Commentary
- +9
Nathan J. Brown, Alper Coşkun, Amr Hamzawy, …
{
"authors": [
"Amr Hamzawy"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"North Africa",
"Egypt"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
The Failed Struggle for Democracy in the Arab World and What's Next
The younger generation of Arab citizens has withdrawn from the public space.
By Amr Hamzawy
Published on Feb 24, 2017
Source: TEDx Talks
Carnegie's Amr Hamzawy took part of the TEDx Talks during TEDxMidAtlantic. Hamzawy states that in order to provide freedom of speech for all citizens, governments needto have stable institutions and ruling elites that govern based on a democratic mandate. He remarks that these factors were missing during the Arab uprisings. Hamzawy continues to say that in 2011, Egyptians were trying to get their government to listen.
Hamzawy notes that unless a government has popular acceptance it will end up in a relationship of based on fear with its citizens. And when the government puts forward repressive measures the citizens will eventually resist and take to the streets instead of the election booths. Hamzawy points out that during the Arab uprisings, citizens tried to keep their protests non-violent in 2011 and 2012; but in the last 3 years, there was an increase in violence in the Arab world.
He also discusses the younger generation of Arab citizens' use of social media to generate information, express their opinions, and demand change peacefully. He concludes that there is more vibrant dynamism taking place outside of the political sphere as young citizens have realized that change through institutions is not possible.
About the Author
Amr Hamzawy
Director, Middle East Program
Amr Hamzawy is a senior fellow and the director of the Carnegie Middle East Program. His research and writings focus on Egypt’s and other middle powers’ involvement in regional security in the Middle East, particularly through collective diplomacy and multilateral conflict resolution
- Israel’s Election Had No Clear Winner. What Comes Next for the Region?
- The Mecca Pact and the Limits of American GuaranteesQ&A
Alper Coşkun, Amr Hamzawy
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Serbia Still Has a Steep Hill to ClimbArticle
After two years of mass protests, Serbia’s student-led movement has ousted Aleksandar Vučić. Now the Student List must prove it can deliver on its promises.
Dimitar Bechev
- Red Sea Mirage: Why Russia Is Still Waiting on a Military Base in SudanCommentary
Russia’s coveted Red Sea naval base has fallen victim to its erratic foreign policy.
Sergey Konyashin
- The Twilight of Oil in an Age of Uncertainty: From a Vicious to a Virtuous CyclePaper
The global hydrocarbon order is changing. Economic diversification and developing productive economies have become essential for Middle Eastern and North African states, requiring them to address social and political challenges and rethink domestic, regional, and global settlements.
- +1
Nur Arafeh, Ishac Diwan, Hamza Meddeb, …
- Vučić’s Downfall in Serbia Is Fatal to Russia’s Influence in the BalkansCommentary
The new Serbian leadership may have promised to keep on cooperating with Russia, but soon they will have to make a choice between fighting corruption and sealing lucrative deals with Moscow. The two are mutually exclusive, even if the new leaders in Belgrade haven’t yet realized it.
Maksim Samorukov
- How Did Serbia Remove Vučić Without a Single Smashed Window?Commentary
Serbia’s electoral earthquake is an extremely rare example of an entire political system being defeated by street protesters who played by the rules.
Alexander Baunov
