This month we celebrate the second anniversary of the Arab Spring revolutions.
We present two new in-depth analyses of the progress of the Arab revolutions. One is the speech of Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki to the European Parliament, in which he shows how they are democratic revolutions fighting for the same social and economic rights that were at the root of European revolutions of earlier centuries. The other is the speech of Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt in which he describes five qualities of the Arab revolutions which give reason to be optimistic about their future: 1) non-violence; 2) rule of law; 3) elections (ballots not bullets); 4) deeply divided society (neither side can crush the other); and 5) public participation. In the discussion section for these articles, entitled "the Arab spring of 2011, can it inspire democratic movements around the world," the journalist John Mayton challenges Egyptian society to establish a culture of peace and thereby set a precedent not only for their own country but for the whole region.
It is significant that the World Social Forum is meeting this month in Tunis, the first time that it has met in an Arab country. High on the agenda is the status of women including workshops and addresses by Tunisian feminists. Has the Arab Spring been beneficial for women? The answer is not yet in, but according to one analysis printed this month in CPNN, "this experience of coming together to be agents of positive change has become a seed that will grow into greater demands for women's rights." The World Social Forum also includes a number of workshops dealing explicitly with the culture of peace.
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Good news comes from many of the states involved in the Arab revolution:
* a prize for Arab culture to Mustafa Cherif of Algeria;
* interfaith dialogue promoted by the Islamist political party in Morocco;
* a campaign for non-violence undertaken by youth in Yemen;
* a workshop for religious tolerance in Tunisia;
* and a project to protect journalistic freedom undertaken jointly by UNESCO and Tunisia.
The struggle for freedom for the Palestinian people holds special importance for the future of Arab revolutions, and, as mentioned last month, there is a growing movement of non-violent resistance which can be considered as the most effective strategy to overcome the Israeli occupation.
On another topic which is related to previous bulletins, an important conference led by UNESCO and the African Union has taken place this month in Africa to establish a continent-wide movement for a culture of peace.
