Editors' foreword.

• Position: Editorial

In the last five years, the world has watched citizens, activists, and students come together to make their voices heard. On the worn bricks of city streets and in the muddied grass of public parks, demands for participatory government, respect for human rights, and the abdication of authoritative regimes have manifested into citizen-led action. On the Maidan, or Independence Square, in Kyiv, Ukrainian citizen demonstrations brought about the flight of a president, a new government, and the beginning of significant reforms. Cairo's Tahrir Square was the home of two massive uprisings, wherein Egyptian citizens rejected governments and had a part in ousting presidents Hosni Mubarak and Mohamed Morsi. The Jasmine Revolution, in Tunisia, eventually led to a democratization of the country and free elections. Bahrainis, since 2011, have been embroiled in conflict with the island nation's government on behalf of greater political freedom. And the world's youngest nation, South Sudan, is experiencing civil insurgency aimed at making its new system of government more adaptable and responsive to its people.

Protests, revolutions, and uprisings are not new methods of political and social action. But in the modern era, demonstrators find themselves equipped with new tools to better organize, communicate, and be heard. Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets have allowed people to circumnavigate government crackdowns on digital communications. Databases are being constructed to store and analyze movements to better predict--and assist--participatory efforts. New technologies, such as drones, may afford authorities better measures of crowd control, but they have also been adapted by everyday citizens to benefit grassroots efforts.

The editorial board is pleased to bring you this issue of the Journal of International Affairs on the topic of protests and revolutions in the 21st century. This issue examines the methodologies of citizen participation in civil movements and seeks to understand the characteristics of a movement that results in political or social change. The new implications of advanced technology, social media, and an interconnected world are approached through both qualitative and quantitative assessments. Some of the broad underpinnings of revolutionary environments, such as energy systems and political economy, are also discussed. Finally, specific regional case studies are presented on the movements in South Sudan, Thailand, and...