On the 14th to 16th of September the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs hosted the 2020 CSO Forum, this time in a virtual format. The theme for this year’s forum was youth participation, informal movements and networks, and shrinking civic space.
On September 15th the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa hosted a session on the MENA region, with 30 participants from civil society organisations in the MENA region and Sweden, as well as representatives from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Swedish Development Agency (Sida). The session focused on the “global loss of civic voices of a generation - the challenges to political participation in the MENA region”. Participants explore possible solutions to the limited civic space for young people in the MENA region, and the barriers young people meet when it comes to political participation.
Director Charlotta Sparre opened and moderated the session. In her opening remarks, she stressed that young people have a right to be included, but also that it is smart, as societies where young people are given the chance for social, economic and political empowerment are more resilient, peaceful and sustainable. She also highlighted the need to address the topic holistically and look at aspects like socio-economic environment and social inclusion; legal and institutional setups; civic space; and skills and education. “How do we expect young people to participate in public and political life if they don’t even feel like equal members of society?” she asked the participants. Participants were presented with a local case study and then moved into smaller breakout groups, where participants discussed challenges and presented recommendations on how to create more inclusive, participatory and conducive environment for young people in the MENA region.
Participants stressed the need to work simultaneously at different levels, at an institutional and legal level, and on issues that concern people’s everyday lives (livelihoods, access to jobs, education, build confidence in the grassroots), to create hope, link political and economic inclusion, lower barriers to decision-making, and ensure equal access and opportunities. The recommendations were collected in the attached document.
On the final day of the CSO Forum, Noura Berrouba from the Dialogue Institute reported back from the MENA session.
A report with recommendations from the meeting is available here.
Videos from the reporting back session available on CSO forum 2020 youtube channel.
