THE ANALYSIS ON THE EMERGENCE OF CITIZEN DIPLOMACY IN ARAB SPRING: CASE STUDY EGYPT (2011-2013)

Abstract

Isaura Dhean, ―THE ANALYSIS ON THE EMERGENCE OF CITIZEN DIPLOMACY IN ARAB SPRING; CASE STUDY EGYPT (2011-2013)”. (Thesis Advisor: Teuku Rezasyah, PhD) The event of the Arab Spring revolution in 2011 was a remarkable momentum in International Relations history. Started in Tunisia, North Africa spread to other Middle-East countries. This event turned out into diplomacy called Citizen Diplomacy, whereas diplomacy is no longer the game for the elites, yet each citizen could participate in their own diplomacy to determine their future fate. Arab World had been perceived as isolated countries, but when the Uprising exploded, many parties want to involve in this phenomena, help to solve the problem that arose or just to seek any benefit for their own sake of interest. Many want democracy over the region, many want it failed. But did democracy is what really needed across the region? Instead, some countries have been implemented it for years. Through this thesis, the writer would like to do a research regarding on the emergence of Citizen Diplomacy during the Arab Spring, especially in Egypt –the second country that launched the revolution after Tunisia and kept maintaining its diplomacy for about two and half years resulting two president change. This thesis mainly uses the Marxism theory by Karl Marx to elaborate the citizen as the proletariat and the government as the bourgeoisie, then get specific to the diplomacy, then get deeper to Citizen Diplomacy. Since the media played an important role in the Uprising, the writer gathered the data selectively, avoiding bias. Egypt legal system is mixed, between democratic and sharia which not represent a democratic nor sharia law. Instead, those two governmental systems were used to benefit some parties, mostly the ruling elites – neglected its citizen, leaving no choice for them, except fighting for their own goodness. With no money, no political leader, no time to prepare, no blueprints, the citizen of Egypt hand-in-hand to overthrow their own government using the power of social media