Portland State University Middle East Studies Center Lecture Series

North Africa is a relatively understudied region in the Muslim world, yet it has been at the center of the Arab Spring. The Jasmine Revolution began in Tunisia in December 2010, leading to the ouster of President Ben Ali and unleashing a wave of popular discontent through the Middle East and beyond. North Africa stands at a crossroads, with Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt holding parliamentary, and in some cases, presidential elections in 2011 and 2012. Yet, the future of reform is uncertain and its results likely to be varied.