GUIDE TO A NON-PROFIT

 For my last unit of Endurance and my last AP during my time at GCE, we were asked to work on a "survival guide" for the path in which we would like to take after high school. I decided to work on my mission to turn my brand, Rue Maghreb, into a social entrepreneurial project of becoming a non-profit organization abroad some day. My brand focuses on the Maghreb culture and its people, and providing a space to share more information about our identity and how to help out the people native to our countries. I think a move to Europe where the Maghreb population is high would be a great opportunity for me to set new goals for myself, along with a new life. This AP will show you around my plan for the next five years, and give you a sneak peak into the work I am currently doing to make my dreams come true! 

SCIENCE LESSON by Nini Maghribi


To conclude, I felt a sense of nostalgia wrapping my last AP up for GCE. I still remember my first humanities course, SDG's, and I can say that that AP inspired me to do the work I am doing today. I think that my humanities courses throughout my GCE experience have really allowed me to emerge myself back to my roots, and give back to my people. Rue Maghreb has been a way for me to work on just that, and work on that for my future as well. My dreams of humanitarian aid have been able to thrive through a brand that represents me, and I will be forever grateful to GCE for showing me that! 

The Benefits to Marine Spatial Planning and Its Impacts on Life on Land

 During my last term of my senior year, Frontiers, we were able to look into eight grand challenges our marine ecosystems were currently facing. We were asked to construct a literature review going over some solutions to these grand challenges. For me, I find our marine ecosystems make a huge impact on the way that we live our life on land being that our Earth is 71% covered by water. This effects our socio-economic development as we know it. In other words, if our oceans are being protected and aren't doing well, we aren't either. For this action project, I decided to focus my attention on the impacts of Marine Spatial Planning and combine my interests on land to life underwater. Check out one of my last action projects below to see how Marine Spatial Planning can impact our life on land and our future as we know it. 

Yuejong, Hu. Dec. 15, 2019. Pixabay. 

In conclusion, I enjoyed being able to work on a project where I was able to combine my interests in economics with life underwater. I thought it was an interesting take on international relations and economics in a way that many haven't quite seen before, and I hope this piece inspires some students, scientists, or leaders around the globe to look into this a bit more to see how we can advance as a society, and change the future for life underwater in the most efficient way possible. 

Citations:

1. Borja, Angel. 2013. Marine research in the Iberian Peninsula: A pledge for better times after an economic crisis. Journal of Sea Research. Volume 83.

2. Benedetti-Cecchi. 2005. Unanticipated impacts of spatial variance of biodiversity on plant productivity. Ecology Letters. Volume 8, Issue 8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X12002084?via%3Dihub

3. Ehler, C. and Douvere, F. (2009) Marine spatial planning: a step-by-step approach. Paris, France, Unesco, 99pp. (IOC Manuals and Guides 53), ( ICAM Dossier 6). DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.25607/OBP-43. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308597X0800064X

4. Underwood, Evelyn & Taylor, Katie & Tucker, Graham. (2018). The use of biodiversity data in spatial planning and impact assessment in Europe. Research Ideas and Outcomes. 4. e28045. 10.3897/rio.4.e28045. 

5. Underal, Arild. 2017. Climate Change and International Relations (After Kyoto). Annu. Rev. Polit. Sci. Volume 20. 

6. Wanfei Qiu, Peter J.S. Jones. 2013. The emerging policy landscape for marine spatial planning in Europe. Marine Policy. Volume 39. 

12 Hours of Endurance: Rue Maghreb

For my second unit of the last term of my humanities course, Endurance, I dedicated twelve hours to a project I was passionate about completing. As many of you know, I have a clothing brand that I have been able to work on for about three years now. I decided to dedicate twelve hours of work towards my brand in order to answer the question: How does interaction allow for more people to believe in Rue Maghreb’s mission that impacts my personal mission? “ In other words, how can we attract more people to the page?  My personal mission is to invite nostalgia in my life to not forget where I came from or where I’m going. This was all under the state of Katabasis which means "epic convention of the hero's trip into the underworld." In other words, entering a state of critical part of a journey and rising up from it. I was able to develop a sort of "vlog" style video that allows you to enter a part of the process and see it for yourself. From communicating with some clients who didn't really get our message to communicating with some influencers who didn't get back to us to translating documents, etc. Here is my work below! 

 

 LOG/TASK PLANNER 

VLOG 

Special thanks to:
Loubaba Boury - Social Media Director (Rue Maghreb)Souhaib Jaafari- Communications Manager (Rue Maghreb)

"Yep, she did that!"

