The Return to the Land As a Militant Conversion

How do activists move from a revolutionary project for political regime change to the creation of an alternative farm in a rural area? This paper analyses the ways in which some activists in the 20 February 2011 movement move from a revolutionary dream to the practical implementation of a ‘real utopia’ (Guéguen and Jeanpierre 2022). The 20 February 2011 movement (M20F) saw the emergence of an unprecedented protest dynamic in Morocco (Bennani-Chraïbi and Jeghllaly 2012). In the wake of the so-called ‘Arab Springs’, a section of Moroccan youth demonstrated their desire for change and their willingness to initiate a political and social revolution. Since this period of ferment, many M20F participants have turned to new forms of commitment. In addition, new networks of acquaintance and friendship have emerged from the coalitions that have been set up, bringing together activists from the left and extreme left, Islamist activists and independents (Smaoui and Wazif 2013). These encounters have given rise to new initiatives in a variety of forms: NGOs, student movement, feminist (David 2019) and environmentalist struggles, etc. In this paper, we will look back at the emergence of an eco-place, located two hours from the Moroccan capital. The initiators of this project have acquired a plot of land with European funding and are setting up the infrastructure needed to live independently. The collective draws on both local protest struggles and alternative militant experiences that have emerged in Europe. Between internationalization and a return to tradition, and through a decolonial rhetoric critical of Western domination, the actors in this project are trying to create an inclusive alternative. The paper is based on an ongoing ethnographic study, as part of a thesis on the life trajectories of participants in the 20 February 2011 movement in Morocco.