Jordan Times
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
Conference on Arab youth concludes
AMMAN (Petra) — On the second day of a conference
on the role of Arab youth in society, the 250 participants reviewed research
papers focusing on solving youth-related problems and elements influencing their
role in society.
A paper submitted by researcher Muna Shuqair said youth should be helped to
undertake leading roles in their community by facilitating their desire to
become affiliated to organisations of their own choice.
Another researcher Hassan Tall proposed that youth should be offered the chance
and the freedom to take their own decisions.
Opening the meeting on Monday, HRH Prince Hassan underlined the importance of
change and reform in Arab and Muslim communities, a task that should be
shouldered by youth, especially in view of the extraordinary circumstances
facing the Arabs and Muslims around the world.
In his address entitled “Arab Youth vis-a-vis future challenges,” Prince Hassan
emphasised the need for a rational centrist movement to enhance common
denominations and reduce differences among these communities.
A modern society can only be achieved through communication and contacts with
the youth sector as part of efforts to enable them to deal with major challenges
— poverty, deprivation, unemployment, slow economic growth, high illiteracy
rates, deteriorating health conditions, poor democratisation process and the
emigration of middle class citizens — the Prince said.
Advocating the idea of launching an Arab-Muslim minbar for reforms, Prince
Hassan said the platform should focus attention on the role of youth in the
development of their own communities and nations. He described the younger
generation as “constituting the broad ground of their communities on whose
shoulders lies the task for change and reform.”
Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development representative Bader Malallah said
youth are regarded as the basic pillars for progress , prosperity and the
future, and emphasised the need for investing in their potential.
Malallah said Arab communities and civil society institutions should bear
responsibility in carrying out educational system reforms that would guarantee
youth's future contribution to the advancement of the nation in an atmosphere
marked by true democracy and pluralism.
Ibrahim Badran, assistant to the president of Philadelphia University, presented
a paper on current issues facing youth and their interests, job opportunities,
globalisation, national identity and openness to the outside world.
Badran called on the concerned institutions to draw up a strategy to guide youth
to the most efficient method for realising sustainable development.
The two-day meeting, organised by the Arab Thought Forum, the Arab Fund for
Social and Economic Development and Philadelphia University, aimed at shedding
light on Arab youth's capabilities in promoting their communities' cultural,
social, economic and political development.