News headlines show internal strife, proxy wars, mass migration and international interests colliding in the region of Middle East and North Africa. The rapid pace of change, especially the transfer of information, is affecting demographic structures and identity in the region. Young Arabs are struggling with political, social and cultural changes.
The Arab world is experiencing the largest people displacement in its history. Armed conflicts have transformed Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya and caused millions of people to flee for their lives. Many have made the long journey to Europe; others went to neighboring countries, such as Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. As years passed by, the relationship between the refugees and host countries changed and the fabric of these societies changed.
The most notable change is the increase access to information on the internet. More than 125 million people access social media on mobile phones across the Middle East and North Arica. This is mainly in the 16-29 age bracket – which constitutes over one third of the entire population of about 400 millions. The new generation of Arabs are questioning the status quo in politics, social norms and even religious traditions.
As we plan for the year 2020, our programs focus on the critical issues facing this young generation. Internet access and social media are increasing exponentially in the region. In just a few weeks, we got over 2,000 people following our Facebook page, interacting and communicating with us. I was surprised to find out that the most responded to were programs on depression and suicide. We plan to expand our social media platform in 2020 to reach the millions of Arab young people in metropolitan areas.
