Cell phones, camels and the global call for democracy

Media and communications, both old and new, performed an inextricable function in the so-called ‘Arab Uprising’ or ‘Arab Spring.’ They continue to do so in its unfolding political trajectory around the world. The very terms ‘Arab Uprising’ and ‘Arab Spring,’ have become, courtesy of the western media, part of the established lexicon for these momentous developments, labels which resonate with images and ideas of democratic struggle. There was not one ‘Arab Uprising’ however, but many ‘uprisings’ across the Middle East and North Africa in the first half of 2011, and each continues to unfold according to its own political dynamics.