By Paloma Haschke
Last Tuesday, the MENA UNAOC Fellows met with Jeffrey Sachs. While they were introducing themselves the discussion took another turn. And what was supposed to be a Q&A on Sachs’ opinion on the current economic crisis, ended up being a lively discussion on the Middle East political future.
The Arab Spring hasn’t settled much of anything yet. Just because people are openly protesting for democracy does not solve issues such as economic inequality, unemployment, or environmental degradation. Once the first thrill is over, the realty is indeed a hard slog. Even after the dramatic political events in Tunis and Cairo, the socioeconomic difficulties remain unchanged. The hard work of economic reform lies ahead. Even the political changes have only just started. “The big advantage of democracy is that you can rotate the ‘bums’ every few years,” Jeffrey Sachs said with a smile. Even the US is not the successful democratic power it was a generation or two earlier. American politics is corrupted and paralyzed in terms of real problem solving. People have to rely on their communities rather than on the government to find a way to handle their daily-life issues.
“Washington has become almost useless for addressing a considerable range of pressing problems. National politics are frozen and the country is more and more run on behalf of elites and companies.” The US budget now focuses on four domains: the military, health care, social security, and the interest on the debt. Almost every other part of government these days is shrinking and without much ambition. But even in those four major budgetary areas, Washington is stuck without needed reforms. The government’s scope for action is deeply constrained by the wars and the budget deficit.“No political force is very dynamic right now in the US. If you on the outside wait for Washington you’re likely to fail. This is why you are on the first page of this story.
The future of the Middle East now depends on you.” Washington barely has influence, much less control, over the Arab spring. It took the White House weeks or months to cautiously react to the historical events that were sweeping the region. “You have to write your history and do so without expectations of the US. You, and I literally mean you, are the future of your region.” The key for the best outcomes in the region is unity. Every country by itself is too small to address major problems of politics, economy, and environment.
A key to problem solving will be to improve the region’s cohesion and shared strategy. “You have to make cooperation work across countries, and learn how to build networks.” As future leaders, you need to use the new information and communications technologies (ICT) to share views on common issues such as education, transportation, climate change, and energy. ”Solutions to people’s pressing concerns and demands are not going to come from the World Bank or some other international institution. Neither will the region’s problems be settled by international powers.”
The current situation is now being reframed by two “game changers”: there is a generational change at the core of this movement, and new information technology that makes transnational communication free and accessible. In Sachs’ opinion, these new factors suggest an overriding approach: a stronger network of young Arab leaders willing to tackle together the core issues of economy, ecology, and social justice that are central to raise the quality of life in their region.
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