FREE TUNISIA WEEK AT THE AC!

Hello everyone. Congratulations on the success of your revolution, and best wishes for its future success as you transition to a new era of liberty, opportunity, and democratic government.

In honor of your monumental achievement, I have designated both this week and the next one as "Free Tunisia Weeks" here at the AC. During these weeks, each day, we will hold discussions, film screening, and activities relevant to the Tunisian Revolution. During these weeks, I am also organizing a democratic election simulation in which groups of AC members will form teams that represent actual political parties. You must work with your "political party" to write up a platform, put together an election campaign, designate your choice of ministers, and even participate in debates with the other political parties. At the end of this simulation, we will hold an election at the AC. The winning parties will then negotiate a governing coalition and will write laws on key issues that will be put to a vote by the parliament.

Here is a schedule of the next 2 weeks' events:

Mon 1/31 (4PM)- Open Forum on the Revolution and Meeting on How We can Help Rebuild Tunisia
Open Forum to Discuss Your Feelings, Hopes, Dreams, Fears, etc. about the Tunisian Revolution. This is your time to say or discuss anything you want about recent events. We will also talk about ways to contribute to helping and building a new Tunisia, so please come if you have any such ideas.

Tues 2/1 (4PM)- Open Forum on the Revolution and Meeting on How We can Help Rebuild Tunisia
Open Forum to Discuss Your Feelings, Hopes, Dreams, Fears, etc. about the Tunisian Revolution. This is your time to say or discuss anything you want about recent events. We will also talk about ways to contribute to helping and building a new Tunisia, so please come if you have any such ideas.


Wedn 2/2 (4PM)- Tunisian Constitutional Convention
We will hold a session to change and amend the Tunisian Constitution. You will have the opportunity to change Tunisian term limits, election laws, freedom of speech laws, and anything else you want. The final version of the Constitution will be put to a vote, and we will apply the voting and election rules you write to the election simulation that will take place for the rest of the next 2 weeks.

Thurs 2/3 (2PM) - Forming Political Parties, Holding Internal Party Elections, & Writing a Party Platform
Students interested in participating in the election simulation should attend this. People will form teams that represent different real-life political parties (ex: PDP, Ennahda, Communists, Harakat at-Tajdid, Congress for the Republic [Moncef Marzouki's party], etc.). Then each team will nominate of its members to run for a different ministry in the government or for the presidency. Finally, teams will work together to write up a platform for their party composed of the 5 most important things they hope to accomplish. Each team will present their platforms to the others.

Fri 2/4 (1PM) - Film + Discussion: Burma VJ
We will watch a documentary about the protests and demonstrations for democracy in Burma, which failed, and discuss similarities and differences between the Tunisian and Burmese Revolutions.


Mon 2/7 (2PM) - Campaign Flyer, Logo, and Campaign Advertisement
Political parties will work with their teams to design a party logo and campaign poster that will be hung around the AC. Each party will also work on a campaign advertisement that it will perform as a skit at the end of the session.


Tues 2/8 (2PM) - Political Party Debates Part 1
Each party's Education Minister, Foreign Minister, and National Security Advisor will face off in a debate about their vision for Tunisia's future in their respective domain.

Wed 2/9 (2PM) - Political Party Debates Part 2
Each party's Economic Advisor and Presidential candidate will face off in a debate about their vision for Tunisia's future in their respective domain.

Thurs 2/10 (2PM) - Election Results, Coalition Building, and Drafting Laws
We will hold elections for the new government based on the campaigning and debates of the past few days. I will announce the election results, and the parties will have to put together a government coalition and appoint ministers from the ruling coalition to different ministerial posts. After this is done, each party will write a law about one issue that is important to it. On Friday (the next day), we will debate those laws.

Fri 2/11 (2PM) - Special Debate Club: Debating Mock Tunisian Parliament's Laws
Laws written up by the parties yesterday will be put to the whole group for debate, amendment, and a final vote to see if they pass or not.


I will explain at each session how things will work, so if everything is not clear from this message, I will explain more then.