MOROCCO IS BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY
If
we ask ourselves the question about the potential of Morocco and its future,
We would come to the conclusion that Morocco's path towards modernity and
its future development is still linked to its traditional past.
The new challenges of the 21st century based on the National Consensus need
to reflect the choices of the Moroccan society which needs to live in a
modern environment while keeping its traditions and social interactions.
This challenges need to be exercised by its political, social and economical
leaders.
It's also an important debate point for the Moroccan society, which has
lived through a very big change in the countries' lifestyle.
Report with modernity falling under a mode of relations where it alters the
attractive phases and the repulsive ones. Today, while modernization of the
economy and its multiform opening on the global market with its implacable
laws of a critical competitively being accompanied with a questioning of
traditional balances; whereas, society is threatened more deeply and
rigidly. Hence, two questions are raised. On the one hand, can the Moroccan
society produce a new social order which falls under the world dynamics
without being repudiated? On the other hand, under which modality - rupture
with past, the reform of the traditional system, the production of a social
order which deviates from the nostalgia and the tradition or prefers the
adulation of modernity at the same time - can this evolution be carried out?
The Moroccan model, which is built in an alternance of advance and retreat,
is presented in the form of an expression of dualism between tradition and
modernity. Even the country's identity is forged by both exterior acceptance
and rejection. The question today is to know if Morocco has to be changed by
keeping its identity. Such proper identity will bring an economical progress with a
social cohesion. However, it is faced by four fundamental stakes.
1- The first stake consists on finding the path to an ever lasting and
strong growth. The Moroccan economy which has known a versatile evolution
will face a triple challenge; creating jobs for the work force in a rapid
expansion under an annual GDP of 3% per year, modernization of the productive system and strengthen its
efficiency to make it face the international competitively, and building a
model which gets rid of the guaranteed income that affects the country's
economy and Constitute a true interference to the establishment of an
efficient and performing system.
2- The second stake has to go into the conciliation between economical
progress and social cohesion. Morocco is actually invited to make from the
efficiency of the economy a successful one and reduce the social inequality
in a context characterized by a rarity of resources and the presence of a
demographic pression due to the youthful population. While, the rapid
social mutations which is stemmed from the youthful population, the rapid
urbanization, the relative development of the middle class, the appearance
of new social categories (businessmen, organized women,ONGs, etc. . ) will have
important consequences on the social and economical plan: an increase in
social needs ( health care , accommodations,social housing , education, etc...) a growth in
investments needs ( for creating jobs) , development of political
requirements ( right of -association and organization and human rights,
etc...)
3-
The third one considers the transition from a system whose values are
hierarchical and communal (authoritarian) into a liberal and individualistic
model (solider). Although The growth of the country's material values are
so poor and vulnerable due to the climatic conditions asked by the social
inequality , it might turn into a growing tension between a technocratic and
modern vision and the nostalgia of a period idealized by a
backward-Looking and retrograde behavior. If until the present time
tradition and modernity get on relatively well and if the social fracture is
so deep , the confrontation will be possible in the future .It is to be
feared.
Emancipation,
liberation and modernization values will only clash if only
primary conservatism set traditionalism and the rejects of overture and
novelty.
If the present frustrations ( of the population as a great part) is
maintained or increased and if the inspiration of a material type aroused by
the consumption model which is taking place and can't find way to its
realization , and if in a general way the improvement of the population
increases , the social cohesion will be seriously started on . The values of
communal solidarity which will serve (and still serving in some areas)
social depreciation are disappearing. They are supplanted by the
individualism and every man for himself which condemn the exclusion of every
one without either work or resources. In these conditions, the tendencies
for rejecting the model are likely to intensify without ignoring the
extremist and nihilistic tendencies which are developing and manifesting in
a violent manner.
4- The fourth challenge resides in the adaptation of the Moroccan economy
towards the stakes of international competition. It is one of the heaviest
tendencies which will act strongly on the Moroccan economy in the future and
have relations with the exterior world. In fact, the rational integration
which restricts Morocco to have relations with the exterior world will
develop to a structural integration where the country's position will be
determined by the Place which it occupies in the 'global chain of added
values. Everyone indicates that for the coming years the economy of Morocco
will be invited to integrate at its equation the weight of the external factors which will operate in a fundamental rupture with past behaviors.
This requirement makes Morocco in front of many challenges and if it can't
raise these challenges mainly the one of competitively, it is not only the
economy that will be menaced but the framework of all society.
All these observations lead us to question the ability of society and its
leaders and
decision makers to define a coherent project of development adapted to the current
challenges. This suppose a better identification of the advantages and the
weaknesses of the economy and the Moroccan society.
by:
Abderrahim Qanir
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