Morocco launches national youth debate

Young people from all over Morocco are taking part in a national debate to address unemployment and other problems facing youths.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 25/09/12

[AFP/Abdelhak Senna] Moroccan authorities hope a series of national debates will allow young people to take part in shaping national policy.

Morocco kicked off a series of national youth debates on Saturday (September 22nd) designed to engage young people on the issues that directly affect them.

Revolving around social, economic, political and cultural life, the debates are aimed at involving young people in all development policies initiated in Morocco and creating a culture of participation. This will enable young people to find out about their rights and their role in improving their socioeconomic and cultural situation, according to Youth and Sports Minister Mohamed Ouzzine.

Government and voluntary sector partners from all over the country will lead the discussions, with 35,000 18-25year-olds from various organisations taking part. Young people from the remotest village, rural and mountain areas of Morocco will have an opportunity to help the National Youth Council, created under the constitution, to formulate an integrated approach. More than 200 youth clubs in Morocco’s 16 regions will host the various meetings.

“The ministry will work to put the resources in place to ensure the successful creation of the upper youth council,” Ouzzine said. He said it was necessary to restore confidence among young people and put them at the heart of the country’s global strategy.

The minister added that Moroccan youth need work now to guarantee their personal dignity. His department is planning to launch a national self-employment programme.

He stressed the need for all government departments to commit to this key project for young people and to act as strategic partners in delivering youth-oriented policies. He said that efforts to date have not been good enough to meet the need.

Mohamed Jaouhari, the ministry’s youth and children director, spoke along similar lines. He said that discussions have yet to match young people’s aspirations, and discussions which have already taken place need to be revisited in order for targets to be achieved.

On August 20th, King Mohammed VI encouraged the government to get to work on youth issues, saying that “young people want to see optimal conditions being introduced so that they can fully develop and exercise their own responsibilities.”

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“They have a legitimate ambition for better social and professional inclusion, most notably by receiving privileged access to work. Alongside this, we need to create an environment which is favourable to them accessing housing, health and various community services, sports and leisure facilities, community centres, and facilities offering the latest information and communication technologies,” the king said.

Sociologist Samira Kassimi said that an analysis of the situation facing young people in Morocco has already been drawn up by both Moroccan and international institutions, and the time has come to work on real strategies likely to improve the daily lives of young people in social, political and cultural terms alike.

Many young people are mistrustful of the national youth debate. Soundouss Kassimi, who has a business management degree, said that officials have been talking more and more about young people for years, but despite that there have been no positive knock-on effects in daily life.

“Yes, we’ve seen young people getting into Parliament. But these young MPs are lucky to have been co-opted by their political parties. A lot of that is due to cronyism and family ties. We want strategies which will reach the majority of Moroccans,” Kassimi said.

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