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Being Human

Participants At Grand Mosque

By: Nourjahen Jemaa (YES 2013 - 2014, Tunisia, hosted by AFS in Millbrae, CA)

The Being Human Seminar was held March 12th-15th, 2018, at the Higher Institute of Languages in Nabeul, Tunisia, where I am currently majoring in English Studies. 30 students were accepted from Tunisia and around the world. The purpose was for Tunisian and foreign students to debate, talk and share thoughts on global citizenship, cross-cultural dialogue, and human rights. It was organized by me and Virginia Balciunaite with partnership of Tunivisions ISLN Club, Les Ecoles Ideales and my university. 

The first day had introduction sessions. In the morning, we had an informal session of introducing the different countries and cultures. This session was open to all university students. In the afternoon, the seminar was officially launched by short speeches by our sponsors and a welcome word. We had a speaker introduce students to the concept of global citizenship. They had a fun workshop, moving around, buying things with a specific amount of money given to them. The atmosphere was very friendly and comfortable. A lot of people came to know their privileges. 

Discuss Controversial Topics

The second day was much longer and deeper, including an extensive workshop on global citizenship concepts, privileges, and prejudice. In the afternoon, the students had a four-hour long session on Human Rights. It started with introducing the concept of Human Rights, a few conventions, and then we had two different activities on violations of human rights and destroying prejudice and stereotypes. A lot of the students particularly loved this session as they expressed how they actually never really knew their rights.

The third day had the theme of “personal understanding”. The day started with short talks by four of our international students:

  • Nelyn (Chuuk Island) talked about colonialism, the life of native Pacific Islander and the role of women in indigenous communities.
  • Corie (USA) highlighted the importance of cultural exchange and how studying Arabic changed her perspective on life.
  • Qurat Al Ain (Pakistan) talked about how involvement in fighting for women’s rights, especially girls’ education in Pakistan.
  • Chioma (Nigeria) talked about the effects of war and Boko Haram on women and their education in Nigeria. 

The Tunisian students loved this session the most as they felt like they got to hear personal stories, unlike those on the news. They also had a lot of questions answered and they even asked for more talks.

The final day was the shortest. We had a very last concluding session for two hours in the morning. We had five tables with different topics (Democracy and Minorities, Democracy and Gender, Democracy and Media, Democracy and Youth, and Free Choice) and six students had to sit down and discuss the topic on each table for 15 minutes and then they rotate. We called this “Café Democracy”. Afterwards, we had students tell us about the highlights of the seminar and what they learnt. 

Nourjahen Keeps Track Of Time

There were free time activities throughout the event as well. The first night we had a long talk at my house to talk about Tunisian culture, rules and what to expect/not expect. It was a friendly introduction to what was about to happen. On Tuesday, we walked to the beach during the day and then, in the evening, we went to Hammamet, a close-by city.  On Wednesday, since the students had the morning free, we toured the Medina, old city, of Nabeul and we had an informal talk of the history of the city and Tunisian Revolution. On the last day, we went to Sidi Bou Said in the afternoon then we had dinner with two of my professors. 

Organizing this taught me so much about myself and about how things work. My highlight was participants and professors asking me to do this again and thanking me for bringing everyone together. I do not think this project would have been possible without the help of my professors mainly who provided me with unconditional support and advice, especially on legal paperwork.

I never thought I could take on taking care of such a relatively big group of people from getting choosing them, helping them out with visa work and booking their flights to telling them to stay hydrated and eat. I had to talk to many parents and reassure them their young adults were safe and send them pictures constantly. I felt very responsible.

This was also my first time getting out of my comfort zone (by comfort zone, I chose a topic I was never really trained on). I have previously organized several teacher training workshops, but I had an intensive WYLET training for that. As for this theme, the idea just popped up and I created a schedule and an agenda of an ideal seminar for me. I never thought this would be possible.

Overall, I am ready to take on a bigger group now and more responsibilities as I feel like it is something I can actually do. 

Participants By Beach

Learn more about the organizers!

  • Nourjahen Jemaa is an English student at the Higher Institute of Languages of Nabeul and freelance translator/interpreter. She interned at Tunisia Live as a journalist and junior researcher. She was on the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program in California, USA, in 2013 with AFS USA. Since then, she has consistently volunteered with different NGOs and non-profits. She is an active volunteer with AFS Tunisia, Tunisian Fulbright Society and YaLa Citizen Journalism. Nourjahen has been working with Human Rights NGOs. She attended international conferences in Europe and the Middle East on conflict resolution.  She was also selected as a BIL Jendouba Speaker, the most active and youngest female journalist in Tunisia and writes for YaLa Press and her own blog.
  • Virginija Balciunaite is a former Interreg Reporter in Departmental Council of the Ardennes and a Communication Officer at Young European Leadership. She graduated from Vytautas Magnus University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Politics and Development Studies, with Erasmus periods in the university of Sarajevo and Paris Pantheon-Sorbonne University. She has experience of working as an intern and coordinating the election office for the Liberals’ Movement of the Republic of Lithuania and at the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Foreign Lithuanians department. Virginija has shown interest in non-formal education and youth-led activities through her participation in the World Forum for Democracy 2016 as a youth representative, and engagement in international youth exchanges. Virginija’s mother tongue is Lithuanian, she speaks English and French and has background in Arabic, Bosnian, and Russian.

Learn about the event's speakers!

  • Syrine Rekhis: founder of INNO Peace, an association that works towards breaking stereotypes and prejudices against minorities in Tunisia and the world.
  • Essia Imjed: born in Italy 23 years ago from Tunisian parents and grown up as a citizen of the world. While undertaking her last year of BA on international sciences and European institution, she decided to move to Tunis and she iscurrently an intern at COSPE, an Italian NGO based in Tunis, working on cooperation and sustainable development. She defines herself as a proud Feminist, a human rights defender and a strong critical thinker. She writes in several blogs and online newspapers. She has a spot as a commentator for the Italian radio Radio Popolare and she jumps from one conference to another as public speaker and moderator.
  • Mohamed Khelifi: 25 years old, works as a legal advisor/coordinator at the world organization against torture as well as the external relations officer of Youth Can Organization, worked also as the legal adviser of IWatch Organization and the Constitutional Commission of Truth and dignity, was awarded in 2016 the Olfa Rambourg Award for Art and Culture for his book "Harab", which allowed him to be a member of several writing contests such as "Asameena" and"INSAT Press competition" and to manage several human rights workshops with human rights activists. He was chosen in October 2017 to represent Tunisia as a Speaker in the One Young World Summit in Colombia.

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