A few examples…

TUNISIA

Based on the collection of almost a thousand photos and 800 videos by a group of civil society activists throughout Tunisia in 2016, an outstanding document library on the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ was completed and formally handed to the National Archives in Tunis in March 2017. Soon to be made available to the public, the library will be used to strengthen scientific research on these developments.

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LIBYA

A unique human rights film festival brought together a hundred participants in Tripoli, to promote peaceful coexistence, dialogue and cohesion. Widely covered in the local media, the organisers screened some 70 films and documentaries from over 15 countries, including 21 Libyan films, dealing with issues of displacement and migration, armed conflicts in the region, and the status and lives of women and children. These films encouraged critical thinking, debate and civic engagement, and opened a dialogue about human rights issues among the general public.

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TUNISIA

Registered in May 2016, a Lesbian, Bisexual and Transsexual rights association rented offices and employed a coordinator to organise an intersectional feminist space by and for women, questioning gender roles and challenging the hold of patriarchy at the Tunis International Feminist Art Festival ‘Chouftouhonna’ in September 2017. The festival is the first of its kind in the region, bringing together more than 250 women and women-identifying artists from more than 50 different countries to rethink feminism and feminist issues through multiple angles. Based on the success of the event, the association is preparing local campaigns to transfer and enrich the experience from the festival and raise awareness about critical issues facing women in six remote governorates (Gafsa, Kairouan, Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte and El Kef).