Casablanca's Echo: Roosevelt's New Deal Lessons for an Africa Confronting Climate Change, AI, and Migration Barriers

Morocco World

3 days ago

In January 1943, at the height of World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt traveled to Casablanca, [French] Morocco, where he convened with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, French generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud, and Sultan Mohammed V, while Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin contributed from a distance. The Casablanca Conference not only charted the Allied course to victory but also articulated a vision for a postwar world rooted in peace, cooperation, and prosperity. Roosevelt's presence on African soil—engaged in high-stakes diplomacy over freedom, development, and strategic partnership—was more than symbolic. It signaled a moment of global reckoning and possibility. That moment, born in Casablanca, continues to resonate—not as a relic of history, but as a call to action for a new generation of Africans confronting the pressing challenges of our time.
Last week, I stood in the shadow of Mount Hood, Oregon, and walked the storied halls of Timberline Lodge—a majestic stone-and-wood structure built at the height of the Great Depression under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA). As I watched a documentary recounting its rapid 15-month construction, I listened to Roosevelt's 1937 dedication speech, in which he praised the lodge as 'a monument to the skill and faithful performance of workers on the rolls of the WPA.' It was more than a building; it was a symbol of national renewal. Timberline was born of a radical ethos: offer not just jobs, but dignity, skills, and wages—and in doing so, rebuild the country from the ground up.
Roosevelt envisioned Timberline as a test: could government-built and -operated recreational infrastructure serve both economic recovery and public well-being? The answer, resoundingly, was yes. Today, Timberline Lodge welcomes nearly two million visitors annually, a cultural landmark and economic engine for the region. It stands as proof of what public work can achieve: it not only employs, it educates; it not only pays wages, it fosters citizenship, trust, and craftsmanship. The WPA's mission went beyond short-term relief—it was about investing in the future by restoring human potential.
As I stood in Timberline's great hall—crafted by once-unemployed stonemasons, carpenters, weavers, and laborers—I felt something deeper. It wasn't nostalgia; it was recognition. I saw in that structure a roadmap for the future. For nearly a century later, nations like Morocco and many across Africa now face their own crisis of joblessness, particularly among the youth, and the same urgent question looms: How do we restore hope and opportunity at scale?
Just as Timberline rose from the ashes of economic despair, Africa today stands at a similar crossroads. With 70% of its population under the age of 30, the continent holds the world's youngest demographic. This could become a demographic dividend—or a ticking time bomb. Without bold public investment in employment, training, and infrastructure, the chasm between aspiration and opportunity will only widen.
At the same time, a convergence of disruptive forces is eroding traditional pathways to prosperity across Africa. Chief among them is artificial intelligence (AI), which is rapidly transforming labor markets by automating tasks once performed by humans—ranging from clerical and manufacturing roles to customer service, logistics, and even parts of creative and analytical work. These sectors had long been seen as accessible entry points for emerging economies aiming to industrialize and absorb surplus labor. Now, many of those opportunities risk vanishing before they fully materialize.
AI is not merely a disruptive innovation—it is a general-purpose, potentially transformative technology capable of boosting productivity and generating global economic gains. Yet, as with past technological revolutions, its benefits are unlikely to be equitably shared. AI threatens to deepen disparities between individuals, firms, and regions—widening socio-economic divides both within and between nations.
For African countries, the implications are particularly severe. AI undermines traditional comparative advantages such as low-cost labor, potentially displacing African economies from labor-intensive segments of global value chains. This technological displacement could degrade terms of trade, stall industrial policy goals, and reverse progress in closing the gap with high-income countries. Without deliberate strategies for inclusive technological adoption, AI risks becoming not a bridge to catch up, but a wall that entrenches global hierarchies. The urgent task for African states is to shape AI deployment in ways that serve local development priorities, economic sovereignty, and equitable growth.
Meanwhile, migration—once a vital outlet for Africa's job-seeking youth—is becoming increasingly constrained. Former destinations such as Europe, North America, and the Gulf are tightening borders under the weight of rising nationalism, economic stress, and geopolitical uncertainty. Migration pathways are no longer simply difficult; they are now more enclosed, securitized, and politicized than ever.
Climate change represents another compounding crisis. From prolonged droughts and desertification to erratic rainfall and rising sea levels, climate disruption is displacing millions, undermining food systems, and destabilizing livelihoods—particularly in agriculture, still the continent's largest employer. As crops fail, livestock die, and rural incomes collapse, young people are pushed toward overcrowded cities in search of jobs that don't exist. Climate-induced displacement and unemployment now pose existential threats, making the creation of climate-resilient employment and infrastructure a critical priority.
Any sustainable employment strategy must therefore integrate climate adaptation—through investments in reforestation, sustainable agriculture, water management, and renewable energy. These are not only environmental imperatives but also potential sources of dignified, future-oriented work.
