabat (1981);
• Visiting Professor, Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo (1998);

Professional associations

• World Future Studies Federation (WFSF), President (1977–1981);
• Futuribles International, President (1981–1990);
• Club of Rome (resignation in 1988);
• Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco;
• World Academy of Art and Science;
• World Academy of Social Prospective;
• African Academy of Sciences (Exec. Comm.);
• Pugwash Movement;
• Society for International Development (SID), Council (1982–1988), Exec. Comm.(1985–1988);
• International Union of Architects, Rapporteur XIII World Congress of Architects, Mexico (1978);
• Third World Forum;
• Founding President of the Moroccan Association of Future Studies (AMP);
• Founding President of the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH);
• Morocco-Japan Association, Founding Member and Vice-President;
• Moroccan Association of Economists;
• Moroccan Association of Philosophy;
• Moroccan Association of Historians.

Publications

He has published several books and over 500 articles in the fields of the human and social sciences. He is a co-author of "No Limits to Learning" (Report to the Club of Rome, 1979) and the author of several books including "The United Nations System" (1973), "Maghreb et Francophonie" (1988), "Premiere Guerre Civilisationnelle" (1991), "Retrospective des Futurs" (1992), "Nord-Sud, Prelude a l'Ere Postcoloniale" (1993), «Cultural Diversity Key to Survival» (1995),» (1996), «Decolonisation Culturelle : Defi majeur du 21e Siecle» (1996), "Reglobalization of globalization" (2000), "Communication Dialogue" (2000),“Intifadates” (2001), Humiliation à l'ère du méga-impérialisme (2003) et Ihana (2004). Many of his books have been translated to Japanese such as “The First Civilizational War” (1999) and “The Afghan War : The Second Civilizational War, The End of an Empire”.

Professor Elmandjra received the Prix de la Vie Economique 1981 (France), the Grand Medal of the French Academy of Architecture (1984), the distinctions of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (France, 1985) and of the Order of The Rising Sun (Japan, 1986). He also received the Peace Medal of the Albert Einstein International Academy and the Award of the World Future Studies Federation (WFSF) in 1995. In 2002 he was made the first honorary member of the Moroccan Association of Researchers and Scientists (MARS).

Major television programmes

• Maroc 2000 (6 hours), RTM, Rabat (1978);
• Les Dossiers de l'Ecran, "La Prochaine Decennie", TF 1, Paris (1980);
• Dossier, "Le Grand Maghreb", RTT, Tunis (1980);
• Lendemains pour l'Homme, "En finir avec la Faim", Antenne 2, Paris (1981);
• Le Tiers Monde et Nous, Antenne 2, Paris (1981);
• Rencontre Avec ..., RTS, Dakar (1981);
• L'Avenir du Futur, "An 2020 Surpopulation ?", Antenne 2, Paris (1981);
• "Informatics & Development", U.N. TV, New York (1982);
• L'Avenir du Futur, "La Revolution Vegetale", Antenne 2, Paris (1983);
• From 1984 to 2000, WDR 3, Cologne (1985);
• La Clave, "Death in Abundance", Madrid (1985);
• Morocco and Latin America, RTM, Rabat (1985);
• Document, RTM, Rabat (1985);
• "The Child and the Computer", RTM, Rabat (1986);
• "The Future of International Cooperation", with J.J. Servan-Schreiber & Isomura, NHK 3, Tokyo (1986);
• "Architecture Islamique", Prix de l'Aga Khan 1986, Emission "Mosaique", FR3, Paris (1986);
• "Architectures Dynastiques", Dossier du Mois, RTM, Rabat (1987);
• "L'Avenir du Monde Arabe", FR 3, Paris (1988);
• "Rencontre", Immigration, FR 3, Paris (1989);
• "The Gulf War", WDR, Frankfurt (1991);
• "Les Nations Unies et la Guerre du Golfe", TV Tunis (1991).

Juries

• International Architectural Contest for the Islamic Cultural Center of Madrid (1980);
• Vice-President of the Jury of the International Architectural Contest for the "Tete de la Defense" project, Paris (1983);
• World Contest of Young Architects, Tokyo (1984);
• Venice Film Festival (1984);
• Master Jury of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1986);
• Jules Verne Science Television Prize, Paris (1990–1993);
• President of the Jury of Third National Film Festival of Morocco, Meknes (1992).
• FOUNDER of the "North-South Cultural Communication Prize" given annually since 1992 (financed from the royalties of the author).

