My name is Samia LABIDI, I am 57 years old and I have been living in Paris for almost 40 years. I left Tunisia at the age of 18 to flee the Islamism that plagued my family and, ironically, I found myself fighting it in the heart of Paris. I have a philosophical and sociological background, with a law certificate, and I have nearly 30 years of associative activism to my credit, in order to promote secularism and combat all forms of fundamentalism and religious terrorism. I created my first association in Paris: d’Ailleurs ou d’Ici Mais Ensemble (A.I.M.E.) and I published a first document book, at Flammarion, around the same theme, as well as other collective works.

After the famous Arab Spring, or the so-called Jasmine Revolution of January 14, 2011, I found the irresistible desire to return to the Tunisian issue, which is nevertheless full of hope for all Arab-Muslim countries. However, this breach in archaism has struggled to settle permanently to give birth to a better present and future. The situation of Tunisia, which has certainly gained in terms of freedom of conscience and expression, continues to deteriorate visibly. Free Spirits, representative of a silent majority, struggle to form a strong coalition capable of facing adversity.

This is the reason why I decided to opt for an action from inside Tunisia, after having tried an action from outside. The germ of the creation of these two Associations has just been born and it will have to be implemented remotely. For the sake of transparency and legal compliance, I entrusted all the administrative procedures to my lawyer in Tunisia who carried out all the actions successfully until obtaining the two patents and the two openings of the bank accounts. . I’m not telling you the hassle to get there…

The Association, Lilla Béya, dedicated to the defense of women’s rights, and the Association, Anouar, with a humanitarian vocation, have just been born against all odds. The first question that comes to mind is why two associations at the same time, and not one after the other? Two areas of interest have always appealed to me, namely women and humanitarianism. I have always thought that the situation of women alone deserves, at the very least, an association entirely dedicated to them, given the precariousness in which they find themselves, particularly in Arab-Muslim countries. As for humanitarian aid, let’s not even talk about it since we have just taken a giant step backwards with an explosion of poverty at all levels.

Why build in two stages when you can start with both pillars at the same time? It is clear that one does not go without the other because misery is not only of a material nature, but also of an intellectual and religious nature with a violation of private and public space in complete impunity and under our helpless eyes. It is our duty to take our destiny into our own hands and to take into account a situation that is constantly regressing. The Will to Act from within is not an empty word and must become a natural reflex of every Tunisian citizen who wishes to participate in the succession of this dear country Tunisia in the respect of an ancestral tradition and a Liberal, tolerant and luminous Islam.

Instead of rushing to die, swallowed up by the waves of the Mediterranean Sea, in order to escape misery and worrying internal conditions, it is better to die on the spot trying to improve a critical situation. Instead of spending your energy negatively by fighting against obscurantism, it is better to spend it positively by fighting for the lights. Replacing the “Cons” with the “For” is already a gain of energy and a better orientation to focus on the beauty and on the Unconditional Love of Tunisia.

Without the reduction of poverty and without the protection and improvement of the condition of women, Tunisia will never recover. These are the two pillars that must absolutely be restored to resume a march towards progress and join the list of developed countries. This is in no way to denigrate the role of man in this futuristic construction of Tunisia, on the contrary all those who support this dual approach are welcome to strengthen our ranks and solidify our base with their precious skills in all the domains. We have, unquestionably, an elite that is eager to deploy in the service of its country and its compatriots locally, nationally and internationally.

Our ambition is to work, and to be active, throughout the Tunisian territory. Our ambition is to start slowly but surely and to take root in the social and media landscape of Tunisia.

Our ambition is to work, and to be active, throughout the Tunisian territory. Our ambition is to start slowly but surely and to take root in the social and media landscape of Tunisia. Our ambition is to endure and continue over time in order to participate in the contemporary and modern history of the new Tunisia which is trying to make its way somehow. Our ambition is to succeed in the Will to Act from Within and to mobilize around us all those who aspire to the same objectives. Our ambition is to set an example for all the other Arab-Muslim countries so that they follow in our progressive footsteps, as they have already begun to do…

All of our founding, grassroots team, and all those who wish to join us, as project managers, will and must be volunteers. This is because we only really have what we give. It is because we must give the best of ourselves, according to our means, in order to redress the extent of the inequalities that reign in the country as best we can, that we must volunteer their time, their money or more of his skills in order to make up for the many shortcomings that we risk encountering in our journey.

We are just inaugurating these two initiatives which are just beginning to act discreetly but effectively. We launch a Call for volunteers and volunteers who want to join this adventure, more than necessary, for a future worthy of the name for all Tunisian citizens. A certificate of the “Best Volunteer” will be distributed, during a charitable dinner supposed to crown an annual exercise of our activities on a national scale, in order to express our sincere thanks on behalf of the two Associations Lilla Béya and Anouar.

In addition, during this annual charitable dinner, we undertake to present the results of our activities in order to work in complete transparency. This report will be available for consultation, on our two websites, by all our members or future members. Still in the same perspective, we are planning the distribution of two Grand Prix. The first, Grand Prix Lilla Béya, will be awarded to a natural female person and the second, Grand Prix Anouar, can be awarded to a natural or legal person such as a school, a hospital, or a bankrupt company in order to help recover.

Thank you for having responded in large numbers to this invitation, especially since there is no lack of associations in Tunisia in these two areas of action. We will strive to distinguish ourselves by our concern for integrity in the performance of our duty. We will need, first of all, to set up a collective of 365 lawyers, in relation to the 365 days of the year, where each lawyer undertakes to defend a single case on a voluntary basis per year. But, also, we need to recruit people in charge of different commissions such as the medical, legal, economic, social, intellectual and media commission, to name only the most urgent.

I remain at your disposal for any further information. Do not hesitate to come to me for your comments and volunteer proposals. We are not on virgin territory and many others have preceded us in this area. This is why we are going to establish partnerships with other associations, nationally and internationally, in relation to the defense of women’s rights or with humanitarian work in order to carry out projects together. Just as we will have ambassadors, national and international, to promote our ideal and help us expand our means of action, in order to better materialize this irresistible Will to Act from Within.

I thank you very much for your numerous presence, it is time for the jasmine revolution to embalm Tunisia with its perfume. I wish you perfect health and an excellent year 2022, because we are worth it…

Samia Labidi
Founder & President