Le Graduate Management Admission Council nomme Joy Jones au poste de PDG à venir

Jones succèdera à Sangeet Chowfla en tant que directrice de l’association mondiale représentant des écoles supérieures de commerce de premier plan

RESTON, Virginie, 09 août 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Le Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), une association mondiale d’écoles supérieures de commerce de premier plan, a annoncé aujourd’hui la nomination de Joy Jones au poste de PDG élue de l’organisation. Mme Jones occupe actuellement le poste de directrice produits et directrice générale des évaluations du GMAC, un poste qu’elle occupe depuis juillet 2017. L’annonce a été faite après que le PDG actuel, Sangeet Chowfla, a annoncé son intention de quitter le poste plus tôt cette année, et à l’issue d’un vaste processus de recherche réalisé par une société mondiale de recrutement de cadres. Le conseil d’administration du GMAC a voté à l’unanimité pour élire Mme Jones, qui deviendra la quatrième PDG du GMAC à compter du 1er octobre 2022.

« Avec plus d’une centaine de candidats intéressés venus du monde entier, le conseil a mené des entretiens et des évaluations approfondis au cours des derniers mois et a été ravi de trouver la meilleure personne pour diriger l’organisation de l’intérieur », a déclaré Jon Erickson, président du conseil d’administration du GMAC et ancien président des services d’éducation et de carrière chez ACT. « Outre sa réussite éprouvée à faire croître les produits et services du GMAC et sa compréhension approfondie du secteur de l’enseignement supérieur en management que nous représentons, nous avons été particulièrement impressionnés par la vision, l’intellect, la maîtrise et la capacité de Mme Jones à communiquer avec les autres. »

Mme Jones a rejoint le GMAC il y a cinq ans avec la responsabilité de la gestion holistique du portefeuille d’évaluations et de préparation du conseil, comprenant l’examen du Graduate Management Admission Test™ (GMAT), l’évaluation la plus largement utilisée par les écoles de commerce du monde entier, servant de base à plus de 7 500 programmes d’écoles de commerce, l’examen NMAT by GMAC™, l’ évaluation exécutive et les documents de préparation aux évaluations associés. Elle a joué un rôle déterminant pendant les périodes difficiles de la pandémie de COVID-19 avec le lancement rapide de la livraison en ligne de toutes les solutions d’évaluation du GMAC. Plus tôt cette année, sous sa direction, le GMAC a lancé Business Fundamentals Powered by Kaplan, une nouvelle gamme de produits du GMAC de « micro » cours dans les domaines des statistiques, de la comptabilité et des finances afin d’aider à préparer les candidats et étudiants admis dans les écoles de commerce à réussir dans leurs programmes d’études supérieures.

« C’est un grand honneur pour moi d’avoir été choisie pour diriger une organisation de longue date et hautement réputée comme le GMAC, qui compte 70 ans d’expérience exceptionnelle dans la connexion des talents aux opportunités grâce à l’enseignement supérieur », a déclaré Mme Jones. « Alors que l’organisation débute un nouveau chapitre au sein d’un environnement commercial mondial en constante évolution, axé sur l’innovation et la croissance ainsi que sur la diversité et l’inclusion, je suis impatiente de continuer à travailler avec mes collègues dévoués du GMAC et de la communauté des écoles de commerce pour faire progresser l’enseignement supérieur en management et veiller à ce que les personnes talentueuses aient l’opportunité d’améliorer le monde dans lequel nous vivons. »

Tout au long de sa carrière, Mme Jones a été un leader de la transformation à divers postes couvrant la stratégie, les produits, les ventes, le développement commercial et les opérations, avec une expertise dans l’exploitation des nouvelles technologies en vue de créer des solutions innovantes pour les marchés mondiaux. Avant de rejoindre le GMAC, Mme Jones a occupé un poste pendant 13 ans chez Associated Press (AP), atteignant la position de vice-présidente des produits mondiaux, supervisant l’ensemble du portefeuille de produits et de la gestion des plateformes de distribution pour toutes les activités de licences de contenu multimédia, de publicité et de services de contenu de la société. Avant de rejoindre AP, Mme Jones a travaillé chez Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, où elle occupait le poste de directrice des services de conseil stratégique et des pratiques de conseil en réseaux de médias de télécommunications. Elle a obtenu son MBA à l’université de Stanford et est titulaire d’une licence en mathématiques et sciences appliquées de l’université de Californie, Los Angeles (UCLA), où elle a obtenu son diplôme avec mention.

