The Theory of Revolution

The idea of revolution is as old as time itself. Most time periods have experienced some sort of revolution: fight for political change, religion, intellect, technology. America itself is all too familiar with the concept of revolution and doing what is necessary to bring about change. We were founded on the idea and act of revolution.

Beginning in December 2010, the world watched “The Arab Spring.” Even as early as June 2010, we watched the people of Iran demand accountability over what they believed to be a rigged election. We have watched Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain and many other countries through the Middle East and Africa stand up to their governments.

At the One Young World Summit, I had a unique opportunity to hear from not one but two people who capitalized on social media’s ability to make the world smaller to bring about change in Columbia and Egypt. These people were Oscar Morales and Wael Ghonim.

Social media is a powerful tool. Facebook and Twitter bridge the physical gap between us. Technology can be your best friend when used efficiently. Wael, who works for Google, co-founded a Facebook page that transformed overtime into an uprising in the streets of Cairo that would go on to transform the face of the Egyptian government.

Wael states, “There is no magic in the tools. The magic is in the application ... ”

Oscar adds, “The cause is what is important. You’re just, let’s say, an apostle.”

These few words from both Wael and Oscar are critical because they show that the execution and communication of your message are what will help you bring about change. Facebook and Twitter can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

Oscar indicated that the speed and stealth of the execution of any action is imperative.

If you are going to successfully take action at the point where you reach critical mass, you must be able to execute your plan prior to authority figures catching wind of your plans so as to avoid immediate resistance.

However, the most central part of utilizing social media to bring about change is not to be the face of a revolution but to empower people, to let them be engaged.

“Engagement is one key feature, so it allows people to collaborate ... It’s very important to make sure that that cause is not centrally managed by a small bunch of people,” Wael said as he reinforced the fact that the Facebook page was anonymously maintained so that the revolution truly was a manifestation of the wants and needs of the people of Egypt. It did not come at the directive of a central figurehead. It established itself through the exchange of ideas. Social media was simply the vehicle for this exchange.

As far as the point of reaching critical mass, Wael and Oscar pointed out that the number is not important so much as your timing. You need to know at what point it is right to bring your plan to fruition.

Oscar spoke about the importance of having an activity for people to participate in. Revolution does not have to be a protest in the streets. In Columbia, once they realized that their cause had good support, they wanted people to wear a certain T-shirt on a specific day. Also, with the openness and limitless possibilities of the Internet, we can think more broadly in terms of how we would like to achieve change.

We have so many tools at our disposal: YouTube, chat forums, Skype, online market places and more. We have the ability to be more creative while still making an impact. Videos and photographs being mass distributed online can make a world of difference in calling global attention to your cause. We saw this in Iran when a video spread across the Internet of a girl being shot in the street by her own government.

The statement Wael made that left the largest impact was that he did not view himself as a hero.

“It’s not about you,” he said. “It’s about the cause ... People went to the street not because of seeing me preaching. It’s because they believed in the cause.”

Listening to Oscar and Wael speak was one of the more gratifying experiences that I have had in my life. They were humble and honest. Neither one of them wanted credit or the spotlight for what they helped achieve, because in their hearts, they were only a small fraction of the whole. They know it took everyone involved to achieve change. Without support of your cause, you don’t have a leg to stand on.

I attempted to upload video of this session to YouTube, but my video was too long. I will try to post an edited version, but I fear that I will not do justice to what Wael and Oscar had to say.

Please continue to check back for updates and video footage.