Youth Service in the Middle East and North Africa

Youth community engagement is a promising strategy to confront the numerous social challenges faced by the Middle East. The region has an unemployment rate around 15%, the highest of any region in the world, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute. Poverty rates have remained stagnant since the mid-1980s, with nearly 25% of people in the region living on less than $2 a day, and almost half on less than $3 a day. While many human development indicators such as literacy and life expectancy have been improving, significant challenges remain.

Young people under the age of 25 form the majority of the region's populace, with those aged 15-29 accounting for one-third of the total population. These youth face social exclusion issues including unemployment, with average youth unemployment rates at 25%, far exceeding the world average of 14%, according to the Middle East Youth Initiative. While these young people face significant economic and social challenges, they also hold the potential to make a considerable contribution tot he development of the region.

This potential was addressed by Queen Rania of Jordan when she said, "Youth are the tools of change and we must reap the benefits of their contributions." (Queen Rania also spoke at the American University in Cairo in early 2010 emphasizing the importance of engaging young people.) Indeed, there is an increasing focus on youth among policymakers in the region. This presents a window of opportunity for shaping the discussion and promoting community engagement and service as a strategy for turning the youth bulge from a challenge to a resource.

In order to capitalize on this tremendous window of opportunity, Innovations in Civic Participation is working with the John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at the American University in Cairo to advance several initiatives to engage young people in the MENA region.

ICP's Work in the Middle East and North Africa

Ma'an Arab University Alliance for Civic Engagement

Working in collaboration with the global Talloires Network, the Ma'an Arab University Alliance for Civic Engagement aims to bring together Arab universities with the collective goal of encouraging and enhancing civic engagement implementation in higher education.

This new Middle East regional network helps to strengthen the civic engagement activities of members in the Arab world; demonstrate the impacts of their civic engagement programs; advance dialogue on the civic roles of universities in the region; disseminate materials and publications in multiple languages and plan regional meetings, trainings and other events. The first regional event sponsored by the Ma'an Alliance was "Expanding Civic Engagement in Arab Universities: A Peer Learning Workshop for Faculty" which was hosted by the American University of Beirut June 23-26, 2009.

The network of Arab universities was created following the October 2008 conference, Tadamunn: Toward Civic Engagement in Arab Education, hosted by the American University in Cairo and sponsored by the Talloires Network. The Talloires Network, of which ICP and Tufts University serve as Secretariat, is an international association of institutions committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education.

Mapping Youth Community Engagement

In response to the growing number of community engagement initiatives and a demonstrated need to more fully involve young people in these initiatives, ICP and the Gerhart Center are undertaking an asset mapping study of youth community engagement programs in the MENA region.

A preliminary desk review of youth community engagement programs and organizations in the Arab region pointed to a growing number of youth community engagement initiatives, which indicates mounting interest in creating programs that engage young people in civic activities. In many Arab countries, governments are increasingly focusing on aspects of youth transitions beyond their early concerns for education, employment and security. On the other hand, available literature reveals a low level of youth participation in volunteer activities and the public sphere.

This asset mapping study will provide an overview of existing conditions highlighting strengths and revealing gaps. The knowledge created by such a tool can be regularly updated and amended. This mapping research aims at creating a picture of what youth community engagement programs/initiatives exist, the policy and legislative environment in which they operate, how they are implemented and what kind of impact they have.

By building the knowledge base about youth community engagement in the Middle East, this mapping study will help key actors on local and international levels make strategic programmatic choices in supporting young people to develop their citizenship skills and practice constructive community engagement. It will also assist these stakeholders to make well-informed policy recommendations and bring new actors into effective networks for social development. The findings of this mapping research will enable the Gerhart Center and ICP to bring together researchers, civil society groups, and those in the philanthropic sector who are interested in contributing to high-impact youth programs. The study will also aid in understanding what the term "community engagement" means in different parts of the MENA region, helping to form a common vocabulary for regional stakeholders to discuss these issues.

Regional Seminar on National Youth Policies for the Middle East and North Africa

ICP helped plan the Regional Seminar on National Youth Policies for the Middle East and North Africa held in Beirut in December 2004, which was organized by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Arab States, UNICEF/MENA regional office, Save the Children-Sweden and the International Council for National Youth Policy (ICNYP). ICP prepared a paper for the seminar on initial research of National Youth Service policies and programs in the MENA region. The seminar gathered young people, government representatives and members of civil society to share experiences and lessons learned in developing and implementing national youth policies. It hoped to act as a forum for exchange of experiences, learning and networking. The seminar was attended by twelve country delegations and ten partner agencies, in addition to the organizers.