By Ayman Abdel-Wahab The youth of 25 January have breathed a new life into the country's once sterile political scene. Their ability to mobilise and rally the masses, to lead and to inspire, is what turned the call for change into a model revolution. The first victory for the revolution was the removal of the president on 11 February. Since then, efforts to stamp out corruption and create a modern and democratic state have been afoot. But there have been fears that decades of political stagnation may have corrupted the country's political scene forever. And I have heard people questioning the ability of the youth to connect with the masses. This is not the time for panic. Let's not forget that the 25 January Revolution didn't come out of thin air. It had its roots in the 6 April 2008 protests. It was inspired by the work of various popular movements, including Kifaya. Political and economic reforms have been an integral part of the opposition's agenda for quite some time. Since 2005, protesters have been calling for political and economic rights, for better wages, for freedom of speech. Now it is time to turn the youth movement into a force for political rebirth. Youth groups should start forming their own parties, or joining existing ones. They should also form their own civil society organisations, or join existing ones. We need a new social contract between state and society. We need to make sure that democracy is going to be a catalyst for human development. We need to instil a sense of civic responsibility in the nation. We need to empower the people. We need to revitalise our democratic institutions. And we need to ensure the political participation of all sections of society. Democracy is a work in progress, and we've just started. This week's Soapbox speaker is director of the Civil Society Programme at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
