THE ARAB SPRING

WHAT IS THE ARAB SPRING REVOLUTIONARY WAVE (DEMONSTRATIONS, PROTESTS, RIOTS, CIVIL WARS) IN THE ARAB WORLD THAT BEGAN IN DEC SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRIES OF THE ARAB LEAGUE INITIAL WAVE ENDED BY MID-2012

LOCATION OF ARAB SPRING TUNISIA EGYPT LIBYA YEMEN BAHRAIN SYRIA ALGERIA IRAQ JORDAN KUWAIT MOROCCO ISRAEL SUDAN *MAURITANIA *OMAN *SAUDI ARABIA *DJIBOUTI *PALESTINE *WESTERN SAHARA * COUNTRIES WITH MINOR DISPUTES.

CAUSES OF ARAB SPRING DISSATISFACTION WITH THE RULE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DICTATORSHIP OR ABSOLUTE MONARCHY HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS POLITICAL CORRUPTION ECONOMIC DECLINE UNEMPLOYMENT EXTREME POVERTY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF EDUCATED BY DISSATISFIED YOUTH IN THE POPULATION

TUNISIA BEGAN: DEC. 18, 2010 GOVERNMENT OVERTHROWN ON JAN. 14, 2011 SITUATION: GOVERNMENT OVERTHROW DEATH TOLL: 338 OUTCOME: GOVERNMENT OVERTHROWN (LEADER ZINE EL ABIDINE BEN ALI FLEES INTO EXILE IN SAUDI ARABIA)

ALGERIA BEGAN: DEC. 29, 2010 ENDED: JAN SITUATION: MAJOR PROTESTS DEATH TOLL: 8 OUTCOME: LIFTING THE 19-YEAR-OLD STATE OF EMERGENCY

JORDAN BEGAN: JAN. 14, 2011 STATUS: ENDED SITUATION: PROTESTS AND GOVERNMENTAL CHANGE DEATH TOLL: 3 OUTCOME: KING ABDULLAH II DISMISSES 2 PRIME MINISTERS, APPOINTS A NEW ONE, OCT DISSOLVES PARLIAMENT AND APPOINTS ANOTHER NEW PRIME MINISTER

OMAN BEGAN: JAN. 17, 2011 ENDED: MAY 2011 SITUATION: PROTESTS AND GOVERNMENTAL CHANGES DEATH TOLL: 2-6 OUTCOME: ECONOMIC CONCESSIONS BY SULTAN, DISMISSAL OF MINISTERS, LAWMAKING POWERS GIVEN TO ELECTED LEGISLATURE

EGYPT BEGAN: JAN. 25, 2011 ENDED: ?? (FEB & JULY 2013) ONGOING VIOLENCE SITUATION: TWO GOVERNMENTS OVERTHROWN DEATH TOLL: 4,300+ OUTCOME: IT’S A MESS! OVERTHROW OF HOSNI MUBARAK (LATER SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR ORDERING THE KILLING OF PROTESTERS) ISLAMIST-BACKED CONSTITUTION SET UP BY MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD & MOHAMED MORSI MORSI REMOVED BY MILITARY COUP AFTER MONTHS OF PROTESTS CRACKDOWN ON MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND OTHER ISLAMISTS (SENIOR ISLAMIST FIGURES HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, COURT BANS ALL MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD ACTIVITIES AND CONFISCATES ASSETS, SENTENCING TO DEATH OF HUNDRED OF MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SUPPORTERS ONGOING ISLAMIST UNREST EGYPTIAN ARMED FORCES LAUNCH ANTI-TERROR MILITARY OPERATIONS IN SINAI

YEMEN BEGAN: JAN. 27, 2011 ENDED: ?? (FEB & JAN. 2015) ONGOING VIOLENCE SITUATION: TWO GOVERNMENTS OVERTHROWN DEATH TOLL: 2,000+ OUTCOME: OVERTHROW ALI ABDULLAH SALEH (GRANTED IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION) RESIGNATION OF PRIME MINISTER & RULING PARTY OCCUPATION OF YEMINI TERRITORY BY AL-QAEDA AND HOUTHI REBELS PRESIDENTAL ELECTION OF ABD RABBUH MANSUR AL-HADI – OVERTHRWON BY HOUTHI REBELS ON JAN. 22, 2015

