Columbia Center for Oral History Portal > Oral history interview with Mounir Majdoub, 2015Biographical NoteMounir Majdoub is a Tunisian environmentalist and government official. In 2014, he was appointed Secretary of State for the Environment in the technocratic government. In 1992, he became an advisor to the Minister of Economy's Office of the Environment, and since 1993 he has worked as a consultant on environmental policy, energy efficiency and sustainable development. In 1985, he joined the Tunisian National Agency for Energy Control and in 1982 he began working for the Energy Department in the Ministry of Economy
Scope and ContentsMounir Majdoub explains the Tunisian Revolution's primary causes, from student unemployment, to miners' protests, to terrorist attacks. Following Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's departure, Majdoub organized an environmental association called Alternatives, which advocated for the inclusion of new environmental policies in the country's constitution. He describes his recruitment to Mehdi Jomaa's technocratic government. He details environmental issues like erosion, limited natural resources, sanitation and ecosystem deterioration, which exacerbate many sources of discontent in Tunisia but are often ignored. While the Jomaa government prioritized short-term goals, they also had a long-term plan for Tunisia's future, including an environmental report, which they passed on to the succeeding government. Majdoub felt very close with his colleagues, and they operated as a team, collaborating on projects and sharing ideas. Jomaa even brought them into his office to discuss rumors about whether or not he would run for office. Though Majdoub does not identify as a politician, he enjoyed working with Jomaa and the other ministers and felt a sense of duty to his country. Majdoub concludes with thoughts on Tunisia's future directions, particularly in the environmental realm
SubjectsAccess ConditionsCopyright by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, 2015
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