Canada and the World, Ep. 37: Uprising in Sudan and Algeria

Months of protest in Sudan and Algeria have led to the departures of long-time leaders Omar al-Bashir and Abdelaziz Bouteflika, respectively. But the protests are not over. This episode explores what is behind the civilian movements in both countries, how they are similar and how they differ, from the role of youth, technology, and economic and political grievances. Is there a role for the diaspora in these movements? How do foreign states, such as the United States and Canada, fit into the picture? This week’s guests also examine what these movements have learned from past failures, in particular those within the Arab Spring, and whether it is truly possible to break the cycle of corrupt leadership and rebuild a country.

Our host

Bessma Momani is professor at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and University of Waterloo and a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. She’s also a non-resident senior fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C. and a Fulbright Scholar. She has been non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. and a 2015 Fellow at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. She’s a frequent analyst and expert on international affairs in Canadian and global media.

This week’s guests

Rim-Sarah Alouane is an international human rights researcher and PhD candidate in comparative law at the University Toulouse Capitole in France. Her work focuses on religious freedom, civil liberties and Algeria.

Khalid Mustafa Medani is an associate professor of political science and Islamic studies at McGill University in Montreal. His work focuses on Egypt, Somalia and the Darfur crisis, among other topics.

Amir Ahmad Nasr is a Toronto-based writer, artist, activist and digital media entrepreneur. From 2006 to 2012, he was better known as Drima, the formerly anonymous voice behind the blog The Sudanese Thinker. He is the author of My Isl@m: How Fundamentalism Stole My Mind — and Doubt Freed My Soul.

Canada and The World is produced by Trevor Hunsberger and edited by Francy Goudreault. Each episode can be found on iTunes, Play Music, Spotify and other podcasting applications.