Robin Wright. Arab Spring, The Middle East & The World Social, Political, and Communication Change in the Middle East

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1 Robin Wright Arab Spring, The Middle East & The World Social, Political, and Communication Change in the Middle East

2 MEDIA MAPPING RESEARCH TERMS & RESOURCES Important Abbreviations/Terms: ICT = Information and Communication Technologies STI = Science Technology & Innovation Important Resources: 1. Reporters w/o Borders 2. UNESCO Reports and Research Data 3. Global Road Warrior

3 American Global Ignorance?! What can/should be done? Facts: ~25-30% of Americans have a college degree Less than 20% of Americans have a passport. Less than 10% have used it for places other than Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean. Top 3 Travel Destinations for Americans Disneyland/World Las Vegas NYC (Times Square) News Readership?

4 The Middle East

5 Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

6 World Distribution of Muslim Population *Only countries with more than 1 million Muslims are shown

8 Oil Reserves by Country/Region

9 Oil Producing Countries

10 Largest Oil Consuming Countries in the World

11 Oil, Pipelines, and US Military

12 Middle East & US Military

13 U.S. Military Aid Map

15 Israel, Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon

16 Denominations and Schools within Islam (Global Distribution) Sunni ~75% ~Shia 20% ~Suffi 5%

17 Robin Wright Background B.A. from University of Michigan American foreign affairs analyst, journalist and author. Big Picture Perspective: Worked in The Middle East, Europe, Africa, and as a roving foreign correspondent in Latin America and Asia. Reported from 140 Countries U.S. foreign policy for The Washington Post Written for The Los Angeles Times, The Sunday Times of London, CBS News and The Christian Science Monitor. Currently works for THE NEW YORKER and serves as a Middle East Expert for Global TV Blog Spot: 7 Books: Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World (July 19, 2011) The Iran Primer: Power, Politics, and U.S. Policy United States Institute of Peace Press (December 1, 2010) Link Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East (2008) a New York Times Notable Book in 2008 and one of The Washington Post s Best Books of 2008 The Last Great Revolution: Turmoil and Transformation in Iran (2000) Flashpoints: Promise and Peril in a New World, (December 22, 1992), with Doyle McManus. In the Name of God: The Khomeini Decade (October 1989) Sacred Rage: The Wrath of Militant Islam (October 1985). Awards: Fellow at Yale, Duke, Stanford, Brookings, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the U.S. Institute of Peace. Among many awards, she won the U.N. Correspondents Gold Medal, the National Magazine Award, and the Overseas Press Club Award for "best reporting in any medium requiring exceptional courage and initiative." The American Academy of Diplomacy selected her as the journalist of the year in 2004

They are operating on the advice of middle eastern exiles/expats who haven t been in their home countries for years.

18 Wright s Bigger Picture Arguments The Middle East is at the CENTER of GLOBAL Geo-Political COMMUNICATION The U.S. leadership (Pentagon, Congress, Presidential Admin from both parties) does not have a clue about what is really going on in middle eastern and largely Muslim societies. They are operating on the advice of middle eastern exiles/expats who haven t been in their home countries for years. The majority of Muslims (young and old) are shying away from extremism and extremist/violent groups (i.e. Hamas, Al Quaeda). Authoritarian and Extremist groups STILL HOLD major power positions and won t go down easily. Iran's Supreme leader since 1989, Ali Khameni has charted a hard-line course. Chosen by the Assembly of Clerics/Experts Youth populations are rapidly embracing technology and global information networks over violence as tools for social change. Muslims are finding that terrorism doesn t win wars, but intimidates peoples into extreme acts. The jihadis have failed to provide anything constructive for positive social change. Many Muslims have integrated seamlessly into American society, taking positions in Congress, women s professional basketball, and surgical teams. Hosni Mubarak is a former Egyptian military and political leader who served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to Before he entered politics, Mubarak was a career officer in the Egyptian Air

Wright s Arguments about new media technologies in the Middle East (Scent of Jasmine) 1. Optimism of positive real political, economic, and cultural change vs. Pessimism, cynicism/nihilism, violence.

19 Wright s Arguments about new media technologies in the Middle East (Scent of Jasmine) 1. Optimism of positive real political, economic, and cultural change vs. Pessimism, cynicism/nihilism, violence. 2. Global News focus: War, Conflict, Violence Standard news stereotypes 3. Pop culture Politics Dissent (MUSIC, fashion, entertainment are important vehicles of dissent.) 4. POWER of Social and MOBILE Media Networks for POLITICAL PURPOSE ( ) Speed of organization via mobile/social media YouTube, Facebook, Texting, Twitter tools for gathering, communication, dissent. Hard to censor (at least initially) Gender! The rights and views of women Dissent/Violence/Backlash can become communicated GLOBALLY as it is happening! LINK PBS Video Tunisian rap musician El Général is best known for his song Rais Lebled, released in 2010, has been described as the anthem of the Jasmine Revolution

21 Syria The Assad Family rule. President Hafez al-assad ruled from 1970 to Authoritarian Rule Strong Connections to: Russia Lebanon Iraq Iran Emergency Law in place since 1963 Opposition Link Who are the Syrian opposition?

2 Parts World Map Exam 1. World Map ~196 countries 2. 2-3 Short Answer Questions a.

22 2 Parts World Map Exam 1. World Map ~196 countries Short Answer Questions a. Comparative World News Approaches & Problems b. Global Ignorance-Education- Enculturation c. GloCal= Global + Local d. Modern Media and Ethnosymbolism

23 Top Oil Consumption/Gas Price

24 World Distribution of Muslim Population

Barack Obama and the Middle East

Barack Obama and the Middle East Cairo Speech June 4, 2009 I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect;