Young Actors Challenge Negative Perceptions of Youth
Cross Arts worked with young people to explore independence, democracy, and nonviolent expression.
Sometimes your timing is right. Then again, preparation helps, too.
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| Conflicting points of view emerge when Lebanon's early leaders meet the youth of today during a Cross Arts performance.
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When Nagib Mikati was nominated for prime minister of Lebanon in November, Tripoli was beset by thousands of angry youths who burned tires and blocked roads in protest. The behavior reinforced citizen perceptions that stereotype young people as reactionary and ready to resort to violence at the slightest provocation.
However, a group of young thespians from Cross Arts, a Tripoli-based nongovernmental organization, was ready to counter this negative image of youth with a performance to raise awareness of the concepts of democracy and independence.
Supported by USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), Cross Arts had been working closely with the young actors for four months to develop a play about Lebanese independence when the protests began. The drama draws a comparison between the great Lebanese independence leaders of the past and current political leaders who, according to Bob Arja, 21, an actor and rapper, "have misrepresented the concept of independence."
The cast includes young people "from different neighborhoods of Tripoli who were given an opportunity to express themselves in a sound and healthy way," said Mohammed Moussa, 27, following a performance in Beirut. "Our performance aimed at reflecting a different image of Tripoli youth, one where they are civilized, not angry," he said.
Arja and Moussa both agree that it is time for the youth of Lebanon to realize that they must work through civilized means to express their views and influence their country's future.
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"Change requires physical strength and a powerful mind. [The] elderly have the mind, not the strength; kids have the strength, not the mind. Only youth have both."
—Mohammed Dib, 29
a Cross Arts actor
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The troupe's performances—two in Akkar, three in Tripoli, and one in Beirut—were seen by more than 1,000 people. And young attendees particularly appreciated the play's message and the opportunity to interact with the performers. According to 17-year-old Hassan Hachem, the shows provided young people with an opportunity to release frustration and increase self-confidence.
Cross Arts has scheduled additional performances in the Beqaa and the South, and the group is working on a new play that highlights social and other issues faced by youth.
For further information, please contact:
Marialice Ariens, Program Manager, 202-712-4031, mariens@usaid.gov
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