Bibliography

• The League of Arab States 1945-1955, Ph.D. Thesis, London (1957);
• Nehru and the Modern World, New Delhi (1967);
• Interaction between Western Culture and Japanese Culture, Tokyo (1968);
• Transfert International des Techniques de Gestion, Rotterdam (1970);
• Economie et Culture, Paris (1972);
• The United Nations System: An Analysis, London and New York (1973);
• Information et Developpement, Paris (1975);
• Alternatives pour l'Etablissement d'un Nouvel Ordre Economique International, Paris (1975);
• Curriculum Vitae of Mahdi Elmandjra 2 1998
• Global Cooperation as an Operational Concept, (with John E. Fobes) Washington D.C. (1975);
• Prospective des Valeurs Socio-Culturelles Mediterraneennes, Madrid (1977);
• L'Organisation Internationale et le Developpement, Rome (1977);
• Political Facets of the North-South Dialogue,Rome (1978);
• Architects and National Development, International Union of Architects, Mexico (1978);
• Recherche Scientifique et Developpement, Casablanca (1978);
• "Demain l'An 2000", monthly column in the weekly magazine "Jeune Afrique", Paris (1979–1980);
• Science and Technology and the Future, Munich (1979);
• No Limits to Learning, Report to the Club of Rome, in collaboration with James Botkin and Mircea Malitza, London (1979) - (translated to French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Italian, Polish, Rumanian, Japanese, Finnish, and Chinese);
• L'Ingenieur et la Societe, Paris (1980);
• Feasibility Study on the Establishment of an African Institute for Future Studies, Addis Ababa (1980);
• Critique of the Brandt Commission Report, Paris (1980);
• Ordre Mondial et Styles de Developpement, Paris (1980);
• A Positive Future for the Printed Word, Copenhagen (1980);
• International Cooperation as a Learning Process, Ottawa (1980);
• L'Afrique en l'An 2000, Paris (1980);
• Le Monde Arabe en l'An 2000, Paris (1980);
• Administration et Education, Paris (1980);
• La Mediterranee a l'Heure de l'Elargissement de la Communaute Europeenne, Rome, (1980);
• Science and Technology : New Frontiers, Rome, (1981);
• The New Age of Culture and Communication, Chapell Hill, North Carolina (1981);
• Financial Flows from OPEP Countries to Developing Countries & the New International Economic Order, Paris (1981), Kuwait (1982);
• Whither the South? Futures of South-South Relations, Montreal (1981);
• Education and Informatics, Rome (1981);
• La Recherche Scientifique en tant que creation: Le Cas de la Mediterranee, Barcelona (1982);
• L'Interpellation du Tiers Monde, Paris (1982);
• L'Humour: Retrospective et Prospective, Rabat, Paris (1982);
• La Cooperation Euro-Arabe, Louvain (1982);
• Impact de l'Informatique sur la Societe Marocaine : Vision Prospective, Rabat (1982);
• The U N Economic Commission for Africa : The Formative Years 1958-1960, Addis Ababa (1983);
• Human Values and Technological Innovation, Tsukuba (1983);
• Whither Information ? Paris, Nyon (1983);
• Informatics and the Development of Intelligence, Rome (1983);
• Information and Sovereignty, Rabat, Paris, Tunis, Cali (1983);
• Le Sport et la Paix, Casablanca (1983);
• Information et Developpement, Rabat (1983);
• South-South Cooperation : A Peaceful Decolonization of the Future, Nyon (1983);
• Les IXemes Jeux Mediterraneens: Une Analyse Socio-Economique, Casablanca, (1983);
• The Conquest of Space : Some Political, Economic and Socio-Cultural Considerations, Rabat, Tunis, Paris, Rome, London, Geneva (1983);
• Recherche Scientifique et Technologique: de l'Innovation a la Vulgarisation, Rabat (1984);
• Medailles Olympiques et Developpement, Analyse des Resultats de Los Angeles, Rabat, Dakar, Paris, Tunis (1984);
• Le Maghreb en Crise, Rabat (1984);
• Vers un Monde des Grandes Metropoles, Paris (1984);
• Casablanca 2000, The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Geneva (1985);
• Tomorrow's Habitat, Tokyo (1985);
• Reclaiming the Future : Manual of Future Studies for African Planners, Introduction, London, Brussels (1985);
• Development and Automation: Opportunities and Risks, Geneva, Paris (1985);
• Médecine Predictive: Considerations Ethiques, Sociales et de Sante Publique, Rabat, Paris (1985);
• Apprendimento, Adattamento e Innovazione, Florence (1985);
