SOLIDARITY goes international.

The 7th of November is a date of significant importance to Tunisians. It was on this day, 13 years ago, that President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali took power and ushered in the era of The Change. It is a day of celebration, ceremony and feasting throughout this North African nation of nine million people.

It is also a day of reflection to review the momentous events that have led to such radical changes in their individual lives. Over this short period, Tunisia has been transformed from a struggling, conflict-ridden Third World country into a thriving, middle class economic dynamo. By 2006, the transformation will be complete and Tunisia will take its proud place among the developed nations of the world.

But as Tunisians enjoy their holiday, there will be constant reminders, on posters, television programmes and ceremonies, that not all their citizens share in the good life. There are those who are poor, marginalised and despondent. But they are not forgotten. On every December 8 National Solidarity Day-delegations, laden with gifts, scour the country to bring a little sunshine to gloomy lives and assure them that their plight is the concern of all.

Every year, the pool of the poor and marginalised shrinks. Every year the number of people, including children, who can afford to give is on the increase; while the total number of people in need of assistance decreases. Over the past decade, the number of those living in poverty has been beaten back from over 22% of the population to just around 6%. The aim, over the next five to six years, is to wipe the scourge of poverty off the face of Tunisia.

This is in sharp contrast to the global situation today. Poverty is increasing alarmingly. A quarter of the world's population lives on less than one dollar a day. While globalisation is bringing unprecedented wealth to the few, it is pushing ever larger numbers deeper into poverty. Efforts by international organisations to alleviate poverty have not only failed, they have created even greater poverty.

So why is Tunisia succeeding in its battle against poverty while the rest of the world is failing? "Vision and commitment," says Malta's President, Professor Guido de Marco during a seminar on international solidarity held in Tunis in November. "Ben Ali is truly a man of vision. He declared war on poverty in his country and then planned and executed the campaign with single-minded determination. "He and Tunisia have demonstrated that if the will is there, poverty can be rolled back remarkably quickly."

President Ben Ali's chief weapon against poverty is the National Solidarity Fund. He set it up in 1992 when, after touring the country extensively, he was appalled at the level of poverty and marginalisation he saw in pockets of the nation. He instituted the 2626 fund and encouraged civil society to contribute to it. His masterstoke was to involve all members of society in the battle. Alleviation of poverty was no longer the sole preserve of the government or of international organisations-it was something everybody could participate in. The response has been overwhelming. (see following story).

There was scepticism, both inside Tunisia and outside, when the programme was first launched. It seemed another of those fine sounding gestures that in the end would deliver little or nothing. But this time the sceptics got it wrong. Eight years later, National Solidarity in Tunisia has not only proved a resounding success it has become an essential segment of Tunisian culture.

Its reputation began to grow outside the country. A number of delegations from various African and Arab states began arriving to study how the programme worked and if they could implement it in their own countries.

New global dynamics 

In the meanwhile, the ramifications of the end of the Cold War were beginning to be felt in the developing world. The technologically endowed nations began an unprecedented era of prosperity but the poorer nations became poorer still. A downward spiral of poverty leading to internal conflicts leading to even greater poverty seized scores of developing nations. International organisations, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, found their strategies outdated and outmoded. To compound the situation, natural disasters, perhaps brought on by global warming, caused havoc on a gigantic scale.

World Fund for solidarity

It was against this nightmarish backdrop that the United Nations called for a Millennium Summit in September in an attempt to chart out a new global strategy to halt the march of poverty and alienation over more than half the world.

During the summit, Tunisia's President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali took the initiative and put forward a proposal which was stark in its directness. He called for an International Solidarity Fund to be modelled on the one in Tunisia which had proved so effective.

He said: "Though globalisation has provided new economic opportunities, accompanied by amazing scientific and technological advances, this situation has not prevented the worsening of the gap among states as regards the pace of development, or the deepening and widening of disparities between rich and poor. This has indeed aroused fears and prompted most observers to call for the establishment of a joint area of prosperity which would ensure a balanced and sustainable development for all nations of the world, without any exclusion or marginalisation."

He continued: "We have also proposed the creation of a 'worlds fund for solidarity and poverty eradication' to serve as an instrument for strengthening the mechanisms of humanitarian intervention, and as a means to fight poverty in the most destitute parts of the world.

"While this proposal stems from our firm belief that solidarity among states and peoples is a humanitarian duty and a moral obligation," President Ben Ali told the rapt audience, "it is essentially based on our conviction that human rights constitute an indivisible whole, and will only be complete by safeguarding human dignity and providing man, wherever he may be, with the wherewithal to lead a decent life."

Delegates at the Millennium Summit loudly applauded President Ben Ali speech and 12 international organisations pledged their support to the proposal. The OAU, the Group of 77 and non-aligned organisations also threw their weight behind the proposal.

