Context :

The CIDEAL Foundation, in partnership with organizations such as DARNA, CHIFAE, CIDEAL MAROC, FOO and UNFM, and with co-financing from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), recently implemented the SHABAB MUTASAMIH (Tolerant Youth) agreement in Morocco. The initiative aimed to prevent violent extremism among young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods in the cities of Tangier, Casablanca, Tetouan, and M’Diq-Fnideq. The agreement aimed to achieve several objectives, including the improvement of coexistence and community integration of young people in vulnerable situations, the promotion of successful integration into the labor market and economic activity for young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods, the strengthening of the capacities of frontline social and professional actors through the establishment of a public-private coordination forum that promotes local debate on mechanisms to prevent violent extremism among youth, and the increase of knowledge and generation of tools for the prevention of violent extremism. Within the framework of this agreement, CIDEAL Morocco, as a local partner, worked towards specific outcomes such as supporting vulnerable youth in disadvantaged neighborhoods of Tangier, Mdiq-Fnideq, Tetouan, and Casablanca in the implementation of self-employment and entrepreneurship initiatives, improving the capacity of CSO members and frontline professionals to effectively manage conflict prevention and extremist behavior among youth and developing local proposals to improve the prevention of youth violence and violent extremism.

Project Description :

The SHABAB MUTASAMIH (Tolerant Youth) Convention is an initiative aimed at preventing violent extremism among vulnerable youth in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Morocco. The initiative includes capacity building for key actors and frontline agents, and the formation of working groups on the prevention of violent extremism (GT-PEV) to develop local proposals for preventing violence and extremism among youth. The local proposals elaborated by TALM’s project team serve as the basis for the development of Local Strategic Plans for the prevention of violent extremism and youth radicalization in Tangier, Tetouan, Mdiq-Fnideq and Casablanca. The objective of this project is to design and formulate Local Strategic Plans that will serve as a roadmap for promoting coexistence and preventing violence and radicalization among youth, based on the local proposals proposed by the WG-PEV and aligned with the communal and/or municipal plans and strategies of each action area.

Project Objectives :

• Objective 1: To ensure the active and meaningful participation of youth in the creation of local strategic plans aimed at preventing violence and radicalization. This will help to better understand the needs, context, and challenges faced by young people and ensure that their perspectives are considered in the development process.
• Objective 2: To build a relationship of proximity with the youth by providing support and guidance throughout the process. This will encourage youth to engage more deeply with the initiative and foster a sense of ownership over the solutions proposed.
• Objective 3: To equip young people with the skills and knowledge necessary to prevent radicalization and violent extremism. This will empower them to take an active role in creating safer, more inclusive communities and counteract harmful ideologies.
• Objective 4: To engage public actors, including local government and community leaders, in the process to facilitate the exchange and sharing of experiences. This will ensure that the perspectives of key stakeholders are taken into account and that the solutions proposed are grounded in local realities.
• Objective 5: To involve civil society organizations in the prevention of violent extremism as they play a crucial role in the overall efforts to create safer, more inclusive communities. This will help to leverage the strengths and resources of these organizations and ensure that their perspectives and expertise are incorporated into the local strategic plans.

Project Team :

• Ahmed Jazouli: Team Leader, Ph.D. in Law and International Studies, Master’s in Sociology, with international experience in field research, governance, strategic planning, evaluation, and report writing. A proven expert in governance and economic strengthening, including countering violent extremism among youth. Led the team that developed 5 strategic plans and worked on the USAID Morocco Gender Analysis Report Chapter 6: Countering Violent Extremism.
• Ibrahim Abbadi: P/CVE Expert with a background in Diplomacy and International Studies, Political Science, and experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of CVE capacity-building projects, conducts research on violent extremism prevention programs and facilitates focus groups and workshops on countering violent extremism.
• Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist: Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) specialist with a background in international development and strong analytical skills, Skilled in program design, implementation, and data analysis, with a proven track record of successfully monitoring and evaluating projects in various sectors, Passionate about using data to drive decision-making and improve program effectiveness, Committed to providing actionable recommendations to improve program performance and achieve desired outcomes.