DSG Dean Tarik Yousef moderated a panel discussion about the findings of the Second ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey of 2000 Arab youth across nine countries.
The second edition of the ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey, which was conducted in October 2009 by leading international polling firm Penn Schoen & Berland Associates (PSB), polled more people and covered more countries than the inaugural study in 2008. Whereas the first survey involved online interviews with 1,500 youth in six Arab countries, the second study carried out a total of 2,000 face-to-face interviews among Arab youth in nine Middle East nations – the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
The main themes of the survey include attitudes to the financial crisis, access to technology, media consumption, social media networking trends, attitudes to travel and foreign relations, use of leisure time, spending habits, perceptions of leading brands, attitudes towards education, and perceptions of the private and public sectors.
The survey found that, contrary to the widespread perception of the Middle East as a region defined by conflict and a growing East/West cultural and political divide, the vast majority of Arab youth prioritize harmonious relations with the international community and wholeheartedly regard themselves as global citizens.
Among a variety of topics, the Survey polled Arab youth to rate the importance of global citizenship – the shared feeling of identity regardless of ethnic, religious or national background – with seven out of ten respondents interviewed describing the concept as either “somewhat” or “very important.”
Arab national and expatriate youth in the UAE went even further, with 79 per cent describing it as “somewhat” or “very important.” A plurality of youth in every country surveyed concurred with the exception of Oman, where 41 per cent said the notion of global citizenship was either “somewhat” or “very important.”
Karen Hughes, Global Vice Chair of Burson-Marsteller and a former US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, shared highlights of the research at a VIP reception in Dubai on Sunday, March 7, 2010.
Following her presentation, DSG Dean Tarik Yousef moderated a discussion between leading Arab opinion leaders, including H.E. Ms. Najla Al Awadi, Member, UAE Federal National Council & Deputy CEO, Dubai Media Inc., Abdulahman Al Rashed, General Manager, Al Arabiya Television, Mustafa Abdel-Wadood, Managing Director, Abraaj Capital, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Chairman, Young Arab Leaders, UAE Chapter and Nonresident Fellow at the Dubai School of Government, Lubna Qassim, Lawyer & Legal Reform Specialist, and Ali Mustafa, independent filmmaker. |