Tunisia Civil Society wins Nobel Peace Prize
A victory for the heroes of dialogue
Francesca Bellino 9 October 2015

It is therefore a reward for national dialogue, the path Tunisia followed to resolve the 2013 political crisis following month of stalemate and tension that worsened after the assassination of two opponents, Choukri Belaid and Mohammad Brahmi.

The first leader to invite politicians to establish a dialogue as early as 2012 has been Choukri Belaid. Tunisians now remember him and keep alive their pride in having managed to establish a dialogue with no external mediation.

The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was formed in the summer of 2013, “when the democratisation process was in danger of collapsing as a result of political assassinations and widespread social unrest.” Its contribution, therefore, was essential for resuming the democratic transition process.

The Quartet “established an alternative, peaceful political process at a time when the country was on the brink of civil war,” a political process described as “extraordinary” in the motivation, since, in a region torn by conflicts, it proved that “Islamist and secular political movements can work together to achieve significant results in the country’s best interests.” The work done by the Quartet and by civil society was therefore crucial “in enabling Tunisia, in the space of a few years, to establish a constitutional system of government guaranteeing fundamental rights for the entire population, irrespective of gender, political conviction or religious belief.”

The quartet comprised the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH), and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers (ONAT).

The prize was announced by Kaci Kullman Five, president of the Norwegian Committee for the Nobel Prize, the first woman ever appointed, and she will present the award in Oslo on December 10th.

This is the first time the prize has been awarded to Tunisia and, as the Committee underlined is seen as “an encouragement to the Tunisian people […] and an example to be followed by other countries.”

Tunisian civil society and the Tunisian people have received many congratulations and compliments from  all over the world. “Such news proves that the picture is not entirely black,” said Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi, congratulating the Quartet and remembering the importance of national unity in order to address the challenges awaiting Tunisia, in particular terrorism threatening the country.

France’s President François Hollande emphasised that the Nobel Prize is “an encouragement to support Tunisia. A great example also set for the war on terror.”

UGTT Secretary General Houcine Abbassi said, “We expected the prize in 2014 and instead we came second. But everything comes in time. This time we won and we are proud.”

Read the full motivation of the Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2015 is to be awarded to the Tunisian national dialogue quartet for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011. The quartet was formed in the summer of 2013 when the democratisation process was in danger of collapsing as a result of political assassinations and widespread social unrest. It established an alternative, peaceful political process at a time when the country was on the brink of civil war. It was thus instrumental in enabling Tunisia, in the space of a few years, to establish a constitutional system of government guaranteeing fundamental rights for the entire population, irrespective of gender, political conviction or religious belief.

The national dialogue quartet has comprised four key organisations in Tunisian civil society: the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT, Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail), the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA, Union Tunisienne de l’Industrie, du Commerce et de l’Artisanat), the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH, La Ligue Tunisienne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme), and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers (Ordre National des Avocats de Tunisie). These organizations represent different sectors and values in Tunisian society: working life and welfare, principles of the rule of law and human rights. On this basis, the quartet exercised its role as a mediator and driving force to advance peaceful democratic development in Tunisia with great moral authority. The Nobel Peace Prize for 2015 is awarded to this quartet, not to the four individual organizations as such.

The Arab Spring originated in Tunisia in 2010-2011, but quickly spread to a number of countries in North Africa and the Middle East. In many of these countries, the struggle for democracy and fundamental rights has come to a standstill or suffered setbacks. Tunisia, however, has seen a democratic transition based on a vibrant civil society with demands for respect for basic human rights.

An essential factor for the culmination of the revolution in Tunisia in peaceful, democratic elections last autumn was the effort made by the quartet to support the work of the constituent assembly and to secure approval of the constitutional process among the Tunisian population at large. The quartet paved the way for a peaceful dialogue between the citizens, the political parties and the authorities and helped to find consensus-based solutions to a wide range of challenges across political and religious divides. The broad-based national dialogue that the quartet succeeded in establishing countered the spread of violence in Tunisia and its function is therefore comparable to that of the peace congresses to which Alfred Nobel refers in his will.

The course that events have taken in Tunisia since the fall of the authoritarian Ben Ali regime in January 2011 is unique and remarkable for several reasons. Firstly, it shows that Islamist and secular political movements can work together to achieve significant results in the country’s best interests. The example of Tunisia thus underscores the value of dialogue and a sense of national belonging in a region marked by conflict. Secondly, the transition in Tunisia shows that civil society institutions and organizations can play a crucial role in a country’s democratization, and that such a process, even under difficult circumstances, can lead to free elections and the peaceful transfer of power. The national dialogue quartet must be given much of the credit for this achievement and for ensuring that the benefits of the Jasmine Revolution have not been lost.

Tunisia faces significant political, economic and security challenges. The Norwegian Nobel Committee hopes that this year’s prize will contribute towards safeguarding democracy in Tunisia and be an inspiration to all those who seek to promote peace and democracy in the Middle East, North Africa and the rest of the world. More than anything, the prize is intended as an encouragement to the Tunisian people, who despite major challenges have laid the groundwork for a national fraternity which the Committee hopes will serve as an example to be followed by other countries.”

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