How to Ignite, or Quash, a Revolution in 140 Characters or Less - The Promise and Limitations of New Technologies in Spreading Democracy

Do the Internet and social media empower Big Brother or individuals in autocratic regimes, or do they offer a rare level playing field? This year's Arab Spring resurrected exuberant claims for the role of new technologies in spreading democracy. At the same time self-proclaimed "cyber-realists" were quick to point out that President Mubarak's problems seemed to grow after he unplugged the Internet. Now, summer's deadly stalemate in Syria has given pause to anyone peddling absolute theories about the interplay between new information technologies and revolution. If not a panacea, how can social media and the Internet be deployed to maximize civic engagement in autocratic societies? Does the U.S. policy of supporting Internet freedom amount to a policy of regime change in some countries? When Big Brother does unplug the Internet, what can, or should, the rest of us do about it? Panel 1 - 'Reflecting on the Tunisian Hair Trigger' featuring Sami Ben Gharbia, Co-founder, nawaat.org, Advocacy Director, Global Voices; Steve Coll, President, New America Foundation. Panel 2 - 'Internet Freedom and Human Rights: The Obama Administration's Perspective' featuring Michael H. Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State; Jacob Weisberg, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Slate Group. Panel 3 - 'Friending Revolutions: Social Media and Political Change in Egypt and Beyond' featuring Merlyna Lim, Professor, Consortium of Science, Policy and Outcomes and the School of Social Transformation - Justice and Social Inquiry Program, Arizona State University. Panel 4 - 'How the Arab Spring Begat a Deadly Summer' featuring Oula Alrifai, Syrian Youth Activist; Ahmed Al Omran, Blogger, Saudijeans.org; Andrew J. Tabler, Next Generation Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Author, In the Lion's Den: An Eyewitness Account of Washington's Battle; Katherine Zoepf, Schwartz Fellow, New America Foundation, Contributor, New York Times.