• Merits and Demerits of "Nihonjin-Run" : A Future Perspective, The Tokyo Colloquium, Tokyo (1985);
• Urbanisme et Avenir des Relations Internationales, Paris (1985);
• Les Arabes en Crise, Paris (1985);
• Communication, Information and Development, Rome (1985);
• Learning Needs in a Changing Society, Role of Human Resources in Development, Tokyo (1986);
• The Financial Support of Research & Development within Third World Countries, The African Academy of Sciences, Nairobi (1986);
• Media and Communications in Africa: The Weight of Advanced Technologies, London (1986);
• Du Bon Usage de la Prospective, Paris (1986);
• UN Organizations: Ways to their Reactivation, Tokyo (1986);
• Nouvelles Tendances des Recherches en Sciences Sociales, Rabat (1987);
• Information Technology for Economic Development in Developing Countries, Fontainebleau (1987);
• Culture: Arts et Traditions, Vision Prospective, Rabat (1987);
• For a Better Life for all in the Metropoles, Mexico City, London (1987);
• Development Aid as an Obstacle to Self-Development, Rome (1987);
• Mahgreb et Francophonie, Quebec, Paris (1988);
• Technologies Nouvelles et Developpement, Lausanne (1988);
• China in the Twenty-First Century, London (1989);
• La Revolution Francaise : Message Universel ? Lyon (1989);
• Expanding Horizons, Anticipating Global Change, Monterrey, California (1989);
• Role de la Jeunesse Marocaine dans la Societe Arabe, Rabat (1989);
• Present & Potential Uses of Informatics and Telematics in Health, Geneva (1989);
• Perspectives Macro-Economiques de la Mediterranee, Marseille (1989);
• Fusion of Science and Culture : Key to the Twenty-First Century, Vancouver, Paris (1989);
• Human Rights and Development, Ottawa (1989);
• The Francophone Summit : Does it have a future ? London (1989);
• La Francophonie : Un surrealisme, Casablanca (1989);
• Aucune Union Maghrebine sans respect des droits de l'homme, Tunis (1989);
• Afrique : Le grand chambardement, Bordeaux (1990);
• Je reve d'une afrique africophone, Dakar (1990);
• L'Avenir des Relations Nord-Sud, Bordeaux (1991);
• Les Elections Algeriennes de juin 1990, Bordeaux, Alger (1990);
• La Crise du Golfe, Prelude a l'Affrontement Nord-Sud ? Les debuts du Post-Colonialisme, Paris, Tunis, Rabat (1990);
• Yes, There Shall be a Military Confrontation in the Gulf, Paris (1990);
• La Cause Reelle de Notre Tragedie est l'Absence d'une Veritable Democratie, Tunis (1990);
• Quatre Raisons pour Craindre une Guerre du Golfe, Rabat (1990);
• Relations Afro-Arabe, le Dialogue Euro-Arabe et l'Intifada, Paris, Rabat, Tunis (1990);
• Les Aspects Culturels de la Guerre du Golfe, Rabat, Alger (1991);
• Les Dimensions Scientifiques et Technologiques de la Guerre du Golfe, Casablanca (1991);
• La Francophonie : Nouvelle Etape Hegemonique au Maghreb, Rabat (1991);
• Vision of the Future, New Delhi (1991);
• Cout de la Guerre du Golfe en Chiffres, Rabat, Alger, Tunis (1991);
• Al Harb Al Hadariya Al Oulla, Casablanca, Alger (1991);
• Un Autre Regard, Paris (1991);
• Retrospective des Futurs, Casablanca, Paris (1991);
• Impact of the Socio-Cultural Environment on the Development of Information Technology, Zürich, New Delhi, Rabat (1992);
• Consequences de la Guerre du Golfe, Algiers (1992);
• Premiere Guerre Civilisationnelle, Casablanca (1992);
• Nord-Sud, Prelude a l'Ere Post-Coloniale; Casablanca (1992);
• Problematique de la Communication, Casablanca (1993);
• A Propos du Mahgreb, Casablanca (1993);
• Les Mutations Sociales et la Democratie, Casablanca (1993);
• The Arab World : Three Scenarios, Tunis (1993);
• 11 Years after the Revolution of July 1952, Tunis, London (1993);
• La "Logique" de Guerre : Une "Logique" de Culture, Casablanca (1993);
• New Chapters of the Civilizational War, Tangiers (1993);
• The March of Islam, London, Rabat, Algiers (1993);
• The Israelo-Palestinian Agreement : A Scenario Planned Years before, Tunis, Casablanca, London (1993);
• La Paix ! Quelle Paix ? Casablanca (1993);
• What has Happened in Palestine is another episode of the Civilizational War, Rabat (1993);
• Visions, Collective Memory and Value Systems, Casablanca (1993);
• Information and Technology, London (1993);
