The EU JEEL CONNECTORS of Morocco met for the first time in a Flagship event organised by the European Union Delegation and the EU Neighbours South programme. 

All the EU JEEL CONNECTORS from the various regions of Morocco met for the first time on 9 February in Rabat. Most of these young men and women are business people, self-employed entrepreneurs or recent graduates. They lead initiatives aimed at promoting opportunities presented to young Moroccans by the European Union. During the Flagship event, they had the chance to meet face to face, following numerous online exchanges and to share their ideas and views and thus strengthen and consolidate their networks. This exciting gathering, where the keynote was sharing, also allowed them to present their local initiatives and to celebrate their common commitment to having their respective communities discover the European Union.

The EU JEEL CONNECT focal point in Morocco, Ms Nisrine El Kettani, spoke with feeling. “As coordinator of the EU JEEL CONNECT network in Morocco, my mission is not without its challenges, but above all it is one of pride. Building this network day after day and above all making sure it is driven by a dynamic that will last over time is quite a challenge. The more so as the Moroccan network is the one with most members among the eight countries covered by the project! But the energy unleashed by the EU JEEL CONNECTORS in their Flagship event, their amazing ideas, their harmony, their commitment and their motivation make me realise that the mission has been very successful so far and that we’re on the right track. But this is just the beginning! I’m well aware of the fact that the work towards attaining our major objectives is only just starting,” she asserts. 

Fatima Ezahra, determined to involve young people in local public affairs

A student of management sciences, Fatima Ezahra has for several years taken an active interest in matters of citizen participation. So, quite naturally as an EU JEEL CONNECTOR, she has focused her actions on conveying the necessary information to ensure the involvement of young people in local public affairs. The initiative, entitled Taaziz (Advancement), brought together more than thirty young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Fez on 25 November 2023 in two participative workshops, one on the competences of local authorities and the other on the mechanisms of participative democracy in Morocco. The young participants left these workshops convinced of the benefits of citizen participation and having proposed three ways of improving public services in the areas of urban transport, cultural activities and the delegated management of household refuse collection.

The purpose of this initiative is participation in the construction of a more equitable and democratic society by giving young people a greater say, while at the same time favouring local public policies better adapted to their needs and expectations. 

For Fatima Ezahra, it’s obvious: “European values are compatible with Moroccan values. The EU JEEL CONNECTORS network allows us to take inspiration from and to disseminate the good practices of the European Union that may be useful to young Moroccans.”

Fatima Ezahra at the Flagship event of 9 February 2024 in Rabat

Rida, introducing Agadir students to Erasmus+ 

Rida is 24 years old and already wears many different hats. An English teacher and a UNICEF mentor, he is also studying public law at the university of Agadir, as well as being an EU JEEL CONNECTOR. On 3 December last, the EUmpowered initiative, which he launched, brought together more than 150 university students eager to know more about the Erasmus+ programme.

Combining online with face-to-face participation, this exchange was the occasion to present the testimonies of former beneficiaries of Erasmus+ as the best way to explain to participants the possibilities offered by this programme. Use was also made of interactive workshops to advise young people to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to be able to apply to the European programmes.

Since then several participants, interested by this opportunity and capitalising on the advice received, have applied for the Erasmus+ programme with a view to opening up new academic or professional horizons in Europe.

This initiative aims to foster inclusion, diversity and inter-cultural competence so as to open up new prospects to these Agadir students.

 “I’m very proud to be an EU JEEL CONNECTOR, in order to build a bridge between the European Union and the young people of Agadir, who are often forgotten about in Morocco,” Rida tells us. And that’s what he’s doing.

Rida at the Flagship event of 9 February 2024 in Rabat

Soumia and robotics boot camps

Soumia, an electronics and embedded systems engineer in the second year of her doctorate studies, will launch her initiative in March 2024.

This young woman, originally from an oasis settlement, has one objective: to bring together 250 students from the rural regions of Drâa Tafilalet over the course of a week of workshops and training sessions for them to discover robotics.

As Soumia herself experienced in her childhood, the rural areas of Morocco, while rich in culture and traditions, face significant challenges as regards access to education in general and technology in particular. As an EU JEEL CONNECTOR, it is this that motivates her: “I want young people from rural areas to have the same chances as I have had to discover the opportunities offered by the European Union”.

Soumia at the Flagship event of 9 February 2024 in Rabat

The Flagship Event, a celebration of the action of the EU JEEL CONNECTORS

The EU JEEL CONNECTORS, celebrated in the context of the Flagship Event, constitute one of the networks launched by the EU Neighbours South programme, which aims to disseminate knowledge of the European Union’s programmes in neighbouring countries to the south. This network is composed of young change makers based in particular in Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Algeria, Palestine and Tunisia. With its 46 EU JEEL CONNECTORS, Morocco has the most extensive network.  

The Flagship Event was thus the occasion to bring the EU JEEL CONNECTORS together for the first time in Morocco and to shine a light on their initiatives in order to improve the perception of the European Union’s projects and programmes. Throughout the year, these young connectors mobilise their networks in each region of Morocco to spread the word about projects supported by the European Union on various themes such as education, exchanges or cultural and creative industries (CCI), by means of coffee talks, informal discussions that bring together dozens of young people around a particular theme. 

These coffee talks culminated in the Flagship Event of 9 February in Rabat, which brought together the 46 nationwide EU JEEL CONNECTORS. Presided over by the Ambassador of the European Union to Morocco, Patricia Llombart Cussac, this event was the occasion to award these young people certificates in recognition of their commitment. The Ambassador thanked them warmly: 

“Our Euro-Moroccan partnership is enriched by the actions of these young people in their communities, and we congratulate them and thank them for their commitment. In these uncertain times of conflicts and polarisation, we rely on young Moroccans to continue to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation that unite our peoples on the two shores of the Mediterranean. Young people can count on us to continue to place them centre-stage in our cooperation.”