Forward Thinking hold meetings in Tunisia, 24-27 September

As part of the Tunisian Political Pluralism Dialogue Process, Julian Weinberg and Harry Higginson travelled to the country to hold a series of bilateral meetings with participants involved in the Process. The visit came at a tense time politically, as the government and the opposition continued to struggle to resolve the crisis that has gripped Tunisia since the assassination of Mohamed Brahmi. Over the course of the visit the team met with senior politicians (linked to both government and opposition parties), members of the judiciary, journalists, civil society activists and several European Embassies, which served to provide Forward Thinking with a comprehensive overview of the current situation. Julian and Harry were also invited to the National Constituent Assembly, where they met representatives of the Troika to discuss Forward Thinking's work in the country.Additionally, on the 27th September the team held a roundtable discussion that focused on how to integrate young Tunisians into the political process. Several topics were discussed extensively at the roundtable, such as  how to address the economic challenges that face young Tunisians; youth perceptions of the country's political elite; and the divergent opinions on how important the secular/Islamist divide is in Tunisia. The roundtable was well attended and brought together participants from across Tunisia's political spectrum, including: senior figures within CPR, youth members from some of the opposition parties (Nidaa Tounes, Joumhouri and the Democratic Alliance) ; and activists from a range of "rejectionist" youth organisations such as UGET and Tamarod.