Change Squares across Yemen are flooded with the same young people who took to the streets in 2011 demanding change, including the toppling of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s regime and the reforming of economic and social issues and policies.

The youth in these squares are diverse according to their partisan political associations. Some follow particular political parties and are adherent to all of that party’s views. Others adopt specific views of certain parties like the views of the Houthis in the north and the views of the Southern Movement in the south. Others still have their own views and remain politically independent.

Saddam Al-Ahdal, an activist in Sana’a’s Change Square, said independent youth represent the power that balances disputes between different parties because they tend to side with the people and the country.

Al-Ahdal said he believes independent youth were marginalized and excluded by Yemeni political parties, which sought to share power at the expense of independent youth. He said the youth were disappointed because they dreamt of constructing a civil state.

During the past four months, many independent youths began working to gather other independent youth and to join together under a youth bloc. The bloc would represent their independent views away from views of the political parties in Yemen.

On Thursday, youth from Taiz, Sana’a, Aden, Ibb, Beida’a, Hadramout, Hodeida, Shabwa and Marib gathered and held a meeting in Sana’a.

During the meeting, they agreed on a draft of the “Independent Youth National Conference Project” and decided to introduce it as soon as possible.


A civil state

Mansour Al-Ashmali, coordinator of the project, said young people work together to achieve the conditions and requirements necessary for establishing a modern Yemeni civil state. Moreover, they intend to spread civil society culture, requirements of constructing a civil state and rule of law and civil rights. The group is also calling on all social and political parties to end fights and to involve themselves with civil society, which Al-Ashmali said is based on respect, peace, social security and tolerance.

Al-Ashmali said the project targeted 300 young men and women in nine governorates who share the same viewpoint: forming a youth bloc to participate in constructing a democratic Yemen.

This bloc will put pressure on those in leadership positions in order to achieve comprehensive change. It will also call on the youth to renounce sectarian, regional and tribal fanaticism and to address the problems of society and seek suitable solutions.


Renouncing fanaticism

Doctor Sultan Al-Akhali said the goal of these young people is a big responsibility requiring great efforts. He said young people  should take advantage of lessons learned in the past.

He also noted the importance of constructing a new Yemen, which isn’t controlled by a particular sectarian, tribal or political group—a Yemen with a reformed constitution designed according to these principles.

Al-Akhali said independent youth are capable of achieving these goals.

The independent youth try to gather the largest number of young people on the condition that participants practice all political and civil rights, according to project principles.

Moreover, the participants must sign an agreement pledging they will not join any political parties, will renounce fanaticism, will be loyal to their country, will work to achieve aims of revolution and will combat corruption and human rights violations.