Mme Jones succèdera à Sangeet Chowfla, qui a choisi de partir pour entamer une nouvelle phase de sa vie après près de dix ans à la tête du GMAC. M. Chowfla a rejoint le GMAC en 2013 et occupait le poste de président-directeur général depuis 2014. Au cours de son mandat, il a conduit une période extraordinaire de transformation et de diversification pour le GMAC, y compris la création de bureaux régionaux en Chine, en Inde et au Royaume-Uni, et a supervisé trois acquisitions de produits et services complémentaires visant à favoriser les liens avec les candidats et les écoles, à savoir NMAT by GMAC, BusinessBecause et The MBA Tour. Il a également contribué à redéfinir la marque GMAC en remettant l’accent sur le service aux écoles membres et en unissant l’industrie afin de résoudre les problèmes communs et créer de la valeur supplémentaire pour les écoles en élargissant nos programmes de recherche, conférences et événements. M. Chowfla continuera de servir en tant que conseiller jusqu’à la fin de l’année afin d’être disponible pour une transition en douceur et ordonnée.

« Sangeet Chowfla a rejoint l’organisation pendant une période de perturbations dans l’industrie qui s’est encore intensifiée avec l’arrivée de la pandémie et des défis géopolitiques mondiaux », a déclaré M. Erickson. « Nous sommes reconnaissants pour son service ainsi que pour la croissance et l’évolution extraordinaires qui nous ont permis d’élaborer des stratégies à long terme et de positionner notre association pour l’avenir afin de continuer à servir les écoles et les candidats. »

« Ce fut un honneur et un privilège de diriger cette excellente organisation en cette période de changement », a déclaré M. Chowfla. « La mission du GMAC, son personnel et les liens qu’il favorise sont vraiment uniques. Je me réjouis que nous ayons construit un GMAC plus fort et plus résilient, à la fois plus souple et plus diversifié dans ses offres de services et plus mondial dans ses perspectives. Joy et moi-même avons travaillé en étroite collaboration au fil des ans, et je quitte mon poste l’esprit tranquille, sachant qu’elle a la vision et la capacité de diriger l’organisation et de la faire progresser. »

À propos du GMAC

Le Graduate Management Admission Council™ (GMAC™) est une association de prestigieuses écoles supérieures de commerce du monde entier, au service d’une mission. Fondé en 1953, le GMAC fournit au secteur de l’enseignement supérieur en management des recherches, conférences sectorielles, outils de recrutement et évaluations de classe mondiale, ainsi que des outils, ressources, événements et services qui guident les candidats pendant leur parcours dans l’enseignement supérieur. Propriété du GMAC, qui assure sa gestion, l’examen du Graduate Management Admission Test™ (GMAT™) est l’évaluation pour école de commerce la plus largement utilisée.

Plus de 12 millions d’étudiants potentiels par an font confiance aux sites Web du GMAC, y compris mba.com, pour en savoir plus sur les programmes de MBA et de masters de commerce, contacter les écoles du monde entier, se préparer et s’inscrire aux examens, et obtenir des conseils sur les procédures d’admission aux programmes de MBA et de masters de commerce. BusinessBecause et The MBA Tour sont des filiales du GMAC, une organisation internationale ayant des bureaux en Chine, en Inde, au Royaume-Uni et aux États-Unis.

Pour en savoir plus sur notre travail, rendez-vous sur www.gmac.com

Contact pour les médias :

Teresa Hsu
Responsable principale des relations avec les médias
202-390-4180 (mobile)
thsu@gmac.com

Une photo accompagnant ce communiqué de presse est disponible à l’adresse : https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b997ea7e-87f4-4d87-979a-e5ecde0379fc

Ville Parpala Named Regional Sales Manager, Scandinavia for Nikkiso Clean Energy and Industrial Gases Group Europe

TEMECULA, Calif., Aug. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries’ Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (“Group”), a part of the Nikkiso Co., Ltd (Japan) group of companies, is pleased to announce that Ville Parpala has been named Regional Sales Manager for Scandinavia.

