United States
Researcher for Innovations for Successful Societies, a Princeton University public policy research program. Formerly a Story Editor at Tunisia Live, a news outlet based in Tunis. Before that: World Policy Journal, Human Rights First.
Contact: robert.joyce.j@gmail.com
Innovations for Successful Societies Case Studies
Contributed Stories
The cigarette peddler stands on a downtown street corner, walled in by a small fortress of stacked cigarette cartons. The cigarettes, he says, come from Algeria. "They're smuggled," he adds, matter-of-factly.
Deep in the Tunisian Sahara, a music festival is a parallel universe full of dreams, dust and drums
This past week turned out to be another curveball for Tunisia's transition into democracy.
Faced with high unemployment, a burgeoning informal (untaxable) street economy, mounting debt and the threat of militant attacks, Jomaa, who is an unelected, “consensus” prime minister, must try to prevent Tunisia from sliding deeper into dangerous economic territory as the country prepares for elections later this year.
Walid Denguir, 32, left his house at 4pm to run an errand in the Bab Fellah neighborhood of Tunis. An hour later, he was dead and his family blames the police. Co-written with Hanen Keskes.
The country is preparing to adopt a new constitution, but its economy remains weak and its political situation unstable. Co-written with Asma Smadhi.
A World Bank report quantifies the extent of Ben Ali's corrupt control over Tunisia's economy. Co-written with Tristan Dreisbach.
The carcass of a nine-tonne fin whale has been discovered off the coast of Tunis, a rare find in the Mediterranean. Co-written with Asma Smadhi
Religious officials in Tunisia are divided over the recent arrest of a Salafi imam, who was detained earlier this week amidst what critics say is a government effort to control local mosques. Co-written with Safa Ben Said.
Regional inequality was and continues to be a driving factor behind Tunisia’s economic and political crisis. So long as Tunisia’s inlands remain ignored relative to its more-developed coast, discontent and unrest will plague its political and economic recovery.
More than two and a half years since the revolution, Tunisia still lacks a new constitution-and no one seems to care.
Tunisia Live
While many in the country slept late Sunday night, Tunisia's National Constituent Assembly (NCA) adopted a long-awaited constitution. Co-written with Asma Smadhi
Turning west off Tunisia's coastal highway to the country's interior, you can see the change immediately. Four relatively well-paved lanes narrow to two, concrete road barriers disappear, and vehicles slow to handle the rougher road.
A document leaked last week implicates multiple foreign journalists of collaborating with Tunisia's former regime, accepting money in exchange for positive coverage.
Credit rating agency Standard and Poor's has withdrawn its December assessment of Tunisia and the country's central bank at the request of the government.
Changes to National Constituent Assembly procedure, meant to speed the adoption of the country's post-revolution constitution, have instead led to a dispute in the chamber.
Drafting a new constitution was the focus of national attention a month ago, now this essential issue has been largely ignored.
Many residents of the popular oasis destination in southern Tunisia feel that the national government has neglected their community.
"Houmani," released in mid-September, and has now topped three and a half million views on YouTube, a number equal to one-third of the Tunisian population.
Fear of rising violence and instability in Tunisia has motivated greater security cooperation between Algeria and its eastern neighbor.
Mohamed Brahmi, 58, an opposition member of the National Constituent Assembly was assassinated in front of his home in Cite el-Ghazala, a suburb of Tunis.
Sitting outside a cafe in old plastic chairs, a stool serving as their table, a group of young men talk shop.
World Policy Journal