THE SILATECH INDEX: VOICES OF YOUNG ARABS NOVEMBER 2010 2 The time has never been better to invest in young people living in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA); that is the essential message of this report. The findings of this study, based directly on the voices of thousands of young people across the Arab world, offer fresh insights into their perspectives, ideas, hopes, and fears. These young people are generally optimistic, with aspirations and dreams. They are also one of the healthiest and best-educated generations the region has ever known — offering a strong foundation on which to build. This report, the third in a continuing series, clearly details the complex challenges facing young people across the Arab world. Among these great challenges is employment — or the lack of it. The MENA region faces one of the highest rates of youth unemployment and underemployment in the world. Creating the required number of new jobs over the next two decades will be monumentally difficult. Even more young people have been forced into unemployment, low-quality jobs, and living “on the margins” as a result of the weakened global economic climate. The global economic crisis hits the MENA region at a time when the youth share of the total population is at a high point, with nearly one-third of MENA residents between the ages of 15 and 29. Silatech believes in young people — in their potential and their contributions. We see young people as problem solvers in their communities, not as problems to solve. We do not approach young people as “beneficiaries,” but as active, engaged participants and actors. We commissioned this ongoing study because we believe the foundation of our work should be based on the authentic voices of young people themselves, their ideas, and the challenges they identify. We at Silatech have combined this information with extensive demographic and macro and microeconomic data in each country, as it serves as the basis for our investments, policies, and efforts. This landmark report offers a fresh approach to understanding how young people across the Arab world are being affected by, and are responding to, the global economic downturn. Even more, this report offers a realistic view of how young people see their future, their prospects, and the paths they so earnestly wish to pursue. At the time of its publication, this report will also mark more than two years since the initiation of Silatech’s country initiatives and the deployment of Silatech expertise and sciences that have helped tens of thousands of young people thus far throughout the MENA region. At Silatech, we are committed to working with our partners in the region and around the world to shift mindsets, provide access, and help promulgate policies that are in the best interests of the young people of the Arab world and those of future generations. We offer our sincere thanks to Gallup for its excellent work and leadership in preparing this report and to the other members of the Silatech Knowledge Consortium for their ongoing support and encouragement. Rick Little Silatech, Chief Executive Officer 3 The Silatech Index represents Gallup’s first comprehensive poll of young people in the League of Arab States to focus on: (1) their mindset and that of society on the subject of job creation; (2) their access to the many things they need to find a job and integrate into their respective nations’ economies; and (3) the policies they see as obstacles to their success. At Gallup, we have a global team of economists and scientists working to find ways to catalyze job creation by focusing on what people bring to economies in the form of talent and human potential. We strongly believe that 80 years of Gallup sciences investigating the role of human behavior in making corporations and governments more effective will be a crucial factor in getting to the heart of job creation. Right now, the most important endeavor we face is creating jobs among young people in the Arab world. The Silatech Index will provide significant insight and guide Silatech and global leaders on how to best approach this daunting challenge. The Index is published twice per year and serves as a reliable compass based on the voices of young people throughout the Arab world. We appreciate having the opportunity to collaborate with Silatech and members of the Silatech Knowledge Consortium on this very important effort to “crack the code” on jobs and young people in these regions. We’d like to thank Silatech founder Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned for helping to forge this important partnership. And we congratulate the Silatech team for its excellent efforts thus far in launching their regional and country-level operations. We are committed to working with you through the Index and the contributions of our Center for Muslim Studies and Social & Economic Analysis Division teams to meet this serious global challenge, one region at a time. Jim Clifton Chairman and CEO Gallup, Inc. 4 Acknowledgements ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Gallup, the Gallup World Poll team, and the Gallup The study is commissioned by the Silatech Knowledge Center for Muslim Studies would like to thank those Consortium and the Silatech Board of Trustees: whose wisdom, insight, and courage fostered the Silatech project, the many constituents who guided Silatech Board of Trustees Members and directed this work, and all those who contributed • Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser to the creation and production of this report. Al-Missned, Qatar Founder and Chair of Silatech A principal supporter of the work in the areas of youth Founder and Chair of the Qatar Foundation for engagement and employment and a key thought leader Education, Science and Community Development for this project is Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, the Consort of His Highness the • His Excellency Martti Ahtisaari, Finland Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani. Former President of Finland The interest, excitement, and engagement in this topic Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, 2008 are firmly rooted in Her Highness’ foundational work in Co-Chairman of the European Council on bringing these issues to the forefront. Foreign Relations • His Excellency Dr. Khalid Bin We would like to recognize Ahmed Younis, senior Mohammed Al-Attiyah, Qatar analyst at the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and Minister of International Cooperation Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications at Silatech, for his guidance and leadership on the • Sir David Bell, United Kingdom Silatech-Gallup partnership. Chairman of the Financial Times • Mr. John Chambers, United States Special thanks go to the Silatech Knowledge Consortium Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cisco and Silatech Board, who commissioned the Silatech Index project. These entities began this project with the • Mr. Wim Elfrink, The Netherlands forethought to measure key elements that affect youth Chief Globalization Officer of Cisco and unemployment across the League of Arab States. • Mr. Nabil Kuzbari, Syria This report is the third of an ongoing series that takes President and CEO of Vimpex the pulse of the region and will guide and direct policy Handelsgesellschaft MBH decisions for years to come. President and CEO of The Kuzbari Group • Mr. Rick Little, United States Chief Executive Officer of Silatech Chair, Silatech Executive Committee Founder and President of the ImagineNations Group Founder of the International Youth Foundation Acknowledgements 5 Silatech Board of Trustees Members (Continued) We would like to thank Dr. Pawan Patil for authoring this report’s section on the theory of Mindset, Access, and Her Excellency Mary Robinson, Republic of Ireland • Policy and Elaine Little for generously donating many of Former President of the Republic of Ireland the photos used in the report. Special recognition also Former United Nations High Commissioner for goes to the core team of Gallup analysts for this report, Human Rights including Dalia Mogahed, Magali Rheault, Mohamed President, Realizing Rights, Younis, Sofia Kluch, Eric Olesen, and Ken Kluch. In The Ethical Globalization Initiative addition, Steve Crabtree, Lydia Saad, Julie Ray, Lymari • Mr. Ratan Tata, India Morales, Elizabeth Mendes, Bob Torongo, Nicole Chairman of Tata & Sons Naurath, and Kyley Nemeckay provided substantial Chairman of India’s Investment Commission analytical insights to the final report. Silatech Knowledge Consortium Members We would also like to thank Gallup’s entire team of senior scientists for their invaluable advice and guidance Ms. Nada Al Nashif • on this report. We are indebted to Dr. Gale Muller, Assistant Secretary General, Dr. Robert Tortora, Richard Burkholder, Dr. Rajesh International Labour Organization Srinivasan, Dr. Anita Pugliese, Christine Delmeiren and Chair, Silatech Knowledge Consortium Jihad Fakhreddine. We would like to thank Ben Klima, • Ahmed Younis Bryant Ott, Susan Sorenson, and Jessica Stutzman for Executive Secretary, Silatech their outstanding work with the editing of the report Knowledge Consortium and their insightful comments to improve the final draft. Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications, Silatech We also wish to acknowledge Molly Hardin and Senior Analyst, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies Samantha Allemang for their tremendous efforts with the layout and design of the report. • American University of Beirut/Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs • Dubai School of Government • Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. •