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This article offers a more lighthearted perspective on media and freedom of speech in the middle east. It focuses on the idea that comedy and satire can be used as a form of free speech through platforms such as youtube. People can relate to comedic forms of entertainment, so it can often be a great way to spread important messages to people who wouldn't see them otherwise.

This article offers a more lighthearted perspective on media and freedom of speech in the middle east. It focuses on the idea that comedy and satire can be used as a form of free speech through platforms such as youtube. People can relate to comedic forms of entertainment, so it can often be a great way to spread important messages to people who wouldn't see them otherwise.

People often fall victim to human trafficking, especially in the Middle East. The different forms of human trafficking are considered a contemporary form of slavery. Many of the human traffickers are often migrant workers.

This article begins by illuminating the regional democracy assistance cuts that are dropping from $459.2 million to $298.3 million It explains that the Bush Administration began the quest for democracy in the Middle East, and the Obama administration has only continued in his footsteps. The author presents the viewpoint that the U.S. approach to Arab democratization has been in the form of "ad-hoc crisis management" rather than "large scale reform initiatives." Promoting democracy in the form of democratic politics are insufficient, elections and political parties have consistently proved to weather away and fester further civil strife. Consequently, the article proposes a new approach to the region conflict. This approach calls for "systematic reforms" focusing on basic institutions such as the civil service sector, justice and law enforcement, and the military's role in governance. The idea is that addressing these lacking departments in the arab world will eventually pave the way to a smoother democratic transition. 

Author Heba Elsayed gives a preview of the study she conducted to observe the lower middle class in Cairo. Elsayed describes Cairo as a microcosm of globalization in urban centers. She describes the unique role of Cosmopolitanism in analyzing trends of globalization. She focuses on the lower middle class who, she says, plays the biggest role in incorporating multiple viewpoints in daily life rather than practicing exclusivity like the upper middle class. In addition, she describes cosmopolitanism in terms of internal heterogeneity, describing an 'onion model' of the world, in which the local and national form the core and inner layers and the international and global form the outer layers. She also mentions that nation-states can no longer be regarded as the primary reference point for global citizenry.

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. 

Due to Libya's lack of institutional structure and weak centralized government, rival militia violence and clashes have created constant chaos leading the country towards another civil war. After the fall of Qaddafi, who obliterated institutions necessary for a functional government, Libya has been unable to manage the state. The National Transitional Council, which replaced the Qaddafi Regime, turned into the General National Congress and was given 18 months to form a democratic constitution. When the deadline passed the constitution was incomplete, which forced Congress to organize elections to a new House of Representatives. The former GNC members declared a new self proclaimed GNC, electing Omar al-Hasi as their prime minister. The new GNC is not recognized by Libya's parliament nor is it by the international community. Al Jazeera says the country literally has two parliaments and two governments, creating inconceivable instability throughout the state. The newly elected House has moved to Tobruk after armed islamic GNC militia groups overran the capital, seizing control over the major institutions in Tripoli. Due to this lack of a functional government, the rest of the state has turned to chaos. After the civil war, anti and pro Qaddafi forces branched into militias striving for power. Without a working state and government, militias had to rely on themselves to provide security, and really have no incentive to give up arms and no true government to be a part of. General Khalifa Hifter, a former Qaddafi general who later joined the Libyan rebel army in 2011, formed an anti-militia militia, targeting islamist militias like Ansar al-Sharia. Hifter is not affiliated with either of the governments, but rather strives for a military government, and supreme control of the armed forces.

This article focuses on the graffiti on the streets of Cairo and how the graffiti has started to stand for more than just an expression of tagging, but rather art and a way of the revolution. The artists use graffiti as a way to communicate to others that they are seeing the injustices that are going on. This street art also binds together the artists of this city and their ideologies.

In this article, the Smithsonian presents Egypt's murals more than just art but as a part of the revolution.

This article was a great introductory to what graffiti art has become in Egypt, what it stands for and the meaning behind the paint. It explains that around 2011 individual people and other artistic groups began documenting the wrong doings, brutality and cruelty of the Egyptian regime. The author interviewed artist Ahmed Naguib, and he said, " people singing revolutionary slogans come and go, but the graffiti remains and keeps our spirits alive."

Egypt has a marriage law that requires foreign men to pay a set amount to the woman's family in order to marry her. This is now being seen as a legalized form of prostitution where the women gets nothing but a divorce.

Egypt's Foreign minister is urging the Libyan parliament, the only body Egypt recognizes as a legitimate authority in Libya, to authenticate Libya's newly formed unity government. Egypt believes that Libyan authentication and control of it's own affairs, is the only way forward for Libya to achieve stability.

Women in Egypt continue to fight for their rights. They continue to be abused even with laws that aim to protect them. 

This article gives the story of Irina, a 16-year-old student form Southern Russia. A family friend told her and her mom that Irina could earn $500 by simply taking a "quick trip" to the Middle East. Irina was then stripped of all of her money and passport and forced into prostitution.

This source reports the third day of a successful blockade of an Israeli ship in the port of Oakland. The organization blocking the ability to dock wishes to voice their disapproval with the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, and bring exposure to the partnership formed between the two countries which they believe resulted in the current militarization of police forces in the United States.

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."

Arab states have began to jump on board offering support to the coalition against ISIS. UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon have recently voiced their support. Turkey, the only Arab member of NATO has voiced their lack of support in the coalition thus far. Saudi, the home to major religious cities, feels like a direct threat to ISIS and have made it clear that they will be playing a major role in the war against the Islamic State. UAE allegedly initiated bombings from Egyptian bases on Libya due to islamic militia takeovers of major cities and institutions. Arab states along with France, Germany, and Britain have agreed to form a "coordinated military campaign." Bringing in Assad from Syria is somewhat crucial, but the coalition is hesitant due to the loss of the Assad Regime's legitimacy over the past years of civil strife. Official plans of attack are still sketchy, but are definitely in the works. The coalition of states have made it clear that in order to tackle this ISIS threat, they must band together to dynamically exterminate the Islamic State from all angles.

In this article Andy Young discusses the multiple ways poetry has shaped and formed itself in Egypt because of revolutions. Young brings up multiple poems that became the voice of the people in the 1952 revolutions and again in the 2011 revolutions.

Following an attack on a museum in Tunisia, they plan to open a consulate in Syria and plan to renew their ties with the Syrian government. They state that this is so that they can track Tunisian militant fighters who have joined ISIS and to prevent them form any future attacks. 

Women do a flash mob to bring attention to women rights. Many went to support the event, it was form of expression to get more supporters and stop sexual harassment.