Forward Thinking hold meetings in Tunisia, 24th-29th April 2015

Forward Thinking's Political Dialogues Director, Julian Weinberg, and Project Officer, Harry Higginson, travelled to Tunisia to hold bilateral meetings with both senior politicians, youth activists and representatives from the international community. The visit was Forward Thinking's first since the conclusion of the Tunisian Political Pluralism Dialogue Project (TPPDP) in November 2014 and provided an valuable opportunity to discuss recent developments in Tunisia.Meetings were held with a diverse group of individuals, including parliamentarians, trade unionists, representatives of the business community, activists from civil society and politicians from many of Tunisia's leading parties, providing Forward Thinking with a holistic overview of the current political situation. Meetings were also held with several Government Ministers that previously participated in the TPPDP, including Amel Azzouz (Secretary of State for International Cooperation), Mahmoud Ben Romdhane (Minister of Transport) and Zied Ladhari (Minister for Vocational Training and Employment), where discussions focused on the challenges facing the country and the need for continued international support.In addition to bilateral meetings, Forward Thinking also held a small roundtable with youth activists from across the political spectrum to explore how young Tunisians view events in the country following elections and the creation of the Habib Essid government. Many of the activists spoke of their frustrations at a perceived lack of progress, particularly in the economic sphere, since the 2011 Revolution and their frustration at the continued marginalisation of  younger Tunisians within politics.