Tunisian diaspora has long remained silent for fear of reprisals from the regime. Only a handful of activists protested his opposition to dictatorship. Today, young immigrants are involved in mass politics and want to hear their voices from their homeland. Rafiq Barakat, Franco-Tunisian, 32, took his card in a Tunisian party with some friends after the flight of President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.
"This is the revolution that made me commit myself, I wanted to change the policy of my country," he exclaims. Yet Mr. Barakat does not aspire to return to Tunisia. He fights through social networks. "The Tunisian community abroad is a weight to be heard in power there, there's plenty to do here." Indeed, 10% of Tunisians living abroad.
600,000 are in France and invest more in the former opposition parties. In Paris, the community buzzing, rallies and political initiatives are proliferating. Mohamed Lakhdar Ellala is a member of the Political Bureau of Ettajdid in Paris. This post-Communist party legalized in 1994, had four seats in Parliament during the dictatorship.
Lakhdar Ellala, who also chairs the Association of Tunisians in France (ATF) wants to bring the voices of emigrants to the new Parliament. Supported by other organizations, the ATF has issued Feb. 25 a letter to the President of the High political reforms in order to seek introduction into the future electoral law "right to vote and stand for Tunisians resident abroad in parliamentary elections and [the] right to choose, among them representatives.
"The emigrants have always been considered a mere windfall of foreign exchange, today we want to change it," proclaims Rabeh Arfaoui, also a member of the ATF. The emergence of several politicians binational expatriate elites encouraged to put their skills to the new administration, even the most enthusiastic are accused of opportunism by those at home, leads the revolution.
The Tunisian Association of Grandes Ecoles (ATUGE) encourages its members for twenty years to work in Tunisia. Controversial for its passivity during the years of dictatorship, however ATUGE denies having ever "rolled for anyone." Three of the members became ministers of the transitional government, Mehdi Houas, Jalloul Ayed and Elyes Jouini, who left in the luggage of Mohamed Ghannouchi, the former prime minister.
"In our circle of active members and loved ones, we see a strong desire to go out there and help rebuild the country, especially among younger," says Maher Barbour, president of the France-ATUGE . During the twenty-three years of dictatorship, a small number of activists of human rights, global justice and Arab nationalists, was the fight against Ben Ali at arms length from France.
In the 2000s, they were joined by younger, who spread their message on the Internet. The historical associations of emigration, as the Tunisian Federation for citizenship on both sides (FTCR), were first the airlock through which committed many young people. They are now surrounded by a galaxy group of students who wish to be agents of change, like Action of Tunisia, which was formed on January 13, the eve of the fall of the regime.
Omeyya Seddik chose to return to Tunis, but keeps one foot in Paris to act as from France. Movement of former Immigration and Suburbs (MIB) and various other groups, pitting Ben Ali for the first time, it is part of a group of Tunisians who is in fact the political bureau of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP ) in France.
There is also a member of the FTCR, which has long taken the claims of the emigrants. These two organizations have always been opposed to Mr Ben Ali radically. He and his comrades prefer "complete revolution" rather than "share the cake." Today, the PDP with all his recruits young activists in France, taking care to discourage those whose main ambition is to make a career.
Antoine Bouthier 
"This is the revolution that made me commit myself, I wanted to change the policy of my country," he exclaims. Yet Mr. Barakat does not aspire to return to Tunisia. He fights through social networks. "The Tunisian community abroad is a weight to be heard in power there, there's plenty to do here." Indeed, 10% of Tunisians living abroad.
600,000 are in France and invest more in the former opposition parties. In Paris, the community buzzing, rallies and political initiatives are proliferating. Mohamed Lakhdar Ellala is a member of the Political Bureau of Ettajdid in Paris. This post-Communist party legalized in 1994, had four seats in Parliament during the dictatorship.
Lakhdar Ellala, who also chairs the Association of Tunisians in France (ATF) wants to bring the voices of emigrants to the new Parliament. Supported by other organizations, the ATF has issued Feb. 25 a letter to the President of the High political reforms in order to seek introduction into the future electoral law "right to vote and stand for Tunisians resident abroad in parliamentary elections and [the] right to choose, among them representatives.
"The emigrants have always been considered a mere windfall of foreign exchange, today we want to change it," proclaims Rabeh Arfaoui, also a member of the ATF. The emergence of several politicians binational expatriate elites encouraged to put their skills to the new administration, even the most enthusiastic are accused of opportunism by those at home, leads the revolution.
The Tunisian Association of Grandes Ecoles (ATUGE) encourages its members for twenty years to work in Tunisia. Controversial for its passivity during the years of dictatorship, however ATUGE denies having ever "rolled for anyone." Three of the members became ministers of the transitional government, Mehdi Houas, Jalloul Ayed and Elyes Jouini, who left in the luggage of Mohamed Ghannouchi, the former prime minister.
"In our circle of active members and loved ones, we see a strong desire to go out there and help rebuild the country, especially among younger," says Maher Barbour, president of the France-ATUGE . During the twenty-three years of dictatorship, a small number of activists of human rights, global justice and Arab nationalists, was the fight against Ben Ali at arms length from France.
In the 2000s, they were joined by younger, who spread their message on the Internet. The historical associations of emigration, as the Tunisian Federation for citizenship on both sides (FTCR), were first the airlock through which committed many young people. They are now surrounded by a galaxy group of students who wish to be agents of change, like Action of Tunisia, which was formed on January 13, the eve of the fall of the regime.
Omeyya Seddik chose to return to Tunis, but keeps one foot in Paris to act as from France. Movement of former Immigration and Suburbs (MIB) and various other groups, pitting Ben Ali for the first time, it is part of a group of Tunisians who is in fact the political bureau of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP ) in France.
There is also a member of the FTCR, which has long taken the claims of the emigrants. These two organizations have always been opposed to Mr Ben Ali radically. He and his comrades prefer "complete revolution" rather than "share the cake." Today, the PDP with all his recruits young activists in France, taking care to discourage those whose main ambition is to make a career.
Antoine Bouthier
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