Tunisia is slowly on the recovery trail after a revolution earlier this year led to the downfall of its dictatorial leader and sparked similar revolts around the Arab world.
On Sunday, the country will head to the polls to elect an assembly to decide on a new constitution – and the Tunisian world over want to partake in the process, with delegations from countries around Europe invited to get involved.
In Germany, home to a large expatriate Tunisian population, one delegate will be chosen from 15 candidates who have put themselves up for election to the constitutional assembly. The only woman among them is Amal Nasr, a 24-year-old art history student who lives in the western city of Bonn.
“There are 80.000 Tunisian who live here in Germany and they can all vote for me,” Amal says while standing in one of Bonn’s busiest shopping areas. The sun is shining today, and Amal’s outlook is equally full of promise.
Bonn is home to a significant Tunisian population and the city shut the Tunisian Consulate General hosts from back when it was the capital of West Germany. The major problem Amal faces, however, is identifying Tunisian on the streets and motivating them to play a part in the future of their homeland.