“Africa can do it!”: Young Moroccans organise SDG Carnival in Rabat

In March 2018, Morocco’s youth came together to host an SDG carnival in Rabat. At the event, artwork, music and celebrations helped show how important the Sustainable Development Goals are for Morocco, and Africa more generally.

Musical acts included the popular drumming group Over Boys, as well as local guitarists and saxophonists. A group of young men and women danced to the beat of a tambourine, chanted “Africa can do it!” and carried brightly coloured SDG banners in Arabic, French, and English.

The carnival was organised by the Sustainable Development’s Youth association, in collaboration with the United Nations Information Center (CINU) and the Confederation of African Students and Interns in Morocco (CESAM).

‘This show is an artistic way to educate people about the SDGs, which guarantee a better future for the African continent,” explained Salah Eddine Bakkour, a member of the Sustainable Development’s Youth.

The carnival was part of a bigger campaign called “Youth SDG Action”, which encourages young women and men to participate in the SDGs.

In its 2016 Voluntary National Review on implementing the SDGs, Morocco confirms that engaging young people in public policy is one of its priorities. Meanwhile, according to the 2016 Afro Barometer, 54% of Moroccans say they are very interested or somewhat interested in public affairs.

The Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa finds that Morocco ranks highest in the continent on the SDG Index, with a score of 66.1. This means that Morocco is about 66.1% of the way to achieving the SDGs.

Images: The Sustainable Development’s Youth (@TheSDY)