When opportunity replaces violence

The globe is caught in the wars. Ukraine, Sudan, and Myanmar are burning. Gaza remains devastated. The violence is spreading in the Sahel of Africa. The last fifteen years have seen a twofold increase in armed conflicts. 10 wars are active¹ right now!

2.7 trillion² dollars of spending on defense in 2024. The humanitarian system demanded only 50 billion dollars. It didn't even get that. We spend 54 times more on preparing for war. We spend almost nothing helping people survive.

Wars grow from poverty, inequality, and hopelessness. That soil is spreading fast across developing nations.

The youth crisis

Over 200 million³ young Africans are between 15 and 24. Thirty years later, that figure will not only be twice as much. Eleven youthful Africans get into the labor market, yet there are just three positions available to them. Think about that ratio.

In Kenya, youth unemployment reaches 20 percent. In Tunisia, there is a statistic of 70 percent unemployment among university graduates. In the case of Arab States and North Africa, things are even worse.

In 2023, there were 65 million unemployed⁴ young people in the whole world. A fifth of them are not employed, educated, or trained. Women are two-thirds of those affected.

They have energy but nowhere to use it. Tell a generation they have no future. Don't be surprised when they seek radical answers. Youth frustration over jobs helped spark the Arab Spring. Unemployed, hopeless youth get mobilized easily. Not always for peaceful causes.

Education alone won't fix this

We've heard it for decades. Education is the answer to poverty. Get more people into school. Jobs will follow. Research from developing countries says otherwise.

IT centers opened in parts of India. Something interesting happened. Education enrollment increased near these new job hubs. But not the way you'd think. Parents invested in English-language schools for their kids. They saw real jobs requiring those skills. Jobs came first. Education followed.

Tunisia expanded university access dramatically. It didn't create jobs to match. The result? An educated population with nothing to do. Frustrated people who know what they're missing. Skills without job creation don't solve unemployment. They might make it worse.

The problem is simple but brutal. There aren't enough jobs for young people. Africa needs ten to twelve million new jobs annually. It creates only three million. India alone faces a 50 million job shortage by 2030. Traditional education can't fix this. Not if the jobs don't exist.

Remote work changes everything

A revolution is happening quietly. Remote digital work is exploding. 73 million people work in jobs done entirely online. This may go to 90⁵ million, 25 percent more by 2030. These are not only low-skill jobs.

Software developers receive high wages as they work at home, and so do financiers, marketers, and data scientists. IT specialists and customer service experts, too.

The gig economy is 12 percent of global work. Digital job postings in Sub-Saharan Africa multiplied by 130 percent between the years 2016 and 2020. The increase was very high, with only 14 percent in North America. Poor countries are driving this faster than rich ones.

Think about what this means. A talented woman in Kenya can compete for German jobs. A skilled programmer in the Philippines works for Silicon Valley. Without ever leaving home. Geographic barriers that trapped people for generations are breaking down.

Germany and Belgium struggle to find creative workers. Workers with problem-solving skills. Jordan and Saudi Arabia have surplus talent. The exact skills these countries need. The workers exist. The jobs exist. We just need to connect them.

What governments must do now

Governments need three immediate actions.

First, establish free online degree programs for everyone. Anyone of any age. Any nationality. Platforms like Coursera, edX, and India's SWAYAM prove this works. These programs must teach backward from real jobs. Teach Python because coding jobs are exploding. Teach digital marketing because companies need these skills. Teach data analysis. Not just general knowledge.
Second, invest in digital infrastructure now. In third-world countries like Nigeria, only 38 percent of households own computers. How can someone compete for remote work without hardware? Brazil offers government support for computer ownership. Others must follow. High-speed internet isn't a luxury anymore. It's economic survival.
Third, partner with global companies. Create dedicated remote job programs. Malaysia offers matching contributions for gig workers' retirement savings. This kind of support must spread globally.

Six in ten gig workers live outside major cities. Online work can revitalize remote areas. Women participate at higher rates than in traditional markets. Young people use it to earn while learning.

Young people with opportunities don't become radicalized. They don't migrate desperately. They don't fuel conflicts. Digital jobs accessible anywhere could lift millions out of poverty. Remote workers in developing countries earn more than local wages. This creates a multiplier effect in their communities.

We have a choice

I started by discussing war spending. Here's my proposal. Take a fraction of those defense budgets. Invest in free global education and digital job creation. Imagine what $100 billion could do.

This isn't charity. It's in the self-interest of wealthy nations. Prosperous developing countries become better trading partners. They become stable allies. They become sources of innovation. Not sources of conflict. When Jordan's workers fill Belgium's job gaps, both countries win.

The technology exists. The jobs exist. The workers exist. What's missing is political will.

Governments must understand something. In the 21st century, education and employment are security issues. An unemployed, uneducated youth population is dangerous. A skilled, employed one builds peace.

We can keep spending trillions on weapons. Millions will waste their potential in poverty. Or we can invest in free online education. Digital infrastructure. Remote work that gives everyone a real chance.

The second option is cheaper. It's smarter. It might actually make the world better. It's time our governments chose it.