A Most Unlikely Hero: The Man Behind the Martyr and the Real Roots of the Arab Spring”.

This one-hour documentary, presented by Hernando de Soto, will, for the first time, document the human and economic reasons behind the Arab uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East and present remedies that will enable the region to prosper. Change is finally coming to the Maghreb. There is now a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reframe the debate, demonstrate the power of free markets, streamlined regulations, and entrepreneurship, and influence laws and policy. De Soto’s research addresses the dreams of the vast majority in the region. Citizens and leaders are now far more receptive to his views and newly freed-media outlets can now spread his message. This is a unique opportunity to create a multi-faceted program, in English and Arabic, designed for distribution to both the US and the Mid-East and North Africa, including robust distribution to thought leaders. An epilog in the English version will reveal that the US also suffers from these problems. Throughout, the program will follow de Soto and the ILD, starting at Ground Zero for what has become known as Arab Spring: the small Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid where the pent-up longings of thousands of poor entrepreneurs, ignited by Mohamed Bouazizi’s suicide, triggered tumultuous changes. With Bouazizi’s tale, a true story, the program will present new ILD data on the obstacles people face. ILD research in the region, reveals that red tape and corruption are worse than anyplace they have studied. In the last six months, ILD has uncovered new information that highlights the economic roots of the current events, and further confirms Desoto’s theses. De Soto summarizes: "Throughout the region the story is the same. The true path to stability rests in the region's single common denominator: the informal marketplace. The Arab consensus ahead is about more than emancipating the entrepreneurial spirit; it’s about resolving the institutional deficiencies that make most Arabs desperately poor."