Strengthening NGO"s for democratization and sustainable development in Morocco : an NGO assessment

As a result, the number of NGOs has grown greatly -- at least 17,000 are now operating in the country. Unlike older NGOs, which concentrated on social or charitable activities, newer NGOs tend to focus on urgent societal issues, such as women"s rights, grassroots development, small business support, and the environment. This report assesses the capacity of 42 NGOs to serve as partners in democratization and sustainable development in Morocco; these 42 NGOs were selected from a group of 252 that had been identified by donors, government officials, and regional NGOs as potential partners, The report: analyzes the evolving political and economic factors that have created a favorable environment for NGO participation in Morocco; provides a detailed description of the evolution and current status of Morocco"s NGO sector; examines government relations with NGOs, including the legal and regulatory framework that governs these organizations; and provides recommendations for a USAID program to strengthen NGO participation. Major findings are: (1) an unprecedented window of opportunity is open to increase civil society participation in Morocco by strengthening NGOs; (2) modern NGOs derive legitimacy from deep roots in the Moroccan cultural tradition; (3) NGOs can play a key role as intermediaries in development partnerships involving government and civil society, but need to increase their institutional capacities as well as their abilities to represent grassroots interests; (4) USAID should act as a catalyst in facilitating development partnerships. Such partnerships represent a highly cost-effective and sustainable way to reinforce the trend in Morocco toward democratization and greater civil society participation in development.