Interestingly enough, not everyone in Tunisia considers the revolution a good thing. I think that for the first months after the revolution the adrenaline rush that accompanies change sustained the citizens of Tunisia. The release of endorphins that erupted following the sweeping change and collective activism that spurred the ousting of the 23 year dictator Ben Ali allowed Tunisians to ignore the inevitable and uncomfortable process of democratization. However, now that they are in the middle of the somewhat painful process, many are realizing that forcing out an oppressive regime is not the same as being prepared to establish a new system.
The growing pains are many and are discussed at length. As one might have discussed the weather or soccer before, now one discusses the revolution and the results of it, what has changed and what has stayed the same. I have heard many people say (from all socioeconomic statuses) that while Ben Ali was bad for Tunisia, a corrupt gangster and a poorly educated dictator, the country functioned more smoothly under his hand. Generally people acknowledge a wide-ranging sense of lawlessness. People no longer fear the police, the police fear the people. Traffic laws have become something of a nod to order rather than a mandatory set of rules for driving. People drive as they please. Unemployment is high (as high as 30-40% among youth). In total there are 800,000 unemployed Tunisians. This is about 9.5% of the total population but more than 18% of the total active, working population.
A substantial reason for this unemployment is the sharp decline in tourism. Tourism is responsible for a large part of Tunisia's foreign exchange and is a principal driver of the economy. For example, there are nearly 8,000 Tunisians in Sousse who are or were directly employed in the tourism industry. That number doubles or even triples according to some estimates when one considers the number of people indirectly related to or employed by tourism. But, tourists are afraid of Tunisia. They fear recurring civil unrest and violence. As the new constitution is drafted and elections approach in early 2013, there is a palpable tension. Strikes are a regular activity and people are trying to assert their voices as Tunisia continues to change. So tourists who before came to lounge on the beaches travel to Morocco or the Canary Islands to avoid the potential problems in Tunisia.
My work with Apposition and Civic Engagement Organization (ACEO) is focused on job creation and job training for the time being. I am working on some grant-writing projects that will work to provide job training for youth in impoverished bedroom communities in order to try and increase the likelihood of job placement. Many of the youth in these poor suburbs make it only to 6th grade, dropping out after to find work. However, given the staggeringly high unemployment rates, there is no work, leading to higher rates of delinquency, drug use, arrest, violence etc... So our work is timely and important, but it also must be meaningful and effecting. job training for the sake of doing something is not enough: Tunisian young people must also find work.
Corruption is still a process. While in the municipal offices of one of the cities with which I am working two mornings ago, a police officer stormed in, enraged that he was asked to pay property taxes. By his estimate he was a law officer and worked for the government and actually above the need to pay his taxes. His service was enough. He was entitled to a pass. There is still a pervasive sense of entitlement among government functionaries and civil servants. It is left over from the quasi mafia/rentier state rule that Ben Ali left behind. I am interested in seeing where this leads, and how it may affect our work. For now these are just my preliminary assessments and observations. My views and opinions will obviously change, given that I have only been here for 10 days. Regardless, I leave you with the following article. Cheers, Asslama. AJ
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/05/25/the_godfathers_of_tunis?page=0,0
The growing pains are many and are discussed at length. As one might have discussed the weather or soccer before, now one discusses the revolution and the results of it, what has changed and what has stayed the same. I have heard many people say (from all socioeconomic statuses) that while Ben Ali was bad for Tunisia, a corrupt gangster and a poorly educated dictator, the country functioned more smoothly under his hand. Generally people acknowledge a wide-ranging sense of lawlessness. People no longer fear the police, the police fear the people. Traffic laws have become something of a nod to order rather than a mandatory set of rules for driving. People drive as they please. Unemployment is high (as high as 30-40% among youth). In total there are 800,000 unemployed Tunisians. This is about 9.5% of the total population but more than 18% of the total active, working population.
A substantial reason for this unemployment is the sharp decline in tourism. Tourism is responsible for a large part of Tunisia's foreign exchange and is a principal driver of the economy. For example, there are nearly 8,000 Tunisians in Sousse who are or were directly employed in the tourism industry. That number doubles or even triples according to some estimates when one considers the number of people indirectly related to or employed by tourism. But, tourists are afraid of Tunisia. They fear recurring civil unrest and violence. As the new constitution is drafted and elections approach in early 2013, there is a palpable tension. Strikes are a regular activity and people are trying to assert their voices as Tunisia continues to change. So tourists who before came to lounge on the beaches travel to Morocco or the Canary Islands to avoid the potential problems in Tunisia.
My work with Apposition and Civic Engagement Organization (ACEO) is focused on job creation and job training for the time being. I am working on some grant-writing projects that will work to provide job training for youth in impoverished bedroom communities in order to try and increase the likelihood of job placement. Many of the youth in these poor suburbs make it only to 6th grade, dropping out after to find work. However, given the staggeringly high unemployment rates, there is no work, leading to higher rates of delinquency, drug use, arrest, violence etc... So our work is timely and important, but it also must be meaningful and effecting. job training for the sake of doing something is not enough: Tunisian young people must also find work.
Corruption is still a process. While in the municipal offices of one of the cities with which I am working two mornings ago, a police officer stormed in, enraged that he was asked to pay property taxes. By his estimate he was a law officer and worked for the government and actually above the need to pay his taxes. His service was enough. He was entitled to a pass. There is still a pervasive sense of entitlement among government functionaries and civil servants. It is left over from the quasi mafia/rentier state rule that Ben Ali left behind. I am interested in seeing where this leads, and how it may affect our work. For now these are just my preliminary assessments and observations. My views and opinions will obviously change, given that I have only been here for 10 days. Regardless, I leave you with the following article. Cheers, Asslama. AJ
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/05/25/the_godfathers_of_tunis?page=0,0
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