Free Paper Example: Arab Spring Movement

Change is inevitable, and as the world experiences changes, people begin to demand new economic, political, and social amendments. Change is met with resistance either from the people or from those in power. When those in power refuse to amend certain aspects of the constitution and include every member of the society, people are forced to rise and fight for what they believe is right and significant to their growth and development. The world has experienced diverse civil and political movements, all geared toward seeking change and inclusion. Some of the historical social movements include the Black Panther Party, the women's movement, the animal rights movement, and the Arab Spring movement, among many others. Although there are hundreds of movements by country, there are also global movements. The paper, in this case, will explore the Arab Spring movement.

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According to Salam (2015), the Arab Spring movement has its roots in North Africa and the Middle East. It was a pro-democracy wave propelled by the need to have stable and democratic governments. The Arab Spring is mainly believed to have been triggered by different factors that include the government's ill and evil ways of learning administrative affairs in the state. People were also tired of the authoritarian regimes and the absolute monarchial systems, which infringed on citizens' rights so that they would remain in control of power. The regimes were famous for violating civil rights, increased corruption, unemployment, nepotism, economic failure, increased poverty, and political mismanagement (QadirMushtaq & Afzal, 2017). Another referenced trigger for the movement was the 2010 Iranian election faced with constant protests as civilians campaigned for improved living, better rights, and freedoms.

Arab countries are famous for oil production and export globally. The enormous profits made from the oil and other sources were unevenly distrusted, and Wealth was concentrated among the elite groups who were country leaders. The government also failed to openly account for the country's wealth due to high cases of corruption and nepotism. The youth, which a majority were from the middle and lower class, found themselves struggling financially due to unemployment, poverty, and high corruption, which triggered them, to change the status quo (Salam, 2015). The youths were the main propellers and champions of the Arab Spring. Following the 2008-2009 economic crisis, there was increased food insecurity, and most commodity prices had risen. The poor significantly suffered while the wealthy elite sustained their extravagant lifestyle at the expense of the middle and lower-class citizens.

The Arab Spring movement began in 2010 and was marked by both violent and violent action. The protesters adopted rallies, strikes, riots, and demonstrations to oppose the existing governments that were oppressive, discriminative, and punitive (QadirMushtaq & Afzal, 2017). Although a lot of hostility from the government met the movement, the movement managed to achieve its purpose as few countries in Africa and parts of the Middle East were dismantled and overthrown. The countries include Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Yemen. Other countries such as Syria and Bahrain are still in crisis due to a civil rebellion against the Arab Spring movement. According to Grinin & Korotayev (2019), countries such as Iraq, Morocco, Kuwait, Sudan, Algeria, and Jordan have faced major protests showing their dissatisfaction with the provisional governments. Other countries such as Oman, Western Sahara, Palestine, Djibouti, and South Arabia have also experienced the resistance, however, at a smaller scale than other nations.

The wave of the Arab Spring was strong such that the movement was recognized globally. The movement managed to spark protests outside Arabic countries. For example, in April 2011, they sparked protests in the Iranian Khuzestan region, a region with minority non-Arabs and the border skirmishes in Israel. The movement used multiple strategies to deliver and propel the message; however, their most significant asset was social media. Today technology has enabled the world to function as a global community. Through the internet, an ideology flourishes fast and spreads fast through different social media platforms. The Arab Spring sprouted in the social media era where people sell ideologies online, and the ideology is spread to a wide area fast and instantaneously. Through social media, people are connected globally, and when an ideology is raised with healthy, reasonable outcomes, the ideology often captures people's attention. People, who share similar sentiments, often join to promote the idea across states. When the Arab Spring ideology hit the internet, most Arab nations realized they were all facing similar political and economic predicaments, which caused instability in the region (QadirMushtaq & Afzal, 2017). They demanded a change of government from authoritative leadership to democratic leadership where people would be given the rights and freedoms to choose their leaders, among other things.

The Arab Spring was a success as it provided excellent momentum for change in the Middle East. However, there are political crises unresolved, for example, Syria and Palestine. Most Arab countries have adopted new reforms and policies in state government. The Middle East's collaboration with global nations has improved. Most states can now enjoy Western democracy that champions liberalism and equality rights. The adoption of new political movements and economic grounds has also helped push out the militia groups working collaboratively with the authoritarian government to infringe on citizens and extort from the poor. Today education and employment have improved as more youth have been absorbed relatively in their growing economies.

References

QadirMushtaq, A., & Afzal, M. (2017). Arab spring: Its causes and consequences. Journal of the Punjab University Historical Society, 30(1), 1-10. http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/HistoryPStudies/PDF_Files/01_V-30-No1-Jun17.pdf

Salam, E. A. A. (2015). The Arab Spring: Its origins, evolution, and consequences… four years on. Intellectual Discourse, 23(1). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284181844_The_Arab_spring_Its_origins_evolution_and_consequences_four_years_on

Grinin, L., & Korotayev, A. (2019). Arab Spring, Revolutions, and the Democratic Values. In Islamism, Arab Spring, and the Future of Democracy (pp. 157-214). Springer, Cham. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327917801_Arab_Spring_Revolutions_and_the_Democratic_Values_World_System_and_World_Values_Perspectives