Friends of Tunisia
Newsletter / March 2004
(an affiliate of the National Peace Corps Association)
P.O. Box 25245
Washington, DC 20027
Tel. 202-526-0897
fotrpcv@yahoo.com

FOT MEMBER REPLIES TO CRITICAL OP-ED ARTICLES ABOUT BEN ALI.

The American press largely ignored the mid-February visit of President Ben Ali to Washington. The exceptions were the Washington Post and the New York Times, which published op-ed articles by human rights activists who were severely critical of Ben Ali's government. In the Post, Neil Hicks, a human rights lawyer, called Ben Ali's regime "one of the most repressive" in the Arab world. In the New York Times, Kamel Labidi, formerly director of Amnesty International in Tunisia and now living in Egypt, claimed that Tunisia has become "one of the world's most efficient police states...a shell of its former self." Labidi added that "the absence of free speech [in Tunisia] has made extremist clerics on satellite TV stations look like reasonable alternatives to the government."

Responding to these critics, FOT member Jerry Sorkin, who operates TunisUSA, a travel agency in Pennsylvania, wrote a letter, which only the Post published. In that letter, Sorkin urged a "balance in how we judge Tunisia's pace toward democracy with the accomplishments under the watch of President Ben Ali." He cited "socioeconomic gains, an equal role for women, family planning, free education and medical care, high rates of literacy, a transparent banking system, and, now, bringing computer and Internet training to the most remote corners of his country." He also observed that "it is both easy and unfair to judge Tunisia solely on its tight control of the press, reluctance to allow political demonstrations, and political standards that indeed do need to be relaxed."

CAN GLOBALISM HELP THE MAGHREB?

One purpose of Ben Ali's February visit to Washington seems to have been an attempt to boost American investment in Tunisia as well as increase trade between the two countries. Yet nothing concrete came out of the meeting with President Bush. Furthermore, past Tunisian efforts to attract investment by American businesses, which included opening business promotion offices in New York and Washington, had dismal, almost non-existent, results.

Increasing trade, however, may be somewhat easier than attracting investment. Shortly after Ben Ali's visit, Morocco and the US signed a free-trade agreement, which will eliminate tariffs on goods traded between the two countries. Congress must now approve the agreement, and if it does, current American tariffs on Moroccan goods (4%) and current Moroccan tariffs on US goods (20%) will disappear.

During the past year, after getting "fast track" approval from Congress (which requires Congress to vote yea or nay on such agreements, with no amendments), the Bush administration has signed such bilateral agreements with Australia, a number of South and Central American countries, and one other Arab country: Jordan. Negotiations are currently on-going with Bahrain.

Can such agreements benefit Mahgreb countries? Clearly advocates of globalism and free trade believe so. At this point, the US ships about $475 million a year worth of goods to Morocco, mainly airplanes, corn, and machinery. US Trade Representative Robert Zoelick expects a 20% drop in the price of American goods will significantly increase US exports to Morocco. Yet will a mere 4% drop in price boost US purchases of Moroccan products? That seems more problematic. So, even if some Moroccan businesses benefit from lower costs on American goods, the over-all benefit to Morocco is less clear. Nonetheless, the Tunisian government, itself committed to lowering its tariffs on EU goods, may be watching closely.

CONTROVERSY GROWS OVER USA'S "MEPI" PROGRAM, CENTERED IN TUNIS.

In the past two FOT newsletters, it has been noted that the US plans to make Tunis the center of its new Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), a State Department program to promote democracy throughout the Middle East.

Significant controversy, however, continues to swirl around this program, which was headed until recently by Elizabeth Cheney, the vice president's daughter. Although Morocco and Jordan have signaled a willingness to undertake some political reform, both President Assad of Syria and President Mubarak of Egypt vigorously oppose MEPI and have declared that no reforms can occur in their countries until the Palestinian situation is resolved.

Reform advocates in the US counter that basing political reforms in Egypt or Syria on the Palestinian situation is merely a dodge and that the MEPI program should do more to seriously confront Middle Eastern autocracy. Yet, instead of pushing the EU, NATO, and the G- 8 countries to pressure countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa to reform their political structures and practices, the Bush administration seems willing to go along with a G-8 proposal to accept the political recommendations developed by the Arab League at its meeting this month in Tunis. According to reform advocates, such Arab League resolutions, which emphasize only training and technical support for existing regimes, will make MEPI's objectives too "small bore" to accomplish anything meaningful. In the meantime, though, the program has already begun in Tunisia. Recently MEPI paid for a group of Tunisian women entrepreneurs to visit the US as well as a reciprocal visit by American women entrepreneurs to Tunisia.

TUNISIAN RPCV "MAKES A DIFFERENCE" AND APPEARS ON PRIME TIME TV.

Michael Fay, a '78-80 volunteer in Tunisia, was featured in February on the CBS show "60 Minutes II." Several years ago Fay, a dedicated conservationist, undertook a long and difficult scientific trek through the unchartered equatorial jungles of Gabon. This arduous undertaking was later described in two long articles in National Geographic, in which Fay explained that he not only wanted to measure and record this particular jungle but also to bring the world's attention to the need to preserve jungles.

Since then, Fay has, amazingly, convinced the Gabon government to set aside 11 percent of the entire country as a national park that will protect a large swath of equatorial jungle and its wild inhabitants. Therefore, CBS correspondent Christiane Amanpour toured the park with Fay to see the results of his efforts. What he showed her was both heartening and dismaying. Heartening was the existence of the park itself plus a program to rescue baby gorillas whose parents have been killed by armed poachers seeking "bush meat." What was dismaying was the obvious fragility of the protection. Timber companies are building roads close to the park, which allows poachers increasingly easy access to their prey.
However, thanks to Fay and the government of Gabon there is at least some hope for the future.

