“Make the impossible possible” was the slogan of the recent TEDx Conference in Baghdad. TEDxBaghdad hosted the National Youth Orchestra, environmentalists, activists, and educators from all over Iraq. For many, it was a dream come true to have their hopes for Iraq’s future displayed publicly and with like-minded individuals.
Unfortunately, that kind of opportunity is enjoyed all too rarely by Iraq’s youth who have few outlets like TEDxBaghdad in which to participate. Even with a growing youth population, the supply of outlets for creative and civic expression haven’t risen with demand.
Activist Muhammed Asaad continues to protest his government's lack of accountability despite threats to his safety
Regardless, young voices are still speaking. Washington Post writer, Dan Zak, recently profiled several youth who have been striving to make a difference in Iraqi political and social life. These individuals included a protester, an elected official, a musician, bloggers, and a social activist. You can read about them and their efforts here. These youth share the goal of a peaceful, prosperous Iraq, after a lifetime of turbulence.
Zak spent seven weeks in Iraq this autumn, interviewing youth from across the country for a series of portraits of young Iraqis as they prepare to inherit a war-scarred nation on the eve of US withdrawal. Through interviews with Iraqi youth, Zak hoped to capture their feelings about the future of their country, their current political system, and personal security.
What Zak found was a generation frustrated with the inadequacy of their political opportunities. Many of them distrust the legitimacy of the ballot and view their political leadership as a pseudo-regime that deprives them of basic rights. But many of them were also afraid to lose the small, democratic gains they have made. They also worry that their generation will be drawn into the tribal and sectarian conflicts of their elders. They feel angry that the world has forgotten about them and the freedom they were promised 8½ years ago. No Iraqi born since 1979 has known a time without dictatorship, war, or occupation, and they are ready for the light at the end of a very long tunnel.
Zak also answered readers’ questions about his experiences and topics such as theUS withdrawal. His answers further illuminate the difficulties facing Iraqi youth, for example, discovering that your American peers cannot even find Iraq on a map.
These challenges considered, it becomes all the more important to bring youth together and empower them to face Iraq’s challenges. It also reveals how significant it was that we could connect nine young men of differing ethnic backgrounds on our Iraqi Youth Hike and have them make meaningful connections with each other. When Iraqis talk about the next generation, they use expressions like “crossroads” and “tipping point,” which is why it’s important that they be given opportunities to build skills and empower themselves for the fights they will have to face as the future leaders of Iraq.
Youth hikers having fun and getting to know each other while learning
Jamie Biglow is a recent graduate from SUNY New Paltz where she studied Medieval Islamic and European art history and American history and foreign policy. Born and raised in New York State, she now lives in DC and is excited to be part of the EPIC team.
