DAFF 25A39 - The Arab Spring & Beyond: Imagined Futures, Autocratic Reconfigurations In The Middle East & North

In December 2010, the self-immolation of Tunisian fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi sparked a profound upheaval, challenging deeply entrenched autocratic regimes across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The ensuing 2011 “Arab Spring” revolts toppled four dictators – Tunisia's Ben Ali, Egypt's Mubarak, Libya's Kaddafi, and Yemen's Ali Abdellah Saleh – while simultaneously challenging every sitting ruler in the region. This powerful wave of protests was spearheaded by young, urban, tech-savvy activists who demanded "Bread, freedom, and social justice" – in other words: economic opportunities, human rights (including freedom of speech and democratic representation,) and a legal system independent enough to hold the corrupt and powerful accountable. Fourteen years later, little – if anything – is left of that hopeful agenda. Tunisia and Egypt are under the thumb of new dictators who are arguably more ruthless than their predecessors. While Libya and Syria are still aching from a decade of bloody civil war, Arab monarchies demonstrated remarkable resilience to popular appeal for reform, with the kings of Morocco and Jordan skillfully navigating their national political landscapes to outmaneuver the opposition. In the oil-rich Arabian Peninsula kingdoms, no protests of significance shook the streets in 2011. However, a new generation of ambitious princes emerged, notably Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman and the United Arab Emirates' Mohammed bin Zayed, who established themselves as formidable rulers, ruthlessly suppressing dissent through arbitrary imprisonment and targeted assassinations. Across the MENA region, the paths of counter-revolution exhibit notable differences, yet share a common goal: not only to quell the opposition, but to obliterate any lingering memory of the Arab Spring, effectively draining the ground of human rights aspirations. This course aims to illuminate the landscape of counter-revolutionary efforts in the MENA region and the restoration—or reconfiguration—of autocracy through notable cases of human rights violations. Each session will focus on one emblematic case study in a different country; and from there, reconstruct the recent trajectory of said country, examining how the national power structure was reshuffled, in line with geopolitical transformations and to the detriment of human rights aspirations.

Ahmed BENCHEMSI

Séminaire

English

Spring 2024-2025

- Oral: 1 group presentation of a required reading (see “Assignment” sections, in sessions 2 to 12) (30%) - Written: 1 human rights press release (see Session 6: “Practical Session – How to Write a Human Rights Report”) (30%) - Written: 1 editorial (see Session 11: “Practical Session – How to Write an Editorial”) (30%) - Student engagement during the semester (participation in class discussions, ability to ask questions and to engage in open and respectful debate with fellow students) (10%)