Building the Collaborative Community

Moroccan cities suffer from a chronic problem of abutting shantytowns where alienated youth live in unhealthy environments and experience a myriad of conflicts and social problems. The shantytowns are a major hindrance to the socioeconomic development of the country. Such towns are in need of youth- development projects aimed at building healthy and vibrant communities. In partnership with the Holding d'Aménagement al-Omrane (HAO), Search for Common Ground is implementing a community-building project to:

• Launch an awareness-raising campaign, recruit volunteers, and mobilize community residents;



• Promote dialogue and partnership (creation of a steering committee that will evolve into a permanent structure of planning and the implementation of social projects and joint actions);



• Create a green space in the heart of the shantytown of Sidi Yahia al-Gharb;



• Provide Moroccan youths with a series of skill-building workshops to create leaders, facilitators, trainers, and experts in advocacy;



• Build local capacity (especially in conflict resolution, communication skills, proposals' drafting and fundraising);



• Engage youth in joint cultural and environmental events;



• Catalyze the launching of micro-credit ventures and literacy classes ; and



• Build a community resource center equipped with a conference room to house diverse activities (social, cultural and educational, etc.) along with a computer room where trainings in computer skills for youth are held.

The overall aim of this project is to create a replicable model of collaborative and participatory development between the stakeholders on the local community level.

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