AMMAN -- The region is on the verge of "a new tsunami" with the absence of concepts of good governance, according to HRH Prince Hassan.
If social justice was the central demand of all Arab Spring uprisings, then its absence will mean new turmoil sweeping the already-turbulent region, the prince argued.
Delivering a lecture last week at Al Rai Centre for Research on the current situation in the Arab world and expectations for the future, Prince Hassan, president of the Arab Thought Forum, explained that unemployment rates in the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region are the highest in the world, amounting to 14 per cent and 18-20 per cent in the countries swept by Arab Spring uprisings.
The population of the Arab region, he noted, has exceeded its capacity and is expected to increase by 30 per cent by 2030.
"We are suffering from a population bomb."
Even with the region's overpopulation, social upheavals, and political and economic dilemmas, there still is no solid "knowledge base" to provide reliable data that can be used in addressing challenges, the prince said.
"Talking about the future in the absence of a solid and reliable knowledge base is in vain," he added.
For example, the prince said, European countries had once considered distributing smart cards among foreigners living in Jordan but what has complicated their endeavour is the absence of a concise census and of what exactly is meant by a non-Jordanian residing in the Kingdom.
Another example of the absence of a knowledge base and its negative impact on in the WANA region, is that no population census has been conducted in Lebanon since 1932, he added.
Prince Hassan said Arab states have accepted the World Bank's classification of them as oil producing and exporting states, or oil-importing countries and those transforming into future oil exporters, and have been acting accordingly.
"The region's needs cannot be met by individual Arab states that emerged from the Sykes-Picot Agreement," the prince said.
"The right to life and the responsibilities to future generations should be present in any Arab dialogue of joint work," Prince Hassan noted.
Although economic problems are not the only issues facing the Arab world, the prince explained that all Arab states lack a well-defined and profound vision towards their economy which is still being handled using a "rentier framework".
"Arab problems are not only economic, but also have to do with environment, water, education, health, poverty, hunger and thirst. There is seemingly no Arab understanding of the concept of human sustainability."
The Arab mindset, he argued, has long been preoccupied with the idea of finding a "saviour" who can rid them of their woes, as opposed to a scientific approach to resolve their own problems.
"The dignity and future of Arab citizens is always absent in any dialogue or joint Arab efforts."
What adds to the region's woes is the refugee dilemma, he said, noting that the number of displaced persons in the WANA region has exceeded 20 million.
"The region has requested $3.9 billion from the United Nations to assist a total of 3.2 million Syrian refugees," the prince said.
"Can this amount of money be a burden on superpowers that spend trillions of dollars on wars?" he asked.
© Jordan Times 2013
