Response to "Only the youth can save Lebanon's future"
30 Jun 2008 in Civic Participation
Joulan Abdulkhalek is our Youth Ambassador from Beirut, Lebanon, where he is obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the American University of Beirut (AUB).
The following article by John Jeha was originally published in The Daily Star (9 June 2008). A response from Joulan Abdulkhalek (pictured to the right) follows.
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Only the youth can save Lebanon's future
By John Jeha
The outcome of the recent Doha conference was a relief to many Lebanese. Hizbullah's downtown tent city is gone, a president has finally been elected, and a national unity government is to be formed. All of these rapid and reassuring moves suggest the conference was a success.
However, while there appears to be short-term progress, the Doha agreement is not the means to end Lebanon's vicious cycle of falling in and falling out of civil conflict. Like the Taif agreement, Doha deals only with immediate circumstances, limiting its jurisdiction not to the roots of conflict but to its consequences: Doha is incapable of resolving Lebanon's long-term sectarian predicament. The agreement must be complemented by an attempt to foster harmony and reclaim a unified national identity. This will ensure that conflict does not re-emerge and that Lebanon will not need to look toward another Taif or another Doha.
The problem with making such an attempt is that Lebanese politicians cannot solve the country's long-term problems. They have lived in a period in which sectarianism and division have been reinforced. Many of them have played roles, often violent ones, in widening those divisions. They cannot have a role to play in shaping a national identity given their histories and backgrounds. It is the youth who are vital in the process of pushing forward the ideals of unity and harmony amongst the Lebanese.
Lebanese youth, especially those born after the civil war, are an important component of society for two major reasons. First, they are the only generation to have not experienced the atrocities of the 15-year Civil War. Their memories are not tarnished by the conflicts of the past and they are not accustomed to civil and urban warfare. They have, on the other hand, lived through the aftermath of the war, giving them an understanding of the costs of civil conflict.
Second, the youth has grown up in the era of globalization whereby other peoples, cultures and societies have become instantly accessible to them. This has allowed them to learn from the successes and failures of other countries, particularly those in the Middle East. Civil warfare has already taken its toll in Iraq, Palestine and Sudan. Youths cannot use ignorance as an excuse; they have seen the results of destructive civil conflict elsewhere and therefore cannot want to use similar violence in Lebanon.
History has proven that it is impossible for any single power to solely govern Lebanon. This makes the need for discussion and debate even more urgent and it is the youth who are best able to carry out dialogue. A progressive national dialogue that will yield long-term benefits cannot take place between leaders whose hands are stained with each other's blood. A national dialogue must be popular rather than political and therefore must take place among the people. It needs to be based on the idea of acceptance and the realization that each political party and religious sect has a significant role in Lebanese affairs. It does not matter where it takes place - whether in classrooms or on the street - but it needs to begin. The benefits of such a popular dialogue are truly universal, as it would mend broken factional relationships and begin to shape a new national character. These are the components of a real solution to ending Lebanon's long sectarian dilemma and the vicious cycle of conflict.
Doha temporarily ended Lebanon's 18-month crisis. But political crises can very easily resume if their underlying causes are not addressed. It will be the youth who make that decision and by so doing will shape the Lebanon of the coming generation. Today's youth will be tomorrow's leaders, and it is they who hold the keys to tomorrow's Lebanon. It is their choice whether to continue the conflicts of yesteryear or to help reconcile the Lebanese and salvage our country's unity and stability. I know the youth have the potential to achieve the task ahead. Their ability to mobilize that potential will determine Lebanon's fate.
John Jeha is a student at the American Community School in Beirut, and was editor of the school's newspaper. He wrote this commentary for THE DAILY STAR.
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Response to "Only the youth can save Lebanon's future"
By Joulan Abdulkhalek
Jeha’s focus on the need for Lebanon to have a coherent and well defined national identity is indeed a pivotal element in any long term solution for the country. As Lebanese citizens, we lack the idea of a shared identity that can mobilize us around our collective interests. Without such potential for collective mobilization, we witness the decay of Lebanese society: its religious and political polarization that is, in turn, interpreted as a regional and international proxy struggle between foreign countries. Thus, we must understand the importance of identity as a determining factor upon which a nation or state can be built. In turn, we must focus our efforts on creating a sort of “Lebanese Dream” that could feed this unified Lebanese identity and move towards building a government that serves the interests of its people rather than its own..
The national dialogue that took place in Qatar, along with any national dialogue that is to take place, is a step in the evolutionary process of Lebanon as a state. We must, however, be realistic and understand that ideal situations are to be used as measures of our progress and not as blueprints for our actions. We can only hope that these small steps being made in the Lebanese political arena will lead the country towards increased freedom, sovereignty and independence.
There is no doubt that youth can play an indispensable role in redefining political identities. But the true question is: HOW CAN THAT BE ACHIEVED? The current environment for youth empowerment is still weak in Lebanon. The youth are either absorbed by the political machines of rivaling Lebanese counterparts or taken by the modern current of globalization, which focuses more on materialism than it does on national security and sovereignty. We must not devalue the efforts of some young individuals that are working night and day for a better future for Lebanon, however without a collective and realistic focus on social and economic priorities, the impact of these individuals will always be diffused.
Further, a sustainable solution for Lebanon can only be cooked in a Lebanese kitchen and cannot be imported from abroad.
Two schools of thought exist. One calls for change from the outside and the other for change from the inside. In reality, maybe a mix of both could prove to be worthwhile in creating a fertile land for a Lebanese renaissance. From the outside, we must tap into the vast national resources we have in terms of the Lebanese immigrants worldwide. Many of these immigrants are engaged in the corporate world and can be part of a network that would stimulate investment, perhaps specifically in youth empowerment, and would encourage greater global interaction.
Solutions are never clear-cut, but maybe we can claim that it is through this approach that we will see a better future for Lebanon. In the meantime, let us young individuals work hard, not necessarily in the political arena but in the corporate world, in science, philosophy and art in order to succeed. Through our success, maybe we can make valuable contributions to our country’s awakening.
From Majd Awary on 2 July 2008, 15:00
wonderful insight by John and Joulan. Thank you.
I just want to highlight one point. You are talking in general about the youth as a progressive force, while this theory has been undermined by facts from the ground. It seems that youth can be part of deconstructive power as well - the best example is the thousands of young men and women who gather for political rallies and carry the flag of biased ideologies (which are influenced from the outside and the inside). But I think you're right that a sort of a unified national identity (or a "Lebanese dream," as Joulan said) would be helpful in changing this dominating culture.