Protesters in 2013. The Arab spring began in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, in January 2011. Image credit: Amine Ghrabi.Tunisia was the country where the Arab Spring began in 2011, with the removal of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali from power. Four years on, the country has been through social and political upheaval, which culminated in the peaceful election of Beji Caid Essebsi last December.
The transition from the long rule of Ben Ali to parliamentary democracy has been uncertain, and punctuated by some acts of shocking violence, such as the Bardo Museum and Sousse beach attacks earlier this year.
But Tunisian civil society - its journalists, activists, NGOs and campaigners - has refused to bow before such acts.
And our new Local Correspondent in Tunisia, Nissaf Slama, is an inspiring young member of that society, part of the new generation reporting on a country still in flux but looking to the future.
As our expert on Tunisian peacebuilding, she has been researching local organisations working to build a fairer society and ensure social justice in Tunisia. Many of them aim to secure civil and political rights for Tunisians.
They include Damja and Mawjoudin, which advocate for greater LGBT rights, promoting social inclusion for a peaceful society; Youth Decides, which runs coding academies, training young people to support employment and an emerging Tunisian start-up culture; and Mouwaten/a, a collective of graffiti artists who create street murals pushing for the full recognition of freedom of speech and civil liberties.
Many of these groups only formed recently, testament to the changes taking place in Tunisia. We know that there will be more, and we are looking forward to learning about their work. Please check back as we expand our coverage of this vibrant country.
