The Arab Spring was an uprising against oppressive dictatorship and corrupt regimes that led to abuse of human rights and poverty. It is spearheaded by young people, communicating and mobilizing on the Internet (primarily Facebook). Its outcome is far from clear but what is obvious is that the main agents of change in the region are young people organizing and communicating on the Internet.

Israel had its spring of sorts, Israelis occupying by the hundreds of thousands the streets and squares of our cities, demanding social justice. What the socio-political effect of the tent-protest movement will be, it is premature to define. Yet it is quite obvious that the same forces working for change last summer will repeat the protest this summer.

Based on these premises, I launched about a year ago, together with Palestinian partners, a Facebook-based peace and cooperation movement, YaLa-Young Leaders: a meeting place for the young of “Tahrir” and “Rothschild.” Today, YaLa-Young Leaders is 66,000 strong from 16 Arab countries and Israel, dialoguing on a daily basis, from Saudi Arabia to Algeria, from Egypt to Lebanon, from Iraq to Israel and Palestine.

While YaLa is working continuously to foster dialogue and cooperation we are also aiming for the future – we intend to create this year an online academy in connection with the best universities in the United States, providing good higher education leading to employment, and promoting long-term, sustainable cooperation. The end goal is clear – Change by the young, for the young. A sustainable peace.

The purpose of this column is to give these young leaders a voice, starting today with Khaled al-Jaser from Kuwait. – Nimrod Ben-Ze’ev, director of the President’s Office, Peres Center for Peace

Human rights virtually regained

Introduction for the first Young Middle Eastern Leaders column for ‘The Jerusalem Post’

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