The glorious year of the powerless?

‘The protester’ might have been elected ‘a person of the year’ by the Time magazine, but it’s a rather gloomy end to the hope of people’s power in which we believed at the wake of the 2011. I wish this year could be remembered as the year when humanity spoke up against the oppression and people’s voice became more powerful than the arms of the dictators. As it slowly comes to the end it’s hard not to feel slightly disillusioned. The only hope that still remains is that it will be remembered not as the year in which the realpolitik killed the grassroot idealism that spread out accross the world.

This year has brought amazing changes to the region that was ‘expected to’ behave and remain locked up and prone to any uncontrolled change of the game. Yet, despite the initial disbelieve about the scope of possible revolutions, the bottom - up people’s protests did spread out across the region and managed to bring down couple of most cruel dictators on the planet. From the streets of Sidi in Tunisia where Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire, to the voices on Tahrir Square screaming ‘down with Mubarak’ this year saw the greatest and the bravest resistance against the oppression in North Africa and Middle East and the most radical cry for political change.Yet, as the year comes to the end we hear more and more from the troubled cities of Homs and Homa in Syria, where the people are tortured daily in fight for their dignity. And when we see how the ‘people’s revolution’ in Egipt is being hijacked by military and the violence spreads on the streets of the Cairo its hard not to feel powerless and resigned. 

Meanwhile, not trying to draw any parallels in terms of cause or compare the level of bravery, the bitter - sweet 2011 saw people of the “rich” and “democratic” world standing up to the way in which the West is framed today: to the rising inequalities, to the current abuse of the capitalism, to the political institutions that no longer speak in their name. Most of these protests have been terribly misrepresented. The July “riots” in London ended up being framed as the ‘protest of spoiled kids wanting better TV sets‘. The Occupy movement has been defined as the ‘incoherent’ cry of the generation that will never have better life than their parents and fall into ‘brand Marks' having lost their chance to work 'like everybody else' and shut up. When I see how much the politicians, media and the elites have conveniently preferred to dismiss the protests and how much the bankers got away yet with their Christmas bouses once again and how much Merkel and Sarkozy remain the ‘survivors’ of Europe with their little steps policy  - it’s hard not feel powerless. And resigned.

Yet, there are few sparkles which clear my gloominess.

I believe that the events of 2011 - from Tahrir Square to Zucotti Park to even Blotny Square in Moscow show the emerging new power in the politics. And yes, I am talking about people’s power - unorganized, not institutionalized, grassroots wave of people courage, bravery and desire to change the world they inhibit. All these movements have certainly been very different - with different causes, different motivations and different stories. And yes, many of them have been ignited by the basic lack of means to live a dignified life and not necessarily by the cry for ‘western- like’ democracy. But all of them are united in the fact that they emerge from complete dispersion and operate beyond and across the existing institutions - of power, media and representation. It is not the organized opposition parties that that lead the Arab Spring revolts (like it happend in the late 80 ties in Eastern Europe). It is not the trade unions that speak for the protesters in the West. And it is not traditional media that represent their causes.

We see the rise of the new structures that are pushing slowly the emergence of new world order with new institutions and new actors that enter the world scene.

As much the old and traditional structures of power and privilege remain unshaken in the end of 2011, we see the rise of the new structures that are pushing slowly the emergence of new world order with new institutions and new actors that enter the world scene. With the rise of the spontaneous grassroots local and global activism we see the potential for a new institutional order - both in politics - though the waves of people bottom - up activism, and in society - though the massive rise of new media and new journalism that have been instrumental in giving the voice back to the people - helping them to get get together, get organized and to speak up. These new institutions have very loose structures and almost no hierarchy. Yes, they are vague, dispersed and perhaps still better in pointing failures and pulling down dictators that proposing new solutions for saving the euro. Its difficult to navigate them, but so it is to control them by traditional structures of power. Yes, they might not be tied together for good and forever. But they have amazing power to be flexible and to motivate thousands of people that need nothing to join in, put the pressure on the government and spread the message. And they have amazing power to represent the voices that had remained unheard and silenced cause they were not a good enough story for ‘big press’. These new institutions easily can operate within and across societies, ethnic groups and religions. They are based not on the structure of power and hierarchy, but on the model of openness and inclusivity and interdependence. Sharing is their new currency.

Sharing is their new currency.

So, while people’ s revolutions might be loosing at the end of the 2011 and the picture is gloomy for now it’s perhaps not the last word. Vaclav Havel, the great hero of the Eastern European revolutions and great Czech intellectual, who passed away on Sunday, was writing, back in the late 70- ties, in the essay called ‘The power of the powerless’ that any oppression works only as long as people are willing to live with the lie. When individuals dare to overcome the fear and speak - up and break breaking the rules of the game, the whole system based shakes. Havel was writing of the importance of the maintaing personal sense of freedom, dignity and responsibility that allow to resist oppression despite the overwhelming inhumanity. The events of these year give really new meaning to his words. 2011 has indeed been a year of the power of the powerless. And this is perhaps Havel’s greatest legacy and the hope for future.

2011 has indeed been a year of the power of the powerless. And this is perhaps Havel’s greatest legacy and the hope for future

Photo by: Kemal Yayali, (CC)

Glorious People’s Revolutions and how the West got it wrong.

