The Arab Spring:Implications For The Youth Development Agenda
Silatech gathered thought-leaders to discuss emerging challenges, opportunities and interventions for job creation and young people-focused social and economic development.
- (1888PressRelease) July 25, 2011 - As courageous youth-led protest movements continue across the Arab world, the development agenda for the region will see rapidly shifting currents. Silatech gathered international thought-leaders and academics in a forum in Doha to discuss the Arab spring and its implications on initiatives that aim to assist in the economic inclusion of Arab youth. The event was an opportunity for specialists in various fields, to explore recent regional dynamics and opportunities to interject efforts for positive development and change.
The two-day forum, July 13 and 14, was hosted by Silatech, a Doha-based initiative that engages private, public and civil society sectors to promote large-scale job creation, entrepreneurship and access to skills development services for young people across the Arab world. The forum served as a platform to create open dialogue between professional bodies and organizations focused on economic empowerment and development for young Arabs.
The roundtable discussions examined the state of transition and turmoil in the Arab world, as well as the social, political, and economic conditions driving them. Delegates discussed the need for rapid progress towards tangibly improving economic, political and social outcomes for young Arabs. The forum discussions will be incorporated into a report that will outline recommendations on youth development agenda strategy that will enable organizations and governments to better deliver what young people fundamentally need.
The delegates represented local, regional and international institutions: League of Arab States, International Labor Organization, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at American University of Beirut, Dubai School of Government, Ashoka Arab World Foundation, The Syria Development Research Center, Middle East Youth Initiative, American University of Cairo, Middle East Youth Initiative, Brookings Institution, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, World Bank, Youth Employment Network, Wolfensohn & Company, and Mercy Corps.
Dr. Rami Khouri, director of Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs said in a statement: "The current youth-led citizen revolt across much of the Arab world reflects massive dissatisfaction with prevailing conditions; it also indicates the desire and capacity of youth to work hard to fix the problems of the past and build more productive, more equitable Arab societies. Silatech is well placed, through its programs and its Knowledge Consortium, to play a leading role in understanding youth grievances and activism, and how these can be transformed into significant new assets."
Mr. Khaled Louhichi, director of youth for the League of Arab States, commented on the importance to intensify efforts to study the implications for the youth development agenda. "This forum allowed us to discuss the urgent priorities of the League of Arab States, which are interrelated to young people's employment issues, interjection of youth in policy change, and promotion of youth-focused organizations."
Mr. Rick Little, chairman of executive committee at Silatech said in a statement: "The region is marking a new era for young people; it creates a shared responsibility to identify the new demands of young people across the region and apply the change on our development strategies."
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