The Arab Spring By: Chaimùae El Alaoui

Introduction :

“For forty years or more the pace of change in the Middle Easthas been slow, making the events of recent months all the moresurprising. Suddenly, to be an Arab has become a good thing. People all over the Arab world feel a sense of pride in shaking off decades of cowed passivity under dictatorships which dominated before.”

The Meaning:

The term Arab Spring (also known as the "Arab Awakening") refers to the revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began in Tunisia on Saturday, 18 December 2010. and subsequently other countries like Egypt Libya Bahrain Syria Yemen Algeria Jordan Morocco Oman Kuwait Lebanon Mauritania Sudan and Saudi Arabia. The word “spring “connotes youth, prosperity, new life , renewal , hope and optimism which describe the changes that occurred in the region after a long coma .

Motivations:

There are different motivations which lead to these events. In general riots have begun because people do not accept their bad living conditions and the status quo anymore. For years, people was suffering under the dictators , violations of human rights , corruption, bribery, the increase of food prices, unemployment, the lack freedom of speech , poverty, and the unfair concentration of wealth in the hands of elites.Though, it was not easy for those people to take a great risk only because they are living under such conditions. Specifically, the real catalyst for discontent in the revolutions was “violent death” for example the death of Mohamad El Bouzizi the Tunisian street vendor who set him self on fire in protest of the confiscation of his goods and the humiliation practiced on him by police officers. Also the death of Kaled Saeed the Egyptian young man who was beaten to death by the police under what is called “the emergency law”. There is another case in Syria were a kid of 13 Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb was shot by the police. These three cases summaries the unfair and tyrant regime in Arab

countries.

Means of protest:

1-The protests have shared techniques of civil resistance in sustained campaigns involving strikes, demonstrations, marches and rallies.the major slogan of the demonstrators in the Arab world has been "the people want to bring down the regime".

2-Internet and technology played an efficient role in Arab revolutions the use of social networks such as Facebook – Twitter – Youtube – Flicker and forums helped in sharing information including photos videos and latest news in order to organize, communicate, and raise awareness in the face of the state repression as well as to announce and publicise.

Summary of protests:

Country Date Started Result

Tunisia 18 December 2010 -Ousting of President Ben Ali.

- Dissolution of the former ruling party (Constitutional Democratic Rally).

- Release of political prisoners.

-Elections to a Constituent Assembly on 23 October 2011.

- New ruler party ( annahda)

Egypt 25 January 2011

-Ousting of President Mubarak.

-Assumption of power by the Armed Forces.

-Dissolution of the former ruling party (National Democratic Party).

-Constitutional reforms.

-Trial of Mubarak and his family.

-New elections 28 November 2011.

Libya 17 February 2011

- Formation of the National Transitional Council.

- Intervention of foreign military forces ( UN – NATO – Jordan – Qatar – Emirate –Sweden )

- Overthrow of Gaddafi ( killed by the opposition)

- End of the civil war and Libya's Liberation.

Morocco 20 February 2011 Constitutional reforms :

- Naming a Prime

Minister from the largest party in Parliament.

- Handing a number of rights from the monarch to the PM.

- Making Berber an official language alongside Arabic.

Conclusion :

I hope recent changes in the Middle East and North Africa will lead to greater peace and stability that will ultimately improve people’s lives. After the high drama of this year’s events, I long for a better future where people will live in dignity , Enjoy their rights and perform their duties.