The hard truth is that Africa cannot migrate its way out of this triple crisis. The solutions must come from within. But this inward turn must not be isolationist—it must be imaginative. Africa must draw on its own creativity, talent, and cultural capital to build inclusive rural and urban economies that serve the many, not the few. This is not a retreat—it is a reawakening.
A New Deal for African youth, inspired by Roosevelt's WPA, offers a powerful model. It is not only about jobs; it is about giving young people a meaningful stake in their countries' futures—a reason to stay, a path to belong, and a belief that the future can be built from within.
In 1937, in the cold Oregon air, Roosevelt captured that spirit when he declared that Timberline Lodge represented not only economic recovery, but hope—'a place for generations of Americans to come.' Africa, too, must build such places—not just of stone and timber, but of purpose, belonging, and transformation. The WPA shows us what's possible. The question now is: will we rise to meet this moment?
The Works Progress Administration (WPA), created in 1935 as part of Roosevelt's New Deal, was one of the most ambitious and transformative public employment programs in American history. At its core, the WPA sought to address the devastating effects of the Great Depression by putting millions of Americans to work. But its legacy reaches far beyond temporary relief. The WPA fundamentally reshaped the landscape of American infrastructure, arts, education, public health, and civic life.
Over its eight years of operation (1935-1943), the WPA employed more than 8.5 million people—men and women, skilled and unskilled—on a vast array of public works projects. These included the construction and repair of over 650,000 miles (1,046,073.6 kilometers) of roads and 78,000 bridges, the building of more than 125,000 schools, hospitals, libraries, and courthouses, and the improvement of water and sewer systems in urban and rural areas alike. WPA workers built airports, planted trees, drained swamps, and installed hundreds of thousands of sanitary toilets in homes lacking plumbing. These projects not only improved public health and connectivity, but also laid the groundwork for America's mid-century economic expansion.
Importantly, the WPA also recognized the value of cultural and intellectual labor. Through its Federal One programs—the Federal Art Project, the Federal Writers' Project, the Federal Theater Project, and the Federal Music Project—the WPA employed thousands of artists, playwrights, musicians, and historians. They created murals, staged plays, recorded oral histories, and provided music education and public concerts. These initiatives democratized access to the arts, preserved cultural heritage, and nurtured future luminaries like Orson Welles, Saul Bellow, and Zora Neale Hurston.
At the administrative level, the WPA was guided by a philosophy of labor-intensive, community-based development. It required that 90% of project budgets go to labor rather than materials, ensuring that funds flowed directly to households in need. Projects had to be useful to communities and sponsored by local governments, which kept them grounded in real, localized needs. In short, the WPA offered not just jobs, but purpose, pride, and skill-building.
It also restored something intangible but vital: dignity. For many, receiving a paycheck earned through hard work—as a road builder, an artist, a teacher, or a nurse—meant far more than subsistence. It meant being recognized as a contributing citizen. The psychological and social effects of dignified work cannot be overstated, especially in times of widespread economic uncertainty. Dignity is not a luxury; it is the foundation of resilience, self-worth, and civic trust. When people are given meaningful work and the opportunity to learn, they recover not just income, but identity.
Fast forward to the present: Morocco's youth face a very different landscape, but with strikingly similar structural challenges. Today, approximately 28% of Moroccan youth (15–24 years old) are classified as NEET—Not in Employment, Education, or Training. That's about 2 million young people frozen out of opportunity. The labor market cannot absorb the 390,000 new entrants each year. Barely a third find work in the formal or informal economy. And while higher education helps, it's not enough—especially for women, who represent 77% of all NEET youth. For young Moroccan women aged 23–24, the NEET rate reaches 70%, while only 20% are working. Educational attainment improves prospects somewhat, but social norms, marital status, and location (especially in rural areas) compound the disadvantages for young women.
Even worse, the NEET condition tends to persist. Nearly 38% of those who were NEET in 2010 remained NEET in 2018, and 54% of women in that group never transitioned to work or education. This reflects a deep loss of human capital and a cycle of exclusion that current labor strategies have failed to break.
Here is where the WPA model offers urgently needed insights: Labor-Intensive Public Works: African governments must lead large-scale programs that create immediate employment while addressing urgent infrastructure needs—roads, irrigation systems, sanitation, schools, and green energy. These projects can absorb large numbers of workers quickly and lay the foundation for long-term economic growth and resilience.
African governments must lead large-scale programs that create immediate employment while addressing urgent infrastructure needs—roads, irrigation systems, sanitation, schools, and green energy. These projects can absorb large numbers of workers quickly and lay the foundation for long-term economic growth and resilience. Skills Development with Dignity: WPA workers weren't merely laborers; they became craftspeople. Training was central. Today's programs must embed vocational education, digital literacy, and apprenticeships to prepare youth for both traditional sectors and emerging industries. At the heart of this effort is a recognition that all forms of labor—physical, artistic, or intellectual—deserve respect. When people learn and earn simultaneously, they don't just gain livelihoods; they reclaim dignity and agency.