Ville brings a strong European sales and business development background with an emphasis in international Marine and Industrial market segments. His background in Automation Technology and International Business has proved invaluable to his ability to find new solutions, including utilizing hybrid technologies. He has over 20 years’ experience in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and has most recently served as Director of Marine Product Marketing for The Switch, as well as Sales management positions with Grundfos, ABB, Marioff and Emerson.

Based in Finland, he will manage and develop business opportunities there and in the Scandinavian territory, including Sweden, Denmark and Norway and will report to Ole Jensen, Vice President, NCEIG Europe.

“We look forward to be able to grow and expand our support of this important market with Ville’s industry and market knowledge, and to further develop opportunities in this region,” according to Ole Jensen.

With this addition, Nikkiso continues their commitment to be both a global and local presence for their customers.

ABOUT CRYOGENIC INDUSTRIES
Cryogenic Industries, Inc. (now a member of Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) member companies manufacture and service engineered cryogenic gas processing equipment (pumps, turboexpanders, heat exchangers, etc.), and process plants for Industrial Gases, Natural gas Liquefaction (LNG), Hydrogen Liquefaction (LH2) and Organic Rankine Cycle for Waste Heat Recovery. Founded over 50 years ago, Cryogenic Industries is the parent company of ACD, Nikkiso Cryo, Nikkiso Integrated Cryogenic Solutions, Cosmodyne and Cryoquip and a commonly controlled group of approximately 20 operating entities.

For more information, please visit www.nikkisoCEIG.com and www.nikkiso.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Anna Quigley
+1.951.383.3314
aquigley@cryoind.com

Stefan Kuijs Named Product Manager for LNG & Hydrogen – The Netherlands – for Nikkiso Clean Energy and Industrial Gases Group Europe

TEMECULA, Calif., Aug. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries’ Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (“Group”), a part of the Nikkiso Co., Ltd (Japan) group of companies, is pleased to announce that Stefan Kuijs has been named Product Manager for LNG & Hydrogen for Nikkiso Integrated Cryogenic Solutions serving the Netherlands.

A mechanical engineer, Stefan has specialized education and training in process engineering, and has over ten years’ experience with design, installation, commissioning and start-up of LNG/CNG stations and bio-gas installations. His responsibilities have also included Hydrogen projects with focus on energy transition and clean fuels. He will be responsible for the full line products, sales and solutions related to LNG and Hydrogen

“Stefan’s industry and market experience will be of great benefit to the Group, as we work to develop the opportunities in this region” according to Ole Jensen, Vice President, Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Europe.

With this addition, Nikkiso continues their commitment to be both a global and local presence for their customers.

ABOUT CRYOGENIC INDUSTRIES
Cryogenic Industries, Inc. (now a member of Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) member companies manufacture and service engineered cryogenic gas processing equipment (pumps, turboexpanders, heat exchangers, etc.), and process plants for Industrial Gases, Natural gas Liquefaction (LNG), Hydrogen Liquefaction (LH2) and Organic Rankine Cycle for Waste Heat Recovery. Founded over 50 years ago, Cryogenic Industries is the parent company of ACD, Nikkiso Cryo, Nikkiso Integrated Cryogenic Solutions, Cosmodyne and Cryoquip and a commonly controlled group of approximately 20 operating entities.

For more information, please visit www.nikkisoCEIG.com and www.nikkiso.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Anna Quigley
+1.951.383.3314
aquigley@cryoind.com

Les lauréats de la septième édition annuelle des Prix Stevie® pour les grands employeurs ont été annoncés

Les principaux gagnants incluent IBM et Tata Consultancy Services

Annonce des Prix Stevie 2022 pour les grands employeurs

Ces prix récompensent les meilleurs employeurs au monde ainsi que les professionnels, les équipes, les réalisations des ressources humaines ainsi que les produits et fournisseurs liés aux RH qui aident à créer et à favoriser des lieux de travail exceptionnels.

