Has the October 17 Revolution Accomplished Anything At All?
17.10.2020
One year from the start of the October 17 uprising, LCPS asks social scientists with leading or active roles in the uprising to look back on the October 17 revolution and what lies ahead. Questions, which were released in a series of articles, revolved around the main accomplishments, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the August 4 explosion on mobilization, as well as challenges and opportunities ahead. Mona Fawaz, along with Ogarit Younan, Rania Masri, Nizar Hassan, Sana Tannoury-Karam, Carmen Geha, and Lynn Comaty, contributed with her answers in this piece. This project is co-organized with social psychologist and LCPS fellow Dr. Rim Saab.
Fawaz says, "There are several important achievements. Here are a five. The first is developing and empowering the practice of organizing collectively across national territories and expanding the protests typically confined in Beirut to other cities and towns where it was clear that discontent was brewing. The second is generating new conversations across social groups (albeit with red lines), particularly Lebanese youth, and generating a consensus on some (but not all) the national challenges. Third is educating many of us about some of the national challenges, particularly economic and financial ones. The fourth is demonstrating that even within the communities of supporters to the political class, there is a recognition of corruption and discontent brewing, albeit cautiously. Fifth is desacralizing all political leaders/members of the political elite and allowing for their public shaming, even if some of them remain more “protected” by the threat of physical (and electronic) violence." Read other contributors' opinions in the full interview on LCPS's website.