'Peace' in Arabic and English, by Bahrain's Pearl Roundabout. Flickr/Al Jazeera English. Some rights reserved. Bahrain's uprising on 14 February 2011 introduced radical changes among both the political classes and the public at large. From the beginning and increasingly over time, high levels of participation from both Bahraini youth and women were noticeable on many different planes.
The role of Bahrain’s youth
The youth of Bahrain are routinely regarded by political institutions as well as social organisations as ingénues: they are seen as needing custodians, and not trusted to make important decisions or undertake sensitive tasks. Despite rhetoric about the future promise of Bahrain’s youth, little action has been taken to engage or prepare them for these responsibilities.
However, those who amassed in Pearl Roundabout in 2011 as well as other demonstrations were predominantly Bahrain’s youth. Older community members, such as leaders of political and community-based organisations, were invited to speak at the various venues, however, the youth organised these activities and consituted the majority.
