The Saudi N-Bomb

Monday, 15 May 2006
By Sabria S. Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette

DURING the past five years Saudi Arabia witnessed some shocking developments, which called for an immediate need for strategic planning. The Kingdom has an edge over most of the developed countries on two counts: its huge oil and natural gas reserves and its young population (60 percent of its citizens are below 20 years of age).
The Saudis have done well to tap its natural resource, which is oil. But what have they done to harness the potential of its young generation, which is like a nuclear bomb waiting to be used? Are they planning for the future of the youth so that they don’t fall prey to the demons who poison their minds and turn them into human-bombs.
We talk big about the importance of vocational training and developing the skills of critical thinking among our youth. But little has been done - either on the government level or the social level - to implement these ideas. Families still feel that summer vacations are for relaxation. They don’t plan for almost one fourth of their children’s lives wasted in watching television at night and sleeping during the day.
Even the holiday travels are spent on sight-seeing. No benefit is derived from these leisure trips to understand and study the other cultures, or project the true values of their own culture.
Every year we look forward to the summer vacation in the hope that the local institutes would offer something new to our youth. But the same old story is repeated again and again. All they offer is a bunch of boring programs that lack creativity, forcing the youths to leave the program mid-way and kill time at home.
There is a huge generation gap visible in our society. We don’t have any idea about their ways of thinking or what do they want, simply because when they come to us we close the doors and play the role of a guardian. How do we expect to know what they are thinking about? Or how do they perceive the world around them unless we start a dialogue with them?
It is time for the Saudi community and the government to think strategically where do we want to see our children in the future. Officials at the decision making level should stop being selfish and think about the broad picture of the country after 10 to 15 years from now.
What is the output expected from our education system? Well, it should match the progress in the world.
What values do we need to instill in our youth? Do we want scientists or terrorists? Do we want a lazy or an energetic generation? How long it would take us to get rid of being a receptive community that lacks identity? Will we be soon seeing the day when Saudis export good values and science as our predecessors did?
Let’s learn form history and give the driving wheel to the new generation. Let’s think seriously about the importance of establishing social studies centers, before it is too late, and things get out of control.