Friday, February 4, 2011

Tunisian Lessons

I was in Tunisia about ten days ago, as a representative of Democratic Lawyers in a delegation of the euro Mediterranean Network of Human Rights. I saw an entire nation that was recovering democracy. One of the jokes that circulated was: "Until yesterday, the Tunisians spent half their day to talk about Tunisian football and half to discuss Italian football.

Now go all the way to discuss politics. " In fact, everywhere you could see small crowds, deep in discussion, made up of young and old, military and civilians, women and men. A similar phenomenon is happening now in Egypt and elsewhere may soon happen, on the shores of the Mediterranean.

The slogans shouted during the revolution were two: "I work, dignity, freedom" and "Work for all, by the criminals from power." E 'known as the Ben Ali regime, like that of Mubarak in Egypt and others, were among the most faithful execution of the neoliberal dictates of the IMF and World Bank, by virtue of which have been dismantled all systems social protection, health and education, and privatization of public wealth to the benefit of a handful of corrupt.

Among the many meetings we had during our stay in Tunis, including the one with the diplomats of the European Union. We were told that the image of Europe is still positive in Tunisia, in spite of governments such as Italian and French have done everything to deface, backing up to the last dictator Ben Ali.

"Lack of professionalism," they said, with regard to these positions. I think it is quite wrong policies and directives of collusion between the clique of Ben Ali and the homegrown. European diplomats have also told us that after the revolution, the objectives of European programs on the rule of law, democratic governance, sustainable development and human rights, could be achieved with much greater ease.

It 's true. International law sets certain goals, such as precisely those just mentioned, but the realization of them can only be based on social, political and cultural. Only if a nation is awakening, as did that of Tunisia. It should be hoped, also in the interest of international law, that this revolution will spread and grow.

Even outside of Tunisia. Even outside the Arab world.

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