Local Governance: Strengthening the Communal Youth Council in Tetouan.

  • Country: Morocco.
  • Location: Tetouan.
  • Duration: December 2018 to January 2021.
  • Participants: 411 young people at risk of social exclusion, 40 members of the Tetouan Communal Youth Council.
  • Area of specialization: Vocational and Micro-entrepreneurship Training, Governance.

Starting point

The city of Tetouan faces socioeconomic problems such as overcrowding due to rural exodus. This increases social inequalities, school dropout rates, youth unemployment, and job insecurity, which particularly affects young people at risk of social exclusion and hinders their participation in local initiatives.

The Constitution, revised in 2011, establishes that youth participation becomes the responsibility of local governments. The Municipality of Tetouan, in compliance with this directive, began establishing a Communal Youth Council in 2013 to enable youth to participate, engage in dialogue, and develop local initiatives.

Objective

Promoting local democratic governance in the city of Tetouan by strengthening the capacity of the Communal Youth Council. Specifically, strengthening youth participation in the design and implementation of local public policies aimed at this group.

What is the project about

CODESPA has been working with the Tetouan Urban Commune since 2013, in collaboration with the ATIL association. Since then, local facilities have been implemented to provide services in the areas of education and training, as well as sociocultural and sports activities for young people. At the same time, a working methodology has been developed that has allowed the Tetouan Commune to define a participatory management model.

The actions are aimed at understanding the needs and problems of young people experiencing social exclusion. They will conduct a diagnosis of the situation, train their representatives to strengthen the Communal Youth Council, and formalize these agreements in an action plan. Ultimately, the intervention will enable this group to become involved and instrumental in bringing about change in their city. They will be able to have a voice and participate in the design and implementation of local public policies that concern them. This will strengthen the legitimacy of these policies and improve the quality of local public services, particularly in the areas of education and sociocultural and sports activities.

Entities that support this project