Democratic Uprisings in the New Middle East ─ Youth, Technology, and US Foreign Policy

Significantly absent in the flurry of coverage of the Arab Spring has been a considered assessment of the role of emotion, solidarity, and online activism. Especially noteworthy is the extent to which these uprisings have been fueled by a demographic surge of young people unable to find employment and frustrated by the lack of freedom. While modern technologies and social media may have brought new politics to the streets, organization on the ground trumps the enthusiasm of young protesters when it comes to shaping a country s political future. How to turn elections into democracy in these post-conflict societies continues to be a daunting task, especially in countries with a longstanding history of military involvement in politics. This book addresses all of these subjects in an engaging and accessible narrative.

Mahmood Monshipouri is Associate Professor of International Relations at San Francisco State University. He specializes in human rights, identity construction, and globalization in the Muslim world. He is author of Muslims in Global Politics: Identity, Interests, and Human Rights (2009) and editor of Human Rights in the Middle East: Frameworks, Goals, and Strategies (2011). His most recent book is Terrorism, Security, and Human Rights: Harnessing the Rule of Law (2012).