A piece featured in the February 17 edition of The New York Times addresses the obstacles to marriage faced by Egyptian youth and the frustrations that accompany social exclusion. The article cites Middle East Youth Initiative research, including that of Diane Singerman, whose MEYI publication The Economic Imperatives of Marriage deals with the subject in depth, and the MEYI flagship publication, Inclusion: Meeting the 100 Million Youth Challenge, by Navtej Dhillon and Tarik Yousef.

By James D. Wolfensohn

No task is more urgent than providing hope to the 100 million young people between the ages of 15 and 29 in the Middle East.  If we provide them with the opportunity to lead constructive lives, they will build an exciting area of prosperity, stability and hope.  If they are frustrated and are unable to find work and build their families, there will be unrest, dissension and very possibly violence.