In June 2011, TNI brought together its Fellows and other activists and engaged academics to discuss critical global issues including the Arab Spring, the global resource grab and the Green Economy.

From the frontlines

	Salwa Ismail, Professor of Politics at University of London, talks about the brutality and repression faced by pro-democracy groups in Syria, but says 'there is no going back' because people have broken down the'wall of fear'. >Watch video interview
	Salwa Ismail and Shaheer George, a youth activist with the Egyptian Kefaya movement discuss the long-term economic and political causes of the Arab Spring, the role of Facebook, religion and labour, and the prospects for democracy movements. >Watch video presentations

The political economy of the Arab region

Kamil Mahdi, Iraqi academic and Honorary Visiting Fellow at LSE, and Mehdi Lalou, Moroccan economist and water activist argue that neoliberal economic policies, deepening social inequalities, and serious food and water security concerns will fuel instability in the Middle East.  >Watch video presentations

International responses to the Arab Spring

	Ben Hayes of Statewatch and Phyllis Bennis of the Institute of Policy Studies discuss the duplicitous response of the US and the EU to the democracy uprisings. Yao Graham of Third World Network says the Libyan crisis has shown that the African Union is still not treated as a valid international actor. >Listen to podcast
	Phyllis Bennis,  says US public opinion is changing in favour of a US foreign policy based on international law, human rights and equality, rather than Israel, oil and stability. >Watch video interview

Thanks to Broker Online for the interviews with Salwa Ismail and Phyllis Bennis