The Spark That Lit the Fire

A protester holds the Egyptian flag in a protest during the Arab Spring in Cairo's Tahrir Square in 2011.

Pedro Ugarte (Getty Images)

by: Sylvia Kathirkamanathan

In a world like the present where we are plagued globally with injustices from economic crisis to lack of human rights, to put youth at the frontlines to combat these issues sounds inauspicious, but could it be what we need?

Youth activism is the demand for social change and justice by those from ages 15 to 24 from many different backgrounds and walks of life. Over the past decade, the uprising of youth activism is evident through the prominent presence of youth involved in combating issues such as corrupt governments and overall seeking long-term change. Although this form of activism has been present for ages, it entered a new era of success starting with the Arab Spring demonstrations of 2010 and 2011.

What sets this era apart from previous social movements is its utilization of social media. This played a crucial component in increasing attention to the issues at hand as well as organizing these demonstrations and other forms of peaceful protesting efficiently and effectively. It provided a wide platform for free speech and access to a larger audience globally.

Arab Spring is a series of anti-government peaceful protests in parts of the Middle East and North Africa from late 2010 to early 2011. These protests targeted dictatorships with the goal of gaining more political, cultural, and economic rights and justice as well as accountability on behalf of the government for the actions of their respective security forces.

The Arab Spring started in central Tunisia in December 2010 with protesters flooding the country's capital, Tunis, resulting in president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali resigning from his position and fleeing the country. Following this, demonstrations emerged in Bahrain for human rights reform, Jordan for the dissolving of parliament and others across Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Syria, and among other countries. These actions resulted in positive change in some countries like Tunisia but were also met with great opposition in other places. For instance, government crackdowns on peaceful protesters in Syria were among the initial factors sparking the civil war, which displaced and killed many Syrians.

These mass demonstrations were all prompted by a desire to challenge autocratic governments and repression through nonviolent, peaceful protesting and using social media. These actions involved a variety of people within the impacted countries but sparked a special interest among youth because of the impact the issues protested had on their progression into adulthood as well as the impact it would have on generations to come.

Scholars associate this new wave of youth activism with the fact that these young generations cannot enter the social status or progression expected during their adult phase due to factors beyond their control. This is known as waithood; waithood is the extended time period between childhood and adulthood in a social lens due to the lack of transitioning factors such as economic stability and class. Studies show that this phenomenon has increased among Middle Eastern and North African youth as contributing factors are primarily region-specific. Due to corrupt government rulings, youth cannot access the resources that push them into adulthood such as quality education and stable employment. This generates resentment towards the powers that control these inequalities unjustly in conjunction with socio-cultural frustration, serving as a motivating factor for youth to pursue methods of changing their current situations. These methods include engaging in peaceful protesting as well as taking advantage of the audience outreach social media provides as well as connecting activists to other activists or helpful resources.

The actions of the Arab Spring demonstrations laid the foundation for an influx of youth activism consisting of a young generation taking action against corrupt leaders and the government. For instance, youth in Hong Kong in 2019 protested against leadership regarding employment and the housing crisis. Another example includes youth-led climate change movements around the world, with those involved demanding climate justice from different nations. Although people in the past have tried to take action against corrupt leadership, Arab Springs’ ability to capitalize on social media advantages called for an international audience and expanded their voices.

Youth activism stems from a lack of stability and trust in those in power as well as the utmost desire for change and equality. What differentiates the Arab Spring from movements in the past is the use of horizontalism. Horizontalism promotes fair discourse among involved parties in an engaging manner. This in turn prompts new, modern ways of protesting such as non-violent protests, social media campaigns, and more. For example, the horizontalist approach of protestors resulted in mutual relationships and resources from Western activist communities among activist groups.

What I found interesting is that this generation of youth avoids the mistakes of the past of turning a successful continuous movement into an official political party. They reject this model of demanding change to avoid corruption of politics and participation in order to maintain their horizontalist approach and continue to execute this new form of engagement among powers and citizens.

I believe the fresh perspective young generations have to offer in conjunction with modern tools at their disposal promises great potential for success in grand matters of injustice. Additionally, the actions of the Arab Spring brought to light horizontalism that acquired global attention and inspired countless young minds and hearts.

The Arab Spring demonstrations left an everlasting impact on youth activism and have inspired change on a global scale. As the impacts of horizontalist protesting by this young generation continue to pave new ways for equality and justice around the world, it is promising what can be expected in the future. Although the issues being combatted presently may seem never-ending such as economic crises, women's rights and other important issues, the strength of this young generation should not be underestimated and their aspiration for long-term change is certainly a force to be reckoned with.