Just a few days ago, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, wrote an open letter in response to questions about some of the new ministers of state, specifically the new portfolios for happiness, tolerance and youth. While there has been a lot of commentary on the first two already, I think the third deserves some real consideration as to why it really is such a thoughtful and necessary step to have appointed 22-year-old Shamma Al Mazrui, as Minister of State for Youth Affairs.
Though the conventional narrative has always been that the future belongs to our youth, it is very rare for the younger members of society to actually be given much voice. While this makes some sense since a lot of experience tends to come with age, we live in a time where there are a lot of changes that have been simultaneously making the younger generation feel out of step with their age.
There was a time when people got married earlier, where they were expected to take care of the household and contribute to it financially whether they liked it or not. Then we moved into an era where, especially in the developed world, children were relegated to a system of schooling, with laws implemented to prevent them from getting married or being employed too young. Although it was done with good intentions, once again it seemed that the general attitude towards youth was very prescriptive rather than inclusive.
As a result, I firmly believe that in the developed world, we now live in an age where we have a sort of delayed maturity, where people in their 20s seem to be stuck somewhere between adulthood and childhood.
There is no proper transition from a very safe and regimented school and family structure to being thrown into a situation where they are expected to quickly adapt, and figure out their career, future and family. I find this to be especially true in the UAE, where the youth are often extremely sheltered. Well-intentioned parenting has often got in the way of the younger generation being able to develop skills needed to make it on their own. As a result, the 20s often become a very volatile and frustrating period in life, which is why greater integration into society could help in grounding young people.
One of the many reasons it is crucial to address the integration of youth into the political arena is due to the fact that the Middle East has been experiencing an unprecedented "youth bulge".
With over 30 per cent of its population between the ages of 15 and 29, representing over 100 million youth, this is the highest proportion of youth to adults in the region’s history. This makes it ever more crucial for countries to implement economic and social policies that can take advantage of their young population and translate those policies into better outcomes.
While the UAE has long had a history of supporting youth initiatives and being extremely generous with providing support and academic scholarships to help cultivate the talents of their young population, the recent appointment of our new youth minister, and the creation of a council of youth is evidence that the UAE is taking this to the next level by opening up the political sphere for the younger generation.
Creating avenues such as a youth council can go a long way to address grievances that might be invisible to other generations. It will help to create an important bridge between the populations in their teenage years to them becoming the workforce of the country, allowing the Government to better anticipate change in trends and desires.
With that said, we need to integrate the whole system so that from a young age everyone in society is aware of the privilege they have been afforded but also their responsibilities. This covers everything from education with regards to civic duty, community service and general social awareness that can help engender cohesion within the community. If they are to take advantage and participate in this new world order then they need to be equipped to join it effectively.
Fatima Al Shamsi is a globe­trotting Emirati foodie, film buff and football fanatic

Source: The National