DJIBOUTI & SOMALIA BEGAN: JAN. 28, 2011 ENDED: MARCH 2011 SITUATION: MINOR PROTESTS DEATH TOLL: 2 (DJIBOUTI)

SUDAN BEGAN: JAN. 30, 2011 ENDED: NO (ONGOING) SITUATION: MAJOR PROTESTS DEATH TOLL: 200+ OUTCOME: PRESIDENT BASHIR ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK ANOTHER TERM IN 2015, BUT IS CHOSEN AS RULING PARTY CANDIDATE FOR THE ELECTION.

IRAQ BEGAN: DEC. 23, 2012 ENDED: JAN SITUATION: CIVIL WAR & GOVERNMENTAL CHANGES DEATH TOLL: 250+ OUTCOME: PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK A 3 RD TERM; RESIGNATION OF PROVINCIAL GOVERNORS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES; WAGE INCREASE FOR SAHWA MILITIA MEMBERS; 3,000 PRISONERS RELEASED; ISIS LAUNCHES OFFENSIVES IN NORTHERN IRAQ; U.S & IRAN ENTER WAR ON THE SIDE OF THE GOVERNMENT TO DEFEAT ISIS.

BAHRAIN BEGAN: FEB. 14, 2011 ENDED: ONGOING SITUATION: SUSTAINED CIVIL DISORDER AND GOVERNMENT CHANGES DEATH TOLL: 120 OUTCOMES: RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS, NEGOTIATIONS WITH SHIA REPRESENTATIVES, HEAD OF NATIONAL SECURITY REMOVED FROM POST

LIBYA BEGAN: FEB. 17, 2011 ENDED: AUG. 23, 2011 SITUATION: GOVERNMENT OVERTHROWN DEATH TOLL: 25,00-30,000+ OUTCOME: OVERTHROW OF MUAMMAR GADDAFI (KILLED BY REBEL FORCES); GOVT. DEFEATED BY ARMED REVOLT W/ UN-MANDATED MILITARY INTERVENTION; ELECTIONS FOR GENERAL NATIONAL CONGRESS; ELECTORAL DEFEAT, RETURN OF CIVIL STRIFE TO LIBYA; EVACUATIONS OF VARIOUS DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS; SECOND CIVIL WAR; ISLAMIST ARMED GROUPS TAKE CONTROL OF BENGHAZI & TRIPOLI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT; FIGHTING CONTINUES WITH ISLAMIST MILITIAS

KUWAIT BEGAN: FEB. 19, 2011 ENDED: DEC SITUATION: PROTESTS & GOVERNMENTAL CHANGES DEATH TOLL: 0 OUTCOME: RESIGNATION OF PRIME MINISTER; DISSOLUTION OF THE PARLIAMENT

MOROCCO BEGAN: FEB. 20, 2011 ENDED: MAR. – APR SITUATION: PROTEST AND GOVERNMENTAL CHANGES DEATH TOLL: 6 OUTCOME: POLITICAL CONCESSIONS BY KING MOHAMMAD VI; REFERENDUM ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS; RESPECT TO CIVIL RIGHTS AND AN END TO CORRUPTION

MAURITANIA BEGAN: FEB. 25, 2011 ENDED SITUATION: MINOR PROTESTS DEATH TOLL: 3

LEBANON BEGAN: FEB. 27, 2011 ENDED: DEC SITUATION: PROTESTS AND GOVERNMENTAL CHANGES\ DEATH TOLL: 0

SAUDI ARABIA BEGAN: MAR. 11, 2011 ENDED SITUATION: MINOR PROTESTS DEATH TOLL: 24 OUTCOMES: ECONOMIC CONCESSIONS BY KING ABDULLAH; MALE-ONLY MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS HELD IN 2011; KING ANNOUNCES WOMEN’S APPROVAL TO VOTE AND BY ELECTED AND NOMINATED TO THE SHURA COUNCIL IN 2015

