The study group operates from the University’s School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations. Five presenters will focus on different aspects of the 2011 Arab Spring and the resulting developments.
The five presentations, with a brief introduction, are:
10:15am A Case for Optimism about Arab Democracy by Dr Alexander Maxwell, Victoria University of Wellington. If the short-term prospects for democratic government in North Africa seem bleak, the long-term prospects for democracy in the Islamic world remain favourable.
11:00am Unravelling Syria’s Ethno-Sectarian Politics by Dr Estelle Townshend, Waikato University. Dr Townshend examines the sectarian dynamics within the Syrian civil war and within the Assad regime.
11:45am Repression and Anti-Coup Mobilisation in Eqypt by Associate Professor Michael Biggs, University of Oxford. As protesters learned the limits of the government’s coercive capacity, they changed the timings of their protests.
1:30pm Social Media and Egyptian Activism by PhD scholar Adel Abdel Ghafar, Australian National University. There is a continued convergence between social media and activism in post-2011 Egypt.
2:15pm The Internet as a Tool of Suppression and Liberation, by Dr Joe Burton, Victoria University of Wellington. In what ways has the internet become an influential component in intra-state conflict?
What: Revolution and Repression in the Arab World. Public conference
When: Saturday 28 March 2015, 10am–3pm
Where: Wood Seminar Room, Room 406, Old Kirk Building, Victoria University, Gate 3, Kelburn Parade