Le Labo Democratique (The Democratic Lab) is a Tunisian NGO working to promote the values of the universal declaration of human rights. It aims to help create and support a lively and innovative democracy in Tunisia through research, analysis and debate, implementing specific actions, and advocating and lobbying on public authority, civil society and public opinion issues.

Image credit: Labo Democratique

Activities

The Lab has run a variety of activities and projects. These include:

• A research trip to Germany in which the Lab took a Tunisian delegation of experts, members of civil society and a representative of the Tunisian ministry of Education to Berlin in order to visit Berlin–Hohenschönhausen Memorial (a former soviet special camp and a Stasi jail), the Berlin Center for Torture Vicims and the Commissioner for Stasi archives, and discuss with political, media and civil society leaders.
• Documentary film about Tunisian secret police surveillance. (Trailer)
• Street interviews showing Tunisian public opinion on the secret police (Videos)
• Poll on the quesion  "Do you think secret police archives should be protected and transferred as soon as possible to an independant commission?"

Lectures, publications and advocacy

The Lab has organised multiple discussions, debates and workshops. A wide range of reports, conference and seminar proceedings is available on its website.

An interview with the Lab's president is available to read in French here.