The outcome of the recent Doha conference was a relief to many Lebanese. Hizbullah's downtown tent city is gone, a president has finally been elected, and a national unity government is to be formed. All of these rapid and reassuring moves suggest the conference was a success.

However, while there appears to be short-term progress, the Doha agreement is not the means to end Lebanon's vicious cycle of falling in and falling out of civil conflict. Like the Taif agreement, Doha deals only with immediate circumstances, limiting its jurisdiction not to the roots of conflict but to its consequences: Doha is incapable of resolving Lebanon's long-term sectarian predicament. The agreement must be complemented by an attempt to foster harmony and reclaim a unified national identity. This will ensure that conflict does not re-emerge and that Lebanon will not need to look toward another Taif or another Doha.

The problem with making such an attempt is that Lebanese politicians cannot solve the country's long-term problems. They have lived in a period in which sectarianism and division have been reinforced. Many of them have played roles, often violent ones, in widening those divisions. They cannot have a role to play in shaping a national identity given their histories and backgrounds. It is the youth who are vital in the process of pushing forward the ideals of unity and harmony amongst the Lebanese.

Lebanese youth, especially those born after the civil war, are an important component of society for two major reasons.  First, they are the only generation to have not experienced the atrocities of the 15-year Civil War. Their memories are not tarnished by the conflicts of the past and they are not accustomed to civil and urban warfare. They have, on the other hand, lived through the aftermath of the war, giving them an understanding of the costs of civil conflict.

Second, the youth has grown up in the era of globalization whereby other peoples, cultures and societies have become instantly accessible to them. This has allowed them to learn from the successes and failures of other countries, particularly those in the Middle East. Civil warfare has already taken its toll in Iraq, Palestine and Sudan. Youths cannot use ignorance as an excuse; they have seen the results of destructive civil conflict elsewhere and therefore cannot want to use similar violence in Lebanon.
 

History has proven that it is impossible for any single power to solely govern Lebanon. This makes the need for discussion and debate even more urgent and it is the youth who are best able to carry out dialogue. A progressive national dialogue that will yield long-term benefits cannot take place between leaders whose hands are stained with each other's blood. A national dialogue must be popular rather than political and therefore must take place among the people. It needs to be based on the idea of acceptance and the realization that each political party and religious sect has a significant role in Lebanese affairs. It does not matter where it takes place - whether in classrooms or on the street - but it needs to begin. The benefits of such a popular dialogue are truly universal, as it would mend broken factional relationships and begin to shape a new national character. These are the components of a real solution to ending Lebanon's long sectarian dilemma and the vicious cycle of conflict.

Doha temporarily ended Lebanon's 18-month crisis. But political crises can very easily resume if their underlying causes are not addressed. It will be the youth who make that decision and by so doing will shape the Lebanon of the coming generation. Today's youth will be tomorrow's leaders, and it is they who hold the keys to tomorrow's Lebanon. It is their choice whether to continue the conflicts of yesteryear or to help reconcile the Lebanese and salvage our country's unity and stability. I know the youth have the potential to achieve the task ahead. Their ability to mobilize that potential will determine Lebanon's fate.  

 John Jeha is a student at the American Community School in Beirut, and was editor of the school's newspaper. He wrote this commentary for THE DAILY STAR.