The ‘Jasmine Revolution’ in Tunisia, as it is has commonly become known in the Middle East, sent a powerful message galloping into the consciousness of young frustrated, helpless and discouraged youth in Egypt. Continuing protests and riots prevail, as politicians and analysts dub this the ‘Youth revolt’ as well as the ‘Facebook generation movement’.

'The ‘Jasmine Revolution’ in Tunisia, as it is has commonly become known in the Middle East, sent a powerful message galloping into the consciousness of young frustrated, helpless and discouraged youth in Egypt'

So why are the youth so adamant for change, and what exactly is it they want? 

Last year, I complied ethnographic research surrounding the young Arab world. Exploring the challenges they were facing and the complex relationships they were forming with the state, globalisation and nationalism. It was anticipated that change would come to the Middle East, but few expected this change to come so soon, or to be so drastic. The youth spurge in the region is without a doubt a significant contributor to the vibrant actions, which erupted in Tunisia and have now spread across some Middle Eastern states.

According to an ‘Arab Media Watch’ article named ‘Young Arab world arising’, the 2009 UN report estimates the total number of young people in the Middle East aged between 15-29 to be 113milion. This number reflects one third of the entire Middle Eastern population, and is still expected to rise. In Egypt 60% of the population under the age of 26 are unemployed.

The Arab Media Watch (2010) report draws attention to a number of different factors affecting the Arab youth, highlighting three core weaknesses that are commonplace in the region.

First is the education system which ‘fails to promote personal development aspirations or national development drives’. The report also mentions that Middle Eastern ‘economies…do not tap the full potential of the energy and talent of our youth’. Finally ‘political governance systems that treat youth and adults alike as unthinking and servile subjects, rather than as citizens with rights to define national politics and hold accountable those in the power’.

The report goes on to dutifully mention that what the young Arab people ‘generally lack…is the opportunity to manifest the full attributes of their humanity- their ideas, creative and professional talents, entrepreneurial spirit, cultural dynamism, and sense of how their societies should be run and in which direction they should head’. (1, 2010)

The lack of all of the above interwoven with the integration of young Egyptians into the global community through the internet and the social and digital media boom has lead to a conscious awakening in recent years.

Lawrence Pintak in ‘The New Arab Journalist: Mission and Identity in a time of Change’ comments; 'In the Arab world, a media revolution is contributing to the emergence of a reawakened regional Arab consciousness.'

'Egypt has progressively gathered all the ingredients for an explosion of youth-led political revolts. A nation of stark contrasts, the Egyptian middle class has all but vanished since Hosni Mubarak’s arrival in 1981, and the gap between rich and poor has been widening at an alarming rate'

In an email from a friend I received these comments from a young woman in Cairo the day after the first demonstrations:

“That’s the thing about this revolt or protest or whatever you want to call it – it epitomizes just how multi-media our world has become. The dissemination of news, thanks to mobile phones and the Internet, has become truly democratic, for better or for worse.”

Yesterday, I watched the images live on Al Jazeera and the BBC, while simultaneously following it online on several newspaper websites, receiving regular emails on the expat email service and talking to friends on the phone. There was also Twitter and YouTube – those ultimate 21st century multi-media tools.  

Egypt has progressively gathered all the ingredients for an explosion of youth-led political revolts. A nation of stark contrasts, the Egyptian middle class has all but vanished since Hosni Mubarak’s arrival in 1981, and the gap between rich and poor has been widening at an alarming rate.

On my last visit during summer 2010 I recall one cab driver commenting, "Egyptians love Egypt, we would gladly die for Egypt. We are proud to be Egyptians and love everything about our culture. But give any of us a one way ticket out of here, we would gladly take it, they’d be lying if they told you otherwise."

Finally it seems the ‘Jasmine Revolution’ has extinguished such a sense of helplessness. In Egypt, the new generation believe they have nothing to lose. A now globally informed group, young people in Egypt feel the government and business elites have left them behind, with no real hope for the future. But taking shape on a digital Arab youth platform, young people are beginning to look toward a new democratic future; a future in which their voices can finally be heard.

To learn more about Christian Aid's work in Egypt click here

Words: Fadah Jassem

Photos: flickr users abjam77 and Protest Photos 1