Review – Ben Ali’s Tunisia
Anne Wolf presents fresh insights into the Ben Ali regime and its demise, but the extrapolated theory of power under authoritarianism requires more comparative analysis.
Interview – Mike Rapport
Mike Rapport discusses the 19th century French revolutions, possible similarities to recent French protests, and the role of social media in contemporary revolutions.
Interview – Mohammed Ihsan
Mohammed Ihsan explores the implications of the de-Baathification process on transitional justice in Iraq, and progress towards national reconciliation.
Review – The People Are Not an Image
Snowdon’s book reshapes the political imaginary of the reader and re-evaluates protest videos as vernacular devices.
Opinion – The Arab Uprisings Ten Years On
The Arab Spring makes a connection to the 1848 Spring of Nations in Europe, which were popular uprisings against old monarchical rulings. This continues an orientalist tradition of likening the East to a so-called more advanced West.
Brexit, Hong Kong and the Arab Spring: Voices of the People
Demands for change, whether on the streets or via the ballot box, underline how people living in both democratic and non-democratic states want more from those in power.
Towards an ‘American Spring’ of Justice and Equality?
The George Floyd protests and earlier movements in the MENA region prove that values such as dignity, equality, and justice are not exclusively achievements of Western civilization.
Geography, Resources and the Geopolitics of Middle East Conflicts
Many have claimed the failure of states as a result of the uprisings and how they have led to destruction, yet overlook the role of states in creating these militias.
Elite Choices, Path Dependency and the Arab Spring
Structural and demographic factors have been favoured as explanations for the Arab Spring, but more careful analysis and research points to the impact of national elites.
Looking Back at 2011
2011 is a moment in history which encapsulated the impulse for achieving democracy yet a review of subsequent events show democratisation is an extremely complex process.
