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UNCLAS CASABLANCA 001298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PHUM PGOV PREL MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCAN NGO FOR CIVIC EDUCATION, DEMOCRACY 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: The Forum for Citizenship is an NGO that promotes 
democratic principles, civic education, and open political dialogue. 
While its efforts have been successful, particularly in creating 
clubs to educate youth about democracy, it counts among its 
challenges regional instability and the assistance of outsiders who 
are didactic rather than cooperative.  The organization looks towards 
the 2007 parliamentary elections as a test case for the success of 
its laudable efforts to encourage genuine democratic participation in 
Morocco.  Its leaders note, however, that political parties in 
Morocco remain, for the most part, timid and empty of content, a 
situation which must change in order for democratic principles to 
take root.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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FORUM FOR CITIZENSHIP 
--------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Founded in 1999, the Forum for Citizenship (Forum de la 
Citoyennete) is a Casablanca-based non-governmental organization 
(NGO) whose mission is to promote democratic principles and 
citizenship in Morocco.  To this end, the organization has four main 
goals.  First, it aims to educate Moroccan youth about democracy, and 
to encourage Moroccans to participate actively in civic life. 
Second, it strives to improve relations between civic actors, 
including elected officials, local leaders and average citizens, via 
training and roundtables.  Third, it supports social science research 
that examines such issues as changes in the Moroccan mentality 
towards democratic practices.  Finally, the Forum for Citizenship 
offers a space for open dialogue between union members, politicians, 
businessmen, artisans, and anyone who would like to discuss issues of 
importance to Morocco and its development. 
 
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WHY IT EXISTS 
------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) During a visit to the Forum for Citizenship's offices on 
November 1, CG and EconOff met with staff members to learn more about 
the Forum's goals and aspirations. The organization's president, 
Abdelali Masour, started by explaining the evolution of Morocco's 
NGOs.  While numerous associations arose following independence to 
address emerging questions concerning democracy, human rights, and 
the constitution, they did not begin to specialize into well-defined 
niches until the 1990s.  According to Masour, Moroccans now depend 
more on NGOs to address critical issues than they do on political 
parties, which do not adequately represent all levels of society. 
Moreover, political parties in Morocco, in general, are reluctant to 
stake out opposing positions on key national issues.  Masour's 
explanation revealed not only the vital role that NGOs play in 
Morocco today, but also the particular importance of an NGO that 
teaches people to become active participants in the public sphere. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Masour noted that education about democracy is weak in 
Morocco since not enough effort had been devoted to it.  According to 
him, "there is no development without democracy."  His organization 
therefore tries to educate people, particularly youth, about what 
democracy is and how it works.  To do this, the Forum for Citizenship 
has started educational clubs across the country where specially 
trained presenters teach democratic principles which they hope will 
spread throughout neighborhoods and communities.  Some clubs have 
existed since 2001, and the organization signed a partnership 
agreement with the Secretary of State in Charge of Youth in December 
2004 to continue its efforts in civic education and democratic 
awareness. 
 
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CHALLENGES 
---------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) When asked what challenges the organization faces, Masour 
spoke at length about the need for national and international 
stability.  While Morocco has a great deal of potential, Masour 
argues that its internal problems and those of the Middle East in 
general make it more difficult for the Forum for Citizenship to 
pursue its agenda, presumably because people are preoccupied with 
other issues.  Still, he said that various organizations in the 
Maghreb have worked together on issues relating to civic education 
and responsibility, citing a conference in Algeria and one for female 
journalists in Casablanca. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Masour also said that, while he and his organization 
welcome U.S. support, they do not like it when outsiders impose their 
ideas or tell them what to do.  He was referring directly to the 
Forum for Citizenship's experience with the International Republican 
Institute (IRI), which he felt had acted as a middleman between the 
Forum and government officials, rather than as a partner promoting 
direct communication.  Work with other organizations such as the 
National Democratic Institute (NDI), USAID, and the Center for the 
Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) has been more successful.  Masour 
noted that American organizations can best assist Morocco by 
supporting civil society and sharing their experiences, for example 
finding stability after World War II or establishing a religiously 
and culturally diverse nation. 
 
---------------------------- 
2007 Parliamentary Elections 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) The Forum for Citizenship views parliamentary elections in 
2007 as a test case for the effectiveness of what they teach.  Not 
only do they hope to gauge whether recent reform in Morocco has 
changed people's attitudes, but also whether participation in the 
political process increases.  Ideally, the Forum wants to improve the 
ability of associations to influence elections by encouraging them to 
talk to candidates and elected officials about their programs.  They 
also strive to inculcate the importance of voting in youth; even if 
they are too young to vote now, they will be able to do so in the 
future. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT: The Forum for Citizenship and its president, 
Abdelali Masour, are a dynamic group that is committed not only to 
spreading democratic principles, but also to putting them into 
practice.  The fact that the organization's promotional and 
educational materials are all in Arabic, and that Mr. Masour himself 
claims to be more comfortable in Arabic than in French, suggests that 
the Forum operates at the grassroots level where their efforts are 
most needed.  It is encouraging to find a stable and committed NGO 
that strives to make Morocco's political space truly participatory. 
END COMMENT. 
 
Greene