Introduction

Human striving for dignity – a predominantly cultural and ethical project often misunderstood by political analysts – has been inseparably tied to the ability for reason, empathy and desire for respect. There has been a wealth of studies on the resilience and sustainability of modern social movements, networks and upheavals, though the human search for dignity as their propelling force has been somewhat occluded. The dignity-starved Egyptians – who ended Hosni Mubarak’s despotic reign through civil resistance and non-violent mass demonstration – have been resubmitted to the brutalities of a new military dictatorship. There are countless cultural and political differences between the East European Autumn of the Nations and the later dignity upheavals such as the Arab Spring. The participants in the latter involved religious fundamentalists opposed to the notion of human dignity.