The Egypt revolution of 25 January 2011 was aimed at ending the regime of Mohamed Hosni Mubarak who had been the president of the country for quite some time. He was considered a dictator who did not have the interest of the country at heart but that of his own people. During his reign, there was little economic growth with a rise in the rate of unemployment. The country was still using government policies that had were implemented during the colonial time. They were hence not addressing the current needs of the society (Sharp65). There was also misuse of public amenities and corruption rates escalating. Realizing that Mohamed Hosni Mubarak would probably never change nor change his government, youths organized a revolution that somehow came with surprise to the government of the day. The people of Egypt were demanding for the resignation of the Mohamed Hosni Mubarak and an end to a government that was causing more harm than good to the people. In this paper, we shall focus on some of the ways through which the revolution solved unemployment in the country.
The revolution was followed the announcement by Mohamed Hosni Mubarak that he will not run for another term. This meant liberty for a country that had been under dictatorship for long. One of the things that the people and especially the youth were looking forward to is a reduction on the rate of unemployment. It should be noted that the government of Mohamed Hosni Mubarak was mainly composed of old and rigid people who did not understand the needs of the youth. When he left office, his counterparts who were also serving in the government had to go with them. This hence created space for younger leaders who could empathize with the needs of the youth and hence taking care of them. The end of the Hosni regime also meant a reduction in corruption. All the loopholes that allowed for corruption were sealed and therefore making many people to penetrate areas where they could not penetrate before.
Before the revolution, to survive in Egypt, one had to have some connections in the government or be willing to part with some cash. This was observed even in public sectors where citizens were meant to be served free. This delayed the administration of services and justice especially to the majority of the people who could barely afford a meal a day. With the revolution, there was a complete change of government and therefore minimizing on the rate at which leaders had become familiar with their positions. The revolution also acted as a warning to the leaders who had just taken up their positions (Korotayev & Julia 158). The leaders could not dare misuse their offices as the people had proved to them that they had the ability to remove them from the offices. This hence made it easier for most people to penetrate government offices and hence having their unemployment needs addressed.
The leaders who took up leadership positions had a challenge to prove to the previous government and the elect that they are the fresh breath that Egypt needed. These high expectations have made the government to work towards fulfilling the promises made to the people. It is for this reason that the biggest issue that faced the youth was one of the main agendas of the government (Armbrust 22). Some of the public facilities that had been mismanaged were privatized. This meant creation of employment to the youth as the investors worked towards providing quality services. The utilities are hence being used to not only deliver quality services but also expand their operation and hence creating more jobs for the youth.
The revolution also had a psychological effect on youth, which empowered them. Overthrowing the government of Mohamed Hosni Mubarak was like a dream come true to many youths of the country. The kind of power that Hosni had established in Egypt and the fact that some citizens who resisted the revolution, it was hard to comprehend its success. The success meant a lot to the youth. The thought that with the freedom they had achieved, they were revived in their spirits and hence being convinced of how much they can do (Eltantawy 97). This also some of the people who had gone to exile in other nations because of threats they had received from the government came back. Most of such people were productive and innovative members of the society who advocated for justice and equality. They were hence able to come back and settle in the country and hence contributing to its economic worth.
Before the revolution, there was an outflow of youths from the nation who migrated to other developed nations such as the United States. Even though some of them went for temporary reasons such as studies, they never came back because of high unemployment rate. The knowledge and skills they had acquired were used to develop other nations rather than their own as they lacked capital or even a chance to invest in their country (Lesch 40). After the revolution, most of these youths came back and participated in economic activities. This in turn empowered other youths and even created employment for many others that were wasting away. The citizens are now proud of a nation they fought to gain its freedom from dictatorship. This also serves as a reason for them to wake up each day and work harder.
The revolution also opened up internal opportunities for investors. With the change of government, there was so much hope in the country. This therefore saw many investors coming to Egypt to establish their business. The businesses would also provide employment to the youth and hence leading to economic growth. Egypt is also known for its unique tourist attractions. After the revolution, many people came as tourists and hence boosting the economy of the country. Before then, there was eminent corruption even in the immigration offices and hence hindering the growth of the tourist sector (Sutter 74). With a lot of hope birthed in the nation, such sectors have started to make sense to the people who dint understand where the resources went.
In my opinion, the Egypt revolution imparted the youth more psychologically rather than physically. This was because of the dead hope that the people had to live in under the leadership of Hussein. There was a lot of rigidity among the youth especially when they thought of the issues that surrounded them. It sickened them the more when they knew that their issues would never be sorted out. After the revolution, lost hope was restored and hence giving the youths faiths that they can make it. It was now their time to make impact and facilitate the change they needed. It was also an assurance that they can obtain what they want only if they set their heats and minds to it. The revolution brought together youths of different communities and status who decided that enough was enough. The achievement boosted their morale for work and even developing their country.
Works cited
Armbrust, Walter. "A revolution against neoliberalism?." Al Jazeera 24 (2011).
Eltantawy, Nahed, and Julie B. Wiest. "Social media in the Egyptian revolution: Reconsidering resource mobilization theory." International Journal of Communication 5 (2011): 1207-1224.
Korotayev, Andrey, and Julia V. Zinkina. "Egyptian revolution: A demographic structural analysis." Entelequia: revista interdisciplinar 13 (2011): 139-169.
Lesch, Ann M. "Egypt's Spring: Causes of the Revolution." Middle East Policy 18.3 (2011): 35-48.
Sharp, Jeremy M. Egypt: the January 25 revolution and implications for US foreign policy. DIANE Publishing, 2011.
Sutter, John D. "The faces of Egypt's' Revolution 2.0'." CNN. com, Feb 21 (2011).
