"...The wave of protests that has swept across the region has shown that no government is immune to challenges to its rule. While differences between the affected countries shape the outcomes of the protests, a domino effect has taken hold. Each wave of protests takes its inspiration from another, leading to widespread campaigns for better economic opportunities, greater government accountability and, ultimately, systemic change.
There are several characteristics that define the Middle East's current protest movement. There is a growing degree of mistrust between citizens and those in power, with the former no longer believing that the incumbent regimes are acting in the interests of the people. This gap in trust is most visible among members of the younger generation who constitute the majority of the region's overall population.
The young are impatient and do not believe that reform from within is possible. Rather, they see official promises as empty efforts to buy more time, thus postponing the inevitable. It is the younger generation that used new media to organise and share information, build strong networks and engage the outside world in their plight. Therefore, it is wrong to characterise the protests as stemming from only the poorer sections of society and driven primarily by economic interests. The current movement is widespread and has a broad base of societal support..."
There are several characteristics that define the Middle East's current protest movement. There is a growing degree of mistrust between citizens and those in power, with the former no longer believing that the incumbent regimes are acting in the interests of the people. This gap in trust is most visible among members of the younger generation who constitute the majority of the region's overall population.
The young are impatient and do not believe that reform from within is possible. Rather, they see official promises as empty efforts to buy more time, thus postponing the inevitable. It is the younger generation that used new media to organise and share information, build strong networks and engage the outside world in their plight. Therefore, it is wrong to characterise the protests as stemming from only the poorer sections of society and driven primarily by economic interests. The current movement is widespread and has a broad base of societal support..."