SYRIA BEGAN: MAR. 15, 2011 ENDED: ONGOING SITUATION: ONGOING CIVIL WAR DEATH TOLL: 191,000+ OUTCOME: RELEASE OF SOME POLITICAL PRISONERS DISMISSAL OF PROVINCIAL GOVERNORS RESIGNATION OF THE GOVERNMENT END OF EMERGENCY LAW RESIGNATIONS FROM PARLIAMENT LARGE DEFECTIONS FROM ARMY FORMATION OF FREE SYRIAN ARMY FREE ARMY TAKES CONTROL OF LARGE SWATHES OF LAND BATTLES BETWEEN SYRIAN GOVERNMENT’S ARMY & THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY FORMATION OF SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL SYRIA SUSPENDED FROM THE ARAB LEAGUE SEVERAL COUNTRIES RECOGNIZE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT IN EXILE KURDISH FIGHTERS ENTER THE WAR BY MID-2013

IRANIAN KHUZESTAN BEGAN: APR. 15, 2011 ENDED: APR. 18, 2011 SITUATION: MAJOR PROTESTS DEATH TOLL: 12

ISRAEL BEGAN: MAY 15, 2011 ENDED: JUN. 5, 2011 SITUATION: MAJOR PROTESTS DEATH TOLL: 67 OUTCOMES: ARAB DEMONSTRATIONS ON THE BORDERS OF ISRAEL

PALESTINE BEGAN: SEPT. 4, 2012 ENDED SITUATION: MINOR PROTESTS DEATH TOLL: 0 PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS

ARAB SPRING TOTALS DEATH TOLL: 223, ,339+ (INTERNATIONAL ESTIMATE, ONGOING, >80% IN SYRIA) GOVERNMENTS OVERTHROWN: 6 (EGYPT & YEMEN TWICE) MINOR PROTESTS: 5 MAJOR PROTESTS: 5 CIVIL DISORDER LEADING TO GOVERNMENTAL CHANGE: 1 CIVIL WARS: 2

WHAT CAUSED ARAB SPRING TO DIFFUSE?

SOCIAL MEDIA

INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

WHY DID SOCIAL MEDIA WORK?

USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA EVADE DETECTION OF PROTEST ACTIVITY. SPREAD IDEAS RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS VIDEO THE PROGRESS OF THE MOVEMENT ORGANIZE EVENTS

FACEBOOK ALLOWS LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS TO FORM GROUPS AND PLAN PROTEST. EVENT PAGES CAN BE CREATED THAT ALLOW INVITED MEMBERS TO SET A LOCATION AND TIME FOR A PROTEST TO TAKE PLACE. VIDEOS CAN BE TAGGED AND SHARED.

TWITTER ALLOWS FOR INSTANT UPDATES TO A MASS AUDIENCE. ABLE TO WRITE QUICKLY AND CLEARLY FROM 140 CHARACTER LIMIT. SMART PHONES ALLOW USERS TO ACCESS TWITTER AT ANY PLACE AND ANY TIME.

YOUTUBE ALLOWS USES TO POST EVENTS, INJUSTICES, AND PROTESTS IMMEDIATELY. MORE STIMULATING THAN FACEBOOK & TWITTER DUE TO VISUALS.

WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA HAD THE MOST IMPACT?

TAKE A LOOK AT SOCIAL MEDIA #YEMEN #SYRIA #ARABSPRING

LASTING IMPACT 6 GOVERNMENTAL OVERHAULS MANY GOVERNMENT CHANGES CONTINUED FIGHTING IN THE ARAB COUNTRIES OTHERS USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO THEIR ADVANTAGE (OCCUPY WALL STREET; PROTESTS AGAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT)