Khaberni - Professor Dr. Amjad Al-Fahoum wrote:
When discussing youth, it isn’t just about describing an age group, but rather invoking a dynamic force that injects meaning into the veins of societies. Youth are the most engaged group with political, economic and social transformations, reflecting the vitality of the state and its ability to rejuvenate. They are not simply spectators on the sidelines, but rather active participants capable of being affected and affecting others, which makes the way they are handled crucial in transforming their energy into a lever of stability and construction, or leaving them erode in the spaces of frustration and withdrawal.
The fundamental question here revolves not around the symptoms but the core of the problem. Is the issue the youth’s reluctance to participate, or the narrow channels that allow them to participate safely and meaningfully? At this juncture, universities step forward not merely as traditional educational institutions, but as the primary incubators where youth consciousness is formed and their early relationship with public affairs, the state, and society crystallizes.
A university is not just walls that enclose lectures, or a platform granting degrees, but a space where politics intersects with knowledge, where students learn how to think before choosing, how to disagree without breaking, and how to exercise their right to expression within the frameworks of responsibility. In this space, a citizen is formed before a specialist graduates, and the meaning of participation is tested before it is demanded in public arenas.
When a university succeeds in fulfilling this role, it moves the student from being a receiver to an active participant, from a position of waiting to a culture of initiative, and from observing public affairs to an informed engagement. However, when it retreats from this role, it leaves a void that allows frustration to seep in, and the distance between the youth and state institutions to widen.
The gap in youth participation observed today does not reflect an innate reluctance as much as it does the accumulation of confidence deficits, unclear paths, and the absence of inspiring models. Here, universities bear a doubled responsibility, standing at a crucial intersection between thought and reality, aspiration and opportunity, the question and the ability to change.
One of the most important roles of higher education lies in building an open critical political awareness, not a closed ideological one. The need is not to direct youth towards pre-set molds, but rather to train them in reading policies, understanding contexts, and distinguishing between populist rhetoric and that founded on knowledge and facts. Integrating the concepts of active citizenship, sound governance, and community responsibility into the university experience is no longer a luxury, but a national necessity imposed by the complexities of the stage.
The daily university life serves as a practical lab for experiencing democracy through student elections, elected councils, clubs, and cultural and intellectual activities. When these experiences are authentic and not merely formal, they instill in students a conviction that their voice is heard, and their participation makes a difference, a belief that later extends to the public sphere.
Political participation cannot be separated from economic and professional empowerment. A university that graduates a young person without skills and a clear horizon contributes to deepening frustration and reluctance. Conversely, a university that links education with the job market, entrepreneurship, and the productive economy enhances the youth's confidence in themselves and their institutions, and opens up pathways for positive and stable participation.
Here lies the importance of universities embracing youth initiatives, turning ideas into executable projects, and expanding the concept of participation to include community work, volunteering, media, and the creation of conscious content, particularly in the digital space that has become a prominent public arena affecting public opinion. We can only emphasize the pivotal role played by the Ministry of Parliamentary and Political Affairs, led by His Excellency Abdul Monem Al-Oudat, in educating youth, building democratic awareness, developing political skills, and enhancing responsible national participation, and reinforcing trust in public life.
In conclusion, universities do not stand on the sidelines of youth participation issues, but are at the heart of it. They are either the bridge that youth cross to engage consciously, or the walls that deepen their isolation. The question worth asking is not what we want from the youth, but what we have provided for them to participate with confidence, responsibility, and hope. When knowledge, space, and opportunity are granted, youth do not lag behind but advance to the forefront.
