Drawing Good Out of Harm

LET US LEARN TO SKILLFULLY
DRAW GOOD OUT OF WHAT
OTHERWISE CAUSES US HARM.

~ St. Mary Euphrasia Pellentier

Of Note: Everyone on the planet should have come to the conclusion by now that aggressive violence does not work. A least two generations or more of children in the Middle East have known nothing else. But the nonstop violence in that sector has spawned a new movement among the young, particularly those educated around the world. They are bringing home information, which may turn the tide, particularly in the areas of entrepreneurship and business skills plus nonviolent means of protest through social networking. These young adults know from their travels in developed countries, like the United States and Europe, what the state of extended nonviolent prosperity looks like--and they want it. One Middle East scholar said of the young Palestinians he's been following: "If they'd been led by Gandhi rather than Yasser Arafat, they would have had a state 20 years ago." This time around, though, transformation may come not only through non-violent protests but through business and enterprise. The returning college graduates understand full well that constructive activity is the antithesis of aggressive violence and want to start business that employ others. We have been waiting with great anticipation for this generation of educated, youthful leaders with their iPhones and Blackberries to step forward in the Middle East, and they are starting to arrive. Social networking brought us the Arab Spring but it will take leadership from seasoned statesmen, expats and the young educated to bring it to full flower.