Nearly half of Arab youth prefer modernity, finds survey

Doha: Young people in the Arab World are embracing modernity as digital technologies and media reshape behaviour.

However, it is opinions and influences of family, friends and religion that matter most to them, the sixth annual Asda’a Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey shows.

About 46 percent of youth agreed that “traditional values are outdated and belong to the past; I am keen to embrace modern values and beliefs”.

Although modernists remain a slight minority, this are the closest results that have come to parity in the survey’s history, up from 17 percent in 2011.

However, family, friends, and religion remain the greatest influences on the young, with two-thirds of respondents citing their parents (67 percent) as their first source of advice and counsel, followed by family (58), religion (56) and friends (46).

In the increasingly urbanised economies, the importance of family, particularly parental ties, remains strong. However, external forces are increasing their sphere of influence, with community leaders rising from 33 percent in 2013 to 38 and social media and bloggers reaching 35.

The Arab Youth Survey is an annual initiative of Asda’a Burson-Marsteller, the leading public relations consultancy in the Mena region. Its sister agency, international polling firm PSB, completed the survey for the sixth edition. It conducted 3,500 face-to-face interviews — men and women aged 18-24 in the six GCC countries, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Yemen and, for the first time, Palestine — between December 2013 and January 2014.

About 54 percent of respondents agree ‘a lot’ with “Following the uprisings across the Arab world, I feel the Arab world is better off”, down from 70 percent in 2013 and 72 in 2012. The rising cost of living and unemployment were identified as the two biggest concerns. About 63 percent say they are ‘very concerned’ about rising living costs, while 49 percent are concerned about unemployment. This concern is strongest in non-GCC countries with 55 percent citing it as their biggest concern. Though still high at 39 percent, the youth in the Gulf are less concerned than their counterparts in the rest of the Arab world, with governments providing some reassurance.

Favourability towards the private sector is steadily rising in the Gulf, with 31 percent saying they would like to work in the sector, up from 24 percent in 2013. Preference for the private sector in non-GCC countries is declining at 31 percent in 2014. For the third successive year, youth cite UAE as their top choice (to live in) ahead of 20 countries, including the UK, the US and Germany.

Asked to think about their country’s biggest ally, the youth are choosing their GCC neighbours over traditional Western countries as Gulf governments’ political weight grows.

They cite four of the six GCC members in their country’s top five allies with 36 percent saying Saudi Arabia is their country’s biggest supporter, followed by the UAE (33), Qatar (25) and Kuwait (25). The US is the only Western country to feature in the top five allies, at 22 percent.

The findings of Arab Youth Survey were presented to media yesterday. Don Baer, Worldwide Chair and CEO of Burson-Marsteller and CEO of PSB; Joseph Ghossoub, Chairman and CEO of the MENACOM Group, the regional parent company of Asda’a Burson-Marsteller; and Sunil John, Chief Executive Officer of Asda’a Burson-Marsteller, were present.

The Peninsula

Highlights of the tour to UNHQ - New York

 

Brooklyn Bridge

New York Skyscrapers

 

My Statement at UN Headquarters - High Level Thematic Debate

My Statement at UN Headquarters - High Level Thematic Debate 

 

New York City

 

Liberty Statue 

 

?????? seems to red-bull

 

The Hot Seat - My Country at UN

 

 World Famous Wall Street and New York Stock Exchange

 

@UNHQ

 

Its Wall Street - The World Financial District

 

 

@ UN Security Council

 

The City that never sleeps - Times Sq

 

@the UN General Assembly Hall

My Statement at the Joint Thematic Debate at UN Headquarters; New York

April 10th 2014 was a big day for me, where I was able to  deliver the UN Major Group for Children and Youth statement representing the half of the worlds population at the High Level and Thematic Debates of the President of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA.

 

The statement

Good Afternoon Excellencies, ladies & gentlemen,

As a youth from Sri Lanka -- I am happy to say that after 30 years of brutal civil war now we are free at last and entering a rapid development stage. New roads, airports and skyscrapers are constructed everywhere. But we have made sure that these developments does not compromise the environment and meet the social needs to accelerate the economic progress. It is important that developing country like Sri Lanka can be an example to others in conserving the natural beauty, biodiversity and it’s cultural heritage.

As part of the Major Group of Children and Youth, I would like to emphasis how it is essential to build intergenerational meaningful partnerships and adapt to change. Trade priorities must be in line with the public priorities, such as human rights and equity.  Partnership should not be limited to specific private sectors or agencies but it should accommodate with all actors. We need to highlight the partnership with public, private and people’s groups.

Sustainable infrastructure is not only about new infrastructures; it is about rehabilitation, reuse or optimization of the existing resources. It’s not always about building new things but using what we have sustainably taking into account local context. It is important to calculate the environmental, economic and social impact during the planning, designing, construction and operationalization phase. Infrastructure is not just about privatization or commercialization -- it is about innovation, sustainable patterns and resilience.

Youth globally are prepared to turn dialogue into action. Indeed, the outcome document of the World Conference on Youth to be held in Sri Lanka will also focus on the importance of “Mainstreaming youth in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda”.  To us, working together in unity to implement solutions is true partnership. We look forward to working with YOU, to create the future we need"

As a Youth Speaker for the Joint Event of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council “The role of partnerships in the implementation of the post 2015 development agenda”

It was a great pleasure to be a youth speaker for the joint thematic debate which was held on 9-10th April 2014 in UN Headquarters, New York city.

The Outcome Document of the Special Event to Follow‐Up Efforts to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals held on September 25th of 2013 underscored the need to strengthen the existing global partnership for development under MDG 8 and build new partnerships for sustainable development.
With less than 800 days remaining, efforts must be intensified for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, building on successful, effective and well‐managed national, regional and global strategies that have allowed the international community to meet several of the MDG targets and to achieve significant and substantial advances in those goals and targets that have not yet been met. Strengthened global partnerships for sustainable development will be a catalyst for the international community to aspire and advance towards an ambitious and transformative sustainable development agenda beyond 2015.
National ownership will be a fundamental factor of the post 2015 development agenda. National efforts will also need to be assisted by international support and an enabling international environment. The mobilization and effective use of all resources, public and private, domestic and international, will be vital. A renewed sense of commitment and partnership holds the key to both leveraging new public and private resources and leveraging stakeholders’ comparative advantage, including in the areas of research, technology, innovation, finance and human capacity.

The main objective of the thematic debate was to provide a platform for Member States to address how strengthened global partnerships for sustainable development including multi‐stakeholders partnerships can contribute to the implementation of the post 2015 development agenda.
The event promoted the scaling‐up of the impact of all forms of cooperation in the post 2015 development agenda, and promote the urgent implementation of existing commitments under the global partnership for development while also addressing the emerging role of innovative multi‐stakeholder partnerships.
The event guided by the following preliminary questions:

1) What are the key lessons learned of the implementation of MDG 8 and what incentives can be created to reinforce its implementation?

2) While not a substitute to existing cooperation mechanisms, how can multi‐stakeholder partnerships be an important complement to achieving internationally agreed development goals, including in the context of the post 2015 development agenda?

3) How can Governments, at all levels, incentivize multi‐stakeholder engagement for the implementation of sustainable development, in particular from the private sector?

4) Which models or mechanisms can help ensure effective monitoring and accountability of the means of implementation of the post‐2015 development agenda?

 

Pics - UN Web TV