Looking forward to the Special Meeting on Economic Growth and Job Creation in the Arab World

by Ronit Avni*

If ever there was a time for a diverse array of policymakers, businesspeople, social entrepreneurs, bloggers, innovators, journalists and nonprofit leaders to come together in the Middle East to discuss economic growth and job creation in the Arab world, it is now. As a lone street vendor in Tunisia reminded us, the ability of every individual to work in a dignified and secure manner to put food on the family table – unimpeded by corruption or violence – is not just a national interest, but a global one.

I was in Davos at the World Economic Forum when the Arab Spring began. It was a privilege to listen to a Tunisian entrepreneur who left his successful business career to accept a post in the emerging government and to work for his people. And it was fascinating to observe other leaders from the region digest events as they unfolded – some with a clear-eyed understanding that an irreversible change had come, others in denial, and still others too scarred or cynical about previous failed democracy movements to fully celebrate this revolution. Who could have imagined that Tunisians would inspire tent protests in Tel Aviv. the resignation of Mubarak or demonstrations from Wisconsin to Wall Street? The reverberations of this movement continue, and with it an array of messy but hopeful possibilities.

Yet, as Egyptian Copts can attest, with transformation comes uncertainty and the prospect of further bloodshed and repression. Economic measures that can alleviate some of this uncertainty, and can offer ordinary citizens a meaningful stake in these processes are crucial for the flourishing of the Middle East and the world. Yet we cannot separate the imperative to put bread on the table with the open, rights-respecting systems necessary for growth and long-term stability. My hope is that this gathering will foster honest conversations about the intersection between jobs and political freedoms; the relationship between entrepreneurship, stability, growth, transparency and accountable politics.

In my work to support the efforts of Palestinian and Israeli grassroots nonviolence leaders and peacebuilders, I have seen the frustration of ordinary civilians when political leaders tout economic growth as a substitute for political freedoms and courageous diplomacy. The two are as inseparable in Ramallah and Tel Aviv as they are in Cairo or New York.

*Ronit Avni is Founder and Executive Director, Just Vision and will be attending the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Economic Growth and Job Creation in the Arab World.