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Tangier is a culturally diverse and historically rich city at the northern edge of Morocco, where Africa meets Europe. Known for its openness and resilience, Tangier is a city in transformation—where compassion is beginning to take root through community-led initiatives. Despite the widespread issue of stray animals, there is a growing awareness that caring for the most vulnerable—including animals—is part of building a peaceful society. The presence of SFT Animal Sanctuary, which has rescued and sterilized over 7,000 animals, reflects the city’s deepening commitment to nonviolence, education, and community care.
Mission: As Founder of Morocco’s largest animal sanctuary, I work to rescue, rehabilitate, and give dignity to abandoned animals. Our mission is rooted in the belief that peace starts with how we treat the most vulnerable—especially animals. In 2024, we planted the first Garden of Peace on the African continent, inside the SFT Animal Sanctuary, as a living symbol of nonviolence, healing, and connection. Goals: Expand educational programs on peace and animal welfare in schools and communities Use the Garden of Peace as a healing space for children, families, and visitors Build partnerships to represent Tangier internationally as a model of grassroots peace Continue sterilizing and rescuing street animals to create a safer, more peaceful city Advocate for peace rooted in empathy, coexistence, and action
Medina of Tangier, Morocco – Peace in Action Led by Salima Kadaoui and her team at the SFT Sanctuary, our peacebuilding work in Tangier is rooted in compassion, coexistence, and justice for all sentient beings. The sanctuary currently cares for over 1,000 rescued animals, and through our TNVT (Treat, Neuter, Vaccinate, Tag) program, we’ve treated more than 7,000 street animals across the city. We empower local communities and schools through humane education, helping children and families learn how to care for animals and live peacefully with nature. In 2020, we planted the first Garden of Peace in Africa, a symbolic olive tree garden where children come to learn empathy and nonviolence. In 2023, Tangier was nominated as an International City of Peace and is now set to become the first pilot city to champion GC26—a groundbreaking UN directive affirming that children must be protected from witnessing violence toward animals. We are launching Project Hayat (“Life”) to bring this vision to life through education, outreach, and peaceful coexistence. In a region affected by state-sponsored culling, our community-led model offers a new path: one of compassion, dignity, and lasting change. Tangier is proud to be a grassroots model of Peace in Action—where every life matters, and peace begins with how we treat the most vulnerable.
Photo 1: Since 2013, we’ve worked together to rescue and protect thousands of stray animals in Tangier. This diverse group of national and international supporters stands for compassion, education, and peace. We proudly promote UN GC26, defending every child’s right to grow up without witnessing violence against animals. Photo 2: At one of the largest animal sanctuaries in Africa, hundreds of dogs live peacefully after being treated, vaccinated, and sterilized. Those with yellow tags have been returned to their territories, where they coexist safely in packs—free from disease and fear. The yellow tag signals to the community that these dogs are healthy, cared for, and rabies-free. Photo 3: Salima “Sally” Kadaoui, founder and president of SFT Animal Sanctuary, has devoted her life to the stray animals and underserved people of Tangier. She gave up all her possessions to fully live her mission: to spread love by being love—one soul, one act of compassion at a time.
Laura Formentini (Ambassador), info@lauraformentini.com
Malcolm Plant, mplant@europeanlinkcoalition.com
World Link Coalition, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Personal Statement — Salima “Sally” Kadaoui Founder and President, SFT Animal Sanctuary “My name is Salima Kadaoui, but most people call me Sally. I was born in the UK and raised between cultures, but my heart has always belonged to Tangier, Morocco. In 2013, I made a life-altering decision: I gave up everything I owned—my home, my career, my comforts—to return to Tangier and dedicate myself fully to those who had no voice—our city’s stray animals and its forgotten people. What started with a few injured dogs on the street has now grown into SFT Animal Sanctuary, the largest in Morocco, where hundreds of dogs, cats, donkeys, and other animals are rescued, healed, and loved. Our work goes beyond animal welfare. It is about peace in action. It is about showing children how to care, teaching communities that compassion is strength, and reminding the world that love is a force capable of transforming the darkest suffering into something hopeful and alive. I live simply. I walk the same streets every day. I see pain, but I also see hope. We have rescued and sterilized over 7,000 animals, and our yellow-tag program helps communities recognize which dogs are safe and protected. We’ve also planted Africa’s first Garden of Peace, right here inside the sanctuary—because I believe peace must be planted, nurtured, and shared. Everything I do is rooted in one truth: Love is not just a feeling; it is a way of living. And through that love, Tangier is becoming a city where peace is possible—not just for humans, but for all sentient beings.
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