"Victim Zone" and Collective Reparations in Tunisia: Ain Draham and Sidi Makhlouf
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1 2 The ‘victim zone’ and collective reparations in Tunisia Ain Draham and Sidi Makhlouf: ‘So rich and yet so poor’ 3 4 Contents Preface Executive summary 8 Summary of recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 13 Introduction 15 Chapter 1 Conceptual Framework: Economic marginalization at the heart of transitional justice? 15 1.1 State obligations regarding economic, social and cultural rights ........................................... 15 1.2 The recognition of economic, social and cultural rights in transitional justice: a too long absence 16 1.3 Discrimination, marginalization and systematic exclusion: Some definitions....................... 17 1.4 Implementing definitions: some practical issues ................................................................... 19 Chapter 2 The two regions under study ........................................................................................... 23 Chapter 3 Research methodology .................................................................................................... 25 3.1 Data collection ....................................................................................................................... 25 3.2 Support for partner associations ............................................................................................. 25 Part One: Forms of marginalization in the two zones ........................................................................................ 25 Chapter 4 The origins of marginalization ........................................................................................ 25 Chapter 5 The human impacts of marginalization ........................................................................... 28 5.1 Relations with the state .......................................................................................................... 30 5.2 Economic and social rights .................................................................................................... 33 5.3 Women and Youth ................................................................................................................. 37 5.4 Land issues and resources ...................................................................................................... 41 5.5 Urban and rural inequalities ................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 6 The causes of marginalization ......................................................................................... 45 Part Two: Collective reparations: a remedy for marginalization and exclusion? .............................................. 47 Chapter 7 The needs of the inhabitants of the two zones and their understanding of reparation ..... 48 7.1 Reparations as development ................................................................................................... 49 7.2 Truth and Recognition ........................................................................................................... 51 7.3 Material and collective reparations ........................................................................................ 52 7.4 The fight against corruption and institutional reform ............................................................ 53 Chapter 8 Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 55 8.1 The recommendations of the two victim zones ...................................................................... 55 8.2 Implementation ...................................................................................................................... 55 8.3 Public truth-telling and symbolic reparations ........................................................................ 57 8.4 Reintegrating excluded communities ..................................................................................... 57 8.5 Summary of recommendations .............................................................................................. 58 5 Chapter 9 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 60 Appendix I. List of interviewees ......................................................................................................... 61 Appendix II. Research instrument ........................................................................................................ 63 6 Preface As part of its research efforts accompanying the process of transitional justice in Tunisia, the Transitional Justice Barometer Project, a partnership involving Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center, the Centre for Applied Human Righst at the the University of York and Impunity Watch, is publishing its second study entitled: “The ‘Victim Zone’ and Collective Reparations - Ain Draham and Sidi Makhlouf : ‘So Rich and yet so Poor’.” Addressing violations of socio-economic rights is one of the key elements of transitional justice that this study seeks to highlight. The Tunisian Transitional Justice Law (No.2013-53) incorporates, within the concept of „victim‟, “each and every area having been exposed to systematic marginalization and exclusion.” The expansion of the concept of victim and, accordingly, of the scope of transitional justice is a unique experiment that helps make visible the economic exclusion and marginalization many regions of the country had to endure for long decades as a result of state policy. This evolution in transitional justice can help address the economic and developmental disparities Tunisia has long been experiencing. As a contribution to this approach that highlights the place of socio-economic rights in the process of transitional justice, the Barometer‟s team chose the notion of the “victim zone” to be the subject of the study. The choice was made, late in 2015, jointly with Tunisian transitional justice specialists, development experts and local activists. Their aim being to carry out a practical field study, the team chose two specific areas that have from systematic marginalization and exclusion in the Governorates of Jendouda and Medenine, respectively. (The Barometer seeks, through its four planned studies, to cover all six districts of the county). Ain Draham (in the northwest) and Sidi Makhlouf (in the Southeast) were thus chosen to be studied as “victim zones”. To that end, extended meetings and panel discussions were held with civil society activists and officials in charge of development institutions and basic services in the two chosen areas, in order to ensure qualitatively driven, detailed conclusions that constitute the essence of this work. The Barometer‟s working team has also provided local associations and groups with technical support in preparing case files of the two chosen areas for submission to the Truth and Dignity Commission. The Ain Draham case file was submitted by the Achbal Khmir Association and the Khmir Association for Environment and Development”, while the Sidi Makhlouf case file was submitted by local civil society activists. These are two of the few “victim zone” case files submitted to the Truth and Dignity Commission which will examine them and suggest appropriate remedial action. This work is, in the end, a contribution by the Barometer team to the scientific platform that underlies the process of transitional justice in Tunisia; and we hope those in charge of this process will draw on the conclusions, recommendations and suggestions included in this study. Amine Ghali Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center 7 Executive summary The objective of this report is to provide guidelines for collective reparations as a response to the marginalization, and economic and social exclusion of certain parts of the country. The organic law on transitional justice, adopted in 2013, opened a first route to addressing such legacies by giving the Instance Vérité et Dignité (IVD, Truth and Dignity Commission) the task of identifying such regions and proposing solutions for the reparation of structural violations suffered. This report therefore gives voice to residents of two areas that could by law be regarded as victim zones to better analyse the complexity of the human impacts of marginalization as it unfolds systematically over generations, to understand the nature of the needs of the populations of these areas and to develop ways to address them within the framework of the transitional justice process. Two specific communities, Ain Draham (in the governorate of Jendouba) and Sidi Makhlouf (in the governorate of Médenine) are the subject of our research. To demonstrate that these areas have been victims of “systematic and organized marginalization”, as required by the transitional justice law, demands the collection of quantitative data and the use of objective indicators to allow a comparison with other regions of the country, as well as proof of the intentionality of the state in this exclusion, for example from a monitoring of the national budget. Whilst such an effort is necessary for the IVD, it exceeds our capabilities here and is not the goal of this report, which seeks rather observe the multiplicity of human impacts of such marginalization, how this is perceived, and its practical consequences on people's lives - including in the achievement of certain fundamental rights such as the right to culture or education. The study also seek to formulate,