WPA workers weren't merely laborers; they became craftspeople. Training was central. Today's programs must embed vocational education, digital literacy, and apprenticeships to prepare youth for both traditional sectors and emerging industries. At the heart of this effort is a recognition that all forms of labor—physical, artistic, or intellectual—deserve respect. When people learn and earn simultaneously, they don't just gain livelihoods; they reclaim dignity and agency. Gender-Inclusive Design: Any meaningful employment strategy must confront structural gender inequality. Public employment programs should provide childcare support, safe transport, and flexible scheduling to enable women's participation—especially in rural areas—while ensuring workplace safety and dignity for all.
Any meaningful employment strategy must confront structural gender inequality. Public employment programs should provide childcare support, safe transport, and flexible scheduling to enable women's participation—especially in rural areas—while ensuring workplace safety and dignity for all. AI for Inclusive Development: Rather than view artificial intelligence solely as a threat, African nations can harness it as a developmental tool. An 'AI-powered WPA' could mobilize local talent to digitize government archives, build and train language models in African languages, modernize agriculture with precision tools, and expand access to education and healthcare through intelligent platforms. Designed with equity and sustainability in mind, such initiatives can create skilled jobs, enhance public services, and turn AI into a force for socioeconomic convergence—not further exclusion.
Rather than view artificial intelligence solely as a threat, African nations can harness it as a developmental tool. An 'AI-powered WPA' could mobilize local talent to digitize government archives, build and train language models in African languages, modernize agriculture with precision tools, and expand access to education and healthcare through intelligent platforms. Designed with equity and sustainability in mind, such initiatives can create skilled jobs, enhance public services, and turn into a force for socioeconomic convergence—not further exclusion. Cultural and Intellectual Employment: Africa's artists, storytellers, musicians, and historians are vital to national memory and identity. A contemporary version of the WPA's 'Federal One' could fund oral history projects, local archives, cultural festivals, and public art initiatives—preserving heritage while creating creative livelihoods.
Africa's artists, storytellers, musicians, and historians are vital to national memory and identity. A contemporary version of the WPA's 'Federal One' could fund oral history projects, local archives, cultural festivals, and public art initiatives—preserving heritage while creating creative livelihoods. Leverage Regional Strategies: Morocco's Royal Atlantic Initiative offers a powerful model for transnational public investment. By linking Morocco with West African nations through integrated infrastructure—ports, logistics corridors, digital networks, and renewable energy—the initiative lays the foundation for a regional employment and training ecosystem. Embedded within a WPA-style public works framework, this strategy could generate millions of jobs and foster a shared sense of agency and belonging across borders.
Morocco's Royal Atlantic Initiative offers a powerful model for transnational public investment. By linking Morocco with West African nations through integrated infrastructure—ports, logistics corridors, digital networks, and renewable energy—the initiative lays the foundation for a regional employment and training ecosystem. Embedded within a WPA-style public works framework, this strategy could generate millions of jobs and foster a shared sense of agency and belonging across borders. Multi-Level Partnerships and Continental Vision: Just as the WPA worked with state and local governments, African states must collaborate with private investors, development banks, and regional bodies such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). These partnerships can scale public employment programs while aligning them with broader continental priorities.
The Timberline Lodge stands today not just as a beautiful ski resort on Mount Hood, but as a living testament to what happens when governments bet on their people. Surrounded by hiking trails carved through alpine forests—trails that themselves were part of WPA-era efforts to open public lands—the lodge remains a symbol of inclusive infrastructure and civic imagination. In Morocco, in Uganda, in Kenya, in Senegal, in Egypt—in every nation grappling with the pressures of joblessness and social tensions—there is room for WPA-style thinking. Not because we wish to relive the 1930s, but because we have inherited its wisdom.
We need an African WPA for the 21st century. Not just to build bridges and lodges, but to bridge the gaps between generations, between despair and hope, between stagnation and shared prosperity. The stakes are too high to settle for less. Roosevelt's echoes still call to us—will we listen?
In 1943, standing in Casablanca, President Roosevelt declared a bold wartime declaration: 'unconditional surrender' to the forces of fascism. Today, we confront a different but no less urgent struggle—not against armies, but against climate collapse, deepening poverty, mass unemployment, exclusion, and the widening divide wrought by artificial intelligence.
These are not battles waged with weapons, but with vision, policy, and moral resolve. They demand the same clarity of purpose Roosevelt summoned during wartime—and the same enduring faith he placed in public action through the Works Progress Administration. The WPA was more than a jobs program; it embodied a foundational belief that government could be a generative force for dignity, equity, and renewal. It recognized that meaningful work—rooted in communities and broadly shared—could do more than alleviate economic despair; it could restore hope, rebuild trust, and help nations imagine a future worth striving for.
Let us meet this moment in that same spirit—not with retreat, but with imagination, investment, and collective courage. Let 'unconditional surrender' become more than a relic of military history—let it be reclaimed as a developmental credo for an Africa that believes in itself and dares to build a just, inclusive, and sustainable future. Tags: AfricaAIartificial intelligenceclimate change