「Inclusive Korea 2018」 Seeking a New Policy Paradigm for Inclusion, Innovation and Peace
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[1-0] Is there democracy without social Justice? Messaoud Romdhani
Messaoud Romdhani2018.05.28
Session 1. Advent of Candlelight Democracy and New Democracy Paradigm
Keynote Presentation. Is there democracy without social Justice? Messaoud Romdhani
President, Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights
□ Just like the 2016-2017 Candlelight Struggle of South Korea, the three-week Tunisian Revolution was a civic movement, which was sparked by the self-immolation of a street vendor in the long-forgotten area of Sidi Bouzid to oust the dictator Ben Ali from power. The slogan of the revolution was “freedom, democracy and social justice.”
○ Tunisia is experiencing irreversible changes, such as expansion of human rights and desire for democracy, and turning its back on the dark past of dictatorship.
○ Civil society is as resilient as in the past and plays its role. In the summer of 2017, the Tunisian Parliament passed the laws on violence against women, prohibition of sexual harassment in public spaces, and prohibition of domestic violence. Most young people still believe that peaceful protests are the only way to get their rights.
□ Tunisia has made important strides towards enshrining basic constitutional rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of conscience and freedom of belief, in the Arab world. Yet, many observers believe that the speed of realization of social justice is very slow.
○ Although the country being the only success example in the Arab world compared to the endless violence and military dictatorship of Libya or Yemen, protests are still increasing in Tunisia even seven years after the volcanic reaction to decades of political and social repression. Such phenomenon illustrates that the country has still a long way ahead to solve social issues.
○ Youths and citizens in the underprivileged communities have begun to lose patience with lack of economic opportunities and slow social development, and such youth crisis is ignored by the Government. Therefore, the social rage started to increase.
○ The hopes and expectations of the three-week have faded away giving place to some frustration and despair.
□ Like Koreans who toppled a military dictatorship, Tunisians have ended a repressive regime showing a strong desire for democracy and human rights. Social justice is a sine qua non to achieve democracy and more examples of democracy responding to the demands of social justice other than the Tunisian case must be realized.
Keynote Presentation. Is there democracy without social Justice? Messaoud Romdhani
President, Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights
□ Just like the 2016-2017 Candlelight Struggle of South Korea, the three-week Tunisian Revolution was a civic movement, which was sparked by the self-immolation of a street vendor in the long-forgotten area of Sidi Bouzid to oust the dictator Ben Ali from power. The slogan of the revolution was “freedom, democracy and social justice.”
○ Tunisia is experiencing irreversible changes, such as expansion of human rights and desire for democracy, and turning its back on the dark past of dictatorship.
○ Civil society is as resilient as in the past and plays its role. In the summer of 2017, the Tunisian Parliament passed the laws on violence against women, prohibition of sexual harassment in public spaces, and prohibition of domestic violence. Most young people still believe that peaceful protests are the only way to get their rights.
□ Tunisia has made important strides towards enshrining basic constitutional rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of conscience and freedom of belief, in the Arab world. Yet, many observers believe that the speed of realization of social justice is very slow.
○ Although the country being the only success example in the Arab world compared to the endless violence and military dictatorship of Libya or Yemen, protests are still increasing in Tunisia even seven years after the volcanic reaction to decades of political and social repression. Such phenomenon illustrates that the country has still a long way ahead to solve social issues.
○ Youths and citizens in the underprivileged communities have begun to lose patience with lack of economic opportunities and slow social development, and such youth crisis is ignored by the Government. Therefore, the social rage started to increase.
○ The hopes and expectations of the three-week have faded away giving place to some frustration and despair.
□ Like Koreans who toppled a military dictatorship, Tunisians have ended a repressive regime showing a strong desire for democracy and human rights. Social justice is a sine qua non to achieve democracy and more examples of democracy responding to the demands of social justice other than the Tunisian case must be realized.
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