PRESENTATION OUTLINE
When one man dies, that's a tragedy.
When thousands die, that's a statistic.
To talk about the refugee crisis,
we need statistics,
but let us not forget what is precious.
A series of protests that began with unrest in Tunisia in late 2010, the Arab Spring has brought down regimes in some Arab countries, and sparked mass violence in others.
In Tunisia, the target was President Ben Ali, forced to flee in 2011 when the military refused to crack down on protests.
Following Ben Ali’s overthrow, Islamists won the parliamentary elections, but instability continues.
The decisive moment that changed the region forever was the 2011 overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the West’s key Arab ally since 1980.
Several dictatorships were toppled during the Arab spring.
although some have ended up with new dictatorships.
Part of the Arab Spring, the Egyptian Revolution began on 25 January 2011.
Mubarak dissolves his government, appointing former head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Omar Suleiman vice-president.
On February11, Suleiman announces that Mubarak will resign as president, turning over power to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
On 24 May, Mubarak is ordered to stand trial on charges of premeditated murder of peaceful protesters and, if convicted, could face the death penalty.