A New Era? Civil Society and the Tunisian Revolution

Sammanfattning: With the use of articles, reports and academic literature, I have analyzed the significant role civil society played during, and after, the Tunisian revolution in 2011. The purpose of this essay has been to understand the underlying social distress, under which Tunisians had lived in many years, and how this came to result in a contagious revolution that marked the start of the Arab Spring. The revolution came as a surprise to political analysts around the world when civil society movements made their stand against former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his regime. I have focused on how civil society movements came to change the political landscape in the country and on the ideas that inspired them to rise up against their oppressor. The civil society in Tunisia did not only come to overthrow their own government, but also helped movements abroad in their struggle for democracy. The far-reaching effects of the revolution are yet to be seen, but there is no doubt that the events of 2011 have brought vast change to the region, both socially and politically.