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A book about new forms of citizen participation in Morocco had been presented and discussed in Rabat
Together with IDOS’ Moroccan partner, Professor Aziz El Iraki of the Institut National d’Aménagement et d’Urbanisme (INAU), Dr Annabelle Houdret presented their joint book ‘La participation citoyenne au Maroc: entre experiences passes et regionalisation avancée’ (Citizen participation in Morocco : between past experiences and the advanced regionalisation reform) on 23rd October in Rabat, Morocco.
The discussion of the book’s four case studies on new institutions for citizen participation created in Morocco after the 2011 uprisings showed a large variety of experiences. While many of these institutions act as important platforms at the interface of state and societies and contributed to develop innovative proposals, their mandate and resources are often also very limited, and cases of appropriation by local elites happened. Overall, the researchers noted that the institutions supported participation in the sense of ‘improved information’ or, in some cases, ‘consultation’, but did not lead to substantial citizen participation in political decision‐making. Nevertheless, they also contributed to create new networks and capacity building opportunities for local civil societies and, in some cases, challenged established decision-making processes at the municipal level.
The book is available online here: La participation citoyenne au Maroc: entre expériences passées et régionalisation avancée (idos-research.de)