FAIRFAX, Virginie, 09 août 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Les lauréats des Prix Stevie® pour les grands employeurs 2022 (la septième édition annuelle), un concours international, ont été annoncés aujourd’hui. Les prix récompensent les meilleurs employeurs au monde ainsi que les professionnels, les équipes, les réalisations des ressources humaines ainsi que les produits et fournisseurs liés aux RH qui aident à créer et à favoriser des lieux de travail exceptionnels.

Parmi les organisations ayant remporté le plus grand nombre de Prix Stevie, on compte : IBM, mondialement (27 prix d’or, d’argent et de bronze), Tata Consultancy Services, mondialement (23), Enerjisa Enerji, en Turquie (21), Bank of America, aux États-Unis (18), Cathay United Bank, à Taïwan (10), Globe Telecom, Inc., aux Philippines (10), MİGROS, en Turquie (10), Abu Dhabi Customs, aux Émirats arabes unis (8), DHL Global Forwarding, en Allemagne (8), Sabanci Holding, en Turquie (8), İGA (aéroport d’Istanbul), en Turquie (7), Megaphone, en Australie (7) et NEQSOL HOLDING, en Azerbaïdjan (7).

Rendez-vous sur www.StevieAwards.com/HR pour consulter la liste complète des lauréats par catégorie.

La semaine prochaine, les lauréats des deux grands Prix Stevie (« Best of Show ») seront annoncés. L’un d’eux sera remis par la candidature qui a reçu la note moyenne la plus élevée de la part des juges. L’autre, pour l’Organisation de l’année, sera remis au participant avec le plus de points remportés dans le cadre du concours.

Les lauréats des Prix Stevie grand, d’or, d’argent et de bronze seront récompensés lors d’un banquet de remise des prix organisé au Caesars Palace à Las Vegas, le 17 septembre. Les billets pour l’événement sont maintenant en vente.

Plus de 950 candidatures d’organisations de 26 pays ont été évaluées dans le cadre du concours de cette année. Les gagnants ont été sélectionnés en fonction des scores moyens de plus de 100 professionnels à travers le monde, agissant en tant que juges. Les lauréats dans les catégories Employeur de l’année, sponsorisées par HiBob, ont été déterminés par un mélange unique des scores moyens des juges professionnels et de plus de 80 000 votes du public.

Les Prix Stevie pour les grands employeurs récompensent les réalisations dans de nombreux aspects du lieu de travail. Les catégories comprennent :

  • Employeur de l’année
  • Réalisations en matière de RH
  • Prix individuels des RH
  • Catégories des équipes de RH
  • Prix des fournisseurs de solutions
  • Réponse à la COVID-19
  • Plus de 50 nouvelles catégories de produits et services
  • Leadership éclairé

Les prix sont présentés par les Prix Stevie, qui organisent huit des plus grands programmes mondiaux de récompenses commerciales, dont les prestigieux International Business Awards® et les American Business Awards®.

À propos des Prix Stevie
Les Prix Stevie sont décernés dans huit programmes : les Prix Stevie en Asie-Pacifique, les Prix Stevie en Allemagne, les Prix Stevie au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord, les American Business Awards®, les International Business Awards®, les Prix Stevie pour les grands employeurs, les Prix Stevie pour les femmes entrepreneurs et les Prix Stevie pour les ventes et le service à la clientèle. Les concours des Prix Stevie reçoivent chaque année plus de 12 000 candidatures émanant d’entreprises de plus de 70 pays. En récompensant les entreprises de tous types et de toutes tailles, ainsi que leurs collaborateurs, les Stevies reconnaissent les performances exceptionnelles sur le lieu de travail dans le monde entier. Pour en savoir plus sur les Prix Stevie, visitez le site http://www.StevieAwards.com.

À propos d’HiBob
HiBob est une plateforme de RH moderne conçue pour les entreprises modernes. La plateforme intuitive et axée sur les données d’HiBob, « Bob », a été conçue pour la façon dont les gens travaillent aujourd’hui : à l’échelle mondiale, à distance et en collaboration. Depuis son lancement fin 2015, HiBob a enregistré une croissance à trois chiffres de son chiffre d’affaires en glissement annuel et est devenue la plateforme de choix en matière de RH pour plus de 2 500 entreprises modernes, de taille moyenne et multinationales qui comprennent qu’une puissante suite technologique agile pour les RH est essentielle et un facteur clé de la réussite organisationnelle. Des entreprises dynamiques à travers le monde telles que Cazoo, Gong, Hopin, Monzo, Happy Socks, Fiverr et VaynerMedia font confiance à Bob pour aider les responsables et les RH à connecter, engager, développer et retenir les meilleurs talents.Pour tout complément d’information sur HiBob, veuillez consulter le site www.hibob.com.

