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Culture Vanessa Szakal 25 December 2017

In a town where « nothing has changed »: Documentary Film Festival of Redeyef

This year’s Documentary Film Festival of Redeyef (RFDR) takes place December 20-24, in the town whose name is almost synonymous with Tunisia’s phosphate industry and its deleterious effects on the surrounding populations and environment. Although the mining basin revolt of 2008 is considered a precursor to the Tunisian revolution in 2011, in 2017 residents affirm without hesitation that here in Redeyef, « nothing has changed ». Now in its fourth year, the RFDR, funded by the Rosa Luxembourg Foundation, is pushing to establish a perennial film festival here, a so-called difficult terrain that is parched for sustainable cultural outlets.

American aid: In spite of Trump’s cuts, Congress bets on Tunisia’s “success”

How much will US Congress carve out for Tunisia in 2018? The jury is still out, and even though the fiscal year began October 1, Washington has yet to approve the new budget, including foreign funding amounts. An article* published earlier this month on The Hill urges senators to remember Tunisia while finalizing the budget for the coming year. « Tunisia is an American ‘soft power’ success story—let’s keep it that way », the author writes, arguing that with US foreign assistance « there is reason to believe that the rule of law and democratic institutions will prevail », whereas cuts in funding to the country would represent « a serious mistake ».

Trump’s decision about Jerusalem has Tunisians, indignant, out in the streets

In Tunis, the decision announced by Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has thrown a cog into machine, breaking the rhythm of daily life. If public outcry was foreseeable following such a declaration, it has not lessened the sense of indignation that has been expressed throughout Tunisia since Wednesday, December 6.

Celebrating Mouled : Harvest season begins in Tunisia’s Aleppo pine forests

On December 1, Tunisians celebrated the birth of the prophet Muhammad with assidat zgougou, a pudding-like dessert garnished with nuts, dried fruits, and candies. For one day out of the year, families savor this uniquely Tunisian treat made from zgougou, seed of the Aleppo pine tree that grows abundantly throughout the Mediterranean. With some 360 thousand acres of Aleppo pine forest in Kasserine, Siliana, Kef and Bizerte, Tunisia is the only country where the tree’s black-grey seeds are harvested for human consumption.

بيئة Vanessa Szakal 01 ديسمبر 2017

الزقوقو: ستة أشهر من العمل الشاق من أجل الاحتفال بيوم واحد

يُصادف أول يوم من شهر ديسمبر لهذه السنة، ذكرى المولد النبويّ، الذّي يحتفل به التونسيّون عادة بإعداد ما يعرف بعصيدة الزقوقو. موسم جني الصنوبر الحلبي، المعروف محليّا باسم “الزقوقو”، انطلق منذ بداية شهر نوفمبر الجاري في شمال البلاد أين تتواجد أشجار الصنوبر بكثافة. إثر لقاء جمعنا بمحمد مختار، مدير وكالة استغلال الغابات، التابعة لوزارة الفلاحة، والتّي تقدّم كلّ موسم عرض طلب لاستغلال مقاسم غابات الصنوبر الحلبيّ، توّجه فريق نواة إلى أحد غابات بنزرت أين انتقلت خمس عائلات بأسرها لتعمل حتّى شهر ماي في جني حبوب “الزقوقو”. في قصّة الباي، بمعتمديّة ماطر، وعلى امتداد 50 هكتارا، تنتشر بعض الخيام الرثّة التي تأوي العملة وعائلاتهم خلال موسم الجني الذّي يتزامن مع فصل الشتاء الصعب في تلك المنطقة الجبليّة.

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Society Translation : Vanessa Szakal 22 November 2017

“Skadra”, a short documentary by Nawaat

Mohamed Aziz Khlifi, 16 years old, is from the delegation of Bir Lahfay in Sidi Bouzid. Walid Lahmar, 27 years old, is from Bir Ali Ben Khelifa in Sfax. Mohamed Ali Ferjani, 32 years old, is originally from Chneni, Gabes. The three of them were on board a boat to cross illegally from the coast of Kerkennah to Italy on October 8, 2017. These are three survivors of the collision with a Tunisian military ship. After the “Skadra” incident, they have returned to the reality they had set out to escape.

Zabaltuna: Bringing orientalist figures back to life in Tunisia’s dirtiest landscapes

A buxom young woman steps lightly from the water, carrying a jug at her hip and holding her sefsari above her head. Hooped earrings hanging down to her throat, bangles on her wrists, gold coins across her chest. She emerges, barefoot onto a muddy shore strewn with—red bottle caps, a packet of Camel blue cigarettes, empty plastic bottles. A fare 18th century maiden in a most unlikely environment. The scene is one of many diffused via Zabaltuna, a digital campaign that denounces Tunisia’s waste management problem, an increasingly noxious environmental and public health issue especially since 2011.

New security draft law portends return of police state in Tunisia

On November 15, after nearly two weeks of fervent critique and promises of public demonstration, the Interior Ministry stepped in to stay a polarized debate around a bill concerning the repression of abuses against armed forces. In an attempt to appease security unions backing the measure and civil society groups opposing it, Interior Minister Lotfi Brahem insisted before parliament’s General Legislation Commission on Wednesday that the Ministry is taking the concerns of all sides into consideration. Brahem proposed the creation of a joint committee to draft a new law that will protect security agents and their families « with consideration for human rights principles and in respect of constitutional provisions ». For now, the current controversial text remains in parliament for further examination.

When cartoonists meet students and prisoners to see Tunisia from “different angles”

Over the next year, Tunisian cartoonists will take turns drawing and debating with students and prisoners throughout the country. « Dessinons la paix et la démocratie » [Let’s draw peace and democracy], is a collaborative project of Cartooning for Peace, the Arab Institute for Human Rights (IADH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). A two-day training which took place September 6-7 at the IADH in Tunis marked a first exchange between after-school educators, prison staff and six cartoonists.

