The living history of Arab revolutions

Eugene Rogan and Tony Curzon Price 18 February 2011
A filmed interview of Professor Eugene Rogan; the conversation ranges from the echoes of nineteenth century constitutionalism in the Tunisian and Egyptian movements today, to other moments of Egyptian empowerment – 1919, the years after 1952 – through the challenges ahead for Egypt and the credibility challenges that the West faces given a history of false promises in the region

Arab democracy rising: international lessons

Vidar Helgesen 16 February 2011
The popular revolts in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere in the middle east are driven by a profound democratic impulse. This represents both learning and test for international democracy actors, says Vidar Helgesen.

Bahrain - from national celebration to day of rage

Ala'a Shehabi 12 February 2011

A “palm revolution” in the Gulf? Political upheaval in the desert state of Bahrain: there have been calls for a Day of Rage in Bahrain to replace the celebration of 10 years of constitutional monarchy on February 14th which is set to split the country in two

The Arab 1989?

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, David Held, and Alia Brahimi 11 February 2011
The uprisings sweeping across the Middle East portend a political transformation as significant as those of 1989. The economic stagnation of the region, the failures of corrupt and repressive autocratic regimes, conjoined with a disenchanted youthful population wired together as never before, have triggered a political struggle few anticipated. Yet 1989 is not an entirely clear point of reference - the emergence of peaceful mass movements of change is a parallel, but the pull of the West, so marked in 1989, is weaker and more complex. Accordingly, the path ahead for these brave, inspiring, challenging movements is more uncertain.

Why Mubarak must follow Ben Ali

Kamel Labidi 10 February 2011
Egyptians who are systematically raised to believe that their country’s fate is to play a leadership role in the Arab world seem increasingly determined

US Middle East policy: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil… just act surprised

Rob Prince 10 February 2011
None of the Arab Revolts of 2011 have played themselves out as yet. So it will be a while before the Obama Administration can assess the damage to its interests: a set back or a debacle?

It’s not because they’re Arab

Gregory White 10 February 2011
To frame the crisis in the region as an “Arab crisis” is to risk essentializing the problem in another, unique “world.”

The new middle east: intellectuals and democracy

Ramin Jahanbegloo 3 February 2011
The change that is unfolding across the middle east places an especial responsibility on intellectuals to think civically and engage ethically, says Ramin Jahanbegloo.

Calling Europe's bluff in north Africa

Fabrizio Tassinari 2 February 2011
Europe has taken too little interest in the political path of its southern neighbours, argues Fabrizio Tassinari.

Egypt, and the thirty years of solitude

Goran Fejic 31 January 2011
 The epic events in the Arab world’s heartland are also a lesson in the loneliness of power, says Goran Fejic.

The middle-east path: towards awakening

Foulath Hadid and Mishana Hosseinioun 28 January 2011
The democratic mobilisations in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and elsewhere are lighting a beacon across the middle east and north Africa. The way ahead lies through peaceful protest against extremism and authoritarianism, say Foulath Hadid & Mishana Hosseinioun.

Tahrir Square burns: a postcard from Egypt

Daniel Bruno Sanz 28 January 2011
An American in Cairo reflects on the experience of events there today and calls on the US to throw off its ties to the soon-to-be ancien regime

Patriarchal shows of generosity will not appease the Arab people

Mohammed Hussainy 28 January 2011
Arab regimes' attempts to buy off their people only highlight their duplicity, argues Mohammed Hussainy

Egyptians defy government ban in second day of protests

Rukeyya Khan 26 January 2011
Egyptians defy government ban in second day of anti-government protests. Tunisia issues arrest warrant for Ben Ali. UK government revises control orders. Palestinian Authority defiant following Al Jazeera release of leaked documents. All this and more in today’s security briefing.

Tunisia, or democracy’s future in jasmine

Goran Fejic 25 January 2011
The homegrown insurrection of a friendless people in Tunisia carries a profound lesson in the understanding of democracy-solidarity in the world as it is becoming, says Goran Fejic.

Tunisia and the world: roots of turmoil

Paul Rogers 24 January 2011
The uprising in Tunisia is at once a response to systemic inequity and injustice and an expression of the limits of elite control. But to the economic and political ingredients of the revolt must be added the potent if less evident one of global environmental crisis.

Why 14 January 2011 will go down in history

Mohamed Ali Harrath 18 January 2011
Mohamed Ali Harrath is a former Tunisian dissident who was imprisoned and tortured after he set up a Muslim political party in Tunisia and had finally to flee the country. Now he is thinking of making a return visit.

Tunisia: the alliance of progressive and moderate Islamist forces points to an optimistic outcome

Leila Ouardani 17 January 2011
The alliance between forces on the left and the exiled moderate Islamist forces suggest that a lastingly democratic culture exists in Tunisia

Post-Wikileaks lessons from the Tunisian ‘intifada’

Corinna Mullin 17 January 2011
The real scandal revealed on closer examination of diplomatic cables from the MENA region, is the gulf that separates what US diplomats acknowledge in private and what US leaders say (and do) in public, vis-a-vis democracy promotion in the Middle East

Hariri returns to Beirut as Lebanon teeters on the brink of chaos

Oliver Scanlan 16 January 2011
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri returns to Beirut in the face of opposition demands that he remain in exile. Years of political repression in Tunisia may be at an end as President Ben Ali flees the country. Iraqi soldiers shoot US counterparts, wounding three. All this and much more, in today’s security update…

This week's guest editors

openGlobalRights editors

Our guest editors James Ron, Leslie Vinjamuri, Sophie Arie and Archana Pandya introduce this week's theme of:

Emerging powers and human rights.

A Turkish Spring?

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Woolwich - terror or conflict?

Secret Courts: 8 nightmare scenarios now possible in Britain
Jo Shaw

Iran myths

Iranian presidential candidate and chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalill

Myths, falsehoods and misrepresentations about Iran
Peter Oborne and David Morrison

Palestinian borders

Palestine, peoples and borders in the new Middle East map
Ahmad Samih Khalidi

Nobel Women's Initiative

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Europe from the bottom up

European Union stars in Paris. Flickr/notarim. Some rights reserved.

A new Europe can only come from the bottom up
Etienne Balibar

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The media in Europe

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Mali: the plot thickens

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Remote control war

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oDRussia at journalismfestival .com

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