Young people from across North Africa gathered in Tunis to share a common vision for a united and democratic Maghreb.
One of the first steps the Euro-Maghreb Youth Union (UJEM) took at its April 27th-30th forum was to tie the plan to football. The group will press for the border between Morocco and Algeria to be re-opened during the June 4th CAN qualifier match between the two side's national football teams.
The group plans to organise a rally of young people from across the Maghreb to travel to Morocco to watch the match. The activists will set out from Tunisia and travel through Algeria before reaching their destination. They intend to launch a media campaign to give the event a pan-Maghreb dimension.
Participants from all five Maghreb states adopted a "Tunis Appeal" containing several resolutions in line with the young people's concerns, including economic matters.
"The young people of the Maghreb are now taking their fate into their own hands and are determined to make the goal of a united and democratic Maghreb a reality," explained UJEM spokesman Rabii Leouifoudi. "The Tunis meeting provided an opportunity to set up a co-ordinating body for young Maghreb people that brings together NGOs and young party members."
"We launched the Tunis Appeal for a united and democratic Maghreb, we called for the creation of a Social Forces and Civil Society Advisory Council in the Maghreb, and we also decided to create a Tunis Conference Follow-up Committee," he stated.
As part of the follow-up efforts, the Tunis Appeal states an attempt will be made to draw up a "Democratic Charter for the Maghreb" setting out the rights and freedoms of the citizens of the region. They also hope to create a Maghreb Institute for Studies and Forecasting harnessing different skills from across the Maghreb, as well as working towards open borders.
"Today, the nations of the Maghreb set off on the road to a real transition to democracy, the road to the building of states that protect human rights, freedoms and dignity, and the consolidation of institutions for greater equality and better governance," conference organiser Sonia Mejri said.
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She added, "In this context, we, the young people of the Maghreb, have resolved to take pragmatic practical action so that we can play our part in the partnership and co-operation between the nations of the Union for the Maghreb."
"These nations share the same past and present and want to build their future together. For all these reasons, it is no longer acceptable for the borders between us to remain closed," Mejri said.
In explaining the importance of the Tunis meeting, she pointed out that the conference took place in a Maghreb that is undergoing a complete transformation, especially Tunis, the city chosen to host it. In her view, "the values of revolution are universal values that are being demanded by the young people who have been demonstrating for weeks across the Arab world."
"The important thing is the presence of young people from all over the Maghreb, civil-society figures, members of non-governmental organisations, leaders of party youth movements and intellectuals who share the view that the Maghreb should be united and democratic," Mejri emphasised.
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