Amidst the protests, loss of life, and apparent lack of progress in the uncoordinated Arab Spring, a glaring issue has arisen in each state affected by the wave of tumult: there is an absence of charismatic leadership in support of the revolution. Use of violence to consolidate the revolution and move beyond the narrative of revenge, likewise, deserves attention.
Thinking of founding a Wiki-HR, or an “Arab Spring’s Got Talent”? A necessary condition for success in the revolution is that true leaders who have not only vision and motivation, but also sufficient enough audacity, ‘wasta’, and charisma, must rise up out of the rubble. I would say that this rise needs to be unabetted (sorry Wiki-HR); however, we should also pay attention to exogenous factors that could hinder its progress. Pan-Arabism, on the other had, is an entirely different mess in itself; the likelihood of a true leader stumbling out of the chaos to coordinate the revolution is quite unlikely, and unnecessary, due to the diversity of issues currently extant in each embroiled state. Not even the modern father of pan-Arabism – Gamal Abd an-Nasser – could corral such disparate actors and interests. Some leaders are clamoring about, such as Egypt’s Ahmed Maher; for now, however, it appears that they are lacking the fervor and clout to organize and secure a revolution.
An equally important process during revolution – violent or non-violent – is the successful protagonists’ consolidation of effort in support of the revolution. This entails many elements that aid in controlling dialogue and setting the national agenda, including media, finance, and governance. In the absence of this, a revolution can easily be washed away. Although many may disagree, I believe a positive example of consolidation can be gleaned in the Libyan National Transitional Council’s (NTC) apparent attempts to ensure a monopoly of violence, for example, its recent confrontation with a purported splinter group in Benghazi. Use of violence is abhorrent for a litany of reasons, but it is necessary in many circumstances. With this, the NTC will need to step up and allow for greater transparency if it is to dispel concerns about its solidity, as well as demonstrate some form of tactical progress soon.
Albeit laboriously, the Arab Spring is pushing forward. The quest for the next Nasser has now gained more momentum, but all we can do is wait to see if he, or she, can rise up and secure the changes so many have died and fought for.
(Next blog post will be the week of 15 August).
