If Only the Renewal of the Arab Spring Were as Solid as This Street Vendor Tribute

Check out this cool and touching tribute to the birthplace of the so-called Arab Spring in Tunisia, where street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi  set himself on fire two years ago out of frustration and despair over government corruption and abuse. His suicide set off a wave of rebellions across North Africa and the Middle East.

The memorial, made of creamy marble and honey-colored stone, was unveiled by the nation’s new president in December 2011 in Bouazizi’s town, the poetically named city of Sidi Bouzid in rural central Tunisia, south of the capital Tunis. The poignant memorial and the photo of him on the poster hanging from the building in the background, are across from another building that houses the provincial governor’s office where Bouazizi had gone to cover himself in paint thinner and then set himself alight.

USIP’s Robin Wright took the photo when she visited Sidi Bouzid in March, and the memorial was still there when she returned in October.  She’s author of “Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World” and a distinguished scholar at both USIP and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. In a USIP Peace Brief, she and Garrett Nada, a program assistant at USIP’s Center for Con­flict Management, explain why the “mixed results” of the uprisings so far – in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen and elsewhere – mean “even bigger challenges” in the year ahead.  

Take a look and let us know your thoughts on what it will take to secure peace in the countries of this monumental transition.

Wright also blogs at http://robinwrightblog.blogspot.com and tweets at @wrightr

Viola Gienger is a senior writer for USIP.


Related Research & Analysis

The 2022 Pelosi Visit to Taiwan: Assessing US-China Signaling and Action-Reaction Dynamics

The 2022 Pelosi Visit to Taiwan: Assessing US-China Signaling and Action-Reaction Dynamics

Monday, July 7, 2025

In recent years, the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have found it particularly challenging to interpret one another’s foreign policy signals. Misinterpretation of each other’s signaling may contribute to a bilateral action-reaction dynamic and can intensify into an action-reaction cycle and escalation spiral.

Type: Report

What the DRC-Rwanda Peace Deal Means for the U.S. and Africa’s Mineral-Rich Great Lakes Region

What the DRC-Rwanda Peace Deal Means for the U.S. and Africa’s Mineral-Rich Great Lakes Region

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Last Friday, the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) met in Washington to sign an agreement to end 30 years of conflict in Africa’s Great Lakes region. The peace deal was accompanied by commitments to build a “regional economic integration framework” and promises of U.S. investment in eastern DRC’s abundant critical mineral reserves, among other commercial agreements.

Type: Question and Answer

With Cease-fire Holding, Can Israel and Iran Move Toward De-escalation?

With Cease-fire Holding, Can Israel and Iran Move Toward De-escalation?

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Israel’s stunning and sophisticated June 13 attack on Iran set off a worrying 12-day escalatory spiral. Iran responded in short order with ballistic missile and drone strikes, which led to a series of tit-for-tat exchanges between the two sides. A cease-fire is now in place -- but will it hold?

Type: Analysis

The Element of Surprise: Space and Cyber Warfare in U.S.-China Rivalry

The Element of Surprise: Space and Cyber Warfare in U.S.-China Rivalry

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

The 2024 revelations over China’s effort to implant malware in critical U.S. infrastructure by the Volt Typhoon hacking group — as well as the Salt Typhoon group’s successful breaching of at least nine major U.S. telecoms — have renewed concern over Beijing’s constant, ongoing efforts to hack Western companies, governments and non-governmental organizations. Unlike past incidents, like those involving Chinese military unit 61398, which were largely about cyber espionage, the Volt Typhoon group was actively implanting malware designed to disrupt critical infrastructure such as water and power systems.

Type: Analysis

View All Research & Analysis