Contact :
Nina Moore
Nina@StevieAwards.com
+1 (703) 547-8389

Une photo accompagnant cette annonce est disponible à l’adresse : https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/24054089-2286-4589-b277-bd10a2930779/fr

Vencedores do sétimo Stevie® Awards for Great Employers anual são anunciados

A IBM e a Tata Consultancy Services estão entre os principais vencedores

Vencedores do Stevie Awards for Great Employers 2022 são anunciados

Esse prêmio reconhece os melhores empregadores do mundo e os profissionais, as equipes e as conquistas de recursos humanos, bem como os produtos e fornecedores relacionados a RH que ajudam a criar e orientar excelentes lugares para trabalhar.

FAIRFAX, Va., Aug. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Os vencedores do Stevie® Awards for Great Employers de 2022 (sétimo anual), uma competição internacional, foram anunciados hoje. O prêmio reconhece os melhores empregadores do mundo e os profissionais, as equipes e as conquistas de recursos humanos, bem como os produtos e fornecedores relacionados a RH que ajudam a criar e orientar excelentes lugares para trabalhar.

Entre as organizações que mais venceram nos Stevie Awards, estão a IBM, mundial (27 vitórias na classificação Ouro, Prata e Bronze), Tata Consultancy Services, mundial (23), Enerjisa Enerji, Turquia (21), Bank of America, Estados Unidos (18), Cathay United Bank, Taiwan (10), Globe Telecom, Inc., Filipinas (10), MİGROS, Turquia (10), Abu Dhabi Customs, Emirados Árabes Unidos (8), DHL Global Forwarding, Alemanha (8), Sabanci Holding, Turquia (8), İGA (İstanbul Grand Airport), Turquia (7), Megaphone, Austrália (7) e NEQSOL HOLDING, Azerbaijão (7).

Acesse www.StevieAwards.com/HR para ver a lista completa de vencedores por categoria.

Na próxima semana, os dois grandes vencedores (“melhores colocados”) do Stevie Awards serão anunciados. Um prêmio será entregue ao indicado que recebeu a maior pontuação média dos juízes. O outro, de Organização do Ano, será entregue ao participante com mais pontos ganhos na competição.

Os grandes vencedores do Stevie Awards nas categorias Ouro, Prata e Bronze serão homenageados durante um banquete de premiação em 17 de setembro no Caesars Palace, em Las Vegas. Os ingressos para o evento já estão à venda.

Mais de 950 indicações de organizações de 26 países foram avaliadas na competição deste ano. Os vencedores foram determinados pelas pontuações médias de mais de 100 profissionais de todo o mundo atuando como jurados. Os vencedores nas categorias Empregador do Ano, patrocinados pela HiBob, foram determinados por uma combinação única das pontuações médias dos jurados profissionais e mais de 80.000 votos do público em geral.

O Stevie Awards for Great Employers reconhece conquistas em muitos aspectos do local de trabalho. As categorias incluem:

  • Empregador do Ano
  • Conquistas de RH
  • Prêmios Individuais para o RH
  • Categorias de Equipes de RH
  • Prêmios para Provedores de Soluções
  • Resposta à COVID-19
  • Mais de 50 novas categorias de produtos e serviços
  • Liderança Estratégica

Os prêmios são apresentados pela Stevie Awards, que organiza oito dos principais programas de premiação de negócios do mundo, incluindo os prestigiados International Business Awards® e American Business Awards®.

