The Dispossessed Generation: Youth in the Middle East and North Africa

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The widespread Arab uprisings of the
early 2010s were followed by authoritarian backlash, economic collapse and food
and energy insecurity. The hopes of millions in the region
were shattered for the development of more
democratic structures and better living conditions. The Dispossessed Generation provides invaluable insights into the
self-perceptions and life chances of young people in the Middle East and North
Africa. It offers an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of a survey of 12,000
sixteen- to thirty- year-olds, from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,
Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. While an entire generation has been further disenfranchised,
this volume nevertheless illuminates the extent to which many young people in
the region are engaged with their societies, determined to mine new
opportunities from a multiplicity of crises. The Arab uprisings of the early 2010s, which
raised many hopes, were followed by setbacks: authoritarian backlashes,
economic collapses, accelerated climate change, the Corona pandemic and finally
the Ukraine war with its impact on food and energy security. After efforts to
create more democratic structures failed to sustainably improve living
conditions and an entire generation of young people was further disenfranchised
and dispossessed by the crises, disappointment and helplessness now prevail.
Nevertheless, as this study also shows, some groups are energetically engaged
in society and are optimistic that the severe crises will also open up new
opportunities.