Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 08/2014

Jordan's Youth: Avenues for Activism

Danya Greenfield

August 2013

Atlantic Council

Abstract

In the latest issue brief from the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center, "Jordan's Youth: Avenues for Activism," author Danya Greenfield evaluates the role of Jordanian youth in political activism, and contends that youth will ultimately take the helm of political change given Jordan's current political and economic climate.

While Jordanians are focused on mounting pressures from Syrian refugees and the growing crisis in Egypt, the same kind of political, economic, and social grievances that sparked a wave of uprisings in the Arab world are intensifying in Jordan with each passing day. With a youth population representing 55 percent of the population and young Jordanians struggling to land decent jobs and meet basic needs, policymakers should be aware that youth discontent could erupt in unexpected or critical moments of pressure.