Think globally, act locally ? Symbolic memory and global repertoires in the Tunisian uprising and the Greek anti-austerity mobilizations

Abstract

This chapter presents a comparative examination of the Tunisian revolt which overthrew the regime of Ben Alì and the Greek anti-austerity Indignados movement. In both countries, movement members used social networking tools for member recruitment and mobilizing the population. They re-appropriated strategic places associated to each country's movement past. They re-shaped the meaning of nationally recognized symbols. Their discourse addressed local issues but was also framed as an attempt to challenge the hegemony of neo-liberalism, both at the national and the global level. We argue that they belong to a new generation of activists that has inherited the famous slogan “Think globally, act locally” - and is in the process of elaborating and implementing it.