On the brink of Taghyir

I set out to write about hunger in Yemen. But what do I know about it? About real hunger in Yemen? Nothing. So instead I'll write about something else. Change.

Young people in Yemen are calling for change. That's why they called the square "Taghyir" (change) not "Tahrir" (freedom). People are relatively free to speak their minds in Yemen. They do it all the time during the qat sessions. Their lack of freedom stems from poverty.

Young people have aspirations and they have the confidence and intelligence to move forward in their lives but they don't have the means. When you speak to a young Yemeni, the first thing that strikes you is how  articulate they are. They are proud of who they are and you'd best not forget it! They don't want charity (though in the short term that may be necessary). They want jobs and an opportunity to contribute to their societies to gain respect in the eyes of their peers and eventually to raise the next generation.

So in a country rich in tradition, history, literature, poetry, architecture, agriculture, mineral resources, music and humour, why are the people so poor? Their lies the rub. It shouldn't be that way and the youth know it.

They have said they won't move from Change square. In other words they won't move until there is change. And change won't happen until the elders step back, make some room, allow others to be heard and LISTEN.