The pilot phase of the “Let’s Talk Development” initiative is coming to an end, the opportunity to take stock of the 16 editions which took place throughout the Kingdom, in order to stimulate reflection, research and analysis on the New development model of the Kingdom.
The “Let’s Talk Development” dialogue series co-organized by the Policy Center for the New South, the World Bank and UNDP, linked by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), have organized over the last three years a series of debates open to the general public, alongside national and international experts, to encourage dialogue and promote the exchange of good practices to contribute to the sustainable development process already initiated by the Kingdom.
Exchange of good practices
“The “Let’s Talk Development” initiative opens up possibilities for dialogues particularly with young people, which are enriching, constructive and crucial for development,” declared Jesko Hentschel, World Bank country director for the Maghreb and Malta, during the presentation of the results at the Policy Center for the New South Campus of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat.
Also present was Christow Edward, UNDP resident representative in Morocco, who highlighted the impact of this initiative having brought together “24,000 participants in 14 cities, in collaboration with 19 partners and 80 stakeholders, propelling sustainable and inclusive development across the country” .
All the actors who contributed to the success of the initiative made the trip to take stock of recent years, in particular the universities which were a “partner of first choice allowing a richness of debates thanks to the diversity of their components and their privileged access to regional players,” affirm the initiators.
This project also made it possible to establish partnerships between universities at the national and international levels, promoting the exchange of good practices. The themes discussed during the dialogues were chosen jointly by UNDP, the World Bank and the Policy Center for the New South, in consultation with the university partner, taking into account the territorial diagnosis of the university region. And this, while ensuring a balance between the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainable development.
The first edition was held in April 2021 at the Mohammed 1st University of Oujda and had the theme “Innovation in the service of territorial development”. The debates continued around various themes in Meknes, Rabat, Al Hoceima, Errachidia, Khouribga, Ait Melloul, Béni-Mellal, but also on the internet.
In Al-Hoceima, the debate focused on the blue economy, in Errachidia on oasis economies, and, at the Essec campus, the debate took place on water shortage. In short, debates as varied as they are relevant in the Moroccan context. According to Yassmine Bellakhdim, program coordinator at UNDP Morocco, this initiative makes it possible to initiate “an interregional and intergenerational dialogue”, to “promote gender equality and positive masculinity”, and to “raise awareness among young people of current challenges” , among others.
Major speakers
The debates were an opportunity to bring together major speakers in each field, such as the anthropologist and architect, Salima Naji, during the 6th edition to address the different development strategies to adopt in oasis areas, Latifa Bennani Smires, president of the Association for the Protection of the Moroccan Family, during the 10th edition with the theme “The family as a space of gender equality”, alongside Gilles Séraphin, university professor and director of the Center for education and training research (Cref).
Jesko Hentschel,
World Bank Country Director for the Maghreb and Malta
“The “Let’s Talk Development” initiative opens up possibilities for dialogue, particularly with young people, which are enriching, constructive and crucial for development.”
Faiza Rhoul / ECO Inspirations
