Moroccan youth are politically aware and have a good understanding of the issues and challenges that their country faces. There are many examples of past youth activism that show that Moroccan youth are at the forefront when it comes to demanding justice, dignity and an end to corruption. Morocco´s February 20 movement that formed in 2011 and resulted in mass protests in various cities in Morocco is the clearest example of such a movement in recent time and a microcosm of youth activism that uses public space to demand change. This kind of movement came as a result of the established political parties and institutions being unable to integrate the young generation and their ideas into their work despite the fact that Moroccan youth are a large group numerically.
Reflecting on the reasons that led Moroccan youth to escape from the shackles of “ideology”, there is a lack of belief in the political sector and its ability to create meaningful change. There is also a feeling that participating in politics on the individual level won´t necessarily do much.
Undoubtedly, the reluctance of Moroccan youth to participate in political life mainly stems from the backwardness of our political culture in my view. Political culture here does not hold the values of modern democratic politics. This seems to be overwhelming public institutions more and more, including the parliament and local elected councils as it raises broader questions about their actual role and legitimacy. In essence, these institutions that supposedly represent the people no longer have sound political and socioeconomic plans on which they can base their work. They only try to cling on to power.
