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MOHAMED ALI is a Somali-American peace strategist, human rights activist, and social entrepreneur. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Iftiin Foundation, an organization which supports young entrepreneurs in postconflict countries in order to encourage peace and economic development.
Lido beach in Mogadishu, Somalia, is a 100mile stretch of white sand lapped by the azure blue waters of the Indian Ocean. On Fridays, hundreds of young people swarm the beach: energetic soccer tournaments sprout up, heated wrestling matches ensue and there are noisy swimming competitions abound. It is a beautiful sight in a city torn by 22 years of civil war. If you come back on Monday, you will still find them there. They are there Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday as well: the same youth at the same soccer tournaments, wrestling matches, and swimming contests. Yet these carefree scenes of youth at play take on melancholy tones as you realize that, for many, the beach serves as an escape from the stark reality that they have nothing else to do. A 2012 UNDP Human Development report indicated that 67 percent of youth in the country are unemployed, and in South Central Somalia, 89 percent live in abject poverty. This widespread unemployment among disaffected youth has fueled extremism, piracy, political instability, and poverty, which in turn have contributed to the failure of several demobilization attempts in the country. Violent activity, crime, and drug use are rampant, especially among informal settlements in the outskirts of the city. Youth have fallen prey to extremist groups who take advantage of disaffection and disillusionment to recruit them into the militia, creating a destabilizing affect. Although Mogadishu is an extreme example, similar scenes are being witnessed in Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, Jakarta, and other cities around the world.
Developing countries are experiencing an unprecedented demographic shift leading to a youth bulge - a high proportion of young people aged 15 to 24. There are a greater number of young people today than at any point in history, but this demographic explosion, which has been largely absorbed by cities, has not been met by a similar growth in economic opportunities for the youth. The result of this disparity is a historic number of unemployed youth. Furthermore, high concentrations of...