In the light of the recent Arab uprisings which spanned throughout the Arab World, toppling Presidents and overthrowing regimes, it became critical for each and every country to adopt a new approach towards policy making and legislation. Leading a nation is not the sacred privilege of a certain government or party, but as it proved to be during the last years’ revolutions, is a consensual and cooperative effort which includes the vast array of the political and the social spectrum of the nation. Part of the groups, which in the past neglected, has strongly affirmed its say through a massive campaign and an active involvement in the recent uprisings: Youth!
Youth have been side lined in favor of a closed and elitist branch of the Moroccan society, thus having no say in how the country operates or what the government priorities should be in the different social, economic and political domains.
It is time for youth, however young and inexperienced they are, to expose their ideas and ideals on an open forum, and make from these opinion and recommendations a raw material able to be processed by the authorities in such a way that it becomes politically, socially and financially applicable.
The Moroccan Institute for Youth Policy Making is a Think Tank which regroups Moroccan students in and outside of Morocco, a Think Tank with a vision shared by each and every one of us Moroccans: Let youth have their say on how Morocco ought to be shaped and sculpted. The Think Tank is an open forum for discussion, debate and contribution with ideas and recommendation to the different organs of the Moroccan authorities. The Moroccan Institute for Youth Policy Making is a true intellectual hub which regroups one of the finest conglomerations of Moroccan students both in High School and University, a center for creative ideas generation meant to be a landmark in the development of the involvement of youth in Policy making of their nation.
I. Vision:
The Moroccan Institute for Youth Policy Making holds a reformative vision empowered by a staunch belief that development cannot be achieved without the active involvement of Youth. Our vision and aspiration for the future of Morocco is to witness the flourishing of a nation following the path of democracy, while strongly preserving the cultural and religious features of the society. This vision is well embodied by the youth who are engaged and actively involved in various forums through their opinions, ideological and political views as well as their ideas of reform and development. Channeling and voicing these opinions, values and ideals through a single platform is what this Think Tank aims for in its struggle to shape and sculpt Morocco through the eyes, voices and actions of its sons and daughters.
II.
I. Short Term Objectives:
v Raise awareness among youth about the importance of policy making and Public Administration
v Create a suitable environment for youth discussions on matters of various concerns ranging from politics to economics, as well as social justice and religion
v Equip youth who benefit from the think tank seminars and workshops with critical thinking and knowledgeable mentoring in various fields
v Concentrate youth opinions and ideas in a compiled report issued each 6 months where further recommendations are made to policy makers
v Encourage youth to become part of policy making and local affairs management
v Catalyze a fruitful dialogue between youth and the financial and political elite as a mean of establishing understanding and building bases for cooperation
v Offer workshops on civic and political rights to educate youth on the basics of civic and political activism
v Facilitate a forum for discussion, criticism and proposals of ideas and opinions online
v Measure the public tendencies and street opinions on political, social ,financial and religious matters and create polls to register and record the street pulse for internal and public usage
v Provide counseling and advice for youth in matters of movements, campaigns and projects making
v Train youth on the usage of social media in organizing, mobilizing and operating movements and campaign within the civil society
II. Long term objectives:
v Recruit and train a group of youths active in the domain of politics and economics with critical thinking and revolutionary ideas
v Establish the foundations for a more active and involved role of the youth groups in policy making and affairs management
v Create a paradigm shift in peoples’ understanding and appreciation of politics and render it a domain open for everyone eager to contribute and make a change
v Issue recommendations and reports with description and predictions over issues of critical importance, making these materials an important reference for policy makers and the authorities
v Establish an operating cell: Moroccan youth institute on foreign policy directed towards the analysis of the Moroccan foreign policy
v Building partnerships with the civil society, existing NGOs and institute as well as partnering with the authorities on various levels
v Establish a Research center for youth led investigations based on subjects the members are passionate about
The official Think Tank document can be downloaded and consulted here:
The Facebook Page, still under construction: https://www.facebook.com/MoroccanInstituteForYouthPolicyMaking
More info to come as the Think Tank takes shape!
Mohamed Amine Belarbi
No comments:
Post a Comment