0:00:00.704,0:00:04.040 #Revolution 0:00:04.040,0:00:10.485 Arab Spring, Domino Effect, Twitter Revolution: That's how we see it... 0:00:13.564,0:00:16.756 by Davide Galati and Antonella Sinopoli 0:00:17.202,0:00:21.921 Freedom is extremely important for human beings. 0:00:21.921,0:00:25.426 The real revolution, I think, took place in Tunisia. 0:00:25.580,0:00:29.698 I admired the courage of these guys, 0:00:29.760,0:00:32.626 and I respect them a lot for what they did. 0:00:32.657,0:00:35.589 In a very undemocratic country such as this 0:00:35.604,0:00:38.310 Is difficult to find the strength to march and protest. 0:00:38.418,0:00:43.992 In Tunisia getting rid of Ben Ali was almost impossible. 0:00:43.992,0:00:47.753 It wasn't easy because everything had to change. 0:00:47.769,0:00:50.831 Before, Ben Ali was untouchable. 0:00:51.185,0:00:56.390 People were tired of a fake democracy. 0:00:56.390,0:01:00.294 Revolution really changed everything. 0:01:00.294,0:01:08.468 In other countries, I think, Europe pushed for changes 0:01:08.468,0:01:14.741 because of economic interest, for instance in Libya. 0:01:14.741,0:01:20.519 Everybody knows that oil caused the war, even if no one says it. 0:01:20.535,0:01:24.732 Why the war? Libya was a nice place to live in. 0:01:24.763,0:01:32.152 Not many Libyans live abroad, because Libya is nice country. 0:01:32.152,0:01:37.025 Instead, in countries like Somalia 0:01:37.041,0:01:40.591 people suffer hunger and poverty; there people live miserably. 0:01:40.606,0:01:42.383 But nobody moves a finger. 0:02:05.260,0:02:10.521 Our revolution spread in the whole Middle East, 0:02:10.521,0:02:15.589 first in Egypt, then in Libya, a radical change took place. 0:02:15.604,0:02:22.858 To a certain extent, the Tunisian revolution helped other countries to understand 0:02:22.935,0:02:29.574 that protesting and marching on the streets is important. 0:02:30.989,0:02:38.904 These revolts can help other countries, 0:02:38.935,0:02:41.374 they can be seen as a model to imitate. 0:02:41.666,0:02:50.974 Now, in Senegal, here and there something takes place, not a revolution, 0:02:51.012,0:02:59.001 but still, we are fighting against changes in our constitutional law. 0:02:59.032,0:03:04.440 Constitution cannot be changed simply with a referendum. 0:03:04.732,0:03:09.755 It's not possible because, as I said before, our culture is different. 0:03:09.770,0:03:13.224 Yes, we have different cultures, we don' t have the same kind of courage. 0:03:14.947,0:03:18.211 We are not inspired like them. 0:03:19.350,0:03:21.512 We prefer peace and quiet. We want to be left alone. 0:03:21.512,0:03:26.428 We see what happened in Congo, 0:03:26.428,0:03:32.966 and in other countries near Cameroon. 0:03:32.997,0:03:38.236 And we don't want to end up like them. 0:03:38.236,0:03:41.489 So, we prefer the status quo: it's easier. 0:03:41.505,0:03:45.066 We survive and we get food on our tables. 0:03:45.097,0:03:48.659 Future is hard to predict, really hard... 0:03:48.674,0:03:53.266 ...but we can accept that. 0:03:53.782,0:03:59.759 In Morocco there is no revolution. There was some protest, some loose movement. 0:03:59.759,0:04:04.689 But there is no revolution because people lives comfortably. 0:04:04.705,0:04:09.343 They feel that changes are happening all around, 0:04:10.220,0:04:14.059 and for this reason they don't want the revolution there, 0:04:14.074,0:04:18.466 although they ask for some constitutional changes, 0:04:18.493,0:04:20.916 which recently have been approved by the King. 0:04:20.932,0:04:27.016 I believe 98% of the people voted Yes. 0:04:27.386,0:04:31.039 Whoever you meet these days, in Italy or in Morocco, 0:04:31.082,0:04:34.105 will say for sure that in Morocco life is very good, 0:04:34.105,0:04:36.451 that the King is astonishing, first-class, 0:04:36.451,0:04:39.182 that the economy is improving, everything is terrific. 0:04:39.212,0:04:41.693 So there is no need for a revolution. 0:04:41.709,0:04:45.824 Unfortunately, it's not true. If in Morocco everything can be bought and everything can be sold as well. 0:04:45.855,0:04:49.447 So there is no need for a Constitution, no need for women's rights 0:04:49.524,0:04:54.593 since parents, sons, husband can buy all women's rights. 0:04:54.639,0:04:56.232 They can buy them with their own money. 0:04:56.355,0:05:02.239 It seems that 70% of the population voted and 99% chose Yes. 0:05:02.516,0:05:06.709 99% is always a magic number in Arab countries. 0:05:06.724,0:05:12.701 A search for "Movement 20 February" on YouTube, every Sunday, 0:05:12.716,0:05:15.770 because still now, people take it to the streets on Sundays. 0:05:15.801,0:05:21.101 The number of people protesting is incredible. 