 For my humanities class, Endurance, we looked into the definition of endurance and what is takes to endure something. We looked through the lives of different influencers, actors, etc. and developed a better understanding of their meaning of life, and what track they went on to create their own mission statement. Mission and vision statements, we learned, were vital to understanding our meaning of life. Without a mission, you can't complete the goals you want to work on for yourself. While constructing our own mission and vision statements, I was able to understand myself a lot more than before. I was able to develop a better understanding of what my peers and friends for almost twelve years thought about me, and it gave me time to reflect. For this AP, we worked on the first chapter of our autobiography. Check out my first chapter down below where you will learn more about my childhood and how it led me to think the way I do today! 

To conclude, this AP really allowed me to reflect on times that I hadn't looked back on for quite some time. It made me realize that the tough times are behind me now, and that I have grown into the person I want to be because I went through those experiences. I now know myself better, and know what works and what doesn't quite work best for me! I'm excited for the roller coaster that is yet to come through the next couple of years. 

No Manches Bebe

 For my independent study this term, I wanted focus my energy on a page that I started back in July 2020. During quarantine, I was really getting into Mexican politics after a rupture of protests in March 2020 due to numerous femicides that had come up at the time. Women in Mexico has reached their breaking point due to years and years with having to deal with a machismo government. Women broke their silence and began to march in order to grab President AMLO's attention. I felt inspired by the signs, organizations, and female run businesses who were standing up and using their platform to rip Mexico's status quo into pieces! I decided to start my own platform empowering female entrepreneur's like myself living in the U.S. and Mexico to come together and support one another. Here is my slideshow presentation going over the in's and out's of NO MANCHES BEBE! 

TECHNICAL PACKET

RUE MAGHREB BUSINESS PLAN

For the last unit of Social Entrepreneurship, we looked into developing business plans for businesses we were interested in starting up some day. We took a deep dive into different marketing strategies that we were either already aware of or were unfamiliar to us. We also looked into investment planning and had Matt Nicklin from First Analysis join us to look into business investment and how that works. We talked about legal structures, as well as how to get a business up and running. Luckily for me, I was able to start my business up a bit earlier. Two years ago I started my very own brand, Rue Maghreb. This brand has given me the opportunity to think a bit more about social entrepreneurship as well as where my business lies in the world of small businesses. For this AP, we were asked to create our very own business plans and models. Take a look at my AP to learn more about Rue Maghreb and what goes in to run it! 

Overall, I really enjoyed this AP. I think that I had a lot to bring to the table when it came to marketing due to the fact that I have been able to build my platform up during the past two years. I also really like the close friends technique that I have been able to use to my ability. I found it very helpful to look into my yearly projections that I will now we able to use for this years collection. Entrepreneurship inspires me to do more for my community and I know that by keeping the right mindset, I will be able to head into that field some day! 

THE FEMME ACT

 As we wrap up the last unit of Equality, I have given myself some time to think a lot about the state of our country as we know it. Throughout this last unit we have taken a deeper dive into gender inequality throughout the country. As a women of color, I think a lot about the way I have been affected by gender inequality, as well as the women who lived before me. Throughout the unit, we looked into the future of this country and how we can use what we have learned throughout the term into something that can make an impact to this country's future. As I begin to think about progression, I also think about drawbacks. This is what inspired me to create this AP. For this AP, we were assigned to think as a person living in 2119. What does the future look like in this country? Is it bright? I decided to think about femininity and how we view it today to how we may view it in one hundred years or so. It's time we begin to normalize diverse body images around the world and across the states. Take a look at my AP to see how the future views body image!

The Impact 9/11 Made on the Muslim Community

 Throughout this Unit of Equality, we dove into different topics surrounding our interpretations of what equality looks like according to U.S. history. We had the opportunity to read Case for Reparations  which connected us as students to get to know our city a bit more. We touched some pretty heavy topics that also influenced us as a group, and allowed us to connect on a different level we had never experienced before. Not only did we dive into African American studies, but also looked into the way other minority groups were brought up in America. We looked into gender studies and tried to digest feminism as we saw it then and now. For this AP, we were asked to right our own version of an event in U.S. history that we believe is misinterpreted in textbooks today. I decided to look into the impact that 9/11 had on the Muslim community in the U.S. and around the world. Take a look at my AP to learn more. 

