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To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Arab uprisings, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom are organizing a conference to create a discussion forum in which leading experts on the region will examine the past decade and in particular the mistakes that were made along the way. The event consists of a two-day conference of five panel discussions that will serve to commemorate the Arab Uprisings, address several cross-country themes and issues, zoom in on certain country-specific nuances, and unpack the meaning of “Arab Spring”. The event will be held in English and Arabic, live on YouTube and Facebook.
To watch the discussions live, please click on each panel individually in the program below.
Political Activism: The Classes of 2011 and 2019
To better understand where the region is headed, the panel discussion will host activists from both 2011 and 2019 to explore the driving forces behind the youth activists of today, the ways through which they choose to represent their political ideals, and how they wish to organize themselves.
The mass protests that began in December 2010 will likely be remembered as decisive turning points in the modern history of the Middle East and North Africa, due in part to the collective sentiments and coordinated activities of young men and women across the region. Ten years later, these young activists have stories of success and failure to tell, as well as many lessons to share, and a new generation of youth activists has been added to their predecessors who rose up in 2010. What are the lessons learned and what are the factors of success and failure in these movements?
Join us on Tuesday, April 6 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EEST for a public panel discussion with Assaad Al Achi, Anas Al Gomati, Aline Fleihan,Yosra Frawes, Mohamed Ilwiya and Zine Labidine Ghebloui, chaired by Maha Yahya. The discussion will be held in Arabic and livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. For more information, please contact Josiane Matar at josiane.matar@carnegie-mec.org.
Anas Al Gomati
Ten Years On: Counter-Revolutions in the Arab World
This panel will engage in a thorough exploration and a detailed mapping of the various strategies as well as the tactics that have been adopted by both the protestors and incumbent regimes in handling the post-2011 political order.
After the spark of the Arab uprisings in 2011, the counterreaction by regimes largely impacted the region’s political trajectory, undermining prospects for change. In general, the countries that rose up witnessed devastating conflicts and foreign interventions, state decay, and economic collapse. All this led to political orders that were structurally unstable, allowing many regimes to present themselves as purveyors of stability.
Join us on Tuesday, April 6 from 12:00-13:15 p.m. EEST for a public panel discussion with Mohammed Lamine Mestek Yahia, Yezid Sayigh, Dima Wannous and moderated by Hamza Meddeb. The discussion will be held in Arabic and livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. For more information, please contact Josiane Matar at josiane.matar@carnegie-mec.org.
Yahia Mohamed Lamine Mestek
Alternative Media
Ten years after the uprisings, what does the future hold for alternative media outlets? Can they continue to resist the rise in repression across the region?
As the 2011 protests weakened the grip of authoritarian regimes, alternative media outlets challenged the state’s domination of print and broadcast journalism. These new outlets called into question the previously dominant government narratives of political and social life, publishing critical articles and providing space for public debates on major issues in countries. However, freedom of expression was often met with violence and repression. A decade later, many of these media outlets continue to function, challenging state-sponsored narratives in Egypt, Syria, Yemen, and Tunisia.
Join us on Wednesday, April 7 from 10:00-11:15 a.m. EEST for a public panel discussion with Lina Atallah, Kareem Sakka, Yasin Swehat and Isam Uraiqat, moderated by Alia Ibrahim. The discussion will be held in Arabic and livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. For more information, please contact Josiane Matar at josiane.matar@carnegie-mec.org.
Alia Ibrahim
Women and the Arab Uprisings: The Revolution Within
What role can females play in the process of transition as the region moves forward? What can be done to overcome the gender stereotypes and patriarchal norms embedded in Arab society?
Women were largely at the frontlines of the protest movements in 2010-2011, fearlessly demanding a change to the political status quo. They used their new platforms to address the marginalization they had experienced for decades, formally or informally, whether at the hands of the state or of patriarchal systems in their countries. Women, such as Lina Ben Mhenni in Tunisia and Mahienour El-Masry in Egypt became female icons of the revolutions. However, while the outcomes of the Arab uprisings differed by country, women’s rights and gender equality remain unsatisfactory.
Join us on Wednesday, April 7 from 11:45 a.m. till 13:00 p.m. EEST for a public panel discussion with Yasameen Al Nadheri, Maya El Ammar, Intissar Kheriji, Diana Moukalled, and hosted by Dalia Ghanem. The discussion will be held in English and livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. For more information, please contact Josiane Matar at josiane.matar@carnegie-mec.org.
Maya El Ammar
Politics of the Protest
What were the main triggers for the second wave of protests. How did they differ from one country to the other? Has the new wave of protests in Algeria, Lebanon and Sudan evolved, building on the experiences of the past? If yes, why and in what way?
In the last decade, the first round of protest movements was followed by a second in 2019. A feature of the second wave is the decline in the influence of Islamists. While an underlying dissatisfaction and need for change were are at the center of the 2019 upheavals, the situations varied according to each country. The panel will explore what were the main triggers for the second wave of protests. How did they differ from one country to the other? Has the new wave of protests in Algeria, Lebanon and Sudan evolved, building on the experiences of the past? If yes, why and in what way?
Join us on Wednesday, April 7 from 13:30 till 14:45 p.m. EEST for a public panel discussion with Raed Abou Hamdan, Rasha Al Aqeedy, Bashar Al Halabi, Arash Azizi, and Ali Bakir, hosted by Yara Asmar. The discussion will be held in English and livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. For more information, please contact Josiane Matar at josiane.matar@carnegie-mec.org.
Rasha Al Aqeedi