But, characteristically, the Tunisian president was not content with making fine speeches. He wanted action. As a consequence, the theme for the 12th International Symposium organised by Tunisia's Democratic Constitutional Rally in November was International Solidarity and the challenges of development in the next century. (See following story).

In less than eight years, Tunisia's National Solidarity has driven endemic poverty almost to the point of extinction; will International Solidarity do the same for the rest of the world?

Solidarity for all

Democratic Constitutional Rally

12th International Symposium -- Tunis, 3-4 November 2000

President Ben Ali set the tone for the seminar when he told a distinguished international gathering in Tunis: "The New York Millenium Summit, held last September, has identified poverty as the most important challenge facing mankind...The various reports on human development prepared by the United Nations Development Programme and by various other specialist organisations and bodies clearly show the limits of international efforts to eradicate poverty. Existing instruments in this field, notably development programmes and international assistance, do not meet the urgent needs required by the current situation."

President Ben Pdi spelt out the extent of the crisis: 1 .2bn individuals still live below the poverty line, earning less than $1 a day and a further 3bn people live on less than $2.

He then referred to the 1996 Copenhagen Summit on Social Development where developed nations had pledged to contribute 0.7% of their GDP to fight poverty. In practice, however, most developed nations have been contributing only 0.2% of GDP and the figure has been declining.

During the Copenhagen Summit, President Ben Ali had called for a partnership agreement to be signed between developing nations and advanced countries. He had asked for the development of a charter in which social development would have its rightful place and the terms of the charter would serve as a reference and framework for all major international bodies, "thus providing a clarification of the principles of democracy and human rights on a sound basis."

"It is within this context," he told the seminar, "that we made our proposal to set up a world fund for solidarity and poverty eradication.

The meaning given to the word 'solidarity', he continued, "allows for cooperation between countries in the North and countries in the South to take a course leading to increased efficiency. While this fund will assist in developing the countries of the South economically and socially, it will also enable them to become real partners and effective associates, rather than mere markets for consumption."

This concept of development with a human face was picked up by other key speakers at the seminar. Prince Talal Ibn Abdelaziz, president of the Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organisation said development could no longer be measured simply in terms of GDP and per capita incomes. "People have been turned into figures," he said. "The new concept of development sees people as a whole and takes in all their needs nutritional, physical and psychological health, social integration and individual dignity. The unprecedented world economic growth, fuelled by technology, has not reached the poor" He added:" The Millenium Summit saw slogans but little attempt to tackle causes or find solutions.

"The North must take responsibility for their actions and the actions of their companies. To blame everything on the South -- corruption, inefficiency etc, is to shy away from the problem," he said to warm applause. "There is an urgent need for an International Solidarity Fund", he continued "since, at present, Northern intervention is limited to slogans, blame and conditionalities, none of which have made a dent in the enormous problem of poverty eradication".

Edward Gardener, the executive officer of the Middle East department of the IMF, whose organisation had come under fire from several speakers, admitted that there could be no sustainable development without poverty eradication. He told delegates that the IMF was now more willing to listen to both the civil society and the authorities than to make decisions from a distance.

The OAU's Assistant Secretary-General, Vijay Makhan lamented the fact that despite pledges made at the Copenhagen Summit to reduce poverty by half by 2015, so far, nothing had been done. "One's heart bleeds when one contrasts the suffering of Africa with the extravagances around the world. We have been hearing a lot of talk about poverty elimination but the means have not been forthcoming. With solidarity, we now have the liefmotif with which to change our condition."

Rounding up the seminar, the President of Malta, Professor Guido de Marco refetring to international solidarity warned: "Far too often, short-term political gains have been made at the expense of fuelling divides. Far too often, the lessons of history have been left in the drawer. Far too many times have opportunities been lost to shortsightedness." He told the audience that when he served as president of the 45th session of the UN General Assembly, "I referred to the fact that the triumph we proclaimed with the lifting of the Iron Curtain should not lead to complacency, lest it be replaced by a poverty curtain."

Paying tribute to the success of the National Solidarity Fund in Tunisia, President de Marco added: "On an international level, President Ben Ali's initiative of setting up the World Solidarity Fund is most laudable in that it aims at supporting the development of the least developed and developing countries. It is indeed a proposal which is a sign of its time. President Ben Ali has based his initiative on the concept of the fundamental right of every human being to a decent life and is calling for an aggregation of international solidarity towards the eradication of poverty."

Tunisia Solidarity Bank

The Tunisia Solidarity Bank, which was launched three years ago, is reflection of the philosophy that has been waging a relentless battle against poverty and marginalisation.

The concept of the bank, according to its president, Anouar Belarbi, arose from a Cabinet meeting in May 1997 dealing with employment issues. "Hence," says Belarbi, "there was a direct link between unemployment and the bank right from the start".

The bank was established to help those people who had qualifications and good ideas but no capital to get a start in their own businesses. "Our aim, "says Belarbi, "was to get rid of the notion of relying on others. We wanted to create personal initiative and a culture of self-dependency. In the past, a lot of people's mentality was aid-based. They waited for somebody else to help them or their main ambition was to work in the public sector. Lack of capital closed their minds to the possibilities of self employment.

