Tunisian Youth Politicians Masterclass

Globalisation Studies Groningen's research group Research in Ethics and Globalisation (GSG-REG) in cooperation with the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), the Tunisian School of Politics (TSoP) and Youth Political Party Organisations are organizing our second Social Justice Masterclass on 22 and 23 January 2014.

This year’s Masterclass, organized by Dr. Christopher K. Lamont, follows on the success of last year’s visit to the Netherlands by a delegation of Tunisian youth politicians in January 2013. During this visit ten students from the Tunisian School of Politics were coupled with Dutch youth politicians to share ideas and best practices on party politics and social justice policy. In addition, GSG-REG provided an intensive social justice Masterclass, which resulted in Tunisian youth politicians writing two pieces of draft social justice legislation.

This year’s two-day intensive Masterclass will again support the NIMD in facilitating inter-party dialogue among youth members of Tunisia's political parties. It is particularly timely given that 2013 has been a turbulent year in Tunisia’s transition with two political assassinations and the suspension of Tunisia’s parliamentary body, the National Constituent Assembly in July 2013.

The topic of this year’s Masterclass will again be Social Justice as demands for social justice and socio-economic inequality fueled the protests that brought about Tunisia’s January 2011 revolution. During the Masterclass students will receive lectures on social justice in a global context, but also Dutch approaches to social justice in the context of the current economic crisis and austerity. GSG-REG looks forward to welcoming our second dynamic group of youth politicians to Groningen in our first of many events planned for 2014.

The academic program for this year’s masterclass will be published shortly.