Socio-Economic Development and Violent Extremism in Morocco

The workshop was part of the MENA program’s project promoting think tank work in the Middle East and North Africa. It was aimed at strengthening the scientific and technical capacities of civil society actors in the region and in the EU who are engaged in research, policy analysis, and advice.

Among the issues discussed were the increasing southward orientation of Morocco’s regional policy and its consequences for Morocco-EU relations; the patterns and the impact of migration movements from Sub-Sahara Africa to Morocco in light of Morocco’s soft-power approaches toward the region; as well as social and economic drivers of radicalization and possible concrete measures to tackle the phenomenon, including the promotion of female agency and decentralized communication approaches.

The workshop participants presented policy papers, which they had prepared between the two workshops, and discussed them with relevant Moroccan and European decision-makers and experts. In addition, two political advocates and civil society representatives who have led successful initiatives in the field of human rights and migration in Morocco shared their experiences with the participants to help them advance their advocacy skills.

The following speakers and discussants attended the workshop (in alphabetical order):

• Nadia Benabdeljlil, Professor at the Mohammed V University, Rabat, and Member of Rabat Social Studies Institute (RSSI)
• Mohammed Benaissa, President North Observatory of human Rights
• Omar Iharchane, Professor at the University of Cadi Ayyad, Marrakesh
• Franck Iyanga, Activist on migration
• Mohammed Jebbour, Institute of African Studies, Mohammed V University, Rabat
• Mehdi Lahlou, Professor at the National Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics
• Driss Maghraoui, Professor, Al-Akhawayn University, Ifrane, and Member of RSSI
• Khalid Mouna, Professor at the Moulay Ismail University, Meknes
• Leila Ouchani, Director of Migration, Ministry in Charge of MREAM
• H. E. Dr. Götz Schmid-Bremme, German Ambassador to Morocco
• Dalila Zenati, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• Saloua Zerhouni, Professor of Political Science at Mohammed V University, Rabat and Director of the Rabat Social Studies Institute (RSSI)

The workshop was funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) and organized in close cooperation the Rabat Social Studies Institute (RSSI).