Synopses & Reviews
Demanding Dignity: Young Voices from the Front Lines of the Arab Revolutions brings together essays written by todayand#8217;s generation of Arab youth who have directly inspired and sparked a revolutionary spirit that toppled governments, unearthing the corruption of decades of dictator dominated countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Their voices are as varied as their individual stories, but their destinies are shared. They are the connected generation.Stories come from the streets of Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Syria, Yemen, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Palestine. Inspired in part by universal human values and aspirations, each story captures the changes revolutionizing the region and social mediaand#8217;s role in uniting like-minded citizens through civic engagement.
Review
The essays in the third I Speak for Myself series prove that the revolution was televised, tweeted, and updated on Facebook. Muhammad Radwan, an Egyptian-American, describes choosing between living or tweeting as he found himself in a standoff between protesters and pro-regime forces in Syria. Dina Sadek, an Egyptian English literature graduate with bleak prospects, became a well-paid translator for a U.K. journalist covering the revolution. The essays focused on Bahrain are particularly shocking, with one former member of the Bahrain Parliament describing his days-long detention and torture. . . . [T]he proud spirit of the young Arabs featured in this book shine through. Most readers will be inspired by little nuggets within, from the first all-Palestinian Model U.N. to the vendor selling and#147;freedom teaand#8221; in Egyptand#8217;s Tahrir Square.
Publishers Weekly
and#147;This is a powerfuland#151;and disturbingand#151;book. Donand#8217;t miss it!and#8221;
and#150; Cornel West
and#147;The voices in this book chronicle a time of courage, turbulence, and extraordinary hunger for change. An essential read for anyone interested in understanding the Arab revolutions from the perspective of the resilient young people who ignited and accelerated it all.and#8221;
and#150; Arianna Huffington
and#147;It would be hard to match the charge that courses through the stories of those who fought and bore witness to the ongoing wave of protests and uprisings in the Arab world. The authors are to be commended for their wise and far ranging-choices and for rendering them eloquently. A powerful answer to those who despair for the future of the region.and#8221;
- James L. Gelvin, author of The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know
and#147;This book is essential reading for all those trying to understand an Arab world in profound transformation. It provides a fresh approach on a fundamental, and often misconceived reality that affects everything and everybodyand#8221;
- Manuel Castells, author of Networks of Outrage and Hope: Social Movements in the Internet Age, Wallis Annenberg Chair in Communication, University of Southern California
and#147;After a decade of being the "terrorists", Arabs have become the "revolutionaries". The voices in this book capture this rare moment in history, revealing stirring stories, both personal and collective of the ongoing struggle for self-determination.and#8221;
-Dima Khatib, Latin America Correspondent, Al Jazeera
Synopsis
Demanding Dignity: Young Voices from the Arab Revolutions is a collection of essays written by todays generation of Arab youth who have directly inspired and sparked a revolutionary spirit that toppled governments, unearthing the aftermath of decades of suppression in the Middle East and North Africa.
Their voices are as varied as their individual stories, but their destinies are shared. They are the connected generation.
Their personal stories, told by 20 contributors from 9 different countries, meet at a crossroads somewhere between journalistic first-hand reports with accessible, intimate journal entries.
Inspired in part by universal human values and aspirations, each story captures the very changes revolutionizing the region: Social media's role in uniting like-minded citizens through civic engagement.
A Nubian take on revolution and restitution in Egypt. A Saudi-woman who steps into the driver seat to change her daughter's future because her mother couldn't change her present. The repeated reminder of torture in daily life. The tumultuous journey as a young Egyptian navigates his travels through social and political upheavals from Egypt to Syria.
Their journeys point to a vision of pan-Arab identity as seen in the manifestation of their shared spirit of connected struggles. Their voices together sound a culmination of calls for human dignity that reflect the voices of their fellow citizens and the struggles that come with challenging political, religious and conventional authorities.
About the Author
Maytha Alhassen is a doctoral student candidate in American Studies and Ethnicity at University of Southern California. Alhassenand#8217;s writings have appeared on CNN,
The Huffington Post, Counterpunch and in academic journals, and she has been featured in the
Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, and
The Nation.Ahmed Shihab-Eldin is a journalist, producer and co-host of Al Jazeera English's "The Stream." Ahmed worked as a multimedia producer at PBSand#8217;s award-winning documentary series Wide Angle, and The New York Times. He helped launch The Huffington Postand#8217;s World section.