Context
Tunisia's 2011 revolution marked a hopeful transition towards democracy, led by youths envisioning a politically participative and socially just future. However, a decade on, the promised democratic shift has largely bypassed those young leaders and supporters, resulting in significant disillusionment. Despite youth-led mobilizations being at the forefront of social activism, their absence from formal politics is stark. This disillusionment culminated with the widespread support for the July 25th, 2021 coup, highlighting the deep-seated frustration with the slow pace of democratic progress.
Challenge
Young Tunisians face exclusion from political opportunities and lack a platform to express their concerns and shape their future. Despite constitutional reforms and electoral laws aimed at improving youth and gender representation, participation remains disappointingly low. For instance, only 32.6% of voters under 35 participated in the 2018 municipal elections. Additionally, youth involvement in civil society organizations (CSOs) is minimal, with only a small percentage active in the thousands of associations registered across the country.
Objectives
The project focuses on reigniting youth participation in both political and civil society spheres by aligning with their aspirations and integrating them into decision-making processes. It aims to amplify their role in formal politics and ensure their visions for social justice, full citizenship, and sustainable development are at the forefront of Tunisia's political and social agenda. Strengthening the capacity of CSOs to engage and represent youth interests effectively is also a key objective.
Project Impact
By revitalizing youth engagement in Tunisia's political and civic life, this project stands as a bulwark for the country's democratic values, norms, and practices. It seeks to ensure the continuation and growth of democratic principles among younger generations, thereby preventing a backtrack in Tunisia's political development. The project envisions fostering a more inclusive and participatory governance model that reflects the aspirations of the entire Tunisian society, particularly its youth.
Funding and Partnerships
This initiative is funded by Porticus, showcasing a commitment to addressing the crucial issue of limited youth participation. The project collaborates with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including local CSOs, educational institutions, and governmental bodies, to ensure a multifaceted approach to re-engaging Tunisian youth. These partnerships, supported by Porticus' funding, aim to generate a sustainable and impactful model not only for Tunisia's democratic transition but also as a beacon for youth engagement worldwide.
This conference explored how media and negative stereotypes affected youth participation in public life, with presentations and debates involving researchers, civil society organizations, and activists. It addressed regional stereotypes that cause discrimination and highlighted youth initiatives to combat negative narratives.
The event was held on June 22, 2024, at Cinéma Le Rio in Tunis, with Arabic as the working language and simultaneous translation available on-site and via Zoom.
Documentary
This short documentary tells the story of an important initiative that aimed to re-ignite youth participation in Tunisia during the challenging “De-Transition” period from 2022 to 2024. The project kicked off in January 2023, bringing together youth and local councilors through focus groups, interviews, and capacity-building activities in Kairouan and Kabaria. Throughout the year, it produced key reports on the experiences of young female local councilors and the shifting perceptions of democracy among Tunisian youth. The documentary follows these activities, highlighting the efforts to bridge the gap between young people and formal politics. It also features youth-local councilor exchange events and captures the closing conference, which reflects on the project's impact and explores the future of youth involvement in Tunisia’s public life.
Explore "Tunisia's Youth: Power of Participation" a dedicated page, showcasing the efforts of young Tunisian. This platform features a diverse collection of audiovisual outputs, including insightful interviews with our project partners, a compelling documentary, and creative works by youth from Kairouan and Kabaria. These materials highlight the tenacious spirit of young Tunisians as they influence and reshape their political environment.
