It’s the Economy, Stupid!: Tunisia’s fight against Terrorism requires a jobs program for its Youth

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http://www.juancole.com/2015/07/tunisias-terrorism-requires.html

It’s the Economy, Stupid!: Tunisia’s fight against Terrorism requires a jobs program for its Youth
By contributors | Jul. 3, 2015
By Alexander Martin


To anyone who has followed Tunisia’s journey since it became a democracy, the horrific events in Sousse were shocking, but not surprising. This is a country still struggling to keep itself safe and address its internal destabilising forces.

~snip~

With the economy already under severe pressure and job prospects limited, some young people resorting to joining Islamic State or committing terrorist acts when they feel as if their lives lack purpose or direction. Of course it isn’t the only factor, but high rates of youth unemployment and a lack of opportunities are breeding grounds for extremism.

Of the 2.6m Tunisians aged between 18 and 30, 250,000 are unemployed graduates and 1m are not in education, employment, or training. The government needs to realise that developing a genuine youth policy should be a core part of Tunisia’s security policy. The political system must start to include young people and get them into decision-making positions within parties and ministry positions. Some young Tunisians are involved in civil society activism – meaning they have an indirect role in decision-making – but even they remain outside the formal political sphere.

Outsiders can help here. If the West really wants to aid Tunisia, investing in the development of an educational system that meets the needs of the Tunisian job market and encourages entrepreneurship would be far more helpful than Black Hawk helicopters and night-vision goggles.