• The Agreements concerning Ghaza and Jericho, Beirut (1993);
• The West is Opposed to Change, Algiers, London (1993);
• La Recherche Scientifique au Maroc : Réalités et Perspectives, Rabat (1994);
• The Suffering of Algeria, London (1994);
• Le Postcolonialisme, Rabat (1994);
• Mandela and the Transformation of History, London (1994);
• Population and Migration, Geneva, Rabat, Tunis (1994);
• Biodiversity : Cultural and Ethical Aspects, Paris, Rabat (1994);
• The Next Wars will be Civilizational Wars, London (1994);
• Cultural Diversity : Key to Survival in the Future, Mexico, Rabat, Casablanca (1994);
• From Welfare State to Caring Society, UNESCO Symposium, Roskilde University, Denmark (1995);
• Dialogue as a Culture : The Case of Islam, International Institute of Sociology, Trieste (1995);
• Cultural Communication: Major Challenge of the Future, United Nations University, Tokyo (1995);
• The United Nations and the Challenges of the Future, Marrakech (1995);
• Dialogue about Communication, Chiraa, Tangiers (1996);
• Al Quds, Symbol and Memory, Walili, Marrakech (1996);
• La Decolonisation Cuturelle : Defi Majeur du XXIe Siecle, Walili, Marrakech (1996);
• L'Immigration est un Phenomene Culturel et non pas Securitaire, London, Casablanca (1997);
• Mehdi Benaboud : Le Medecin Humaniste, le Philosophe Militant et le Croyant Eclaire, Tangiers (1997);
• Salah Charqui ou le Qanoun Enchante, Casablanca (1997);
• Ben Yessef : l'Esthete Engage, Tangiers (1997);
• Un Plectre s'Immobilise et un Luth Cesse sa Lutte, (deces Mounir Bashir), London, Rabat (1997);
• Kemal Zebdi, le Poete Peintre nous a Quitte, Casablanca, London (1997)
  • L’Internet n’a aucun sens en l’absence d’un environnement scientifique approprié, Rabat (1997)
  • Etat et perspectives : Développement dans le Tiers-monde, Tanger (1997)
• La régression des pays du tiers-monde progresse, Tanger (1997)
• L’Internet apportera au Maroc ce que le Maroc apportera à l’Internet, Casablanca (1997)
• La communication entre les religions, Les Emirats Arabes Unis (1998)
• L’Irak – Terrain d’essai des armes américaines, Rabat (1998)
• Recherche scientifique et défis du futur, Rabat (1998)
• La puissance américaine réside dans la faiblesse des pays, Rabat (1998)
• L’attaque de l’Irak par les Etats Unis est inévitable, Tanger (1998)
• La mondialisation c’est tout simplement l’américanisation, Rabat (1999)
• Si le pouvoir devait revenir à la majorité : la femme est cette majorité, Tanger (1999)
• Cinéma et éducation, Tétouan (1999)
• L’avenir du monde arabe, Beirut (1999)
• La deuxième guerre civilisationnelle a commencé, Casablanca (2001)
• Intifadates, Kénitra (2001)
• Les intifadates sont inéluctables, Casablanca (2002)
• Le temps des prophètes est révolu : Le Maroc en solde, Casablanca (2002
• La frappe de l’Irak est imminente, Abu Dhabi (2002)
• On peut parler d’une culture islamique mais pas d’une personne islamique, Londres (2002)
• La guerre d’Irak durera au moins cinq ans, Rabat (2003)
• L’Unesco mérite d’être blâmée pour non assistance à patrimoine culturel de l’humanité en danger, Casablanca (2003)
• Mondialisation du fascisme, Londres (2003)
• Japan makes imprudent decision on troops to Iraq, Rabat (2003)
• Humiliation à l’ère du méga-impérialisme, Casablanca (oct. 2003)
• Ihana (2004)
• Valeur des valeurs (2006)

Awards and decorations

• Curzon Prize of French Literature, Cornell University (1953);
• Rockefeller Award for International Relations, London School of Economics (1955);
• Order of Independence of the Kingdom of Jordan (1959);
• Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters, France (1970);
• Honorary Architect, International Union of Architects (1978);
• Prix de La Vie Economique (1981), Paris;
• Grand Medal of the French Academy of Architecture (1984);
• Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, France (1985);
• Order of the Rising Sun (III), Japan (1986);
• Peace Medal of the Albert Einstein International Academy (1991).
• Award of the World Future Studies Federation (1995)

See also

• Mohamed Guessous

References

1. Hassan, Mohamed El. "Morocco’s Mehdi El Mendjra Died". Morocco World News. Retrieved 2014-06-14.

External links

• ElMandjra official website
• Transcend.org