Reasons for the Middle East to be cheerful in 2017

The year 2017 has begun. Despite what we sometimes publish, there are many things to celebrate

Syrian father Ali embraces one of his children, Zeyn, upon their arrival from the Syrian city of Idlib to the Turkish border. AFP / BULENT KILIC
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The year 2016 is over and too many people will say good riddance. It has been a difficult year in the Middle East and around the world. There have been unexpected events, tragic deaths and the arising of political trends that could make 2017 difficult and even dangerous.

Just in our own region, there have been some very dark days. They scarcely need to be recounted, but the millions of refugees in the region and those who have fled beyond it are an enduring source of anguish. There are still too many wars and in some of the bigger Middle Eastern countries there are many who suffer without adequate food or sufficient development.

And yet, there are reasons to be optimistic about 2017. In the broadest sense, societies are advancing. Despite headlines, they are safer, more developed, have better health and communication and are more tolerant than they have ever been.

In the Middle East, there are many reasons to be optimistic about this young and creative region. Spend any time with the youngest generations and it is clear how involved, connected and ambitious they are. They are connected as never before, switching easily between the major languages of the region – Arabic, English, Turkish, Farsi and French – and an increasingly international language of coding, emojis and memes. Too often these “languages” are viewed as technical or frivolous, but they have enabled communication and collaboration in a way that was impossible to imagine a few years ago. Young people in the Arab world hav embraced these technologies and have, just in the past year, created apps, art, social movements and even businesses.

There is also an immense resilience in this region. Through the stresses of the past few years – upheaveals such as the Arab Spring and shocking events such as the siege of Aleppo and the occupation of Mosul by ISIL – families and friends have stuck together and supported one another. It is an almost untold story of Syria and Iraq, but without the close support of communities, neither could have survived some of the worst experiences of the past few years.

Newspapers tend to focus on the surprising and negative parts of the human condition, simply because they are so unusual. The start of the year is one of the few times we can point out there is much to be cheerful about, all around us. Happy new year.