Morocco's Saad Abid, founder of the Bahri association and content creator on social networks, has been awarded the 2021 Global Ties U.S. IVLP Alumni Decade of Social Innovation and Change Award. The Global Ties U.S. IVLP Decade of Social Innovation and Change Award recognizes an alumnus or alumna of the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) for high achievements driving social change through innovation in their home communities. Abid, the only Moroccan, and African to receive this prestigious award, shares the distinction with fellow IVLP alumni, Raisa Banfield of Panama. Both were commended for their actions to combat climate change and protect the environment, says a statement from the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca. The award recognizes the many actions of Saad Abid, throughout the last decade, including organizing beach cleanups and encouraging youth to promote and protect the environment, the same source added. On this occasion, U.S. special envoy for climate, John Kerry, congratulated Abid, for his work «on the front lines to address the climate crisis». «I am grateful to know that there are promising leaders like you in this fight», he said in a video message. Abid's journey with the IVLP program began in 2016 when he participated in three intensive weeks of meetings on youth and civic engagement. In 2018, he was invited by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to attend the UN General Assembly. In 2020, he was one of two Moroccans on the list of the 80 most influential IVLP alumni alongside Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair (United Kingdom), Jacinda Ardern (New Zealand), Felipe Calderon (Mexico), Indira Gandhi (India), and Anwar Sadat (Egypt).
