Stuart R. Cohn is Associate Dean, International Studies John H. & Mary Lou Dasburg Professor of Law. We contacted the Professor Cohn to discuss revolutions, uprisings, the capacity of nations and individuals, and he replied to our questions in an exclusive interview to Gulan Magazine as the following:

* Revolution and uprising are two terms that every nation have been through, in a certain time in history, so to what extend revolution and uprising shows the ability of a nation in a certain time?
- It might be a reflection of the majority of the population at a given time that the major change in government or the policy is necessary. But it might also not be that, it might be a revolution that is by a minority group that has power and acting in a way that might be opposed to the interest of the majority so that one cannot make a certain statement that every revolution or change is a reflection of the majority of the population at that time. There are revolutions purely reflect majority of the population for example the American revolution is an example for that with the American revolution against England, and there are revolutions that reflect minorities that having taken control of a country which has happen for example in some south American countries where minority interests or military interest have obtained the control of the country even though this is not reflecting the majority. So it is not possible to say that a revolution reflects the entire country at that time.

* Revolution and uprisings are the reflection of the ability of a nation which unites in a specific time period and no any power can resist it, what is the factor that unifies the abilities of a nation?
- I think the two most important factors are transparency and participations. what I mean by that is that the population is advised at all times of exactly who is in power and what the policies are of the parties that are in power, and by participation I mean that the population has given the opportunity through elections direct elections to have a voice and who the people are that actually operate those policies I think that those are the most important elements transparency and public participations.

* Revolution and uprising for rescuing a nation is different from revolutions for social reforms, to what extend revolution and uprising of an oppressed nation is the beginning of freedom for that nation?
- It’s a very important first step because as you explained the problem an oppressed nations means that people are not been given their basic rights, sovereignty justice and freedom to act as they are entitled to, and therefore; a revolution is an attempt to restore that to free people who have been improperly imprisoned and to restore a sense of justice to that country. It is extremely important first step in trying to do that.

* As the oppressed nation get their independency they face many problems in managing freedom, how to get benefit from the history of revolutions and uprisings for social independency and also social justice?
- There is an old saying that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” what happens some times, and we see this in history, is that the leaders of revolution who start out with very good ideals and very good policies once they get into the power the power corrupts them and they began to act in the ways that are not in the best interest of the rest of the population or the best interest of the nation which regard to liberties and freedoms, and we have seen people with very good original intentions who turn out not to have the ability to follow true and they become what we might call despotic. So; this goes to the point that I made it earlier which is that every revolution should be confirmed as soon as possible by free elections among the population so that the population is able to say this is exactly what we want and these are the people that we want.

* Last Question: After any revolution and uprising you see that the nation needs to restart the rebuilding process how the rebuilding process can be started after the revolution?
- It can be a very important factor because the rebuilding process is going to need assistance of outside countries assistances that rebuilding process and if there is transparence and if there is faith and good intentions and integrity of the new leaders it would be very important for third parties to come in to assist the rebuilding, because if it’s been an oppressed nation its very that at the time of the revolution the country does not have adequate resources to the rebuilding the company through of the country through infrastructures, roads and telecommunications and health care and all the kinds of important things that are necessary education to rebuild the country often the revolution comes at the time when a country does not have these resources and therefore it’s very important for the new leaders to be able to establish the confidence of outside countries and agencies to assist in the rebuilding process until that country can develop its own resources and be able to create its own infrastructures on its own capacities.

Transcription: Mahmud Samih