I suppose every story has a beginning. Today I want to give you a bit of background on the beginnings of unrest in the Middle East that have ignited people’s emotions to defy government and demand fair treatment and opportunities.
I think as Americans we can all understand outrage over unjust governmental practices. Perhaps a bit before most of our personal experience but let me remind you of the violent protests that took place over the war in Vietnam. We were mired in a war we could not win, our young men were dying senselessly and young people around the country joined together to protest loudly. We know that much of the public hatred spilled over into horrible treatment of our soldiers when they returned. In no way do I want to construe this as a shining moment, that part was shameful. But the public outcry for action was heard and we eventually pulled out of the conflict. Yes, we understand the demand for justice here in America quite well. So as you read this post, try to understand how world citizens feel. They may be far away, unknown faceless and nameless. But increasingly we are more than just a nation alone. We are impacted by world events. The events of 9/11 have brought global problems to our attention; we cannot afford to look away or choose not to know the facts.
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| Mohammed Bouazizi with President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali (second from left in this photo) who came to visit him in the hospital |
The revolutions began in the small country of Tunisia which has since been dubbed the Jasmine Revolution. Tunisia is actually one of the more progressive of Middle Eastern nations. But sadly “progressive” in the Tunisian context means an average income of $8000 (Walt 2011) per year, 25% unemployment (Zakaria 2011, Walt 2011), rampant inflation and a repressive dictatorship (Walt 2011). College educated Mohammed Bouazizi, unable to find work in the computer science field he was educated in earned a living selling fruit from a street cart to support his seven siblings. The breaking point occurred when his cart was seized and he was slapped by a police officer.
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| Tahrir square on Feb. 8 |
Technology is not the reason revolution is occurring in the Middle East, instead it is a means. Other factors are responsible for the mass unrest:
· 60% of the population is under 30 (80% of outbreaks occur in societies with this demographic feature) (Zakaria 2011).
· Youth unemployment is estimated at 25% (Zakaria 2011, Walt 2011)
· Incomes are pitifully low(Zakaria 2011, Walt 2011)
· Cost of living is on the rise (Zirulnick 2011, Walt 2011).
The number one wish of Middle Eastern youth according to a recent survey is to live in a free country (Zakaria 2011).
In future postings we will examine some of the details I have presented here to gain a fuller understanding of their impact. My hope is that as you read this information you will look at your life and compare the daily struggles of others. It seems so much more real when we personalize the data. I find myself feeling grateful for the abundance and freedom in my own life. Even on the darkest of days I never come close to the struggles these people are facing. And they are people, just like you, just like me.
References:
Walt, V. (1/31/2011). Tunisia’s nervous neighbors watch the jasmine revolution, Time, retrieved April 07 2011, Google Search
Zakaria, F. (2011, February 28). Why it’s different this time. Time. Retrieved March 28, 2011, Database, from the Academic Search Complete Database.
Zirulnick A.(ND) Countries in the middle east where the ‘winds of change’ are blowing, The Christian Science Monitor, retrieved April 07 2011, Google Search
Patrick B./AFP/Getty Images (2011/02/08) Days of rage. Foreign Policy. Image retrieved March, 2011 http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/01/25/day_of_rage?page=0,0
AFP/Getty Images (ND) The president and the martyr. Time. Image retrieved March, 2011 http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2042614_2229054,00.html
