HSE, Quality and Risk Management Blog

Why other countries could fail where Tunisia succeeded?

This month, we’ve been astounded by the fall of the Ben Ali’s regime in Tunisia. And days later, we’ve seen several similarities were coming in other countries, like Egypt, Algeria etc. Deep in my heart, I feel proud of what Tunisian people have done. The impossible. Throwing out an “Emperor”.

What interesting is not only the fact on how they succeeded, but we should even look on how they are hardly emulated elsewhere. Please have a little look on my analysis.

1. Objective

In Tunisia, they shared the same objective : GETTING BACK THEIR RIGHT, not only opposing a government, or even throwing out a president. They were not being led by hatred, but dissatisfaction on the highest level. They saw the need to get a life out of death. Because of this objective was being shared together, they went out and strike where the strongest part of a government might be : the police.

2. Braveness

Speaking about the police, the Tunisian people weren’t afraid of police’s arms. They were not afraid of anybody, even the snipers. For them, death = life without hope, freedom, work. But why other countries could fail on this item? They shouted too much in the media, in the internet. But did they have the same gut and attack the hardest part of the hierarchy? Would they dare to speak with their arms and legs instead of voices and mouths? Shouting in internet was good, but it was not enough.

3. Unity

When they only used Facebook and Twiter, with only “Like” here and there, we might have impression that they were united in the same fight. United in internet was again, could not throw out a government, but fighting on roads, could. “Like” system was not the same thing as “Walk together”, far from “Fight alongside”. Again, they lacked the braveness needed to seriously show out the unity. My opinion is, too much insults in front of the computer screen, but too cowards to show it outside.

4. Help

One of the Tunisian’s specialty is the brotherhood. When their neighbors were out striking, the men left took care of other’s family. They brought out swords, pipes, whatever they got to defend the families of the braves who went out on roads. They might be old to walk in the cities, but they were not cowards. They did what they could to help the revolution. They wanted their part in the history. And the oldies of other countries, would you do the same?

5. Army

Besides the help of the villagers, they also got some help from the army. Polices were authorized to kill people by  the high officials and ministers, but the army were there to help them. How many countries we can find today the spirit of brotherhood being shared by the army? In most of the cases, the army will only look from far. For them, their job is protecting the country from outsiders’ attack, and they are not into politics. I’m sorry, but that is a pure bullshit. Army’s job is saving lives, even if the attack comes from your own half-brothers ; the polices. Congratulations for the Tunisian army for understanding this principle well.

6. Media

Media should support people, even if it was again their own boss. But again, the cowardice came to life. “What if the people lose? We might have our licenses revoked by the government. It’s better we wait and meanwhile, still support our Boss. If the people win, then we’ll help them critics our ancient Boss. It’s as easy as that!” Media played a high role in keeping up the spirit. In Tunisia, they might even try to show how people were celebrating when Ben Ali announced that he would step down in 2014. Instead, those celebrating people were hired by the government. People wanted him out NOW, not later. Again, how many media on earth would come out from hypocrisy that reigned in their heart? Being hypocrite brings business. Why change?

7. Lesson

By the time i wrote this article, other Bosses all over the world might have paid high prices to those analysts out there on how to defend them from the same outrage. Lesson learnt I might say? And instead of stepping down because majority of people know they are corrupt, why not cheat on votes and stay for another 20 years? Tunisian people learnt this lessons too. How many years would other people in other countries (Malaysia perhaps) learn the same lesson?

8. Energy

Playing hard ball with polices took a lot of energy. People need to be organized to strike with shift. Never heard of shift in your office? We do not need one big leader, but rather several smaller leaders. In Thailand, if you remember well enough, they succeeded in assembling hundreds if thousands protesters, but in space of several days, people got tired and went home. Strike was over. So people, next time you want to go on continuous strike to overthrow your government, make sure you deal with this “shift” thing.

9. Determination

Why I save this for the the later? Because the determination could be influenced by the factors I already mentioned above. People got mind, they might change from one second to another. Stay in the game, don’t lose hope. If you don’t play, you’ll never win. So, keep the hope up, and play with tactics. Just like in the football matches, you might go down 0-3, but won it later 4-3. Perseveration and determination don’t come out from Facebook’s comments, or Tweeter’s tweets, but from the spirit to get the change being done by your own arms and legs. (People might say I use my fingers too to type!)

10. Prayers

Pray for your luck and never stop hoping. Hope keeps you alive.

See you next time! =)

January 25, 2011 - Posted by Mohd Zhafran | Uncategorized | Algeria, Algerie, Ben Ali, Egypt, government, Lesson, malaysia, Manifestation, Tunisia, Tunisie