The Tunisian Bank of Solidarity (BTS):
It is the second solidarity mechanism which was founded in 1997. All Tunisians were allowed to participate in the capital of this bank which is not like the other banks.
It was created in order to help people, who don’t have the financial means, by granting them direct credits, to make them have their own small enterprise or business.
So far, 85.000 projects have been financed by the BTS. The money granted have been equal to 378.000million TD, 15.1% of which have been given to graduates. The BTS has helped create 125.000 jobs. But in the future, the interventions of this bank on the side of the graduates should hopefully rise to 50%.
The Employment National Fund (ENF): 21-21
It is the third instrument of solidarity that was created in 1999. It is also a bank for small projects. It’s a means of integration in the development process; giving micro credits and training of the person who benefited. It marks a change in the vision which is changing from the support stage to the spirit of initiative, integration in the economic circuit especially for those who have degrees and higher diplomas to decrease unemployment and encourage free enterprise.
Another objective, is the redeployment of university graduates according to the needs of the job market such as computing, ICT, networks, software, multimedia and pre-school teaching or adult national programme of education for graduates in languages.
The Tunisian is now a responsible person; he has got an active and important role in the economic development in all fields especially in the modern technologies to make Tunisia ready to integrate in globalisation.
Tunisian non-governmental organizations (NGO)
Apart from the three instruments of solidarity mentioned above, there are now 227 development associations (NGO). They also try to improve families’ living conditions by granting to 200.000 families credits. The value of each credit is about 4000TD or between 700 –800 TD.
The NGO organize from time to time social, cultural and health caravans to different parts of the country to give assistance to needy families.
All the objectives of the NSF have been achieved so far. Solidarity is indeed an ambitious humanitarian programme which includes all social categories, and where there is no place for exclusion or marginalization. “It constitutes the best shield against violence or revolution.”
Nowadays, the spirit of solidarity has now become well-enhanced in the Tunisian’s mind. It has become a moral and a cultural value that helps now in the social development. It is also an element that defines our belonging to this country and our identity.
Today, this solidarity is not occasional; it is in fact, all the year round: on religious and national celebrations, at the beginning of the school year, in bad weather…
One important thing that has encouraged the population, the friendly countries to contribute to this Fund is the transparency, the good and efficient management of the funds collected and the follow up that is organized by the responsible people which have made it successful. It has become a lighthouse in the Third World. It is an excellent mechanism for these regions which need help and assistance.
Numeric solidarity in Tunisia
The e-divide is not only between the developed countries and the under-developed ones, but also it is between the regions of the same country, between social categories. That’s why many mechanisms of numeric solidarity have been set up in order to bridge this gap and reduce the numeric inequalities.
Numeric solidarity has reached primary schools, colleges and secondary schools in rural areas. In 1999, high schools were equipped with computer labs. ICT has been taught and practised in schools which have been connected to Internet network.
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