Speaker: Giulia Cimini, Università di Bologna
Discussant: Kevin Köhler, Leiden University
Abstract: The ‘security for whom?’ question, which characterizes much of the critical security studies literature, lies at the heart of post-authoritarian societal reforms. This webinar will offer some insights into the security understandings and practices in post-2011 Tunisia through multiple phases: The early aftermath of the revolution, the post-2015 terrorist attacks and the most recent 'wave' of securitization and policing. It will focus on the shift from regime security to a top-down (and partly external-directed), state-centric security approach which took precedence over individual and societal dimensions of security. In particular, the webinar aims to shed light on the conditions that made possible the adoption of reforms, the role that external actors played in pushing for change and in creating a new multilateral mechanism for security assistance privileging equipment, training and technical expertise over a broader Security Sector Reform which should also have included ethical aspects and human-rights oriented reforms.