Sobre o Stevie Awards
O Stevie Awards é conferido em oito programas: Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards (Ásia-Pacífico), German Stevie Awards (Alemanha), Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards (Oriente Médio e Norte da África), The American Business Awards® (Américas), The International Business Awards® (Internacional), Stevie Awards for Great Employers (grandes empregadores), Stevie Awards for Women in Business (mulheres no mercado) e o Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service (vendas e atendimento ao cliente). As competições do Stevie Awards recebem mais de 12 mil inscrições todos os ano de organizações em mais de 70 países. Honrando organizações de todos os tipos e tamanhos e as pessoas por trás delas, os Stevies reconhecem desempenhos excepcionais nos locais de trabalho em todo o mundo. Saiba mais sobre o Stevie Awards em http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sobre a HiBob
A HiBob é uma plataforma de RH moderna desenvolvida para empresas modernas. A plataforma intuitiva e orientada a dados da HiBob, “Bob”, foi criada para a forma como as pessoas trabalham hoje: global, remota e colaborativamente. Desde o seu lançamento no final de 2015, a HiBob alcançou um crescimento de receita de três dígitos consecutivos ano a ano e se tornou a plataforma de RH preferida de mais de 2,5 mil empresas modernas, médias e multinacionais que entendem que um conjunto poderoso e ágil de tecnologias de RH é essencial e um fator-chave para o sucesso organizacional. Empresas dinâmicas em todo o mundo, como Cazoo, Gong, Hopin, Monzo, Happy Socks, Fiverr e VaynerMedia, confiam na Bob para ajudar o RH e os gerentes a conectar, engajar, desenvolver e reter os melhores talentos. Para obter mais informações sobre a HiBob, acesse www.hibob.com.

Contato:
Nina Moore
Nina@StevieAwards.com
+1 (703) 547-8389

A foto que acompanha este anúncio está disponível em: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/24054089-2286-4589-b277-bd10a2930779/pt

Internet Society Foundation announces second round of innovation grants to address connectivity gap

US$200,000 grants available to advance Internet access and connectivity globally

RESTON, Va., Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Internet Society Foundation has launched a second round of grants to advance Internet access and connectivity around the world. Now in its second year, the The Building Opportunities/Leveraging Technologies (BOLT) grant program supports teams of creatives, technologists, and researchers to develop solutions to Internet connectivity, particularly among communities where current technologies are unavailable or inaccessible. US$200,000 grants will be awarded to organizations for projects lasting up to 12 months.

Internet Society Foundation

“The Internet Society Foundation is committed to using our funding to address the challenges that prevent people from accessing the Internet, in line with our vision that the Internet is for everyone. With almost half of the world population still offline, these grants aim to bolster the development of imaginative and sustainable solutions that will promote greater Internet access and connectivity for communities around the world”, noted Sarah Armstrong, Executive Director of the Internet Society Foundation.

The BOLT program builds on the Internet Society Foundation’s commitment to support innovative solutions to Internet connectivity. Organizations currently implementing projects around the world through the program include: Digital Empowerment Foundation, Digital Harbor Foundation Inc., Fundación Sole Colombia and the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU).

BOLT is open for applications between 8 August and 2 September and the grantees will be announced in October. Applying teams must ensure that their lead organization is a legally registered 501(c)(3) or equivalent.

See grant details and application process.

About The Internet Society Foundation:

The Internet Society Foundation was established in 2019 to support the positive difference the Internet can make to people everywhere. Guided by our vision of an Internet for Everyone, the Foundation champions ideas and enables communities to unlock the Internet’s potential to tackle the world’s evolving challenges. Focusing in five program areas, the Foundation awards grants to Internet Society Chapters as well as non-profit organizations and individuals dedicated to providing meaningful access to an open, globally connected, secure and trustworthy Internet for everyone.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1866485/Internet_Society_Foundation_Logo.jpg

With New Constitution, Tunisia Begins Uncertain Chapter

Scouting for plastic refuse along the capital’s broken streets, Mohammed describes brighter days working in Tunisia’s once-booming tourism industry, earning salary, room and board entertaining Europeans.

“Before, Tunisia was the icon of the Arab world,” says Mohammed, lean and deeply lined at 46, who declines to give his last name.

“Of course, it was a police state under Zine el Abidine Ben Ali,” he added of the country’s former autocrat, ousted in a revolution 11 years ago, “but we had work, we lived well. Now, we’re being hit in the stomach.”

As current President Kais Saied solidifies his control of the tiny North African country under a newly passed constitution, he will be challenged to deliver on promises of jobs, bread and stability for citizens such as Mohammed — who today earns roughly 20 cents filling up large burlap bags with garbage for recycling.

