Amandla

On December 17, 2012, a Tunisian street vendor, named Mohammed Bouazizi, set himself alight in protest at harassment and humiliation that he received at the hands of government officials. His self-immolation served as the catalyst that galvanised the population to embark on a revolution against long-serving leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power. The toppling of Ben Ali was to have great ramifications for not only Tunisia, but for the region as a whole, as waves of protests spread throughout the Arab world resulting in regime change in Egypt and Libya.

This report seeks to provide insight into some of the root causes of what came to be known as the Arab Spring and to analyse the consequences that the uprisings have had on the political dynamic in Africa, with particular focus on the political dynamic within continental body – the African Union (AU), as well as the regional dynamic within the Arab League. By investigating the characteristics of each country that experienced regime change, it is possible to identify certain trends that will help to predict whether an Arab Spring-like uprising is possible in other African countries on the basis of shared or similar traits. In doing so, the report looks into the cases where regime change has occurred, specifically Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Although these States are not archetypal, a closer look into their political systems and culture, combined with the regional dynamics, may provide important clues as to why revolutions occurred in these countries.

Before proceeding it is important to note that the Arab Spring is a new and evolving phenomenon. There are no definitive truths regarding the events still occurring in the region and the full consequences are yet to be seen, as at the time of writing Egypt awaits a presidential election amid conflict between the civilian population and the Supreme Military Council (SMC), while Libya awaits an election that many hope promises civil governance after a drawn out civil war resulting in the death of former dictator Muammar Gadaffi. Further, Syria is locked in a violent struggle between protestors and President Bashar al-Assad. One should bear in mind that the situation in the region is volatile and unpredictable and should therefore, given the time of writing, be taken in context.

In analysing each specific uprising that resulted in regime change, namely Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, it is possible to identify characteristics that combined to result in popular protest and thereafter revolution.

The material contained in this report was compiled by Bradley Dubbleman and the Research Unit of Creamer Media

Link to full report:

http://us-cdn.creamermedia.co.za/assets/articles/attachments/39328_arab_spring.pdf

This African Activist Archive is preserving and making available online the records of activism in the United States to support the struggles of African peoples against colonialism, apartheid, and social injustice from the 1950s through the 1990s. The website includes:

• A growing online archive of historical materials - pamphlets, newsletters, leaflets, buttons, posters, T-shirts, photographs, and audio and video recordings
• personal remembrances and interviews with activists
• an international directory of collections deposited in libraries and archives

The African Activist Archive Project is collaborating with activists across the U.S. who supported African liberation struggles to create this online archive of more than 5,000 items. The project also assists individuals and groups to deposit their collections in public repositories, including the African Activist Archive collections in the Michigan State University Libraries.

By Adrian Janes, Docubase

+ Full Report (PDF; 5.1 MB)

+ Executive Summary and Recommendations (PDF; 2.9 MB)

From Conclusions:

The riots last August shocked the nation. Up to 15,000 individuals actively participated,with countless more observing from close quarters.

The majority of rioters were under 24. Individuals had poor academic records and histories of criminality. We found that 70 per cent of those brought before the courts came from the 30 per cent most deprived areas.

These facts forced us all to consider – how did these individuals end up in the circumstances they found themselves in? What impact does this have on the communities they live in?

These questions prompted us to visit over 20 areas since September 2011 and undertake further work in six neighbourhoods since November 2011. We spoke in detail with communities and the public services that work for them. The neighbourhoods we visited are facing significant issues. These are areas of high crime and unemployment. Many feel their quality of life is poor. There are concerns around cohesion, with the majority feeling individuals do not treat each other with respect.

TIME TRENDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PROTESTORS. Afrobarometer Briefing Paper, March 2012

...This briefing paper begins with an assessment of trends in protest participation over the last decade in South Africa before providing insights into protestors’ demographic characteristics, perceptions of government accessibility, and political behavior...

http://www.idasa.org/media/uploads/outputs/files/saf_r5_bull_protest_18mar12.pdf

A collection of media about Occupy Wall Street and related Occupy movements.

Direct to OWS Collection (via IA)

175 items in the collection as of October 22, 2011 (1pm EDST).

