The Arab Spring and the situation in Libya The Arab Spring is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests

occurring in the Arab world. Since 18 December 2010 there have been revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt; a civil war in Libya resulting in the fall of its regime; civil uprisings in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen; major protests in Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, and Oman. The protests have shared techniques of civil resistance in sustained campaigns involving strikes, demonstrations, marches and rallies, as well as the use of social media to organize, communicate, and raise awareness in the face of state attempts at repression. It was sparked by the first protests that occurred in Tunisia on 18 December 2010 following Mohamed Bouazizi's selfimmolation in protest of police corruption and ill treatment. With the success of the protests in Tunisia, a wave of unrest struck Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, and Yemen, then spread to other countries. As of September 2011, revolutions have resulted in the overthrow of three heads of state. Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on 14 January following the Tunisian revolution protests. In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak resigned on 11 February 2011 after 18 days of massive protests, ending his 30-year presidency. Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi was overthrown on 23 August 2011, after the National Transitional Council (NTC) took control of Tripoli. Numerous factors have led to the protests, including issues such as dictatorship, human rights violations, government corruption, economic decline, unemployment and extreme poverty. The protest began in Libya, after the success of the revolution of Tunisia and went out the first demonstration to protest living conditions in the city of Bayda on 14 January, and protesters clashed with police and attacked government offices. Libyan rebels' seizure of Tripoli marks a dramatic advance for revolutionary movements in the Middle East, but the impact depends on how the Libyans' success affects the potentional rebellions in the rest of North Africa and Middle East. While the Libyan rebels continue to face resistance in some towns held by the forces loyal to the Gadhafis regime, their swift march into the capital likely was seen in the region as a result of the enterprize of the citizens who had been encoured to fight for their rights. Already there are signs that Libya is giving inspiration to the rebels fighting in Syria and other Arab states. Moreover, on Monday, Syrian protesters took to the streets chanting "Gadhafi tonight, Bashar tomorrow." The officials from the Syrian opposition's Local Coordination Committees, said they had been encouraged by TV images of a rally on Tripoli's central square, especially when the Libyans started chanting slogans of solidarity with Syria's pro-democracy campaigners. However, beyond Syria, a new dose of energy provided by Libya's uprising could ripple out to other nations in the region. In particular, it could reinvigorate a protest movement that arose inside Iran in 2009 to challenge President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election. The violence that erupted in Libya in February ended what initially seemed a wave of largely peaceful uprisings pushing for democracy to the region. In neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, local armies refused orders to shoot unarmed protesters in January, leading to the downfall of presidents Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak. As the fighting in Libya shows no signs of abating and protests spread from Egypt and Tunisia to Syria, Yemen, and beyond, what comes next for the citizens and the rest of the regimes of the Arab world? In truth, only a people can liberate itself. Democracy is not some gift that can be delivered from the outside. The United Nations can help in a process of agitating for democratic rights that can create a democracy. Democracy is not a favor, a privilege, given to us by others; it is the living, breathing product of a peoples own yearning for more control over their lives.