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This article discusses the way the revolutionary uprisings from January 25th have shaped the art community. It focuses not just on street art (which is used as an act of defiance), but also on film, literature (mainly non-fiction works, but poetry as well). Lindsey discusses how the uprisings have shaped all of the art forms that "demonstrate a support for the uprising through cultural activism."

"The Poetry of Revolution" discusses the ideas behind the street chants shouted out by the Egyptian people in their times of revolution. It focuses on the history of Egypt's uprisings and how they have changed before. This article was written a few days after the initial January 25th uprisings and attempts to explain how the chants take on a greater meaning to the protesters. Because they are given words to yell and shout, they are able to bind together and announce the same goals. Colla discusses how if the people did not have these chants, they would be too afraid to stand for their revolutions.

After the ousting of the Gaddafi regime the country pivoted into civil chaos. Because of the deficiency of structure and state autonomy, armed militias have become the dominant force in determining Libya's future governmental system. While the UN has internationally recognized the NTC as the interim government to ultimately turn the country into a democratic one, militias have taken things into their own hands tipping the country towards the brink of civil war. General Khalifa Haftar launched his Operation Dignity campaign accusing congress of allowing terrorists flourish in Libya and vowed to wipe them out, gaining much support from the regular armed forces and nationalist militias. The opposition to Haftar insist that his attacks are aiming for a military coup. This article was helpful in highlighting the armed groups and dividing them by Pro-Haftar and Pro-Congress sections. 

The world's eyes turned to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region when popular uprisings began to take root and spread through the region. These popular movements, collectively referred to as the "Arab Spring" or the "Arab uprisings," successfully toppled dictatorships in Egypt, Tunisia, and other countries. Perhaps one of the most striking features of the uprisings was the prominent presence of women who participated through protests, demonstrations, and social media

When people are long distances away from revolutions, it is easy to not focus or forget about them. That is why the use of video is so important. This article discusses the uprising in Libya and how the over 9,000 videos uploaded to youtube impacted their causes. It also discusses another platform called Citizentube that helped people upload videos even when youtube is blocked. Being able to see all of the whats really going on really puts things in perspective and helps to spread message on a global scale.

When people are long distances away from revolutions, it is easy to not focus or forget about them. That is why the use of video is so important. This article discusses the uprising in Libya and how the over 9,000 videos uploaded to youtube impacted their causes. It also discusses another platform called Citizentube that helped people upload videos even when youtube is blocked. Being able to see all of the whats really going on really puts things in perspective and helps to spread message on a global scale.

There's been some backlash in the last few days against the idea that either Tunisia or Egypt were brought on by Twitter or a "Facebook Revolution." And certainly, it takes a lot more than the 21st century version of a communication system to persuade people to take to the streets and risk harm, imprisonment, or death.

For the first time in history, a social movement could be observed in real-time as it spread, coalesced around ideas, and grew exponentially in size and scale across the Internet. That is what News Group International - a Dubai based news management company - discovered in its recent comprehensive analysis of social media surrounding the uprising in Egypt.

General Al-Sisi, who took over Egypt after a coup against the Muslim Brotherhood is set to address the UN General Assembly on September 25th. His first 100 days in office has seen economic growth and increasing political stability. His government has increased fuel prices to curb the deficit and set out on a project to double the capacity of the Suez canal. With rising turmoil in the Middle East, Egypt has made its return as a moderating force. However the general's reliance on heavy-handed police forces to quell uprising and the continued holding of political prisoners continues to draw ire. To counter this he has released high profile prisoners and may revisit the anti-protest law.

This article discusses the idea of "fighting Christians" through the uprisings specifically in Syria and Lebanon

Testing part three.

Alex Owumi played basketball for Gaddafi and explains his experience watching people get beaten if they did not win. He talks about his experience during the uprising in Libya and how it has changed his life forever.

Egypt's 2011 uprising was often referred to as a youth revolution, but two years after longtime President Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office, many in the younger generation say that they are not represented by the Brotherhood or any other oppositional forces. The demands of the revolution the youth led have not been met. Conditions are worsening. The youth are increasingly disillusioned with the idea of political hope and feel like leaving the country may be their best option for fulfillment. The youth feel their is a large disparity between their ideas and demands and the political desires of the older generation who is favored for their wisdom, experience, and resources. Although the youth have popular support, they lack the resources to successfully run a political race and are therefore left out of the process of change. This means it is left up to the older generation of politicians to appease their demands, if only to prevent more protests.

Overview of revolts in Syria and where it stands as of December 2013