zizou from Djerba

J'ai été vraiment choqué par l'annonce de l'arrestation de Aziz Amami. Après le poids médiatique que Aziz a acquis lors de la révolution et suite son emprisonnement en 2011, on aurait pensé que l'appareil policier ne toucherait plus à une icone qui symbolise le combat d'une certaine jeunesse pour la liberté, les droit de l'homme et la démocratie. Cette arrestation est venue à un moment délicat de la transition et donne une enième preuve au retour des anciennes pratiques. Cette police se venge et perpetue des pratiques qu'on croyait révolus, liés à la politique des anciens gouvernements... Eh ben non! Cette police et cet appareil de justice est un etat dans l'etat et continuera à l'etre puisque ni le gouvernement, ni l'assemblée ou les partis politiques ne bougent pas le petit doigt pour changer les choses. Cette arrestation envoit un message négatif aux jeunes révolutionnaires qui plus que jamais doivent continuer le combat. La vague d'i...

Kesang Marstrand, a native of Woodstock New York, got her start performing her songs in pubs and cafés in Greenwhich Village. From a Tibetan-Danish descent, Kesang Marstrand just moved back to New York City after spending four years in Carthage, Tunisia. While in Tunisia, cradle of arab spring, she became famous for reinterpreting Tunisia's national anthem and for being present during the uprising. The reinterpretation was described by many as the revolution theme song . Marstrand was a prime witness and the only american musician established in Tunisia during this historical period.  For her comeback on a NYC scene,  Marstrand will be playing at the Bitter End on April 24th at 7pm. Established in 1961, The Bitter End is the oldest rock and roll club in New York City. The classic red brick stage backdrop and intimate vibe make this historic venue almost as iconic as its headliners. For over 50 years, our audiences have been blown away by legendary artists like St...

J'ai une passion de pari sur tout ce qui est nouveau et qui risque de marcher dans le futur. J'ai partagé cette passion dans ce blog en annoncant aux Tunisiens que Obama deviendra le prochain president des US alors qu'il etait encore sénateur, j'ai également annoncé que facebook allait faire des ravages ou bien que ce qui se passait en Tunisie en Janvier 2011 allait toucher tout le monde arabe. Cette passion je l'ai également partagé sur la radio tunisienne Express FM ou j'animais une chronique quotidienne: "The next Biig Thing"pendant plus de deux ans... Je repasse donc aujourd'hui par ce blog pour partager le phénomène qu'est devenu l'application WeChat dans certains milieux aux Etats Unis et surtout en chine ou cette application compte plus de 300 millions d'utilisateurs (équivalente a Skype). Meme si facebook garde de beaux jours devant lui, je peux imaginer nos jeunes ados adopter WeChat, ceux qui cherchent a trouver l'ame...

Ennahda's Rached Ghannouchi is again in Washington. I do not recall the exact number of times Ghannouchi visited Washington since the revolution but it is definitely the highest number of visits ever made by a Tunisian political party leader to Washington since Tunisia's independence. The number of visits also contrasts with the lack of presence in more influential capitals like Brussels or Paris. So why Ghannouchi comes so often to Washington? (If you are meeting him this week, I think you should ask him the question ;-). First, it is an issue of access. Radwan Masmoudi, The founder of the Center of Islam and Democracy, who organizes most of Ghannouchi's trips, events and appointments has worked in Washington and know people there while his connections in cities such as Paris or London are limited. Second, Ghannouchi's visits to Washington are covered positively in the Tunisian press regardless of who he meets and what each visit achieves. Third, there is a who...

In the last 10 years, I have been traveling between the US and Tunisia. Many of my friends asked me for tips. So here I am, offering you all what I have learned. 1- Buying your ticket I usually buy my ticket at least one month in advance. I avoid buying it in high season such as July August and November / December even if the trip is scheduled in low season (ex: avoid buying in christmas time if you want to travel in Februrary). I usually search for tickets through kayak.com but I recently have discovered Happyroute.com and I kind of like it. I also purchased tickets from Vayama, Orbitz and Expedia et and on different airline sites. If you buy your ticket out-bounding from Tunis thinking that it is cheaper you are wrong. This myth used to be true in the past but no longer stands in this period of globalization. I also strongly discourage those who buy two different tickets: Let's say a ticket to Montreal then fly Syphax to Tunis ;-) or a Tunisair Ticket to P...

Here I am again. In Addis Ababa for the African Union Summit. This is my third visit to Addis and I have to say that the city changed a lot in just one year. Here you can see what double digit economic growth means. Hotels are booming and their quality of service is increasing.  Addis as many cities in africa is boosted by the China Africa trade that is currently happening. At the hotel where I am staying every single piece of furniture is from China. It feels like the owner has ordered his hotel online :-) from one single store. Walking around the city makes you realize the ongoing development that is currently taking place in Africa. You can see a growing middle class shopping, high buildings. large boulevards, restaurant, clubs and also so much poverty, malnutrition and pollution. But the trend is there, Addis is rising like most of the african cities. I feel so lucky to be able to observe this first hand, so lucky to be part of this change...

L'amendement adopté de l'article 38 ne passe pas encore "agit pour l’enracinement de l’identité arabo-musulmane ainsi que l'ancrage et le soutien de la langue arabe et la généralisation de son utilisation. "... Abdellatif Abid a finalement réussi a plomber avec un article qui nous coupera de nos racines africaines (du nord) et de toutes les civilisation non arabo-musulmanes qui se sont succédés sur notre territoire ainsi que de notre universalité. Un certain 17 décembre 2011 j'ai eu une altercation avec Si Abid qui à cette époque la était un simple militant Ettakatol. Il m'a insulté à coup de 3amil, kha2en etc... parce que j'ai osé dire que les arabes ont envahi la Tunis ie au 6éme siécle de notre ère.   Il est vrai que j'ai utilisé le envahir alors que généralement on parle de  الـفـتـوحـات الإسـلامـيـة et que j'ai parlé des arabes et non "nous"  mais là, la réaction de Si Abid etait d'une violence qui dépasse tout entendement...