In Praise of Organization: Egypt between Activism and Revolution

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article considers the nature of activism and revolutionary process in the twenty‐first century by examining some of the dilemmas involved in Egypt's ongoing process of transformation. Over the course of only a couple of weeks Egyptian activists who, for over a decade, had protested against Mubarak and his neoliberal policies, found themselves transformed from protestors, demonstrators and strikers, members of loosely structured networks, to the status of ‘revolutionaries’. These newly‐minted revolutionaries were suddenly expected either to capture or renegotiate state power, provide a vision for the future emanating from the iconic image of Tahrir Square and transform both polity and society. The article argues that the characteristics of New Social Movements (NSMs), especially the absence of sustainable organizational structures, although well suited to the phase of mass protests in the lead‐up to the ousting of Mubarak, now pose one of the main challenges to the prospects of genuine revolutionary change in the post‐Mubarak era.