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Building Trust – Generational, and with the State in the Time of Covid-19

On 04 September, Professor Anne Moisan hosted the seventh edition of the NESA-AFRICOM roundtable webinar series,“Building Trust – Generational and with the State in the Time of Covid-19.”  Recent polls have demonstrated that mass popular trust in institutions is at its lowest with only 20% expressing confidence in the system that governs them, 73% looking for change, and 50% indicating that capitalism causes more harm than good and that democracy is losing its effectiveness.  There is an overwhelming malaise that seems to be affecting global populations, especially impacting youth. Looking hopelessly for equity, fairness, and social justice, they too often find corruption, disenfranchisement, and despair, which have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis.  Many are once again taking to the streets with growing numbers of citizen-led protests in societies plagued by polarization and generational divides and lack of confidence and respect for the State.  Against this backdrop, a select group of NESA-AFRICOM alumni youth were asked to reflect on the way ahead.

Melissa Lakrib – What is the trust deficit?

Melissa Lakrib, Algerian social and civil society activist, discusses the trust deficit at the state and generational level within a North African context. Click to view video.

 

Rami Musa – Building Trust amidst Conflict

Rami Musa, Libyan journalist and EU political economy consultant, discusses how we can build trust amidst conflict within a Libyan context. Click to watch video.

 

Zine Labidine Ghebouli – Street Protests and the Trust Deficit

Zine Labidine Ghebouli, Algerian consultant at the American University of Beirut, discusses if/how street protests can create an opportunity for trust at both the generational and state level to be addressed constructively. Click to watch video.

 

Shiran Ben Abderrazak – Civil Society and Building Trust

Shiran Ben Abderrazak, CEO of the Rambourg Foundation, discusses what role civil society can play to rebuild trust between the government and its citizens. Click to watch video.

 

Samar Miled – Educators and the Civic Responsibility Gap

Samar Miled, Tunisian Ph.D. candidate at Duke University, discusses how educators can address the civic responsibility gap. Click to watch video.

 

Mai Hamam – Building Trust in Egypt amidst Covid-19

Mai Hamam, Senior Resettlement Assistant at the UNHCR in Egypt, ends the webinar on a relatively positive note in discussing how the Egyptian state has sought to build trust with its citizens amidst the Covid-19 crisis. Click to watch video.

 

The views presented in this article are those of the speaker or author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.