By: Deborah Clark Vance

Abstract: Citizens in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries connected with each other and the rest of the world using information-sharing Internet Web sites. During political demonstrations in what has come to be known as the Arab Spring, citizens overcame the obstacles of fear of government repression, as they recorded video images of and wrote blogs about events in their countries to share with the rest of the world. In doing so, they overcame various forms of government censorship and risked being beaten, jailed, and even killed. Such speaking out is the first step toward democracy and a necessary precursor to justice.