A RAB S PRING

W HERE ? Middle East & Northern Africa

W HO ? People in countries across the Middle East and Northern Africa In many instances, young people played a large role in the demonstrations

W HAT ? The decision of people to unite in revolution Protests and demonstrations Often acts of civil disobedience Peaceful protests, non-violent methods Sit-ins, marches, boycotts, rallies In some cases the demonstrators were met with violent responses from authorities and did respond with violence

Leave already, my arm hurts!

W HY ? The desire for new leadership Oppressive dictators have/had been ruling countries for many years The desire for political and economic reforms. Corruption within the government High unemployment (esp. among the younger population)

Ranking out of 178 countries Median

W HEN ? Began in December 2010 when a 26-year-old Tunisian named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire. It was an extreme act by a young man who had reached the end of his tether after being banned from selling fruit to earn a living but it triggered a remarkable series of events that became known as the Arab Spring.

S OCIAL M EDIA Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube played a large role in the demonstrations Carried messages about freedom and democracy Organized actions Allowed people to discuss and evaluate leaders

R ESULTS To date, rulers have been forced from power in Tunisia, Egypt Libya, and Yemen Uprisings and major protests have erupted in Bahrain, Syria, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco and Oman Minor protests have occurred in Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Western Sahara

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