Seminar addresses youth participation in politics and public affairs

29/01/2009

The Forum of Moroccan Youth for the Third Millennium organised a seminar to combat apathy among young voters in the run up to the June 12th communal elections.

By Imane Belhaj for Magharebia in Casablanca – 29/01/09

[Getty Images] A seminar in Rabat examined ways to increase Moroccan youth participation in public life.

A seminar held Saturday (January 24th) in Rabat by the Forum of Moroccan Youth for the Third Millennium examined ways to encourage young people's constructive and effective involvement in politics and local affairs.

Abderrahim Manar Slimi, professor of political science at Mohammed V University in Rabat, encouraged youths to run in the upcoming June 12th communal elections as a way to participate in managing local public affairs.

"This, of course, requires political parties to mobilise in order to create such an opportunity," he added. "It also requires civil society associations to move to raise youth awareness about the importance of participation, and to encourage them to take part in politics."

Slimi added, "It's a matter of restoring the trust in the youth, who, in turn, must regain their trust in officials and elected representatives and in politics as a whole."

Khadija Ghour, a general inspector from the Ministry of Culture, noted that the representation of young people in elected bodies and decision-making centres is relatively low, despite their aspirations to participate in the political arena.

Ghour stressed the necessity to work on creating new mechanisms for local governance. She also called for new approaches designed to enhance the youth's political awareness and participation, and to boost their values of citizenship.

President of the Forum for Citizenship Abdelali Mastour said that the decision to lower the required age to stand for election to 21 years would "enkindle the enthusiasm of the youth and put them at the heart of events".

Mastour added that the next communal elections would be a landmark for launching "local action" and for making local councils real national developmental institutions. He noted that the participation and effective involvement of the youth would "strengthen the state [and] be a bonus for entrepreneurial spirit, territorial unity and the national economy".

Young participants were a bit more reserved.

"Paying attention to the youth and giving them the opportunity to express themselves, to get involved and to participate is still only talk on behalf of anyone speaking about development and progress," said Nassreddine Fathi, a young man who attended the seminar.

Seminar participant Nabil Yazin told Magharebia that "encouraging the youth doesn't need debates, but real mechanisms to build … a society free from illiteracy, bribery and injustice. Only then we can talk about encouraging the youth and attracting them to engage in politics."

Another attendee by the name of Khaled shared the same opinion. He stated that poverty, social and economic exclusion are the barriers impeding young people's participation in public life.

"We know that the youth hailing from well-to-do families, or at least from relatively rich social environments, don't face any difficulties if they think about participating in politics and reaching decision-making centres," he said.