"Even those who had initiative and solid business ideas," continues Belarhi, "often found the lack of capital an insurmountable obstacle. Banks and other lending institutions demanded collateral which they just did nor have."

President Ben Ali decided that the cycle of dependency had to be broken. He wanted a bank that would provide capital to those who could put it good use.

"The decision was taken in May 1997," recalls Belarbi. "By September, 232,000 shareholders had raised D18.5m. The state contributed D11.5m to bring total bank capitalisation to D30m. Loans are given for activities in all economic sectors although the demand is highest in agriculture, crafts, small enterprises and services.

Apart from certain conditions which all loan applicants have to fulfil, loans are given without the need to provide security or guarantees. To be eligible, applicants must possess degrees or diplomas, have no other recourse to capital and be not older than 60. The projects they require financing for must be financially and socially viable and must yield benefit.

The maximum loan is D10,000 although graduates can obtain loans of upto D33,O00. The repayment period is seven years, but this includes a specified period when no repayments are required. The interest rate is fixed at 5%, which is lower than the current market rate.

The public response took the administrators by surprise. "We expected 3,000 to 5,000 applicants the first year but in fact 7,800 people applied. The number went up to 14,900 the following year and so far this year we have received 13,000 applications," says the president of the bank.

From March 1998 when the first loan was made to October 2000, the bank has funded 33,000 projects at a value of Dl22m ($82.4m) and generated 48,000 jobs.

The recovery rate is around 70% with bad loans accounting for less than 6% of the total. However, a system which insures up to 90% of the loans means that the bad loans cost the bank only 2.2%.

Recently there have been two new developments. The bank has increased its capitalisation from D30m to D40m and has introduced a micro-credit system. The system, which is one year old, grants loans of D1,000 through NGOs. The interest rate is 5% and the repayment period is three years. "Our micro credit system is different from the Gremin Bank system set up in Bangladesh. The Gremin Bank charges interest rates of up to 30%, loans do not exceed $500 and the repayment period is three months," says Belarbi.

Apart from the micro credits loans, the Solidarity Bank does not fund temporary projects. "The aim is not simply to tide people over a financially difficult period; it is to provide them with the means to be self-sufficient," concludes Belarbi.

At present, the bank has 24 branches, although there are plans to increase the number. The system is decentralised with local branches making their own decisions on awarding loans based on local knowledge.

Running costs are kept to a minimum. The bank works closely with various government bodies such as the Employment Agency, the Bureau of Crafts, agriculture development agencies and development NGOs.

Although the Tunisia Solidarity Bank is less than three years old, its impact on Tunisian society has been considerable. For thousands of young people who felt locked into the despair of unemployment, the bank has been like a key opening the door of rewarding enterprise.

Ben Ali makes landmark announcements

President Ben Ali's November 7 state of the nation address to mark the 13th anniversary of his accession to the presidency, has already gone down as a major landmark in Tunisia's modern history.

He charted the progress the country has made since The Change in 1987. The economy has grown at a steady rate of no less than 5.4% during the last four years, per capita GNP has increased by 35%, exports have grown by 6.9%; inflation has been kept down to 3.3% and demographic growth to 1.1%.

President Ben Ali made a number of important announcements promoting public freedom and the rule of law. Authority over detention and correction facilities will be transferred from the Interior Ministry to the Ministry of Justice.

A new bill will also be introduced in parliament regarding treatment of prison inmates and their rights. Legal defence of the needy will he upgraded.

President Ben Ali said that the State will, in the future, "pay adequate compensation to any individual subjected to preventive detention and not proven guilty". It will also pay "damages to people serving a prison sentence if a court finds them to be innocent when their case is reviewed," he added.

The new measures, he said, "should allow for the safeguarding of human dignity in Tunisia under all conditions and circumstances."

He also announced a number of decisions aimed at promoting democratic pluralism. These include increasing by 50% the allowance granted by the state to political parties and their publications.

The President said a new bill will be presented to the Chamber of Deputies in the near future "amending the press code so as to do away with provisions of prison sentences". It will also abolish the penal charge of "defaming public order "due to the "vagueness of this notion".

These far reaching decisions were described by opposition parties and professional organisations as "daring" and "ground-breaking".

Other measures announced include lowering internet service subscription rates and allowing middle income families to apply for microcredit banks loans to purchase low-cost computers. About 80% of Tunisians are considered middle-class. Based on previous decisions by President Ben Ali, all institutions of learning and research, and all medical centres across the country have been connected to the world-wide web.

President Ben Ali's speech also included several important economic and social measures, including the privatisation of more than 40 public sector enterprises and the implementation of a 10-year strategy aimed at creating a new technology park each year.

The full text of the speech and other news from Tunisia are available at website:www.tunisiaonline.com/news