Maggie Rake: Introduction
In 2011, many eyes around the world, including mine, were upon the Middle East as revolutions sprang up in Tunisia, then Egypt, then Libya in what became known as the Arab Spring. Looking back, I wondered how someone like myself, living in a conservative small town in north Texas, could be so empathetic to the plight of young people revolting in countries I had never been to and knew hardly anything about.
Upon reading Clifford’s preface to Routes: Travel and Translation in the Late Twentieth Century, I was struck by the concept of being able to travel without leaving home. Clifford gives examples of talking to people who have travelled and learning from their experiences, a sort of travelling by proxy. It occurred to me that now in this world of technology and the Internet, travelling by proxy is easier than ever. I did not have to talk to anyone who was in the Middle East in 2011 to hear what it was like first hand. News and social media brought this information to me with live updates as if I was in Egypt myself. In the world of technology, travel is more inclusive than ever.
Now looking back at Arab protesters holding signs in English, it is clear that news travelling to me was not the only movement occurring. Ideas and influence was flowing both ways. The protesters were informing each other and the West through social media and culture, and we were informing the Middle East by covering their protests and calling it a modern revolution. In this increasingly globalized and technological world, what does travel and movement look like, and in the case of the Arab Spring, what does connectivity mean for the future?