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Making Cents Conference: A Softer Focus — Looking Beyond Traditional Workforce Development September 19, 2011 by Susie Armitage Only a third of youth in the Arab world believe their education has prepared them to get a job, according to a recent study by the Education for Employment Foundation. Not surprisingly, employers there say only a third of newly hired graduates are actually ready for work.	After the Revolution – The Youth Dynamic in the Arab World July 22, 2011 by Peter Salloum Youth were marginalized for years in the Arab countries. Considered a source of instability, they were ignored by governments and excluded from the decision-making processes that affected their lives. But something has happened in the last year. Aware that if they don’t initiate change themselves for a better future, then no one will, they took the lead in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Morocco, and other Arab states. But it seems that revolutions are the easiest part. The transitional period and the establishment of a sustainable democracy is another tremendous challenge for youth. The regime collapsed … and so what?
The Role of the Individual in Conflict: Views from Lebanon, Rwanda, and Liberia November 11, 2010 by Katie Sheketoff The past few weeks have seen an upsurge of events at IREX examining conflict from the perspective of youth engagement, conflict prevention, and women's involvement.	Conflict Mitigation through Youth Leadership in Lebanon October 25, 2010 by Sulaiman Bah Peace and stability are precursors to democracy. Moreover, a democracy respects diversity. Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East with a multi-confessional demographic that has not found the right formula for its 18 confessional communities to live together peacefully.
Mobilized Lebanese Youth Appeal for Greater International Funding October 16, 2009 Youth-led, homegrown projects are making changes throughout Lebanon. They are increasing the transparency of local government hospitals and municipalities, tackling corruption at the Lebanese University, and reducing bribery in public institutions. Although many of these successes were made possible with international assistance, youth campaign ideas have thus far outpaced the ability to secure funding.	IREX-Sponsored Coalition Unites Youth, Community Leaders across Lebanon July 13, 2009 Lebanese citizens are fed up with the level of corruption in their country. According to Transparency International’s 2008 Corruptions Perceptions Index, the country is rated 102 out of 180. The strongest advocates for transparency and anti-corruption measures are often youth, who, when unified, can share strategies and take a comprehensive approach to addressing national issues.
Druze and Christian Youth from Divided Lebanese Village Come Together December 4, 2008 Recently, 11 youth – five Druze and six Christians – from the Lebanese village of Breih came together at a cafe in Beirut to collaborate on projects to improve life in their village. The meeting was made possible through the Youth Civil Society and Leadership Program in Lebanon (YCSL), a US State Department project administered by IREX.	Sunni and Alawite Lebanese Youth Come Together to Improve Local Governance October 9, 2008 by Swathi Balasubramanian Two facilitators and IREX staff recently conducted a workshop in the turbulent city of Tripoli where tension between Sunnis and Alawites erupted in violence that killed 16 people a few days before the workshop took place. Despite the unstable security situation, the workshop attracted over 40 Sunni and Alawite youth, successfully bringing together members of opposing groups. The event was part of the IREX-administered Youth Civil Society and Leadership Program (YCSL) funded by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the US Department of State.