Few outsiders have had the privilege to get to know Algeria and its youth so intimately—or to observe firsthand this pivotal chapter in the nation’s history. It’s a story that reveals much about the relationship between citizens and leaders, about the sanctity of human dignity, and about the power of dreams and the courage to pursue them.

Nearly two-thirds of Algeria's population is under the age of 35. Growing up during or soon after the violent conflict that wracked Algeria during the 1990's, and amid the powerful influences of global online culture, this generation views the world much differently than their parents or grandparents do.

The Algerian Dream: Youth and the Quest for Dignity invites readers to discover this generation, their hopes for the future and, most significantly, the frustrations that have brought them into the streets en masse since 2019, peacefully challenging a long-established order. After seven years living and working alongside these young people across Algeria, Andrew G. Farrand shares his insights on what makes the next generation tick in North Africa’s sleeping giant.

About the Author

Andrew G. Farrand is a non-resident senior fellow covering North Africa at the Atlantic Council and author of The Algerian Dream (2021). He lived and worked in Algeria from 2013 to 2020, implementing youth development programs across the country alongside a range of creative projects. "An expert on North Africa" (The New Yorker), he is the translator of Inside the Battle of Algiers (2017) by Zohra Drif, a contributor to Uncommon Alger (2016), and author of numerous articles on Algeria. He is well known in Algeria as a travel writer, photographer, and media personality. Born and raised in the United States, he is a proficient Algerian Arabic and French speaker. In 2020 he served as host of Andi Hulm ("I Have a Dream"), Algeria's first entrepreneurship reality television show. He blogs at ibnibnbattuta.com.