From Kathmandu to Casablanca: How Gen Z Is reimagining political speech and dissent

As GenZ youth protests are spreading worldwide, Alison Sargent welcomes Dr. D.B. Subedi to get to the heart of the driving force of these new collective protests. Dr. Subedi situates the Moroccan Gen Z protests within a wider range of youth-led movements across Asia and parts of Africa, showing how shared structural stresses: inequality, corruption, institutional decay are all fueling collective frustration. He contrasts the uniquely Moroccan triggers (lack of funding for social services, public hospitals, alongside heavy investment in international events) with the broader grievances seen elsewhere: distrust in rulers, diminishing faith in institutions, and lack of economic footholds. He explores how these movements are intentionally less hierarchical, leveraging social media not only to amplify voices but to coordinate decentralized action. Ultimately, he argues, while change is possible, the transition from protest to governance is perilous and very unpredictable.