The Power of a T-shirt: Youth Activism and the Civic Space in Tunisia

Tunisian youth took the streets in 2011 demanding employment, social justice, and civic liberties. As youth were able to overthrow decades of authoritarian rule, it is valid to examine how youth continues to challenge power structures in the revolution aftermath. This research explores youth activism in Tunisia and their capacity to generate socio-political change particularly in fighting corruption in governmental institutions. The study draws on a vast number of literatures regarding youth, activism, and civic space in order to problematize and conceptualize each of these terminologies. The paper presents a civic-driven change framework to analyse empirical data collected on three youth activist groups situated in the civic space: I-Watch, Manich-Msamah, and the Pirate- Party. The analysis of fieldwork stories focuses on four themes: (1) conceptualization of civic space in Tunisia, (2) the youthfulness narrative, (3) local and global connectedness offline and online, and (4) the citizenship discourse. At the end, the paper highlights how youth activists’ consciousness, shared identity, and autonomous agency are shaping their actions, enabling them to pressure the government.