FOT MEMBER DIES.

Elizabeth Jo Wilson, who served as a PC volunteer in Tunisia in '82-85, died in late 2003 in Savannah, Georgia. According to an account FOT received, she had been in deteriorating health for some time. The last address FOT has for her is: 214 Andover Drive, Savannah, GA 31405.

FOT MEMBER WRITES BOOK ABOUT THE BOSNIAN WAR

Dan Cetinich, a PC volunteer in Tunis in '66-68, has written a book about the Bosnian War. "Bosnian War:1992-1995" concludes that the war was an aggression by Serbs and Croats on the Moslem population, and its cause was not ancient tribal or religous enmities but, rather, political agitation by local opportunists, lack of interest by the Western powers, and the national boundaries created by the Versailles Treaty. The book can be ordered from the University of Michigan (1-800-521-0600, Order Number 1410376. Cost $34). Dan has also published a book about migration of Slavs, Croats, and Moslems into Michigan. "South Slavs in Michigan" is available on amazon.com.

UPDATE ON FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO NEEDY TUNISIANS.

FOT has, over the past year, funded two projects in Tunisia. Seven hundred dollars was sent to a rural school near Ousseletia to build a wall connecting the school to a community center. Materials have been purchased, and when the weather improves, the town people will begin construction.

FOT also sent $1,000 ($700 from FOT plus $300 donated by Art Spring, PCV '64- 66) to Father Dominique Tommy-Martin, a Catholic priest in Sfax, to assist autistic children and their families in Sfax as well as the far south of the country. A third project, however, does not look promising. The project would fund gardens and wells for eight families, but it seems too expensive for the resulting gain.

If anyone is aware of other worthy projects in Tunisia that FOT could assist financially with grants of up to $700, please inform FOT at the e-mail or snail mail address on the masthead. It would also help if everyone paid their dues, which provides the money that supports these grants. (A notice will be sent shortly to those whose dues have lapsed recently. To renew membership in FOT alone, send $15 to FOT's post office address. To renew membership in both FOT and NPCA, send $50 to NPCA whose address is at the end of this newsletter.)

ATTITUDES AND LATITUDES.

Anyone who has some experience in what is called the Moslem world knows how attitudes can vary by country, city, family, and individuals. "Moslem attitudes," in other words, are as diverse and complex as anyone else's. Yet some attitudes can be truly disturbing. For example, a poll of Moslems living in England in December, 2002 (i.e., before the invasion of Iraq) revealed that 50% believed the war on terrorism is a war on Islam, 33% that Moslems had nothing to do with the attack on the World Trade Center, and 10% that another attack should be made on the US. That such blinkered attitudes could develop in free-speech, free-press England is rather surprising. Yet the invasion of Iraq seems to have hardened attitudes everywhere. A FOT member who visited Tunisia over the Christmas holidays reports that her 20-something, "obviously American" son was repeatedly confronted by angry young men in the streets of Tunis. Therefore, she and her family spent the rest of their Tunisian vacation in smaller communities where people were very surprised to see Americans but no one bothered them.

*NEWS OF TUNISIA**TUNISIAN NEWS*******NEWS OF TUNISIA*

- The annual meeting of the Arab League will be held in Tunis on March 29-30.

- Tunisia's national soccer team won the 2004 African Nations' Cup after beating Morocco 2-1 in a final game of the tournament played in Tunis at the Rades Olympic Stadium.

- Tunisia's tenth development plan (for the years 2002-2006) continues to be optimistic about the future. It predicts large growth in two areas:
information technology (IT) and the "leisure industry." In IT, the plan foresees an annual growth rate of 21% as well as the creation of 30,000 new jobs!! When it comes to leisure, a 7.2% annual growth rate of tourism is forecast.

- The Battery Dance Company, which began in lower Manhattan in 1976, performed in Sfax on March 19. This group, which has performed in numerous international festivals, has also held workshops for young Tunisian dancers, instructing them in certain techniques.

- Two US Congressmen, both on the Appropriations Committee, praised President Ben Ali during his visit to the US. Mark S. Kirk, an Illinois Republican whose district is just north of Chicago and Maurice Hinchey,

a New York Democrat whose district stretches from Newburgh to Ithaca, saluted President Ben Ali's government. Kirk asked fellow members of Congress to recognize Tunisia's role in keeping relations between the US and the Middle East "positive." Hinchey noted Tunisia's role in "stabilizing Middle East politics."

- Japan and Tunisia are jointly funding a 10-million-dinar forestry project in the Kasserine area. The project will last for five years and will have an impact on approximately 16,000 families in the region, especially those living in isolated circumstances.

- On March 13, Tunisia became the first country to ever sign a loan agreement with the World Bank for the purpose of improving education. The loan is for 104 million euros.

- Tunisia is drafting a law that will change the country's constitution to create a Constitutional Council and a Chamber of Counselors. These
bodies will advise the president.

- Bet you didn't know that every year a Tunisia-US Joint Military Commission meets in either the US or Tunisia. This year it met in Tunisia on March 15-17. President Ben Ali reviewed current arrangements and announced that he would like to see this cooperation strengthened.

- Moufida Tlatli, director of such Tunisian films as "Silences of the Palace" and "The Season of Men" was this year's recipient of a Fellowship for Distinguished Filmmaking at Harvard University's Film Archive. Tlatli, who trained in Paris, has also won the International Critics' Award in Toronto and, in 1994, received Special Mention for the Camera d'Or award at Cannes.

MEMBERSHIP: For FOT-only, send $15 to address at the head of newsletter. For combined NPCA and FOT membership, send $50 to NPCA, Suite 205, 1900 L Street, Washington, DC 20036. Specify your desired affiliation as Friends of Tunisia, not just "FOT."