It started with a young Tunisian man who set himself on fire.
Watch Leroy's report for World News Australia here
An act of desperation after authorities confiscated vegetables and produce he sold on the street without a permit.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
It triggered angry protests against Tunisia's regime which eventually toppled the government.
Emboldened by their courage, Egyptians took to the streets of the country's major cities and soon toppled their president.
Opposition movements are not new in the Middle East, so what has made these current uprisings so much more successful?
SBS reporter Leroy Ah-Ben sat down with four Gen-Y Australian Arabs and Iraqis to talk about the generation's role in the uprisings sweeping the Middle East and North Africa.
He asked them about what they thought about the role that social media played and the growing desire among young Arabs for personal freedoms.