0:05:21.101,0:05:25.555 So, you have to ask yourself about that 99%? Did it fall from the sky? 0:05:25.570,0:05:29.824 In Morocco, the national TV ignores any protest, any hardship. 0:05:29.839,0:05:34.764 Not even Al Jazeera mentions them. Al Jazeera is not doing a good job there. 0:05:35.518,0:05:41.556 I think that Morocco... has been the most clever country so far. 0:05:42.049,0:05:48.026 Elections and Constitutional changes promoted by the King, 0:05:48.026,0:05:52.387 In fact, no substantial change took place. 0:05:52.426,0:05:57.403 It's a joke. I am from Morocco, and I think it's a mockery. 0:05:57.403,0:06:03.841 Morocco is not yet ready, it needs to grow to become aware of the situation. 0:06:03.918,0:06:07.541 There is a movement that is doing something, 0:06:07.556,0:06:09.703 but is not enough. 0:06:09.733,0:06:14.433 Sadly, Moroccan politicians are too sharp, too clever. 0:06:14.464,0:06:18.133 They are able to exploit tools and media (like TV) 0:06:18.149,0:06:22.330 to convince the public opinion to support their regime. 0:06:23.053,0:06:26.491 Also, for the older generation is almost impossible 0:06:26.614,0:06:31.253 to imagine a Morocco without a King. 0:07:14.833,0:07:20.641 I think that more than 50% of Tunisian revolution is due to the Internet. 0:07:20.795,0:07:26.156 Internet was paramount as a communication tool, 0:07:26.187,0:07:29.626 to ensure the success of this revolution. 0:07:29.826,0:07:34.418 And this time social networks played a crucial role 0:07:34.418,0:07:40.180 also because these revolts were promoted mostly by young people. 0:07:40.195,0:07:46.310 I followed the events on the Net, calling my family, on Facebook... 0:07:46.326,0:07:50.041 ... then on newspapers and Al Jazeera. 0:07:50.118,0:07:55.449 There is a feeling that they are speaking the truth, and indeed people trust Al Jazeera. 0:07:55.510,0:08:01.780 TV in general is manipulated, being owned by private groups, 0:08:01.795,0:08:08.649 that have profit in mind and inform only about what they like. 0:08:08.695,0:08:12.564 As for National TV, as we know, the government has its own agenda 0:08:12.564,0:08:16.249 regarding its own internal and foreign policy, 0:08:16.280,0:08:23.256 so State media are affected by this approach. 0:08:23.807,0:08:27.461 Instead, on the Net news sources are diversified. 0:08:27.476,0:08:29.776 For instance, on social networks young people in particular, 0:08:30.930,0:08:38.369 but also the general public, can share first-hand information. 0:08:38.431,0:08:41.762 Internet now is a communication medium 0:08:42.192,0:08:48.523 ...that can immediately reach millions of people. 0:08:48.592,0:08:54.924 It can be a useful means, but we cannot give up the streets, 0:08:55.016,0:08:58.208 because the streets are the real thing, 0:08:58.639,0:09:03.970 where all the events organized online will eventually take place. 0:09:04.031,0:09:05.762 Today we interact mainly online. 0:09:05.762,0:09:09.524 It's inevitable, then, that if a revolution had to take place 0:09:09.547,0:09:12.585 that was the way to conjure up people, especially youngsters. 0:09:12.585,0:09:15.485 Because this movement included not only Tunisia or Egypt 0:09:15.577,0:09:19.462 but the whole Mediterranean and the Middle East are bound together. 0:09:19.508,0:09:23.254 We speak the same language, so we are all connected. 0:09:23.262,0:09:28.485 Facebook, Twitter, are the fastest and better way to exchange information. 0:09:28.485,0:09:33.847 The social unrest was shared, so the media had to be shared as well. 0:09:34.216,0:09:40.500 But I don't think that Facebook itself widened the revolt. 0:09:40.777,0:09:44.847 People must have been extremely distressed for something like this to happen. 0:09:44.862,0:09:50.270 The spark that ignited everything was the situation in Tunisia. 0:09:50.362,0:09:54.247 No one, nobody could have imagined what actually happened. 0:09:55.154,0:09:58.624 Everyone has the right to internet access, 0:09:58.731,0:10:02.731 and governments needs to understand this. 0:10:03.847,0:10:05.953 I went and I said that I would not be returned, 0:10:05.977,0:10:08.246 and wrote on all walls, that I would not be returned. 0:10:08.269,0:10:10.277 All barriers have collapsed, 0:10:10.292,0:10:12.316 our dreams were our weapons, 0:10:12.316,0:10:14.428 our future is clear, we waited a long time. 0:10:14.490,0:10:16.692 We are still looking for our place 0:10:16.692,0:10:19.169 We continue to look for the site to which we belong, 0:10:19.169,0:10:20.238 in every corner, in every country. 0:10:20.285,0:10:22.185 The call of freedom there is calling 0:10:22.185,0:10:23.885 from every street corner of our country 0:10:23.885,0:10:25.646 the call of freedom there is calling 0:10:25.692,0:10:27.264 Rewrite history 0:10:27.264,0:10:28.949 If you're one of us, join us 0:10:33.766,0:10:34.266 and does not prevent us from achieving our dreams.