Near East Foundation

Period: 2010-Present
Primary Donor: US Agency for International Development

In rural and urban areas of Morocco, NEF is helping young people organize and build an ongoing dialogue with their local community leaders through youth councils.  The effort is part of USAID's Local Governance Project. 

The youth councils are among the first of their kind in Morocco and in the region and may serve as a model for other countries.

Project Activities and Impact

In a part of the world experiencing dramatic change, the councils are designed to:

• Give youth a constructive way to participate in their government;
• Give Moroccan government leaders a positive and productive way to work with youth; and
• Provide a formal structure for an ongoing dialogue and exchange of ideas between youth and civic leaders.

Across the country, the councils have opened communication between youth and their elected leaders, creating an environment where they can work together to find solutions for complex problems such as unemployment. The project aims to:

• Foster a new generation of civic leaders;
• Engage local youth in a democratic process to elect fellow youth to represent their interests;
• Hold major public forums to bring communities together to discuss youth issues;
• Create a vehicle for youth dialogue and action;
• Help mobilize community youth;
• Provide support services and programming to youth, such as job placement, leadership training, and skills development; and
• Build a sustainable model for including youth in local governance that will endure long after the project concludes.

The timely effort coincides with the new Moroccan constitution, which requires the creation of youth councils and related activities.

Areas of Focus

The project is expanding into more rural and urban areas.  Current work is in the Communes of Ain Cheggag, El Jadida, Safi, Sefrou, and Sidi Harazem.

NEF's role in the Local Governance Project is as sub-contractor to Research Triangle Institute (RTI).