Mounir Majdoub explains the Tunisian Revolution's primary causes, from student unemployment, to miners' protests, to terrorist attacks. Following Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's departure, Majdoub organized an environmental association called Alternatives, which advocated for the inclusion of new environmental policies in the country's constitution. He describes his recruitment to Mehdi Jomaa's technocra tic government. He details environmental issues like erosion, limited natural resources, sanitation and ecosystem deterioration, which exacerbate many sources of discontent in Tunisia but are often ignored. While the Jomaa government prioritized short-term goals, they also had a long-term plan for Tunisia's future, including an environmental report, which they passed on to the succeeding government. Majdoub felt very close with his colleagues, and they operated as a team, collaborating on projects and sharing ideas. Jomaa even brought them into his office to discuss rumors about whether or not he would run for office. Though Majdoub does not identify as a politician, he enjoyed working with Jomaa and the other ministers and felt a sense of duty to his country. Majdoub concludes with thoughts on Tunisia's future directions, particularly in the environmental realm
Arab Spring, 2010-; Revolutions--Tunisia; Environmental protection--Tunisia; Environmental policy--Tunisia; Tunisia Officials and employees; Tunisia Politics and government 2011-; Majdoub, Mounir; Jomaa, Mehdi
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2015
Physical Description
43 pages
Note (Biographical)
Mounir Majdoub is a Tunisian environmentalist and government official. In 2014, he was appointed Secretary of State for the Environment in the technocratic government. In 1992, he became an advisor to the Minister of Economy's Office of the Environmen t, and since 1993 he has worked as a consultant on environmental policy, energy efficiency and sustainable development. In 1985, he joined the Tunisian National Agency for Energy Control and in 1982 he began working for the Energy Department in the Ministry of Economy
Note
Interviewed by Stefano Portelli on May 19, 2015
Note (Provenance)
Mounir Majdoub, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2018
