The Decade of Arab Defiance and Resistance: How People, Politics and Power Evolve, and Why it Matters

On June 9, 2021, the Global Engagement Initiative at the American University of Beirut (AUB), in collaboration with The Soufan Center, hosted an online event ‘The Decade of Arab Defiance and Resistance: How People, Politics and Power Evolve, and Why it Matters.’ The event brought together: Ali Soufan, Founder of The Soufan Center; Rami Khouri, Director of Global Engagement at AUB; and, Carmen Geha, Associate Professor at AUB. The three experts explained the deeper dimensions of the uprisings and revolutions that have rocked the Arab region in recent decades. What are the new developments within individuals and political societies that differentiate the protests of this past decade from those of the last half-century? What keeps protests in some countries going for two years in a row, despite the COVID threats?  What are the implications of the protests for future configurations of Arab countries and political systems? Why should foreign powers care about these events, and what should they watch for in these citizen uprisings? The webinar built on The Soufan Center’s report authored by Rami G. Khouri, ‘The Decade of Defiance & Resistance: Reflections on Arab Revolutionary Uprisings and Responses from 2010 – 2020.’