The incentive that you give to your youth is going to be the

On the Power of Youth and the Seed of a Nation’s Destiny

When Abdullah II of Jordan declared, “The incentive that you give to your youth is going to be the make-or-break future of the country,” he was not merely speaking as a ruler, but as a guardian of his people’s destiny. His words carry the ancient wisdom that the future of a nation lies not in its wealth or its armies, but in the hearts, minds, and courage of its youth. For every generation, it is the young who inherit the earth — not as a gift, but as a burden and a promise. And the strength with which they carry it depends on the incentive, the faith, and the opportunity their elders have given them.

To give incentive to the youth is to ignite within them a flame — the flame of purpose. It is to tell them, “You matter. Your ideas, your dreams, your labor — these are the pillars upon which tomorrow will stand.” Without that fire, a people grows cold, stagnant, and lost in the shadow of what could have been. History has shown that no empire, no kingdom, no republic can endure if it neglects its young. The prosperity of today is but a brief season; the true test of greatness is whether a nation plants seeds that will bloom after its elders are gone. Abdullah II, in his wisdom, reminds us that these seeds are not planted in soil, but in souls.

From the dawn of civilization, the rise and fall of nations have been written by how they treated their youth. Consider the example of Ancient Sparta and Athens, two cities whose destinies were shaped by what they taught their children. Sparta forged warriors — disciplined, obedient, and fierce — believing that the strength of the body would ensure survival. Athens, on the other hand, nurtured philosophers, artists, and thinkers, trusting that wisdom and imagination would build something greater than war. Though both cities faded with time, the ideas of Athens — born in the minds of its youth — live on even now, echoing through every school and library in the modern world. From this we learn that the incentive we give our young — whether fear or freedom, force or inspiration — determines not only what they become, but what civilization itself will remember.

King Abdullah II speaks from the soil of Jordan, a land whose history stretches from the ancient kingdoms to the crossroads of the modern Middle East. Surrounded by change and challenge, he has seen how a nation’s future depends on giving its youth more than survival — it requires giving them hope. In times of uncertainty, when jobs are scarce and wars breed despair, to invest in the young is an act of both faith and courage. It says to them: “We believe in you more than we fear the future.” For when a generation grows up believing that their dreams have no value, they cease to dream at all — and when that happens, a nation’s heartbeat falters.

This truth is as relevant in the great empires of the past as it is in our own age. The Renaissance was born not because kings decreed it, but because young artists, scientists, and thinkers — given patronage and freedom — dared to see the world anew. The genius of Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, and Michelangelo flourished because their societies provided them the incentive to create, to question, and to rise. Where youth are empowered, innovation blossoms; where they are silenced, stagnation reigns. Thus, every ruler, every teacher, every parent holds within their hands the fate of nations, for they are the ones who either nourish or neglect the generation that will shape what comes next.

The wisdom of Abdullah II’s words also carries a warning: if the young are ignored, if their energy is met with dismissal or disdain, they will either turn that energy inward into despair or outward into chaos. History remembers the flames of revolution not as spontaneous fires, but as the consequence of youth long denied purpose. When hope is withheld, rebellion becomes inevitable. To give incentive — whether through education, opportunity, or recognition — is not charity; it is the foundation of peace itself. A country that invests in its young builds a fortress stronger than any made of stone.

The lesson, then, is clear and timeless: the destiny of every people rests in how they shape the hearts of their young. To the leaders of nations, give your youth purpose. To the teachers, give them wisdom. To the parents, give them love and confidence. To the youth themselves, remember — you are not the future someday; you are the future now. Every dream you nurture, every act of integrity you choose, every spark of compassion you share becomes part of the inheritance you will leave to those after you.

Thus, King Abdullah II’s statement is not only a call to governments, but a call to humanity itself: cherish your youth, for they are the vessel of all that will be. The strength of a nation lies not in the hands of the powerful, but in the hearts of those just beginning their journey. Let every generation remember this — that to guide and inspire the young is to write the next chapter of civilization. And as long as we give them the incentive to hope, to strive, and to dream, the flame of the future will never go out.