The Swedish novelist Henning Mankell captures the significance of dignity in the recollection of his experiences in Mozambique at the height of the horrific atrocities of the apartheid era, when he saw a thin man walking towards him in ragged clothes. “In his deep misery,” the wretched survivor had “painted shoes on his feet. In a way, to defend his dignity when everything was lost, he had found the colors from the earth and he had painted shoes on his feet.”
The lack of human dignity was one of the main causes of the Arab Spring (or Arab Awakening as some would call it). Freedom and poverty were also main drivers of the uprisings, causing people throughout the region to reach new levels of hopelessness and despair. Government corruption, human rights and unemployment (especially for the youth) were other causes. As Tawakkol Karman says, for the majority the goal is a modern citizenship state, which allows people their freedom and dignity, and gives them the opportunity to create their own future that is not run by an authoritarian regime, riddled by corruption.
Protestors opposing the previous Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi show the sheer scale of the Arab uprisings
Tawakkol Karman is a mother of three as well as a human rights activist, journalist, politician, and senior member of the Al-Islah political party. Karman was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 in recognition of her work in nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace building work in Yemen. She became the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman, and the second Muslim woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize, as well as the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate to date, at the age of 32.
Karman sums up the essence of the uprisings in her powerful article The Expanding Arab Spring, which was recently published by the Middle East Monitor. She believes that the Arab Spring will expand and spread throughout the whole region. Karman explained that through the peaceful, courageous and aspirational uprisings, the youth dream for the state of citizens where there is partnership and a life with freedom and dignity.
Karman believes that the uprisings will come in phases and rounds, although their goals may not be achieved straight away, they will persevere until they prevail. They will continue to protest peacefully until the corrupt rulers and dictators finally take notice of the people and take their aspirations seriously. She continues to say that this will take deep reforms from the government to create a state of partnership, truth and law.
Tawakkol Karman conveys the core principles that triggered the Arab Spring and also the powerful aspirations that the youth hold. Whether it is realistic or not is another question.
The uprisings had good intentions of creating freedom and dignity for the people, which stemmed from a sense of despair, hopelessness and a deep resentfulness for the corrupt and unequal ruling elite. Although the uprisings were based on genuine reasons they were largely unsuccessful in establishing change. The biggest downfall was the lack of forward planning. The civilians protested for change, but were not prepared for the consequences obtaining it. And indeed in many cases such as Libya and Egypt they did manage to overthrow the government and generate change.
The lack of legitimate political oppositions in these states affected the establishment of stable governments in the aftermath of the uprisings. Instead the uprisings allowed illegitimate and inequitable groups to gain power, or in the case of Syria resulted in heavy conflict.
In Egypt the first post-revolutionary parliament did not implement any human rights reforms before the Supreme Constitutional Court dissolved it because the election law was deemed unconstitutional. Following this the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces gained control giving itself legislative powers. From here, the Muslim Brotherhood was elected and subsequently removed for their biased approach to the draft constitution and their lack of focus on human rights.
In Libya a weak interim government failed to control a state that was spiralling out of control after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Despite some positive steps, the interim authorities struggled to establish a functioning military and police force that could enforce and maintain law and order. Subsequently armed groups continue exist causing Libyans to suffer ongoing violence and gross human rights abuses.
“To the youth we say we will make every struggle. The mountains may disappear, but the struggle with forever remain and the Arab Spring’s clouds will remain heavy with the rain of revolution that will fall on the thrones of tyranny.”
Regardless of whether the uprisings were successful or not Tawakkol Karman’s quote emphasises the power and the struggle behind the uprisings. As she says they will keep continue to fight for revolution despite the monumental hurdles they must overcome.