Marrakech – Historically and socially, Moroccan youth have been deprived of a meaningful participation in political, economic and social life. They lack basic access to information and education and/or are considered unfit for leadership positions in their communities. This lacking is contradictory to the desire most young people have to be active in their environment.
The belief that youth have a rebellious attitude and a chaotic mindset has been refuted by the sense of citizenship and engagement many young people show. Today’s youth try to access and participate through working hard and engaging in their society. Still, the political will does not correspond with these aspirations. And with these two at odds with each other, coupled with the high rates of unemployment and illiteracy, Moroccan youth are in a dire situation.
Experiencing most of these youth hindrances enhanced my interest in youth participation. So, I analyzed the government’s attitudes towards this situation. I concluded that its measures are shy and the mechanisms to promote young people are either not very clear or not activated.
My curiosity further led me to research the relevant World Bank reports. At first sight, I was amazed to learn how the World Bank as an independent foreign institution view Moroccan people like me. Then, I realized that it is a very detailed description of the situation of youth in Morocco.
Based upon my research and experiences, it seems that the key to any positive change in Morocco is considering youth as a critical group. Young people must have more access to proper education and decision-making positions. A 2012 report by the World Bank (No. 68731 –MOR entitled: Promoting Youth Opportunities and Participation, June 2012) stresses that education is an important factor in the economic development of young people and the economy of Morocco in general since youth constitute a majority of the population.
The urgency of this topic is clear because, as the report mentions, youth exclusion lead to high-risk behaviors, which leads to higher unemployment rate and pressure on wages. The probably result shows the need to increase youth participation and involvement in good citizenship practices.
The solution can be found in: 1- Promoting employability and maintaining the link with the labor market and entrepreneurship. 2- Enhancing participation of youth in the ‘programs’ and in designing youth policies, considering that the interventions adopt a sensitive gender and age categories approach. Another key is expanding the coverage of well-designed intervention to leave greater impact.
Synergy must be created to maintain and strengthen good cross-sectoral cooperation. Critical need for youth inclusion in the quality of services and accountability is highly recommended. Youth participation must be recognized by giving allowance for their work. Their participation should be taken through institutional channels.
Transition to employment is done through reforms in education partnership between public agencies, the government, and promoting training youth centers. Transition to citizenship is done through interventions such as increasing youth abilities to have ‘voice’ and helping them design their own programs. The key areas for intervention are :
Promoting employment and entrepreneurship( through training + comprehensive programs…)
Promoting active youth participation and citizenship ( providing support to youth-led organizations and initiatives + youth volunteering programs and services.)
To be continued...
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