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سياسة صحفي : Vanessa Szakal 05 أكتوبر 2017

حصيلة السنة البرلمانية 2016/2017: قبة باردو، قاطرة النظام السياسي المعطّبة

تزامناً مع انطلاق السنة البرلمانية الرابعة، وجب التوقف على حصيلة عمل مجلس نوّاب الشعب خلال السنة الفارطة . مثقلا بالإخلالات […]

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Culture Vanessa Szakal 22 September 2017

From graffiti to gallery: Stepping into the universe of Jawher Soudani

Moustached, tatoo-clad characters, toothy creatures with large heads and tiny wings, speech bubbles containing gangly Arabic script invade whatever empty space Jawher Soudani gets his hands on. Vacant walls and buildings in Sfax, Kef, Sousse, Hammamet, Beja, Djerba and Gabes—the artist’s birthplace—have provided an outdoor canvas for Soudani, more commonly known by passers-by as Va-Jo. This September marks a first: a solo exposition at Atelier Y in La Marsa, Tunis.

“Chouftouhonna”: feminist art festival takes over Tunisia’s National Theater

September 7-10, the International Feminist Art Festival of Tunis, Chouftouhonna, took place at the National Theater in the capital’s old neighborhood of Halfaouine. The former palace of Grand Vizier Khaznadar, rarely open to the public, was transformed for the event into a living museum: for four full days, every corner of the palace, its renovated theater, gallery rooms, courtyard, dim hallways and bright stairwells were occupied by art installations, performances, workshops and debates animated by women. Since the first edition in 2015, the festival has grown three-fold, drawing not only new participants, but artists and activists from near and far who affirm that they are in it for the long-run.

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Politics Translation : Vanessa Szakal 13 September 2017

Tunisian parliament’s intentional failure in the fight against corruption

A year has now passed since Youssef Chahed’s government received a majority of parliamentary votes: 167 for, 22 against and 5 abstained. In his inauguration speech on 16 August 2016, Chahed announced that his government «places the fight against corruption as second priority after the war on terrorism, and is committed to supporting government control mechanisms and organisms specialized in the domain ». The Prime Minister also pledged to undertake the preparation of texts relating to fighting corruption. But in the year following these declarations, the Assembly’s performance has not been up to par with political propaganda for the fight against corruption.

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Rights Translation : Vanessa Szakal 11 September 2017

Interview with Moroccan Prince Moulay Hicham after his expulsion from Tunisia

Researcher at Harvard University and third in the order of succession to the Moroccan throne, Hicham Alaoui was expelled from Tunisia on 8 September 2017, few hours after landing in Tunis. The Boston resident, nicknamed the « red prince », was to speak in an academic symposium on Sunday organized by Stanford University. In spite of our numerous requests, Tunisian authorities have refused to reveal the motives behind their decision. Moulay Hicham, who is known for his critical views on authoritarianism in the Arab world and Morocco in particular, responded to Nawaat’s questions. Interview.

Le travail de fourmi de Mounir Baaziz pour une Mutuelle Tunisienne des Artistes

Après quatre ans de lutte, la mutuelle tunisienne des artistes, des créateurs et des techniciens du milieu culturel est devenue une réalité. L’arrêté du 8 août 2017 paru dans le Journal Officiel de la République Tunisienne (JORT) du 25 août 2017, consacre sa structure, ainsi que son statut légal et indépendant. A travers cette « structure de solidarité » impliquant tous les intervenants du secteur culturel, les fondateurs de la mutuelle, un groupe d’artistes et de syndicalistes persévérants, pourront mieux défendre les réformes qu’ils proposent pour une couverture sociale décente et inclusive. Au premier rang, Mounir Baaziz, un infatigable cinéaste déterminé.

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Politics Translation : Vanessa Szakal 22 August 2017

Municipal elections: youth abstain, women to participate in greater numbers

Voter registration for municipal elections closed on 10 August 2017, and Tunisia’s Independent Elections Authority, the ISIE, announced its decision not to extend the process, in spite of relatively low turnout. On August 11, the ISIE released the results of the two-month registration period: 535,784 new voters and 92,201 updated registrations for a total of 5,373,845 voters who will participate in local elections on December 17.

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Economy Vanessa Szakal 21 August 2017

The Medina of Tunis: back to business for the old city’s craftsmen and vendors?

Towards the beginning of the summer months, Tunisia’s Ministry of Tourism and sector operators announced their expectations for an improved tourist season. At the start of June, the National Tourism Office (ONTT) calculated the number of tourist arrivals for January through May 2017 to be nearly double (46.2%) that of the same period last year. Media reports on the ONTT’s numbers displayed a range of enthusiasm « It’s going much better! »—to reserved optimism—« Tourism is going (a little bit) better ». On the ground, Tunisia’s seaside hotels are mostly full, its beaches packed with locals and visitors from near and far. Air-conditioned restaurants and cafés are bustling. The shaded, winding passageways of Tunis’ Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are also teeming with people. Does this mean that business is in full swing for the souk’s craftsmen and vendors?

Local elections: What about Tunisians living abroad?

Voter registration for Tunisia’s municipal elections closed on August 10, bringing the total number of citizens registered to over 5.7 million. Of the 1.3 million Tunisians living abroad, 8,838 registered to vote in the elections scheduled for December 17th. As the country prepares for its first district-level elections since the revolution, the Fédération des Tunisiens pour une Citoyenneté des deux Rives (FTCR) and partnering organizations are leading a discussion on the role of Tunisian immigrants in local governance in their towns and cities of origin.