All children and young people have the right to live on a clean planet, and the U-Reporters in Morocco want to make this a reality. Inspired by protecting and respecting the rights of children and youth, 600 U-Reporter Scouts from different regions of Moroccan answered the call from the National Federation of Moroccan Scouting and joined the “Clean Beaches Season” initiative, launched by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection and chaired by Princess Lalla Hasnaa in 6 cities: Casablanca, Tangier, Saidia, Agadir, Eja Dida, and Aglou.
The initiative, held from June to September 2022, launched an activation called #BeachesWithoutPlastics to fight plastic pollution on the beaches. The operation aimed to engage young people and increase their awareness of the issue through field actions and messages on digital channels.
For 10 days and in each of the sixth cities, the young U-Reporter Scouts participated in the activation by joining U-Report Workshops in their summer camps to learn about the platform's potential and how it can be used on local and national climate actions. "The workshop with U-Report Morocco allowed us to use our voice to advocate for climate," said Amine Majjbar, a young Scout U-Reporter.
Afterward, the U-Reporters started their community sensibilization by raising awareness among young people on the danger of plastics and how to keep the beaches clean. In addition, U-Reporters visited pilot libraries to receive sustainable development education and gave outdoor sessions on climate and pollution to kids in a special class on the beach.
The workshops were also the occasion to start U-Report Clubs, groups focused on providing skills to engage young Scouts and non-Scouts in U-Report activities and campaigns. Ichraq Tahir, a Young Guide of the National Federation of Moroccan Scouting who joined the Club, confirmed that “the U-Report workshop was an opportunity to join the platform and learn about climate change and how it affects us.”
As a result of the “Clean Beaches Season” initiative in 2022, 106 beaches, including 28 labeled blue flag*, became clean and lively spaces, and 6.000 people were indirect beneficiaries of the activities developed by U-Reporters.
As the impacts of climate change intensify each year, more and more young U-Reporters keep advocating and taking action in Morocco and around the world. Let us all recognize and support their efforts by joining youth actions and echoing their voices against climate change.
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*Blue flag beaches are recognized for having an excellent quality of bathing water and sand that border them. To reach the Blue flag label status, there is a strict and demanding process related to hygiene and awareness communication that a beach must go through before a jury.
