Youth for Democracy’ event draws future leaders to Rabat

AFP/Abdelhak Senna] “Arab youth do not generally participate in politics due to their frustration because political parties exploit them when seeking votes,” an activist said.
By Mohammed Saadouni in Rabat for Magharebia – 14/01/2014

Morocco hosted a UN-sponsored conference for young activists and students from the MENA region.

More than 150 young people from, Morocco and other Arab countries gathered in Rabat at the week-end for a three-day exercise in governance.

NGO “Mediator for Democracy and Human Rights” launched the initiative, in partnership with the United Nations Democracy Fund.

The “Youth for Democracy” event, which wrapped up Sunday (January 5th) at the International Youth Complex of Bouznika, aims to develop citizenship and strengthen the capacity of youth in political participation.

“The meeting is a preparatory station for young people, providing them with tools to assess public policies,” said Amina Boughalbi, a project co-ordinator and member of the youth-led February 20 Movement (M20F).

“Activities focused on several topics, including the constitution, the organisation of the authorities, parliament and its powers, participatory democracy and governance, as well as mechanisms for the protection of human rights,” she told Magharebia.

Speakers at the meeting “shed light on many issues that concern young people and their relationship with politics”, Boughalbi added.

Despite their overwhelming response and curiosity for more political knowledge, “Arab youth do not generally participate in politics due to their frustration because political parties exploit them when seeking votes in the elections and then neglect their opinions and ideas,” the activist said.

Mohamed, a young participant, said that the first “Youth for Democracy” university seminar was for him the opportunity to meet young people and share ideas.

He said he would participate in the upcoming elections and not boycott like many who shunned politics and the political game.

The first day saw an intervention on the theme of participatory democracy led by Abderrahmane Amrani.

“The deterioration of political parties in performing the roles assigned to them in terms of political training and political elites development, contributed significantly to the decline in the participation of young people who represent the backbone of Moroccan society,” he said.

“This is what made civil society so often play a strategic role in the manufacture of public opinion and in the evaluation of public policies, and even direct them at other times after the failure of political parties to do so,” he noted.

For her part, university professor and human rights activist Latifa Albohsini addressed the agreements signed by Morocco in the field of women’s rights and also spoke about the new government’s plan to apply parity.

A second “university” will be held during spring break in mid-March, which will focus on “the evaluation of public policies”.

The same young forum participants will work on preparing reports on public policies adopted by governments.