Princess Lalla Meryem, President of the National Observatory for Children's Rights (ONDE), and Brigitte Macron launched a campaign against bullying and cyberbullying at the Abi Dar Al Ghifari secondary school in Rabat on Tuesday. Initiated by ONDE under the banner «Agissons ensemble» («Let's Act Together»), the campaign includes several initiatives, such as distributing an awareness capsule on school bullying to 3,770 secondary schools and developing the «iTyhad» app, designed to combat and prevent bullying in schools. A three-year training program to fight bullying and cyberbullying was also launched in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports. On this occasion, Princess Lalla Meryem and Brigitte Macron attended a presentation by four engineering students, a child, and a child psychiatrist on the «iTyhad» app, developed during the first edition of the «e-tofoula Hackathon». This event, initiated by the Princess last March, brought together participants from 15 universities. They also watched a video on school bullying, which was simultaneously broadcast in 3,300 multimedia rooms of the French Ministry of Education, and attended a workshop with 14 middle school students led by a child psychiatrist and a psychologist from the ONDE program. Princess Lalla Meryem and Brigitte Macron then viewed a video highlighting the achievements of the Children's Parliament, established in 1999 by King Mohammed VI. This institution empowers young people to advocate for children's rights with Parliament and the government, while promoting specific causes central to its mission. During the event, ONDE highlighted Princess Lalla Meryem's dedication to implementing the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) over the past 30 years, since the creation of the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child in 1994 by the late King Hassan II. Several ONDE resources were presented, including the 2511 toll-free number for reporting cases of child abuse. This number allows children or witnesses to report incidents of violence and has evolved into a platform for listening and emergency intervention, supported by trained psychologists, doctors, and lawyers. Another initiative by ONDE is the National Child Psycho Trauma Unit (DNPTE), which promotes children's mental health through emergency, prevention, and training components. DNPTE teams recently provided emergency psychological support to children affected by the September 2023 earthquake in the Al Haouz region. In terms of capacity-building, approximately 850 professionals working with children will receive training in 2024. DNPTE has also developed a prevention program for two target groups: mothers, through «l'école des mères» video vignettes broadcast in women's centers and UNFM associations, and teenagers, with two videos on school anxiety and bullying shown in secondary schools with multimedia facilities. On this occasion, Princess Lalla Meryem and Brigitte Macron received a box containing a summary of the actions taken by ONDE's DNPTE in 2024. The three-year training program to combat bullying and cyberbullying, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports, employs a «shared concern» method. This approach, which is non-punitive and inclusive of both victims and perpetrators, aims to build a supportive community around students. By 2026, this program will be implemented in all Moroccan secondary schools, eventually training student ambassadors and over 7,000 teachers. An accompanying guide provides teachers and educators with tools and resources for detecting, preventing, and addressing bullying and cyberbullying. A copy of the guide was presented to Princess Lalla Meryem and Brigitte Macron by young students, symbolizing their commitment to fostering a safe and respectful school environment. Princess Lalla Meryem then awarded the «Lalla Meryem Prize» to the representative of the four engineering students from the International University of Rabat who developed the «iTyhad» app. This award honors their creativity and dedication to combating school bullying and encourages further development of solutions for children's well-being. Princess Lalla Meryem and Brigitte Macron also attended a dance performance by children to raise awareness about bullying in schools.
