Nasser Fellowship Alumna Elected Secretary General of the Union of Socialist Youth
The Moroccan capital, Rabat, hosted the second conference of the Union of Democratic Socialist Youth in the Arab World from May 27 to 30, 2025, with the participation of youth delegations from 16 Arab countries and representatives from 24 political and regional youth organizations. This edition was dedicated to supporting the Palestinian cause and was titled "The Palestine Session," reaffirming the centrality of this issue in the struggle of progressive youth forces in the region. The conference was marked by the election of a new leadership for the Union, led by the appointment of Samiha Laassab as Secretary-General—a step that reflects the collective will to renew the Union’s structure and ensure balanced representation based on competence, experience, and genuine engagement with Arab youth issues.
Samiha Laassab is considered one of the most prominent young leaders on the Moroccan political scene. She is a member of the National Bureau of the Socialist Youth and the National Council of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces. She is also a graduate of the Nasser Fellowship for International Leadership – Fifth Cohort, one of the leading initiatives aimed at empowering youth and strengthening their leadership roles.
Laassab has accumulated rich field experience through her responsibilities in student, trade union, and women's organizations, including leading the student wing of the Socialist Youth at Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra, and serving as a regional coordinator for women in her region. She has also held various organizational roles that helped shape her political journey and develop her leadership capabilities.
In her speech following her election, Samiha Laassab stated that her involvement in this regional organization stems from her affiliation with a progressive, leftist, democratic socialist party that believes in the role and value of youth. She emphasized that the Socialist Youth in Morocco is an integral part of the broader democratic socialist movement at both the national and Arab levels.
She stressed that one of her key missions in this new role is to open new horizons for Arab youth, provide an effective platform for expressing their opinions and positions, and work to transform the Union of Democratic Socialist Youth in the Arab World into an inclusive progressive youth platform that promotes dialogue and proposes solutions to the pressing issues of the rising generation.
The conference focused on unifying the vision among Union members and cultivating young leaders capable of keeping pace with political and social transformations in the Arab and African worlds. It also addressed the political, economic, and social empowerment of youth and their role in resolving ongoing conflicts, particularly those related to border disputes. The proceedings were characterized by responsible dialogue and constructive discussion, reflecting a shared awareness of the challenges facing young generations and a deep belief in the need for joint action and regional solidarity to achieve equitable development and ensure a more stable and dignified future for the peoples of the region.
This conference represents a pivotal moment in the Union’s trajectory and a significant step toward strengthening solidarity among progressive Arab youth organizations and enabling them to fulfill their historic roles in defending the rights of the people and building a more just and equitable future.
In her message to the youth, Samiha Laassab, the newly elected Secretary-General of the Union of Democratic Socialist Youth in the Arab World, underscored the importance of broadening youth political awareness and embracing the political arena as a fundamental means of contributing to nation-building. She affirmed, “Only youth can truly hear the voices of other youth, and only they can fully understand their problems,” stressing that activating youth's political role is the key to accessing decision-making positions and influencing public policies that affect them. She added, “True engagement in political work is what gives youth a strong and impactful presence in shaping the future of our region,” calling on every young man and woman to participate actively in political life to achieve real and sustainable change.
