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Maggie Kuhn, one of the most radical social activists of our time famously said:
"Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes ".
I watched a programme about Ms Kuhn's life recently, and her impact on American society I wondered why so many people don't speak their minds as she did.
Then I thought about The Arab Spring. Let me explain the connection.
The Arab Spring
The Arab Spring started on 18 December 2010 as a revolutionary protest movement that gave rise to demonstrations in the Arab world. As a result of consistent citizen unrest, long-standing rulers in Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia were forced from power. Syria, Bahrain, Algeria, Morocco and Oman have also felt the effects.
All these protests raise awareness in the face of state attempts at repression.
Liberty and social media
A recent University of Washington study suggests that social media - particularly Twitter - played a central role in the revolutionary movements that toppled these dictatorships. A clear theme was liberty versus state repression.
Social...