Bahrain - An Island in the Middle

The world has been shaken over the last couple of months, for some countries, to their very cores. Movements that have swept through the predominantly Arabic regions of the globe have demanded change and shown that there are voices that will no longer be silenced and circumstances that need to be addressed if we are to continue the universal goals of peace and prosperity.

If these occurrences have shown anything, it has shown that neither governments nor armies can stop an idea when its time has come. The Tunisian people were the first to display this, followed closely by Egypt. There were soon shadowed by Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Morocco, Algeria, Jordan and others. The plight has even reached as far south as Zimbabwe, where the government arrested dozens of people as they were attending a meeting on how to start large-scale protests within the country against Robert Mugabe and his corrupt government.

As I have been monitoring this developing situation, I have also been quietly predicting the expansion of this movement. I predicted Egypt’s government to be the next to fall in my previous blog, dated from before it began. I have been viewing these ongoing occurrences with all sides in mind, pro-government, neutral and anti-government, especially when it comes to Bahrain.

The island of Bahrain situated in the Persian Gulf is a hub for many business sectors. Although very small in size, it has managed to attract and develop these businesses at an impressive rate. It is also a key location within the Middle East regarding oil and western military activity. These changes that are occurring have an effect on far more than just the government. It will inevitably affect business, laws, policies and countries’ relationships with one another. Who knows the true extent of where all this could lead? One thing is for certain; the world will never be the same place again.

During the happenings of the last couple of weeks in Bahrain, I have learnt a lot about human nature and spirit. I have not tried to involve myself in the goings on as I am not Bahraini and have respect for all the country’s people. It is up to them to reach a decision on how to move forward in their own land, both government and non. I have however lived on the island for a decade now and have seen its rapid development; it’s merging with other cultures and nationalities from around the world and it predominantly democratic approach towards government. Compared to other Islamic countries, it is very liberal. Therefore I have an attachment to this land and have experienced many trials and tribulations as well as many joys and blessings such as my beautiful family.

When I see all the difficulties that the country has faced recently, it has made me feel despondent at times, but it has also shown me something wonderful. Sunni and Shiite unified in their demands for change. I do not wish to state that either the people or the government is in the wrong, merely that this situation needs to be handled correctly, the solution coming in the form of progress.

 As I stated, this island has accomplished incredible feats with regards to the development of the economy, boasting the second strongest currency in the world. It has attracted investors and entertainers, skilled ex pats and laborers, dreamers and entrepreneurs. Many have noticed the potential and growth and the country should be proud of these achievements, especially in these tough financial times. Perhaps where the negativity arises is in the distain of the Bahraini people themselves wanting to be more involved in this development process.

The local community needs the private sector to move forward and start providing opportunities to Bahrainis in order for them to develop their skills and knowledge bases. To be led in a positive and constructive way into the future. There is so much talent and intelligence in the people living on this island, talent and intelligence that must be utilized to move forward as a unified country. It is vital that society receives the correct balance and we have the resources to do this.

The private sector needs to take ownership of these issues and play a massive role in moving the market towards the development of the local community and contribute towards building a real future for everyone. Through doing this, I firmly believe the private sector will enjoy massive profits in return through increased consumption of all goods and services. If the people have the means to earn, they have the means to utilize services and to buy products. If one looks at the local market today, it is easy to see that immense changes need to occur as the current structure is extremely unbalanced and unsustainable.

The failure of media in this part of the world is due to so many factors, but the primary reason in my opinion, is the utilization of incorrect personnel. I wrote of this in my first blog. These unfitting individuals and groups that constantly select the incorrect courses of action when using media for advertising and promotion. It would almost be comical to watch these same mistakes happening again and again, if it weren’t so costly. Contributing to society will generate fantastic returns on your business and investments in the long run, and that’s what any company or organization needs. Loyalty from the public is vital for longevity. So if these businesses are smart, they will feed the animal that keeps them running. Makes sense doesn’t it?

Honesty in communication is fundamental to the instilling of trust within society, which leads to the much sought after public loyalty. The world’s general public is fed up with being misled and lied to, so much so that they now place far more trust in each other to get a real sense of the truth. This is shown in the colossal use of online social networks. It is true that there are those who would seek to use these networks as a means to spread rumors or misrepresenting information, but the beauty is that there are so many people monitoring these networks that this will be pointed out and quelled. Media in so many forms is now biased or has a misleading or self-serving agenda. People want the truth. People deserve the truth. Are not all people equal?

Humanity has faced uncountable changes, horrors and paradigm shifts in thought caused through wars, politics and many other circumstances. Whatever the situations were, it caused change, the only true constant in life and History. Sometimes these changes were to the benefit of the people and sometimes to their detriment. We as a country, we as a world population, we as human beings have an opportunity now, right now, in this very minute of time to effect these changes. We have a chance to effect this change to be positive, constructive and for the benefit of humanity. We could make a difference. It is Bahrain’s time to unify and develop together as a nation. Let’s look for the opportunities within the current developments and not for the chance to create further distain. Let us be the generation to build Bahrain up and not the generation to tear it down.