Tunisia’s transition to democracy began in 2011 when a street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi, pushed to the limit by an oppressive system, set himself on fire. The protests which followed led ultimately to the fall of a dictator and a transition to a society where everyday citizens live in dignity and hold their leaders accountable.

D21 is honored to be playing a role in helping Tunisians build their new democracy from the ground up. Beginning May 16th, and working alongside local NGO partners, our team has helped citizens in the cities of Sfax, Gafsa, and Mannouba choose where public money should be invested. In a society where local governments are only just now receiving dedicated resources from the central government, citizen participation in basic services like paving and street-lighting is a crucial way to build trust and reduce corruption.

These exercises in participatory budgeting at the city level are among the very first of their kind in Tunisia, and were facilitated in-person by D21 team members Nissaf Brahim and Jihene Arfaoui in partnership with Action Associative, and supported by D21’s tech team in Prague.