In the article, “Lack of unity stalls Egypt’s youth revolution,” the divisions of the revolution are described as a reason that the process of democratization has lagged. Although once unified as the Revolution Youth Coalition in 2011, the different sects of youth politics have branched off to build unique identities. Although this is a necessary step, it is causing the revolution to stall because of disagreements on the role of protests and potential policy. The conflict with Morsi’s constitutional referendum has unified the public, but other disagreements are stalling any real change from occurring.
In the article entitled, “In Blow to Leadership of ’11 Revolt, Egypt Activists Are Given 3 Years in Prison,” the transgressions of youth activists are described. Because of the new protest law aimed at former Morsi supporters and Mubarak revolters, three of the leaders of the revolution were given prison sentences. One of the jailed activists wrote a letter from prison describing the lack of change that has occurred in the political system. He complained about existing police corruption, the Ministry of Interior, and oppression of freedoms.
As illustrated by the protest law, the history of government in Egypt has challenged progressive forces that the youth promotes. The youth activists promote cosmopolitan views of network connections for widespread learning. The information used by other activists in the region was picked up by the Egyptian activists who recognized the parallels between them and other countries. These activists also promote civil society within Egypt and they strive toward political progress through democratization. However, the way in which they pursue political goals is a topic of contention among the Egyptian youth. With this in their way, and with a government who will stop at nothing to hinder their progress, the Egyptian youth have struggled to make changes in their country. Theyrecognize that they must remove the source of oppression and corruption, which seems inherent to the system at this point. Because of this, the Egyptians have different views on exactly how to wipe the slate clean.