I witnessed first-hand the Jasmine revolution in Tunisia. It was at once exhilarating and sobering. Exhilarating because of the pace of change and the palpable sense of optimism, because we saw people from all walks of life demanding that their voices be heard, that the government be held to account, and above all demanding justice, to share the fruits of progress.
It was sobering because the underlying causes of the revolution – jobs, exclusion, corruption – had been present for years, and had been largely ignored by the international community. It felt sobering to be asked, as I was in the first press conference after Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali had fled, why the international financial institutions had been financing dictatorships and turning a blind eye to poor governance. Sobering too when we see the fear that legitimate aspirations will be stifled.