Citations of photos used in textbook:
1. Christian, Daniel. “Assia Boundaoui.” Filmmaker Magazine, filmmakermagazine.com/people/assia-boundaoui/.2. “File:Lower Manhattan from Governors Island August 2017 Panorama.jpg.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Sept. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_District,_Manhattan#/media/File:Lower_Manhattan_from_Governors_Island_August_2017_panorama.jpg. 
3. NB. World Map highlighting effected countries. 2021

DIVERSE STUDENTS, DIVERSE MINDSETS

 Throughout this unit of my Entrepreneurship class, we dove into taking different personality tests to better understand one another and the way that we interact with others. We were able to understand how one's personality can lead the way to become an entrepreneur! We were also able to meet an entrepreneur via Zoom, Maren Rosenburg, the founder of Escape Artistry. She was able to tell us a bit more about her story on how she set foot into the business field and gave us some advice on what we should keep our eye on when starting our very own business. For this AP, we were asked to collect all this psychological research that we had picked up over the past weeks and thing about one problem that needs working on at GCE. I decided to focus my attention on the way the school handles such a diverse student body in order for diverse conversations to be held. Here is my AP! 

ALGERIAN NOSTALGIA

 For my independent study for the fall term I wanted to finish off this collection I have been working on with the help of the Rue Maghreb creative director Meriem, by getting all the products onto the new site. The process was not easy, but after a long year of hard work, it's paid off. The new collection will be out November 20th of 2020. This is how it went!

WORKING ON THE LOGO

Now, I would say the logo process was the hardest part of Rue Maghreb rebooting process. The first logo, which included the Maghreb door, was simple enough that anyone could recognize that it belonged to Rue Maghreb. I wanted to revamp the logo because I felt that I had rushed the first one, and I wasn't as content. I started off by doing some research on brands who are doing something similar to us. I referred to simple logo designs on Pinterest, and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. I knew the main idea I wanted to get across was the way Rue Maghreb adds a twist to the traditional elements of the Maghreb region, and I wanted that factor to be recognized with the logo design.  I got opinions from many. My teacher who was working with me on my independent study last year, Meriem, and a couple of our brand ambassadors. While they did like the design, the main idea still wasn't getting across. Meriem and I ended up speaking with a couple of graphic designers, an stuck to KhadijahStudios who are located in Iraq. We had multiple meeting with them in which we were able to talk about the ideas we were trying to get across through one glance of the new logo. We wanted something catchy and professional. We wanted a new color palette that went along with the logo, while also incorporating these colors throughout our social media page. Khadijah was able to create a whole look for us, and a logo! After many meetings, this was the result! 

Rue Maghreb Logo. 2020. Rue Maghreb

MAKING IT OFFICIAL!

Although Rue Maghreb had started off as an independent study project, I knew there was much more potential. I knew I didn't want to just carry this on for a couple years, and put an end to all this hard work. The community we have been able to grow in just one year is amazing! I knew the potential of this brand, and I don't just see a clothing brand anymore. As I mentioned in my previous AP, I would eventually like to turn Rue Maghreb into a foundation some day to help the Maghreb people find job opportunities, educate young girls, and create more possibilities for businesses to thrive in Maghreb countries. To head in that direction, earlier this year, we finally signed off Rue Maghreb as an LLC! The moment was so surreal, and we are currently in the process of transforming this LLC into a B-corp which would have Rue Maghreb send a certain percentage of profits to a charitable organization. 

ALGERIAN NOSTALGIA

While we did launch the brand reboot on our social media page over the summer, we now reach presenting the new collection. Algerian Nostalgia is an opportunity for us as creatives to allow our customers escape to a virtual reality back to Algeria. Through this clothing line, we have mixed traditional elements of Algerian/Amazigh culture to a version that fits the context of a world that is constantly evolving. The line does not only connect Algerians to their homeland, but allows for members of the community to educate themselves as they go through the website. The site will work as an immersive experience for anyone who is visiting us for the first time! We are excited to have this line up, along with the new site, on November 20th! Make sure to check out ruemaghreb.com to see the site for yourself this Friday! 

Rue Maghreb. 2020. Algerian Nostalgia

Rue Maghreb. 2020. Algerian Nostalgia

Rue Maghreb. 2020. Algerian Nostalgia

Rue Maghreb. 2020. Algerian Nostalgia

Getting Diplomatic About Doughnut Economics

For our final unit of the fall term, Econ:Risking Value, we dove into the book Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth which takes a look into social/environmental economics. Her approach features the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and how the state of our economy is not combating these issues effectively. While some of her issues seem controversial, like no longer using GDP as a form of measuring a nation's economic growth, Raworth brings issues to the table that are worth considering as we approach the twenty-first century. The doughnut concept she developed touches societal conflicts from climate change to peace and justice which while it may seem abstract, make a huge impact on our economy as we know it. While going through the chapters in class and holding discussions of our interpretations, we were asked to conceptualize the eighth chapter of Doughnut Economics as if the book had continued. I decided to take a deeper look into diplomacy and the impacts that foreign economic deals can make on environmental/humanitarian issues we face as a society today. Take a look at my economic perspective of Doughnut Economics!

