Phd student Maiellaro Greta,  National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens (Greece)

Dr. Christoph Munasighe,  University of Milan, Milan (Italy)

The challanges of the recognition of kafalah (islamic system of foster care) in the European Union

The Islamic institution of kafālah represents an alternative form of protection for minors who lack adequate parental care. While distinct from traditional adoption and domestic foster care, it shares their essential protective function. This contribution addresses the complex issues raised by its cross-border recognition at the intersection of private international law, family law, and migration law within the European context. This work provides an original contribution through a comparative and interdisciplinary approach. By deeply analyzing Italian jurisprudence - an experience often overlooked in favor of the French model - it assesses how domestic courts have successfully balanced the cultural specificity of kafālah against the imperatives of public policy (ordre public) and the fundamental principle of the child's best interests. The contribution is structured around four aspects: the first introduces Islamic law and the principles of kafālah in Muslim-majority countries; the second compares it with foster care and adoption in Global North countries; the third examines the international and European legal framework, including the approach of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on entry and family reunification; the fourth, finally, analyzes Italian state practice and its unique balance between assimilation to "affidamento" (foster care) and clear distinction from adoption. The central argument is that, although kafālah does not establish a legal parent-child relationship, it can and should be recognized as an effective protection tool within the Italian and European legal systems. Interpreted through a functional, intercultural, and child-centered perspective, kafālah ensures social integration and respect for the minor's fundamental rights, serving as a model for inter-cultural law in practice. The analysis also underscores the importance of accompanying such recognition with robust legal safeguards to mitigate the risks of exploitation and human trafficking.

Hassab Sanaa, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Casablanca (Morocco)

Dr. Balotescu Irina, University of Bucarest, Bucarest (Romania) 

Dynamics of cultural heritage: entities engaged in the protection, safeguarding, and transmission of cultural values in Morocco and Romania

Morocco and Romania, as signatories of various UNESCO conventions on tangible and intangible cultural heritage, have made constant efforts to update their implementation. Beyond the binding international frameworks, there is an increasing concern for the specific values of both countries, especially as the balance between maintaining multiple forms of identity (regional, national, local, cultural, etc.) and the need for integrative approaches that counter all forms of discrimination remains a sensitive issue. Local communities, as well as the overall population within state borders, migrant groups and communities, together with all representative elements of tangible heritage, are increasingly exposed to the consequences of climate and environmental degradation, natural disasters, armed conflicts, and the reduced predictability of stability and quality of life. In this context, a gap often emerges between factual reality, authoritative discourse (governance, education, research), and decision-making related to cultural heritage. Bottom-up and top-down solutions, as well as nuanced approaches that place cultural heritage at the center of interest, involve entities with either well-defined or rather vague roles in its protection, conservation, and transmission. We therefore aim to draw attention to and question the ways in which, at present, scientific and administrative dialogue can offer solutions regarding current and future cultural heritage, without overlooking the risks and fragility to which it is constantly exposed. Several observations on contemporary approaches in Morocco and Romania intend to open pathways for collaboration, at least among the CIVIS alliance states, without excluding other potential partners. Our primary concern lies in the “Cultural Heritage Code,” a strategy common to both countries, with major implications for all actors responsible for cultural heritage. In this sense, our contribution aims to represent a node within a network that is part of a living, continuously evolving system.

Pr. Damay Ludivine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne (Switzerland)

Pr. Harroud Tarik, Institut National d'Aménagement et d'Urbanisme Rabat (INAU)

Pr. Jmad Oumaïma, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Casablanca (Morocco)

Rehousing and belonging: Insights from a Belgian–Moroccan collaboration on sustainable neighbourhoods

This Tandem Talk presents the key findings and methodological insights of the joint research project Towards Sustainable Rehousing Neighbourhoods: Socio-spatial Analysis of Housing, Urban Dynamics and Resident Integration, funded by ARES (Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur). This collaborative and interdisciplinary initiative involves several Moroccan and Belgian institutions, including two members of the CIVIS network — the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Université Hassan II de Casablanca (UH2C) — as well as the National Institute of Urban and Regional Planning (INAU), the National Institute of Social Work (INAS), the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), and the Haute École Louvain en Hainaut (HELHA). The research focuses on three newly developed neighbourhoods in the Rabat metropolitan area — Ain El Aouda, Tamesna, and Sidi Bouknadel — created as part of Morocco’s City Without Slums programme. These neighbourhoods offer a unique lens through which to examine the intersections of urban planning, architecture, and social dynamics in the context of large-scale rehousing policies. The project seeks to understand how these spaces are conceived, inhabited, and transformed over time; what kinds of facilities and collective spaces emerge; and how inclusion, social cohesion, and forms of local citizenship take shape within them. The presentation articulates four complementary dimensions. It first outlines the main outcomes of two ongoing doctoral research projects in urbanism and sociology, which provide the analytical foundation for the study. It then highlights a set of cross-cutting interdisciplinary findings from comparative analyses of the three neighbourhoods. A third focus examines the development of an experimental community social work methodology in Sidi Bouknadel, co-constructed through joint field visits and collaborative workshops. Finally, the talk reflects on academic collaboration and knowledge exchange in sustainable and inclusive urban development, exploring how shared research frameworks contribute to renewed practices of planning, participation, and social cohesion.