Youth’s Role in the “Arab Spring” Emily Olafsen HDFS 892

What is the Arab Spring? In December 2010, Mohammed Bouazizi, a Tunisian fruit vendor, set himself on fire as an act of protest against governmental oppression. This act began a series of demonstrations, protests, and governmental overthrows across much of the Arab world. Previously, “the Arab world has lacked not only democracy, but even large popular movements pressing for it.” As yet unfinished, the Arab Spring has resulted in changing political environments, the overthrow of dictators, and continued protests.

Where is the Arab Spring taking place?

Why Youth? Over half of the Arab world’s population is made up of youth aged 24 and younger. High unemployment rates plague the region and its youth. Many youth in the area are educated. A low quality of life is experienced by many. Access to the internet and mobile devices is commonplace. Image retrieved from:

Youth using media to make a change. Mobile phones and the internet are widely used. Youth-generated media is easy to create and distribute. “We use Facebook to schedule the protests and [we use] Twitter to coordinate, and YouTube to tell the world.” Using the media not only allows for easier communication and gathering, but also relieves some of the fear involved with protesting. Image retrieved from: spring-was-helped-by-social-media

Highlighting Individual Youth Activists Montasser Drissi 19-year-old young man Helped organize a large protest in Morocco using Facebook. Gained inspiration from peers in Egypt and Tunisia. “Our goal is a new constitution that serves the people, not the elite.” This movement has helped join different political parties in the fight for democracy. Ala Alyna 22-year-old young woman One of the women at Ammon News who stood up against Jordanian authorities looking to take down a critical post about Queen Rania. Instead of baking down, Ala and the other women led a protest. “It was the principle. Liberty is very important.”

Current status of the Arab Spring Tunisia ▫Where the revolt began, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali left the country after 23 years in power. ▫Once there was only one political party, now there are almost 30. Egypt ▫President Hosni Mubarak steped down after nearly 30 years of rule, and has been sentenced to life in prison for the killing of demonstrators. ▫The Supreme Council of Armed Forces is the legislative power. Libya ▫Leader Moammar Gadhafi was killed in October of ▫The first election—in 42 years—was held in July of Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain ▫Despite the protestors being backed by countries like the United states, these governments have fought violently against the movement and its activists. ▫Not looking to compromise, the governments remain oppressive. Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman ▫Protests have been held since 2011, and progress has been seen in most countries. ▫Constitution reforms in Morocco; the lifting of a 19-year-old state of emergency in Algeria; new economic measures in Saudi Arabia.

Conclusions The Arab Spring was not born out of spontaneous or new ideas, rather it was a movement brought about by the combination of long-felt discontent and the power of youth and the use of social media. “[D]igital media helped to turn individualized, localized, and community-specific dissent into a structured movement with a collective consciousness about both shared plights and opportunities for action.” Using media to understand how the countries and youth around them were in similar circumstances allowed youth activists to understand, appreciate, and impact their world for the better. Though the Arab Spring title denotes a particular season, the work of these youths is still unfinished. Protests and governmental changes continue throughout the region.

What can we learn from this youth- powered movement? Youth are the leaders of today, as well as the leaders of tomorrow. Empowering youth to understand their world, and figure out how to make a positive impact, can change the future. We as YDPs should help youth understand how to use social media in a positive and impactful way, rather than sheltering them from the potential negatives. Using social media in educating and empowering youth gives young people an outlet for communication, while helping us understand the way youth think.

References Almond, K. (2012). Unrest in the Arab world. CNN World. Retrieved on June 22, 2013, from: Campante, F. R. & Chor, D. (2012). Why was the Arab world poised for revolution? Schooling, economic opportunities, and the Arab spring. Journal of Economic Perspecitives, 26(2), Fouad, A. (2012). The Arab spring at one: A year of living dangerously. Foreign Affairs, 91(2). Howard, P. N. & Hussain, M. M. (2011). The upheavals in Egypt and Tunisia: The role of digital media. Journal of Democracy, 22(3), pp doi: /jod Kassim, S. (2012). Twitter revolution: How the Arab spring was helped by social media. PolicyMic. Retrieved from twitter- revolution-how-the-arab-spring-was-helped-by-social-media Khalil, J. F. (2012). Youth-generated media: A case of blogging and Arab youth cultural politics. Television & New Media, 14(4), pp doi: / Slackman, M. (2011, March 11). Bullets stall youthful push for Arab spring. The New York Times. Retrieved from middleeast/18youth.html?pagewanted=all