Wise words from a representative of the young

When HRH Crown Prince Hussein presided over the UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, he represented not only Jordan and Jordanian youth but all the young people in the world.

At the meeting on “Maintenance of international peace and security: The role of youth in countering violent extremism and promoting peace”, the Prince made poignant remarks that the generations before his should listen to carefully and address without delay.

The youth, he said, could be both pawns and victims of terrorist groups.

Aware that they are responsible for the future of humanity, the international community needs to empower them to fulfil their ambitions.

“This can be achieved by making young people immune and equipped with quality education, proper job opportunities and a decent living.”

Clearer than that is difficult to get. And solutions, while difficult at times, would not be impossible if countries pooled efforts towards achieving them.

The international community would be wise to invest in having the youth empowered, helping them to rise up to the challenge posed by the “disease of terrorism”.

“Today we are facing a disease that is threatening the entire world. No country is immune from the threat of terrorism, whose enemy is humanity, regardless of religion, gender, age or nationality. The war on terrorism concerns us all,” said the Prince, the youngest person ever to chair a meeting of the UN Security Council, according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Jordan assumed the UN Security Council’s presidency for the second time during its current membership in the council.

A better person could not have chaired the meeting discussing the youth and its role in countering violent extremism.

The advent of modern technology and the wide spread of Internet makes an increasing number of young people “susceptible to fall into the darkness of extremism”, cautioned Prince Hussein, who made a most astute observation: “The ideologies of darkness can reach where armies cannot, as modern communications have provided every voice an opportunity to reach every ear willing to listen.”

Considering that the youth make up half of the world’s population, their impact — in either direction — could be phenomenal.

The international community, through its representative, the UN, should establish a mechanism that helps turn the youth from targets of extremists into agents of combating it.

Prince Hussein did not talk about the role of the youth only; he came up with concrete proposals on how to mobilise and empower the young.

To prevent the youth from falling into the trap of misguided forces of darkness, then, countries need to secure good education, employment opportunities and a decent living for their young people.

If the international community knows what is good for it, it will heed the Prince’s message and act upon it, and fast.