By Taylor Luck

DEAD SEA - Lukman Arsalan, who was stuck in a major he had no interest in, is now studying for his masters in political science at the Clinton School of Public Service.

“I feel like I’ve really found my passion,” noted the 22-year-old Jordanian, who is considering obtaining a law degree, a far cry from the computer engineering degree he was once enrolled for.

Arsalan is among hundreds of Arab youths and intellectuals who have been steered towards public service and civic action through the US-supported Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).

MEPI alumni are now working together to build on their newfound skills and establish regional initiatives.

The MEPI alumni network, launched in Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Yemen, offers networking, organisation and training sessions, and stages forums on issues such as unemployment, women’s empowerment, freedom of the press and elections in the region.

The network, which boasts some 5,000 alumni who participated in over 350 MEPI programmes, held a regional reunion at the Dead Sea this week to further cooperation and address topics ranging from press freedoms to elections.

“These young leaders were already involved in civil action, changing NGO laws and women’s empowerment long before MEPI came along. We just provided seed money for them to expand their abilities,” MEPI official Sarah Lohman told The Jordan Times yesterday.

Lebanese student Dana Sabah, who used to study food management in Lebanon, now has her sights set on higher goals.

“I’m hoping to get my masters in political science and then go into politics,” she said.

“MEPI made me think about public service and has changed my life,” Sabah said, adding that the alumni network is assisting her in obtaining a Fulbright scholarship to study in the US.

Keynote speaker at the reunion Ezzadin Al Asbahi said the network was important to create regional initiatives and openly talk about greater political and social freedoms.

“It is important for alumni to get together and discuss topics that are very real and pertinent in order to get the newer generation involved in social change,” the Yemeni human rights activist told The Jordan Times.

Asbahi warned against apathy in the region, and stressed that although democracy has gained bad connotations in recent years, it is still the future.

“Why is it only war or dictatorship? There has to be a third way, and we are the ones who can make it happen,” the activist stressed.

Arsalan agreed.

“Before, I felt like I was wasting my time. Now, I truly know that I can make a difference,” he said.

MEPI, a US initiative to support political and social development in the region, has invested $430 million in 350 programmes in over 17 countries during its first five years of operation.