From INFOdocket

This volume offers the insights and reflections – both critical and self-critical – of a prominent civil society activist who has been engaged in local and global struggles for emancipation for over 30 years. On the basis of his own experiences in many different contexts Kumi Naidoo pleads for the involvement of ordinary people in the work for greater justice in this world. His point of departure is that civil society cannot be strengthened in a vacuum. Its achievements must be the result of actions by real people dealing with real problems. The volume deals with several of today’s most burning issues and also touches on sensitive matters within the global movements engaged in struggles for justice and equality. It does not avoid unpopular views on several issues, and advocates engagement with representatives of various agencies, including controversial ones such as faith-based organisations and the business community. While being guided by a notion of non-violent forms of resistance, the author nonetheless promotes radical alternatives to the existing reproduction of societies as a necessity to meet the challenges in securing the survival of the human species and a decent life for all. His reflections add to the search for sustainable alternatives and the potential contributions that concerned citizen action can offer. This volume thereby also contributes to a better understanding of the potential that a so-called ‘third United Nations’ can offer to global governance issues currently at stake.

Introduction
Chapter 1 » Citizen action and the democratic deficit
Chapter 2 » Re-defining what change means and how it occurs
Chapter 3 » Accountability
Chapter 4 » Citizen organisations and the business community
Chapter 5 » Secular and religious civil society dynamics – How do we break the barriers and bridge the divide?
Chapter 6 » Poverty
Chapter 7 » Climate change – A catalyst for civil society unity?
Chapter 8 » The prospects and limitations of civil society in challenging environments
Chapter 9 » The challenge of youth citizenship – From the margins to the centre
Chapter 10 » The majority are socially excluded!! Marginalised groups and the challenge for civil society
Conclusion http://www.dhf.uu.se/publications/development-dialogue/boiling-point-%C2%BB-can-citizen-action-save-the-world/

As South Africa currently experiences a public sector strike, leading sociologist Professor Sakhela Buhlungu considered the historical role of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the democratic transformation of the country. The meeting, which was chaired by award-winning journalist Terry Bell, was also addressed by Tony Ehrenreich, Western Cape Provincial Secretary of COSATU.

• Download the podcast here
• Listen to the other speakers at the CCR event

From Books Southern Africa

This 8 volume set covers the history of protest and revolution throughout the era of modern mass movements. It covers major uprisings and protest movements, ideas and ideologies and activists. It traces the roots, goals, tactics and influence of these movements, and evaluates their successes and failures.

Shelf Number: R  303.6403 INTE

To give some examples of its coverage, here are some entries in the index volume, Volume 8

Anarchosyndicalism

Black Panthers

Cabral, Amilcar

Cambodia

Chomsky, Noam

French Revolution

Maoism

Prague Spring

Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path)

Tambo, Oliver

Tanzania - Maji-Maji Revolt

European Protest Movements: 1968 in Europe

Online teaching and research guide companion to a book about the history of European protest and activism in 1956-1977, with an emphasis on 1968 protests in Paris, Prague, Berlin, and Rome. Features chronologies for almost 20 European countries, bibliographies and suggested sources for individual countries, and links to related sites.
URL: http://1968ineurope.sneakpeek.de/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26016

The May Events Archive
This online archive "documents this exciting historical moment with original leaflets, magazines, and newspapers" from 1968, "the climactic year of New Left protest all over the Western world, and especially in [Paris] France where in May of that year ten million workers transformed a student protest into a revolutionary movement by joining it in the streets." Search, or browse by type of material or author. Documents are in French. Simon Fraser University Library, Canada.
URL: http://edocs.lib.sfu.ca/projects/mai68/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26015 

Annotations copyright LII.ORG 

Resistance Studies Network

The Resistance Studies Network is maintained by Göteborg University. It seeks to promote the academic study of power, resistance and social change. This includes coverage of political and social protests, civil disobedience, non-violent protest around the world. reference is made to workers protests and anti-capotalist movements and revolutions. Its website includes mailing lists, information on conferences, workshops and publications. Users may acess news and links to some full text publications from members. Intute.ac.uk
http://resistancestudies.org/