Down to the Dead Sea, up to the top, would it be?

By Rani Dababneh*

2011 has been a quite remarkable year for the Arab world and the Middle East. Facts, regulations, traditions, mentalities, strategies, social behaviours, levels of awareness and fear factors have all been changed dramatically to put the MENA region on a critical edge again, but this time at a totally new and unusual level.

Despite the fact that it’s common to now call it the “Arab Spring”, I believe it still needs a lot of work, through the right channels, to be called a “spring”. What has been happening so far is more the first steps for the spring, whereas autumn times are also here since a lot of people are getting killed and the mess is still going on. So, if there is something that the Arab world needs now, it’s to build a rational institution out of the revolution, to maintain and take it through a constructive channel.

Business, government, civil and social leaders will be united at the lowest spot on earth, where the sky is the limit, at the Dead Sea in Jordan, to discuss and focus on one of the main sparks of the Arab revolutions in 2011 – unemployment – during the World Economic Forum, which has earned a special title this year: Special Meeting on Economic Growth and Job Creation in the Arab World.

I’m truly looking forward to this critical dialogue, as the Arab revolutions are coupled with global economic unrest, creating a new level of urgency for decision-makers and a huge need for youth to take part since they have become a remarkable key, especially when it comes to unemployment, entrepreneurship, education and political participation.

A successful revolution could be more like going down to the lowest spot on earth, the Dead Sea, and then bounce up alive to the top, better than ever.

So, I hope the World Economic Forum will take things to a constructive level and come up with practical outcomes to help reshape the future of the Arab world, so we all can move the current unrest forward into a peaceful and bright future.

*Rani Dababneh is Creator and Blogger, Jordanoholic.com and will be attending the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Economic Growth and Job Creation in the Arab World.