The constantly changing environment in the Arab region makes it difficult to analyze the political and social that youth are experiencing. Studies that have analyzed the changes in the Arab region in 2011 are already outdated and youth attitudes towards democracy and stability are rapidly changing from year to year. The upheavals that swept the Arab region in 2011 have changed the political landscape of many Arab countries. Demand for dignity, equity, social justice and greater participation in political and socioeconomic decision‐making were central themes of those uprisings. Even though those popular uprisings have developed distinct trajectories in different countries, they were propelled by similar causes: decades of autocratic rule; gross violations of human rights; lack of rule of law and suppression of civil liberties and freedoms; and entrenched development challenges that accumulated over a half century, including persistent poverty and deprivation, high (youth) unemployment, endemic corruption and socioeconomic inequalities (ESCWA, 2012).
In this context, youth development and civic engagement have become pillars for social integration approaches including the “democratization of culture,” or inviting marginalized people into mainstream culture, and “cultural democracy,” which not only invites marginalized people to participate but also creates a new and equal space for marginalized cultures or newcomers to society, to introduce their own cultural practices to society not just by joining the existing system but bringing their own contribution to the system (UNDESA, 2008).
The post‐Arab uprising period is demonstrating that democracy is not a simple change in political systems and representation but a long and difficult process that requires a change in the political culture. Democracy alone is not a standalone solution, its success is dependent on a mix of predictable and unpredictable variables. The relationship between participation and democracy is mutually reinforcing: participation is an important driver of democracy and democracy impacts participation and participatory processes. Participatory democracy provides the proper framework necessary to assess social inclusion while addressing its political dimension.