Youth Voice and Community Engagement Across Tunisia

In September 2016, AMIDEAST began a qualitative assessment of Tunisian youth perceptions toward civic participation and political engagement. The objective was to highlight youth experiences regarding the barriers and assets to youth political voice and participation, and civic engagement. The assessment approved and funded by USAID included two main activities: the completion of 21 focus groups across the country, and a review of the relevant literature. This paper reflects a synthesis of the literature on Tunisian youth, and particularly their political voice and activities (both formal and informal) and their engagement with civil society. As the review and focus groups took place, themes such as unemployment, education, and corruption emerged as being indirectly relevant. The scope of the review was thus expanded to capture existing knowledge on these themes.