Arab youth demand a voice

History always has its own twist and comes up with an answer as to how matters are to be shaped. And for those hungry for power, history comes back with a vengeance. Circumstances force change when people least expect it.

Never has the Arab world experienced such a domino effect as the one we are witnessing now. The ramifications will leave behind an unforgettable imprint for many years to come. The revolts against the current strata all have a common denominator — beginning with Tunisia, spreading to Egypt and Yemen, and extending deep into Libya.

Those carrying out the protests all share the same characteristics — they are disenfranchised and isolated. They have been much ignored by their regimes, the political, economic, and intellectual elite as well as society at large. They have been treated by the establishment as excess baggage that it hoped would wither away one fine day.

The winds of change in the region is an indication that nothing lasts forever, and nothing can be silenced forever.

There is a fascinating dimension to all that is taking place around us, and it has nothing to do with these revolts per se. Rather it is more of its unpredictability.

Out of desperation, the Arab world decided to rise. Interestingly, not for ideology, not for a particular leader or leadership, and definitely not for The Party — any party.

Instead, the protests are not only against the past and the present but possibly against the future. This is in fact a perfect situation where hopelessness leads to resentment which leads to an explosion. Thus, the question is whether what is happening are the first signs of the demographic shake-up that has long been overdue in the Arab world?

This region has one of the youngest populations in the world — a ‘youth bulge' as dubbed by the United Nations. Accordingly, almost one in every five people falls between the ages of 15 and 24. The youth comprise almost a fifth of the entire population.

School enrollments have risen over the past years. True, some countries like Egypt and Yemen for example, still have a high rate of illiteracy, but it is otherwise in other countries.

And the biggest challenge this segment faces is directly related to what the economies in their respective countries have to offer them. Having an academic degree does not guarantee employment. Matters are complicated further with the region being entrapped in old economic models.

So when a job opening is available, the technical and non-technical skills of the youth are incompatible with the job on offer. So much so, the likelihood of a young educated individual not finding work is the highest in the region.

It is but ironic that the Arab Labour Organisation has identified this coming decade as the Arab Employment Decade (2010-20). Not surprisingly though, the youth's participation in the region's labour force stood at 36 per cent in 2010.

No way that these vast millions of youngsters can be left to the mercy of their failed economies, bankrupt education systems and the hollow ideologies of political parties.

Interestingly, in Tunisia, Egypt and now Libya, there was no leadership at the fore carrying the banner for revolt. There was no structural organisation in the formal sense of those participating in the movement. Surely, there were logistics being taken care of, but these protests have set a precedent with their formation.

And it is this particular aspect that makes the current movements across the region carry with them a great sense of unpredictability and an edge of danger as it is not just about deposing a head. Rather it is more about an entire establishment and all of its institutions which have deep roots within each country's structure.

Without a formal head to lead and without an agenda, these movements are capable of igniting the moment of change now, but fall short of meeting the requirements of a future nation state.

And it is this future plan of a nation and a people that will prove to be the most difficult yet crucial for any force that comes into the scene after a given regime disintegrates.

The lesson today seems to be that it takes a few weeks of protests and a couple of links with technology to ignite a spiral of events. But surely, more is needed to bring together the fabric of a nation.

Democracy and more so the equal and transparent sharing of power cannot be built in just a few weeks or years.

But what can be done when thousands decide to vent their grievances and rage on the streets? The youth is taking an interest and they are demanding a voice and a share in what is happening around them.

Hence, the question is not which country is next. Rather it is what will be coming after all the dust settles.