I am not sure if comparisons to revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe do a full justice to what is going on in the Middle East. What started in Tunisia and is happening now in Egypt is truly a People’s revolution. Without prominent leaders. And without organized opposition movement. Power to the people! And please, honor to the People.

Let’s remember that, contrary to current events in the Middle East, the 1989 in Eastern Europe was possible as a result of almost 40 years struggle of organized opposition actions with the most powerful Polish Solidarity lead by Lech Walesa. People followed the great leaders and the great movements. In the Middle East, the organized opposition, neither in Tunisia nor in Egypt nor elsewhere in the region, has ever gained this kind of momentum and leadership. It’s the people, who started it. And it is the opposition that is trying to follow the people.

So now, first in Tunisia, now in Egypt, ‘the impossible’ is happening on our eyes - despite the weak opposition movements and despite the pessimistic anticipations of both Western and Middle Eastern intellectual elites. Even after events in Tunisia, many Egyptian scholars were convinced that the revolution would not spread into Egypt.

Well, surprise. A good and glorious surprise.

So what has happened? For decades, it looked like the entourage and propaganda of the Middle Eastern regimes had overpowered its own societies. It becomes clear that people of the Middle East might have been ignored and overshadowed, but not silenced. And certainly not left powerless. In fact they are far ahead of its leaders and institutions of power in terms of the political awareness, ways of participation and vision. People of Tunisia and Egypt, empowered by the means of modern communications, are stronger and more resilient than anyone could have anticipated. And they already managed to overcome the only real enemy of the people in authoritarian regimes – their own fear. They are equipped with the most powerful tools of globalized world – access to information and the real ability to influence the world’s events from the very bottom, from the streets of downtown Cairo and Alexandria up to the heights of the Mubarak's palace. It all means we are facing the absolute collapse of the established hierarchies of power and witnessing the amazing rise of people’s empowerment. And this is a great achievement on its own, something worth celebrating also in the West. In the ongoing debate about future for Egypt, be it democratic or not – we tend to forget that individual empowerment is perhaps the greatest injection of democratic spirit that anyone could imagine. The entire discussion whether Egypt will have a Western – stylized democracy or not, is really a secondary discussion here.

Western wronged obsessions

Meanwhile, the Western opinions (including my native Polish) are obsessed with two issues. First one is related to the anti - Islamist fears that are currently en vogue and dominate the public imagination. While the Egyptians became fearless, the fear in the West is rising. Let’s remember that Egipt, IS, surprise surprise, a predominantly Muslim country. And indeed, the we face a signes of islamisation of the Middle Eastern societies. Back in the 30ties, women in Egypt did not wear a hijab. Today it’s at the peak of its popularity. But as history shows, Islam is not evil per se. Yes, it can be used and abused (like in Iran), like any ideology - religious or not, but it does not necessarily imply the threat the ‘the West’.

Fuelled by this fear of Islam, large part of the coverage of ‘Egyptian crisis’ as Western media call it, concerns the potential threat of Muslim Brotherhood ‘hijacking’ the Egyptian revolution. Muslim Brotherhood is one of the oldest opposition movements in Egypt. In recent years it has been more focused on the much-needed grass- root organic work within the Egyptian neighborhoods rather than terrorist activities. Ironically, while the US has been busy equipping the Mubarak’s forces with the latest military technology, Muslim Brotherhood has been involved in providing the social services to the poorest population. Yet, it is not the Muslim Brotherhood that inspired the uprising. After initial refusal to support the protest, Brothers joined as ‘private individuals’. And they lost the momentum. The recent estimates (indeed - difficult to predict its credibility) suggest that Brothers can count of maximum 20% support of the Egyptians. This is a civic revolution.

Meanwhile, one of the most telling pictures of Egyptian revolution is the one of Copts (Egyptian Christians) protecting the Muslim prayers on the Tahrir Square in the shape of the cordon that separates them from the Mubarak police so they can prey in peace. I really cannot find the more telling example of minority protecting the rights of majority.

The second issue that dominates the coverage of Egyptian uprising concerns the issue Israel’s security. As if Israel’s well- being was to be the single most important outcome of the revolution at the Nile River. As much as one can understand Israeli legitimate concerns about the implications of Egyptian turmoil, these concerns should not hijack other people's strive for more freedom and prosperity and less oppression. Israeli fears expose how much societies of Middle East, Arabs and Jews, desperately need a new ways of co – existence that would be not based on alliances with corrupted regimes at the expense of people. Meanwhile, can we please worry about the security of the brave protesters on the Tahrir Square at least as much as the security of Israelis? Life of an Arab is surely worth as much as life of a Jew. And they are both priceless.

Meaningful outcomes

No matter what will be the immediate results of Egyptian uprising, and unfortunately Mubarak’s seems to be holding strongly, the impact of People’s revolution couldn’t be greater in the larger perspective at least in two dimensions. First of all, people of the Middle East have just told their own governments – that they would no longer accept treating them like puppets. They have just proven that even most ruthless regimes are, at the end of the day, accountable in front of its own people. And that the people can be oppressed for decades, but they can be never defeated. It’s the great lesson for Middle Eastern political elites. And the fact that this lesson is coming not from Washington or London, but from their own people, serves as a second meaningful development. This revolution is not about West. It is neither pro- Western or anti - Western. It has its own voice and speaks for itself. And painfully exposes how much the West had screwed up in the Middle East, how much it supported the wrong sides and how much it ignored the people of the region.