Challenges facing societies in transition - a literature review

Abstract

The popular uprisings, which the press collectively came to call the ‘Arab Spring’, an expression that is as appealing as it is plainly misleading, changed the political landscape in the southern Mediterranean, and in particular in Egypt and Tunisia. They brought together a variety of actors that pushed for significant socioeconomic and political change in their countries. Amongst these actors, civil society organizations and loose networks (including women’s and youth networks), often made possible through new media technologies, have been particularly present and active. Indeed, while there are differences of their form and impact, it has been argued that they have been in the driving seat of these changes.