alex ross social media didn\t cause arab spring
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Hilary Clinton's top adviser talks to Arabstoday:

Alex Ross: Social media didn\'t cause Arab Spring

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice Alex Ross: Social media didn\'t cause Arab Spring

London - Horia El Hadad

With the Presidential election in Egypt coming to a head, Hillary Clinton’s adviser on the use of social media and the internet spoke to Arabstoday about internet freedom and America\'s response to the Arab Spring. Alec Ross served on President Obama’s transition team after the last Presidential election, and last year was named one of the “Top 100 Global Thinkers” by Foreign Policy Magazine.  But how did a former inner city school teacher in West Baltimore manage to become one of Hilary Clinton\'s most senior political advisers? \"Eighteen years ago I was in a program called \'Teach in America\' where we focused on teaching some of the lowest income school children in the US and I taught in West Baltimore.  When I was a school teacher in the early to mid-nineties, it was during a period where the force and effect of globalisation was really taking place.\" He continues: \"I grew up in a relatively low income city called West Virginia.  Both communities in which I taught and grew up in had to cope with the negative aspects of globalisation, the loss of the industrial based jobs, the ports, the factories, the mills and other such things.  One of the things I realised as a school teacher is that underprivileged children needed to be equipped with technological skills to succeed in knowledge based economy.\" Ross adds. In 2000, Ross co-founded the nonprofit organisation One Economy, a global nonprofit that uses innovative approaches to deliver the power of technology and information about education, jobs, health care and other vital issues to low-income people. During his eight years at the NGO, it grew from a team of four people to the world\'s largest digital divide organization, with programs on four continents. Shortly after, he was working with President Barack Obama during the 2008 US Presidential campaign. \"It\'s funny because I didn\'t send or receive an email in college. I didn\'t own a mobile phone until I was 28 years old.\" Admits the social media expert. Despite his humble beginnings, Alec Ross now serves as Senior Adviser for Innovation to the US Secretary of State where he is tasked with maximizing the potential of technology and innovation in service of America’s diplomatic goals and stewarding the US 21st Century Statecraft agenda.   So what does he think about the Arab Spring in the context of communication technology? \"The 21st century is a bad time to be a control freak.\"  He jokes. \"But I don\'t think any of these revolutions happened because of social media. Some people were quick to call the uprisings \'Facebook Revolutions\' or \'Twitter Revolutions\' but I do not believe that\'s true.  I think that what\'s at the heart of those revolutions are things like high food prices, frustration about corruption, the level of democratic participation and a lack of upward economic mobility. Those are the reasons why people rebelled.\"  He says. \"However, because of the open platforms available in social media the ability to participate and excel, the revolution process happened much faster. If you think about the movements in apartheid South Africa or in Eastern Europe in the 1970\'s and 80\'s, these were movements that were years in the making, not like the Arab Spring. Also, communication technology facilitates a movement with no clear leader.  It is good in the sense that movement- making is more citizen-centered but its downfall is that when the leader is overthrown, there is no one to take charge of the country.\" He added.

GMT 04:02 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Kurds invited to join Syria peace

GMT 04:52 2018 Monday ,22 January

West's 'Russiaphobia' worse than

GMT 08:52 2018 Sunday ,21 January

Brexit special trade agreement possible

GMT 04:05 2018 Saturday ,20 January

can govern from Belgium

GMT 06:15 2018 Friday ,19 January

Wall idea not 'informed'

GMT 06:30 2018 Thursday ,18 January

Netanyahu: US embassy could move

GMT 09:24 2018 Wednesday ,17 January

Iran should listen to demands

GMT 08:24 2018 Tuesday ,16 January

Destroy US-backed Syria 'terror army'
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

alex ross social media didn\t cause arab spring alex ross social media didn\t cause arab spring

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

alex ross social media didn\t cause arab spring alex ross social media didn\t cause arab spring

 



GMT 09:54 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

'Friendly and kind' N. Korean skaters

GMT 09:36 2017 Thursday ,07 December

Heidy Karam’s contract to present talk show close

GMT 10:50 2012 Friday ,20 January

Dusty weather expected in UAE on Friday

GMT 09:35 2018 Saturday ,13 January

New Zealand bat first in third ODI against Pakistan

GMT 10:48 2017 Saturday ,23 December

Meryl Streep's brand under threat

GMT 06:53 2017 Thursday ,11 May

17th Doha Forum To Begin Sunday

GMT 10:30 2017 Thursday ,23 November

Reports underline proliferation of weapons in Arab world

GMT 07:46 2017 Monday ,30 October

Catch it early, treat it early and move on

GMT 08:05 2015 Tuesday ,17 February

Conan O'Brien is first late night host to film in Cuba

GMT 16:17 2018 Thursday ,30 August

Five Saudi women pilots granted GACA licences
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice