Youth connecting with policymakers and decision-makers in Morocco

El Khalil and his team started implementing their project early during the third quarter of the year where one of the main priorities of the group was to write an academic article on youth meaningfully participating in decision-making spaces in Morocco. They began the process by gathering on road safety and investigating youth involvement that helped shape the national road safety policy. 

The paper would ideally support the project’s goal of developing an advocacy toolkit for decision-makers in Morocco that puts youth at the center of the decision-making policy to impact the future for safe and sustainable mobility. 

Another activity the team implemented was a two-day intensive online workshop on road safety, the national road safety policy, the transport system, the road safety challenges in Morocco, and the pillars of Vision Zero. The workshop invited YOURS Junior Project Manager Sana’a Khasawneh to talk about the global road safety issue.

Following the presentations, participants of the workshop were able to take part in an open discussion to talk about the role of youth and civil society in shaping a safer future for the transport system in Morocco. 

The workshop followed a virtual campaign that highlighted the main demands of young people in Morocco; to reduce speed on the roads, that youth be given a seat at the decision-making table, and to save lives on the road. The team is working to connect with the Ministry of Transport and the National Road Safety Agency (NARSA) to adopt the demands of the campaign and amplify youth voices. 

The latest activity under the implementation of the project was a focus group discussion for youth who were actively involved in the sustainable development field. Within the discussion, the participants talked about their work with decision-makers, talking through effective mechanisms to maintain the participation of youth in the policymaking process. 

The different discussions were aligned with the goal of conducting consultations with young people to create an adequate framework for their toolkit.