I was at the Arab Strategy Forum held in Dubai recently. The focus was on the Arab world in the year 2020. It is indeed pleasant to attend such forums in Dubai for, apart from the general atmosphere, one gets a chance to interact freely with intellectuals from around the world and with different viewpoints.
The level of openness, clarity and frank exchange of dialogue was very high. For the Arab visitor it therefore became a learning process. And for the non-Arab one too it was an eye-opener. For it provided an insight into Arab thinking and offered a chance to mix with Arab women and men and come to a conclusion about Arab society, other than what is offered by the media in many places outside the Arab world. This forum did indeed come up with lively presentations and debates.
The word “change” is very much in vogue. While it has been used for sometime by many in the Arab world, this time there was a determined effort to drive the point and give a macro interpretation of that word.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai and UAE defense minister, illustrated it when he did not mince words and called for fundamental Arab reform. It was a critical speech and in an era in the Arab world where self-criticism is a rare commodity, his words were well received. “Change or be changed,” he said. And his words echoed across the forum for the entire three days of the conference.
To me his words were like a breath of fresh air on a warm and humid Gulf night. In fact this new attitude made many of the visitors from outside think. I have always maintained that we are not a repressive society. True, our systems differ. True, there are many areas which need clarification. True, there is a lack of accountability and transparency in our region. But the situation is not alarming — unless we remain idle and wring our hands, and wallow in self-pity and not do anything about how to get ahead.
From my meetings and discussions with scores of young Gulf professionals, both women and men, I have come to the conclusion that we have the human capital for advancement. On a one-to-one basis they are not less than their counterparts in the West or the East.
But I detect a sense of dissatisfaction among these loyal and committed citizens who sense a feeling of deep frustration that all their ideas and plans to bring change and progress are thwarted by self-seekers and those who have a vested interest in stopping change.
All kinds of excuses have been used in the past few years to describe change and new developments from “conspiracies” to undermine our values and cultures, to the most flaunted excuse that “we are not ready for change.”
Another excuse is the ridiculous notion that we are a “special people” with “special needs.”
I ask these people: Are we a handicapped society? Where do we live? Are we not like other people? Don’t our young people have aspirations like their counterparts across the world? Can’t these “rejectionists of change” see how the former Soviet Bloc countries in Eastern Europe have outraced us in economic and social progress in the last 10 years? Let them go to Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and elsewhere.
And I am not even mentioning Vietnam, which in 1975 was a battered country. There is a sense of urgency there. The economic and social engines are buzzing. We on the other hand are blaming others for our failures and it is time to stop.
It is time for us to speak out clearly and to prioritize and engage those antagonists of change who use all kinds of methods and excuses and paint a dark picture.
Adopting those economic and financial principles from abroad, learning from the experiences of Europe, America, India, Japan and Korea will not make us less Arabs or Muslims. On the contrary, many forget that globalization started with us.
While other countries like Malaysia and those in Europe have a 2020 program — Japan by the way has a 2050 program — we sit on our saddles not moving. I don’t want to enter into the blame game. Enough of this I say — and enough of hailing and praising by the media, say young people who talk very frankly to me. Their message to their elders is to recognize the need for change. Be part of the solution, delegate responsibility, trust young people, do not choke business, do not stop the creation of NGOs, help empowerment, expand the role of female participation especially in the decision-making process and mind you without favoritism in the selection of these people. But above all there is the urgent need to listen and take it with the spirit it is given.
In the year 2020, our region will have almost doubled its population and we will need hundreds of thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars to spend on infrastructure. Above all we need the global citizen — someone who wants to be a traveler on the road of life and not a mere bystander.
And to prepare for that we must start now.
