The odds are stacked against the youth of Yemen. A prosperous future looks bleak when 46% of its exploding population are below the age of 15 and employment opportunities are scarce with 35% unemployed.
Yemen has rocketed to the center stage of world affairs when a suspect with Yemeni ties attempted to detonate a bomb on a Detroit-bound flight.
The dismal economic and political conditions in Yemen make it fertile ground for terrorist groups. A policy debate has erupted in the US regarding the future of Yemen and the responses needed to assure that Yemen is not used to train future terrorists.
Governments around the world will continue to discuss financial aide options for the government of Yemen. One low-cost, yet effective form of aide, comes from sponsoring cultural programs in Yemen.
The French Culture Center and the German House in Yemen are helping to spread the art of hip-hop in Yemen. They organized full-house performances at the Yemen Culture Center in the capitol city of Sana’a.
The diversity and malleability of hip-hop culture allows young Yemenis to incorporate their own traditions and lifestyle into their performances. Artists often rap about the unification of Yemen and express their frustrations over the terrorist outposts in their country.
The work of the French and German organizations in Yemen are giving young Yemenis an outlet of expression that was previously unknown to them. The director of the French Cultural Center has brought notable French hip-hop choreographers and DJs to Yemen to help instruct interested Yemenis.
The future of Yemen belongs to the youth of Yemen, and as the policy debate rages on, it’s important for all government officials and concerned observers to pay close attention to their needs.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aiace / CC BY 2.0
Recent Comments