HUMAN RIGHTS

Ottaway pointed out. The myriad parties “don’t aggregate the interests of their constituencies,” she said, so “they end up not representing anybody.”

The weakness of political parties is often enforced and exploited by the state to preserve the status quo, explained Amr Hamzawy, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center and a former member of the Egyptian parliament. “Arab governments have always made a priority of controlling formal political spaces and not allowing political parties to thrive,” he said.

It’s logical that attempts to organize politically following the uprisings struggled, Hamzawy said, as it’s exceedingly difficult for neophyte parties to suddenly fill a decades-long political void. As a multitude of individuals and parties contested over post-uprising life, establishment political, military and business leaders were able to swoop in and undermine the goals of the protesters, he noted. In a way, the overflourishing of new political life helped create an opportunity for the old forces to reemerge, gain control and again clamp down on political organizing.

Political parties, however, are not always innocent victims of the state, Hamzawy noted. In some cases, particularly in the 2019 “second wave” uprisings that took place in Iraq and Lebanon, political parties themselves were the target of the people’s ire. This, he explained, is because protesters viewed parties as representative of the corruption, abuse of power and sectarian politics that sent them into the streets.

Ottaway stressed that the failure of political parties to gain momentum is not emblematic of a scarcity of political life in the Arab world. Instead, she noted that public mobilizations now tend to happen sporadically, only to flame out due to a lack of backing from institutionalized parties.

If they have any hope of capturing the public and stirring real change in the region, Hamzawy said political parties must begin forming coalitions across societal and economic lines. Many parties tend to over represent urban, middle class individuals, he noted, leaving rural and poor citizens to find alternative forms of representation. —Dale Sprusansky

National Press Club Honors Slain Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

The killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by an Israeli sniper on May 11 has outraged journalists and human rights defenders around the world. The 51-year-old veteran correspondent for

Al Jazeera was reporting on an early morning Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin when she was fatally shot.

Despite Israel’s claim of not targeting the journalist, Israel’s chief military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav told Army Radio that Abu Akleh and her colleague Ali alSamoudi, who was shot in the back and is in stable condition, were “armed with cameras.” Both journalists were wearing helmets and vests clearly identifying them as members of the press when they were shot.

To honor Abu Akleh, the National Press Club in Washington, DC observed a minute of silence for her on May 12, after which Ab-

derrahim Foukara, bureau chief of Al Jazeera in Washington, spoke briefly to reporters and friends of the slain journalist.

“Al Jazeera is clear in its position that the bullet that killed Shireen Abu Akleh was an

STAFF PHOTO PHIL PASQUINI

Al Jazeera Washington Bureau Chief Abderrahim Foukara (l) and Emily Wilkins of the Na‐tional Press Club’s Board of Governors hold an event to honor slain Palestinian‐American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, in Washington, DC on May 12, 2022.

PHOTO COURTESY BILL MCGRATH For the past nine years, the Nakba has been observed dur‐ing mid‐May in Northfield, MN using a procession. As names of destroyed Palestinian vil‐lages are read, participants insert a small flag into a 4‐by‐8 styrofoam map of Israel/Pales‐tine. A bell is rung as the name of each village is read through a microphone. The resulting sound attracts curious folks who are walking along the main downtown street. There are a few speeches explaining what happened in 1948, and finally an open‐mic session. The event is organized by Northfielders for Justice in Palestine/Israel. This year’s event took place on Saturday, May 14.

Israeli bullet,” Foukara pointed out, calling for a “thorough, transparent and fair investigation.”

Al Jazeera, the bureau chief said, wants an end to impunity, not just for those involved in the killing of Abu Akleh, but for those involved in the killing or targeting of journalists anywhere.

Foukara reiterated the words of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that “without press freedom there is no freedom.”

Abu Akleh was an “intrepid and amazing human being,” Foukara said. “We will all miss her and hope this will mark a turning point in the long pattern the world has known of killing journalists and of violating press freedom.” —Elaine Pasquini Tunisia’s Educational System Faces Many Challenges

On April 26, the Middle East Institute’s North Africa and Sahel Program and the North African Policy Initiative (NAPI) cohosted a panel of young Tunisian professionals to discuss their country’s educational challenges and opportunities.

NAPI director Jean-Louis Romanet Perroux, moderator of the lively discussion, noted that education in Tunisia—where 40 percent of the population is under the age of 25—is a heart-felt issue and ranks high in terms of the priorities of Tunisians.

Education was a trademark of Tunisia after gaining independence from France. “The large investment in education, reforms and the forward-looking attitude toward education distinguished Tunisia from all the countries in the region,” Perroux noted. However, the quality of the system has declined over the years through neglect and lack of foresight, even though Tunisia continues to spend a large share of its GDP— among the highest in the region—on education, he said.

Nourjahen Gala-Ali is a project manager for the NGO Lights, Camera, Learn!, which works with children in underserved regions around the world to create fun and educational content through filmmaking. One aspect of Tunisia’s educational system that needs particular attention is the connection between education and employment, she said.

In 2019—before COVID-19—the country’s official unemployment rate was 15 percent. Currently, it’s almost 17 percent overall, but 36 percent of young people are unemployed and 33 percent of young graduates don’t have jobs.

“People told us in order to get a job you need to get a degree first, but people do have degrees and even with that they are not getting employment,” Gala-Ali noted. “Tunisian schools do not prepare you to be employed and do not equip you with the necessary skills that a 21st century employee needs to have.”

School infrastructure is one of the shortcomings that needs to be addressed, GalaAli explained. Some schools—even in cities—don’t have water or electricity, while many rural schools don’t have functioning computers or adequate software.

Walid Hedidar, an education development specialist currently working in strategic philanthropy and social impact, explained that student dropouts are a disturbing problem for the country. Some 100,000 students drop out of school every year due to poor access to schools, poor infrastructure, excessive repetition of grades and the inability to identify students at risk. “I think this is a repercussion of many years of stagnation of the education system,” Hedidar said.

Software engineer Mariem Bchir is cofounder of LEAPS Academy, a teacher training start-up based in Tunisia. She emphasized the importance of providinge “soft skills or skills like critical thinking or entrepreneurial thinking” that are applicable to multiple professions.

Mehdi Cherif is the co-founder and current coordinator of Fahmologia, a non-profit initiative to promote scientific communication in Tunisia. Educational reforms alone won’t solve the country’s economic issues, he argued, as broader challenges must also be addressed.

Presently in Tunisia, he said, many job offerings are related to international companies, and “it means that these businesses could leave and we’re putting ourselves at risk economically of having the rug pulled out from under our feet.”

There is also the “brain drain” issue of students and professionals with the financial means going abroad and not returning, he noted.

“I would like to see an educational system that is empowered by economic reforms,” Cherif said. “We have to reduce unemployment…inequality of conditions…so that every Tunisian student can explore his or her interest, be it in philosophy, art or medicine, without fearing for their future. We must allow them to contribute as much as they want and as much as they can to society.” —Elaine Pasquini

YASSINE GAIDI/ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES Children attend Tunisia’s 36th annual International Book Fair, in the capital of Tunis, on Nov. 16, 2021.