With current unrest brewing in the Middle East, one wonders if demographics of a much younger population coming of age does not play a significant part. Perhaps that point is self-evident given the skewed age-distribution in many developing nations of large (and growing) numbers of youth in proportion to adults (age >35 years). Youth in these situations find their skill sets seriously underdeveloped and inadequate for participation in markets, few if any coping skills to improve their social deficiencies and ill-prepared to deal with a crisis when it appears. Indeed, these crises may very well be instituted by disaffected, unemployable, under-educated and frustrated youth, predominantly young males. How should the international community respond to these disaffected youth in order to avert future disasters and civil unrest?
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