The Arab Spring Uprising
The ‘Arab Spring’
Amanda Henson
INS330
Professor Binsfield
4/24/12
Arab Spring Believed to have begun on December 2012, in the Tunisian city of Sidi Bouzid, Africa after the self-immolation of a local shop owner, the set of separate revolutions known as the ‘Arab Spring’ has kept the region in turmoil for much longer than a season. With protests and revolutions reaching from its roots in Tunisia to the streets of Syria, with as many as 19 countries taking part, to this day people are fighting for what they believe are their rights and fighting against corruption and poor living situations. While each country fights for individual basic rights, which are usually area specific, there are a few rights every country is protesting against including government corruption, economic decline, unemployment and abject poverty.
Role of Technology Many have speculated on the role of technology and the use of social media in the uprisings of the ‘Arab Spring’, with some going so far as to conjecture the role of technology in the revolutions’ communication and collaboration is unprecedented. (West, 2011) The mostly educated and unemployed youth of these countries were at the heart of many of these conflicts and actively used social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to coordinate with fellow protestors in a quick and efficient fashion. (Democratist, 2011) The use of these social networks gave the protestors the ability to share times & locations with large groups instantly and allowed them to present a much more organized front than was previously imagined possible. International news sites like Al-Jazeera and Wikileaks provided protestors with the ability to acquire much needed outside news from media not owned by the country’s government and gave protestors the ability to communicate with the world about their trials and triumphs. Internet usage was not always freely allowed by these countries and in the midst of their revolution, President Mubarak’s government
Amanda Henson
INS330
Professor Binsfield
4/24/12
Arab Spring Believed to have begun on December 2012, in the Tunisian city of Sidi Bouzid, Africa after the self-immolation of a local shop owner, the set of separate revolutions known as the ‘Arab Spring’ has kept the region in turmoil for much longer than a season. With protests and revolutions reaching from its roots in Tunisia to the streets of Syria, with as many as 19 countries taking part, to this day people are fighting for what they believe are their rights and fighting against corruption and poor living situations. While each country fights for individual basic rights, which are usually area specific, there are a few rights every country is protesting against including government corruption, economic decline, unemployment and abject poverty.
Role of Technology Many have speculated on the role of technology and the use of social media in the uprisings of the ‘Arab Spring’, with some going so far as to conjecture the role of technology in the revolutions’ communication and collaboration is unprecedented. (West, 2011) The mostly educated and unemployed youth of these countries were at the heart of many of these conflicts and actively used social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to coordinate with fellow protestors in a quick and efficient fashion. (Democratist, 2011) The use of these social networks gave the protestors the ability to share times & locations with large groups instantly and allowed them to present a much more organized front than was previously imagined possible. International news sites like Al-Jazeera and Wikileaks provided protestors with the ability to acquire much needed outside news from media not owned by the country’s government and gave protestors the ability to communicate with the world about their trials and triumphs. Internet usage was not always freely allowed by these countries and in the midst of their revolution, President Mubarak’s government
References: Anderson, L. (2011, June). Demystifying the Arab Spring. Retrieved April 11, 2012, from SSR Resource: Demystifying the Arab Spring Associated Press. (2012, April 21). Yemen’s ousted leader blasts Arab Spring revolts, warns of new crisis. Retrieved April 23, 2012, from The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/yemeni-troops-battle-al-qaida-militants-in-south-of-the-country-19-people-killed/2012/04/21/gIQA3XA4XT_story.html Democratist. (2011, March 28). The Great “Arab Spring” of 2011: Causes and Consequences. Retrieved April 17, 2012, from Democratist: http://democratist.net/2011/03/28/great-arab-spring/ The New York Times. (2012, April 3). Libya - Revolution and Aftermath. Retrieved April 9, 2012, from The New York Times: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/libya/index.html West, J. (2011, August 2). Digital Technologies And The Arab Spring – Part one. Retrieved April 8, 2012, from Transparency International: http://blog.transparency.org/2011/08/02/digital-technologies-and-the-arab-spring/