Arab Spring

On 17 December 2010, Mohammed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old Tunisian man set himself on fire in protest at a police beating after he resisted attempts to confiscate the cart that he used to sell vegetables and fruit. His desperate action prompted a wave of protests - first in Tunisia and then across the whole of the Middle East - as public anger at pervasive corruption, police brutality, unemployment, neoliberal economic policies, rising inequality and persistent human rights abuses exploded to the fore.

This section explores the underlying causes of the uprisings, debates the military intervention in Libya, examines the ongoing constraints on democratic movements, and looks to highlight the implications of changes in the Middle East for Western powers and their main ally, Israel who have supported autocratic dictatorships to facilitate ready access to oil, support the 'War on Terror' and act as a repressive buffer for migration into Europe.

Egyptian revolution turns sour

August 2013
Phyllis Bennis

"Egypt today remains horrifically divided, with today's bloodbath certain to make things worse"

Celebration and Relief in Egypt

July 2012
Phyllis Bennis

Many of the secular activists and organizations who had played such a central role in the Arab Spring uprising came together with the Muslim Brotherhood in a unified front to challenge the military's continuing seizure of power.

Can We Stop a Civil War in Syria?

July 2012
Phyllis Bennis

Outside powers should stop military involvement in the Syrian crisis and support new diplomatic initiatives.

After Gadhafi, the West eyes the Libyan prize

October 2011
Phyllis Bennis

The Libyan people face major challenges in deepening democracy in a country that is oil rich, deeply divided and dependant on NATO for its victory against Gadhafi.

Libya: Too Soon to Declare Victory

August 2011
Phyllis Bennis

The success of Libya's uprising will have a great deal to do with the willingness of its leadership to break its dependency on the United States and NATO.

Mubarak behind bars: Human rights and justice

August 2011
Phyllis Bennis

Human rights standards may not be met in this trial, but the more essential purpose is to prove there's no going back to the days prior to the Tahrir revolution.

Understanding the Arab Spring

June 2011
Kamil Mahdi
Phyllis Bennis
Ben Hayes
Salwa Ismail, Shaheer George, Mehdi Lalou, Yao Graham,

Middle East scholars join TNI fellows in a unique and fascinating discussion of the context of the democracy uprisings in the Middle East and the way it may shape the region for future generations.

Can Democracy Activists Undo US and IMF Damage?

June 2011
Patrick Bond

Obama's speech on the Middle East and North Africa missed the point of the Arab uprising, and offered little sign of conciliation or support for the Palestinians.

Euro-Med Uprising: Analysis from the frontline

May 2011

Speakers from across the Middle East and Europe discuss the wave of social unrest across the wider region; what do these struggles have in common? What opportunities are there for building solidarity between movements across the Mediterranean?

Is the Arab Spring a Black Swan?

May 2011
Richard Falk

A recent comparison by top foreign policy thinkers in the US reveals the not so pro-democratic thinking that also goes on in Washington, referring to the emancipatory movements of the Arab Spring as a improbable "worst-case scenarios."