Who are they?
The Tunisian national dialogue quartet is a coalition of four campaigning pro-democracy groups: the Tunisian General Labour Union, the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, the Tunisian Human Rights League, and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers. It was created in 2013 when the democratisation process in Tunisia was on the brink of collapse due to widespread social unrest and political assassinations. The coalition sought to establish an alternative political process which was peaceful, at a time when the country was on the brink of civil war.
Why did they win the Nobel Peace prize?
The chairman of the Nobel committee said the group had made a “decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy” after the 2011 revolution. The quartet enabled Tunisia to establish a constitutional system of government, which Committee chairman Kaci Kullman Five said guaranteed "fundamental rights for the entire population, irrespective of gender, political conviction or religious belief." They did this in a few years by managing to secure the approval of the constitutional process among the Tunisian population and working to support the body of representatives in drawing up a pro-democratic constitution. This helped to bring the country out of crisis in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011.
What have they got to do with the Arab spring?
The "jasmine revolution," which lasted from 18 December 2010 to January 2011, led to the ousting of longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power. Initial anti-government demonstrations were precipitated by high unemployment, corruption and a lack of political freedoms such as free speech. The conflict eventually led to the democratisation of the country and to free and democratic elections thanks to the peace processes established by the Quartet. The Revolution kickstarted similar protests throughout the Arab world; civil resistance forced leaders from power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, but the Quartet laid the groundwork for establishing and safeguarding democracy. However, only Tunisia continued to keep democracy alive, with war affecting Libya, Syria and Yemen while Egypt’s elected Muslim Brotherhood was overthrown in a popular coup in 2013.
Why should I care?
The quartet beat 273 organisations to win this year’s Nobel prize. It is a huge victory for Tunisia whose democratic status remains under threat, especially in the wake of the two extremist attacks this year that killed 60 people. The committee praised the way the Quartet managed to "pave the way for a peaceful dialogue between the citizens, the political parties and the authorities and helped to find consensus-based solutions to a wide range of challenges across political and religious divides." By choosing the Quartet, the Nobel committee signals they want to give Tunisia a powerful image boost, and hope to encourage the international community to provide the aid and support Tunisia needs for its troubled economy—it suffers from mass unemployment and the attacks dealt its tourism sector a major blow. As Kullman Five says: “We hope it will inspire people to see that it is possible to work together, that Islamic and secular political movements have managed to do so with the help of civil society in Tunisia, and that this is in the best interests of everybody living in the country."