Diplomacy and Economics. NBE. 2020

My description of chapter eight

Let’s talk about globalization. Globalization affects the way our(referring to ‘our world’) nations work with one another. It’s worth noting that in a world of free trade, the thought of the accumulation of fossil fuels is out the window. This is the case because of the freedom to import and export almost anything on the market. Free trade, that is international commerce without tariffs or restrictions for other nations, can play a key role for nationalism for other countries to rely on one another for foreign goods. These free trade agreements can also help the diplomatic state of how countries work with one another to solve other issues that involve the UN, like humanitarian issues. With the international exchange being open, there is an increase in the use of transportation. While benefiting our economy, this puts a setback on ending global warming. We also have to consider the fact that economic agreements can go into effect with other countries in order to either slow down the use of fossil fuels or limit the use of tariffs. These economic agreements can either be a benefit or detriment to our environmental and humanitarian problems that we deal with today. Even environmental agreements like the Paris Climate Agreement puts a huge risk on the state of the economy in which it limits the use of transportation abroad. We can look into how protectionism, the promotion of domestic producers and products in a domestic market, can put a positive effect on the environment while also causing harm for foreigners when wanting to transport items abroad. It’s important to look into these agreements and foreign deals because they affect not only the way our nations choose to interact with one another, as allies or adversaries, but also makes us consider looking into the long term effects of our climate/social justice issues we are currently facing as a society.

Discussion 

Some nations have thought long and hard about the detrimental impacts that foreign trade agreements have on global climate change and social issues. For example, the United States working on an economic agreement with countries like Canada and Mexico called the “NAFTA agreement” which eliminates any trade restrictions or tariff blockades in order to establish free trade throughout North America. Trade restrictions do not include the risk of environmental restrictions. The Institute for Policy Studies stated, “NAFTA’s environmental protections should be strengthened if it is to serve as a model for future trade accords” which is entirely true. Let’s look into this a bit more.

If the current NAFTA agreement, for example, doesn’t address the environmental harm we are making along the way, our progression towards putting an end to global warming seems to only be taking a negative turn. It’s important to consider the stances of other nations on their environmental issues and how they make their nation’s economy function because getting them onto an agreement can only expand our economy’s growth in a way we haven’t seen before. Diplomacy and the state of the global economy go hand in hand.

Diplomatic relations hold potential for the power of international commerce. Globalization works in a way we have never seen it before. Kate Raworth mentions, “We need to move from economies that need to grow whether or not they make us thrive, to economies that make us thrive whether or not they grow.” If GDP hasn’t significantly changed for over the past decades, it may be due to tariff blockades that usually sprout out of the competitiveness of the market and end up taking a turn for countries not wanting to sign off on economic deals with their adversaries. The competitiveness that comes out of a buyer/seller market is the main reason some countries are in something called tariff wars.

When thinking about the influence that economic agreements have on future accords, it’s important to consider the context of the world we live in currently. ”Since 2000, 37 measures on biofuels have been notified by 20 WTO members in the context of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade,” according to the WTO. This data proves agreements countries make affect us in the long run. It’s not just a matter of nations, but the power the World Trade Organization holds when it comes to foreign trade.

These agreements of Tariffs and Trade are organized by the World Trade Organization. The WTO is in charge of holding a dispute settlement mechanism called the GATT. The way it works is one nation can file a dispute that they are facing with another country, the WTO approves it, and the nations are able to consult or come to an agreement that can make or break the economy of their country. The reason I bring this up is because this point of the GATT can not only influence diplomatic relations, but puts stress on issues like pollution, hunger, and business. While all the topics discussed in the book are completely relevant on the functionality of our economy in the future, it’s important that we focus on the main point which is coming together as a globe to make this change within one of the oldest systems, our economy. 

To conclude, I enjoyed getting Raworth's perspective of the potential our economy has. I was fortunate enough to take a summer course at the University of Chicago that dove into the topic of diplomacy and the way the world's economy functions, and I would say that sparked my interest in basing my project off this topic. It's pretty rare that people see the commonality in social issues today and how they effect our economic growth and potential, and I will say that Kate Raworth did a good job in pinpointing that issue. The book tapped on subjects I hadn't even thought of before, and motivated me on checking out work from other economists to get their perspective on how we can change our old concepts we hold for our economy. 

Citations:

1. Kate Raworth. “Want to Know How to Get beyond GDP? Start Here.” Kate Raworth, 19 May 2013, www.kateraworth.com/2012/07/01/want-to-know-how-to-get-beyond-gdp-start-here/. 

2.  “NAFTA and Environment.” Institute for Policy Studies, 7 May 2014, ips-dc.org/nafta_and_environment/.

3. “WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION.” WTO, www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/envir_e/envir_e.htm.