It took the United States 11 years from 1776 to the writing and enactment of their Constitution in 1787. In comparison, Egypt has had just one year of highs and lows, culminating in the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. Wael Ghonim’s book Revolution 2.0 is a fitting tribute to this period in history. The 18 days of tension and uncertainty ended with the news everyone had been waiting for. Social media erupted with joy and celebration as Egyptians everywhere rejoiced.
@DannyRamadan I’m jumping all over the house. I think that Mubarak is finally leaving. Please do not disappoint us again!
@SultanAlQassemi Omar Suleiman: In these hard times, President Mubarak has RESIGNED!
@nytimes Mubarak Leaves Cairo as Crowds Surge #Egypt#Jan25
@DailyNewsEgypt President Hosni Mubarak steps down – VP Omar Suleiman on State TV. #Jan25
@camanpour Suleiman sends less than 1 min statement: President Mubarak hands over power to the military.
@arabist I’m a kilometer away and can hear the cheers from Tahrir. Mubarak is gone, Suleiman says Army Council is in charge. Champagne!
@NickKristof Omar Suleiman says that #Mubarak has quit, armed forces in charge! People power wins — for now…. RT
@SultanAlQassemi See picture of Omar Suleiman announcing Mubarak’s resignation #Tahrir #Mubarak #Jan25 #Egypt
@NigelCNNpr #BenCNN “One man listening on his phone shouted the President has resigned and the crowd went wild” #CNN#Jan25
@Ghonim I said 1year ago that the Internet will change the political scene in #Egypt and some friends made fun of me 🙂 #Jan25
@mmcohen Mubarak steps down #Cairo has exploded in celebration. It is a good day for #Egypt#Jan25 was worth it.
@SamTheHypebeast Feb 11, 1990: After imprisonment for 27 years, Nelson Mandela was finally released by South Africa’s Apartheid regime on this day.
@asia2gaza Tehran (1979), Cairo (2011), Feb 11th is a bad luck day for U.S puppets in the Middle East #Egypt #Iran #Feb11 #Jan25.
The celebration that followed was long and joyous, with millions of Egyptians celebrating the fall of Mubarak, now confirmed to be in Sharm al Sheikh. Social media was flooded with congratulations, as afternoon became a night of well-earned partying.
@Ghonim Welcome back Egypt #Jan25
@MosaicWorldNews (translation) Congratulations to Egypt, the criminal has left the palace. @Ghonim The real heroes are the young Egyptians in Tahrir Square and the rest of Egypt #Jan25
@frstee11 Thank you Wael for installing #revolution 2.0 so the world can see what people are capable of #egypt
@monaeltahawy Tweeps – that baton #Tunisia passed to us in #Egypt is itching to move. So, once again: who wants the Revolutionary Baton? #Jan25 Yalla!
@nolanjazeera Can you even believe that people power just brought down the most powerful Arab leader with the biggest military in just 17 days?!?! Who’s next??
@jonathanwaldEgypt prediction: baby boom in 9 months – all named Wael.
@monasosh 1st time since Tuesday #Jan25 I enter my family’s home #Jan25 As Egypt began to breathe for the first time in 18 days, the press raced to get the first interview. Speculation began on which country would be next, and who would follow Egypt’s lead. President Obama delivered the perfect speech for the moment, as only he could.
@markknoller Pres. Obama says there are very few moments in our lives when we witness history taking place. “This is one of those moments.”
@LisaDCNN OBAMA: This is not the end, there may be difficult times ahead, but I am confident the people of #Egypt can find the answers.
@lindsaywise Obama: Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day. #Egypt
@HalaGorani Obama: The military “will now have to ensure a transition that is credible in the eyes of the Egyptian people.” #Egypt
@onfaith “Above all, this transition must bring all of Egypt’s voices to the table”-Obama Egypt had had its Lexington and Concord moment. The people declared their freedom. There would be many difficult times ahead, but now… it was time to celebrate. EPILOGUE
@syazwinasaw It began with Khaled Saeed, facilitated by Wael
@Ghonim and Facebook, and ended with all of Egypt. A story for our children. Inspiring. That last Tweet in our 6,500 Tweet database summed up why this book had to be written.
The service that made this book possible, Google Realtime, and their contract with Twitter, was stopped days before completion. It was as if a higher power said this book will be the last of its type. Many argued that the Egyptian people were not yet free.
Five months after that fateful night, this manuscript is being completed as people still occupy Tahrir Square in protest against the Army and internecine squabbling continues amongst all parties. What pundits, commentators and those making the sausage need to remember is that Lexington and Concord were – the beginning. The nation, we know today as the United States, would take another 12 years to form.
In talking with and interviewing people for this book, so many tried to revise history based on their side’s view of events, that I stopped interviewing them. I would politely end the conversation and move on when they started down the path of “my sources tell me this is what really happened…” or launched into a tirade against one side or another. It did not matter the point of view, a dedicated group of men and women came together for a common cause and moved a mountain. And they still create today a living example of Margaret Mead’s famous quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Democracy is still messy.
