1 Place Tahar Haddad
Les Berges du Lac
1053 Tunis
Tunisia
- Democracy and community development
- International/Cultural relations
- Media
- Youth and education
Wasabi seeks to foster opportunities for public debate and open expression with a specialization in video production, event management, and public relations. In particular, Wasabi specializes in youth engagement, community building, and the creation of outlets for new ideas and self-expression in Tunisia.
Ongoing and past projects include:
The TEDxCarthage Series:
Tunisia's first and largest TEDx event, which is now in its fifth year and receiving attention from thousands of participants. The objective of this program is to empower communities, organizations and individuals to interact, exchange and reflect around new ideas to stimulate dialogue at the local level.
Arab Youth and Development Debate:
In April 2014, the Wasabi team produced the first Arab Youth and Development Debate at the historic Dar Lasram in the Tunis Medina. Moderated by Abderrahim Foukara, the debate brought youth from throughout the region to answer the question: “Have young people reaped the fruits of the Arab Spring?”
United Nations Development Program (UNDP)’s Information Campaign:
Wasabi managed communications for the UNDP Information campaign on the new 2014 Constitution. The Wasabi team worked to coordinate with national and local press to coordinate strong press coverage of the meetings between citizens and members of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) concerning the newTunisian Constitution.
Afkar Think and Act Tank:
In April 2015, over 50 key players in Tunisian government, civil society, and media took part in the first edition of Afkar, in which participants analyzed the development and role of civil society in Tunisia since 2011, and civil society’s role in decentralization efforts, local Tunisian elections, and accountability initiatives for 2015 and beyond.
Coworking Summit:
In October 2015, Wasabi hosted the first regional Coworking Summit in conjunction with Hivos Mideast Creatives at the Cogite Villa in Tunis, Tunisia. The Coworking Summit brought together founders and managers of Coworking Spaces, Fablabs, and art spaces to highlight the role of the creative economy in the MENA region. Workshop content focused on internal HR, financial sustainability, and and work on making these spaces more sustainable.
Wasabi has a succesful track record of project implementation related to youth advocacy, fostering public debate, catalyzing civil society, and promoting active citizenship in post-revolution Tunisia. Though based in the capital city of Tunis, Wasabi has cultivated an extensive network throughout the country and is actively working to conduct more projects outside of the capital, particularly through partnerships with civil society organizations working on the ground in other cities or regions. As such, Wasabi will able to contribute to the local network in Tunisia by utilizing this network to develop and implement innovative programs and to encourage further collaboration between different civil society organizations in Tunisia.
Wasabi has also implemented several successul projects with international partners, such as Hivos Mideast Creatives, and is embedded within the global TEDx community. As such, Wasabi can also help other Tunisian organizations, perhaps with less international exposure, to establish international partnerships with organizations abroad, especially in Europe. Wasabi can also mentor newer or less experienced civil society organizations within the Tunisian context and in their pursuits of international initiatives or partnerships.
As Tunisia continues along the path of its historic democratic transition, Wasabi is constantly seeking opportunities to partner with other organizations, both in Europe and the Southern Meditarrenean, in order to support civil society initiatives in Tunisia. By joining the Anna Lindh Foundation, we hope to enhance our ability to design and implement programs to support civil society in the country as Tunisia continues through its successful, albeit stil fragile, democratic transition.