A Billion Young People and Counting

It is possible that the world population could reach 7 billion by 2011. One of the largest segments of that population with be youth. The New York Times reports:

What’s most notable in the new analysis is confirmation that while fertility rates are dropping in many places, some of the world’s most turbulent and poverty-stricken regions are seeing explosive population growth leading to enormous numbers of teenagers and children. (More evidence that puberty rules planet Earth at the moment?)

Such a youth bulge can be an asset if education and economic activity are there to build a work force. But without prospects, the result can be higher risks of conflict. Look at the population projection for Uganda, showing that country heading to a population of 96 million in 2050 from 31 million today. How does a country like Uganda build schools fast enough, train teachers fast enough and improve sanitation fast enough to harness the potential in its youth? Ideas welcome.

Below you can see a novel tool for assessing population and education scenarios in sub-Saharan Africa (and elsewhere).

Often an automatic assumption towards a rising youth population is the youth bulge principle described in this article that states that young boys in particular from the global south can be dangerous to social order if they are not employed, disciplined or under parental control. Otherwise they are very prone to engaging in violent activity. I dont think this is a completely fair characterization because it places blame on individual youth and describe them a certain way without taking into consideration the context of their environment or their life experiences.