“I didn’t vote,” Mohammed said, counting among 70% of eligible Tunisians, out of opposition or apathy, who declined to participate in a July 25 referendum on Saied’s charter, which passed anyway. “I don’t trust politicians.”

The vote came exactly a year after Saied seized vast powers, dismissing his government and ultimately dissolving parliament, in what his opponents call a coup.

Today, Tunisia’s future—and Saied’s—may depend on a raft of factors, observers say: from whether the president can both secure and sell a crucial International Monetary Fund loan and its tough austerity requirements to save the country’s moribund economy, to the calculations of powerful players such as the country’s main trade union and revered army.

Also shaping the country’s trajectory will be whether Saied can retain his fading but still-sizable support — and whether Tunisians have the will and energy to return to the streets if they believe yet another government has failed them.

“We are in real uncertainty,” said Tunis University political science professor, Hamadi Redissi. “If Saied improves people’s economic and social conditions, he will probably be reelected. But if his only obsession is the constitution and elections, the country will probably plunge into crisis.”

A decade of darkness?

What happens next, analysts say, carries important lessons in a region where every other Arab Spring experiment has failed, and disenchantment in multiparty politics appears to be growing.

A recent Arab Barometer poll found falling public faith, including in Tunisia, in democracy as a motor for economic growth. Many here, like Mohammed the garbage collector, are nostalgic about a perceived heyday under Ben Ali’s strongman rule. The country’s bickering and gridlocked parties have only helped to cement their views.

Yet Ben Ali’s 2011 ouster, triggering the broader Arab Spring uprising, was fueled by the same bread-and-butter worries as today. Only now, things are worse.

However flawed and fragile, Tunisia’s democracy has “really, really mattered,” says Monica Marks, assistant professor of Middle East politics at New York University Abu Dhabi. “Tunisian democracy was a strong counter-argument not only to autocracies in the region but also violent extremists.”

Former soldier Mourad Sassi instead sees the years since Tunisia’s revolution as “a decade of darkness.”

“We don’t even have the money to buy things like cooking oil,” he says. “We can’t live another decade like this.”

“You hear the word ‘exhaustion’ more than anything else,” Marks says. “It seems Tunisians under the summer heat are wilting. And their energy to defend the only democracy in the Arab and Muslim world has wilted too.”

Man of the people

Not surprisingly, Saied and his supporters argue differently. The president says he is committed to preserving the revolution’s freedoms and his constitution will better deliver on the demands of the street — in part by creating a so-called Council of Regions as a second chamber of parliament.

Many ordinary Tunisians are proud of their man-of-the-people leader — an unremarkable constitutional scholar from a modest neighborhood, who catapulted to power in 2019 with an unlikely shoestring campaign.

“Kais Saied’s hands are clean,” says taxi driver Mohamed Bokadi. “He’s a learned man.”

Yet Saied has a lean governing resume, shows little appetite for prioritizing the economy and has failed to surround himself with effective political allies, analysts say. His prime minister, Najla Bouden, is a former geologist.

Publicly, Western leaders have offered a low-key response to Saied’s moves. But when Washington last month voiced concern about an “erosion of democratic norms,” Tunisian Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi pushed back, calling the statement an “interference in national internal affairs.”

Civil society groups and political opponents—some of whom question the referendum’s results—say the constitution merely cements a year of eroding rights: from a crackdown on political critics and journalists, to the dismissal of dozens of judges and Saied’s replacement of the independent electoral commission’s executive board just weeks before his referendum.

Tunisians have partly responded with growing self-censorship, analyst Marks says, characteristic of pre-revolution days.

“When Kais took the reins last year, a lot of people just naturally stopped discussing politics on the phone, because they believed the phones were tapped again,” she says.

“Nobody can say no to Kais Saied,” says Rached Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia’s once-powerful Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party. He is being investigated for corruption allegations he dismisses as politically motivated.

“He controls the judiciary, the National Assembly, the administration” Ghannouchi adds, “he rules like a pharaoh.”

Rocky times ahead

Tunisia’s leader faces sizable road bumps ahead. The powerful UGTT trade threatens another strike next week over better pay and benefits—potentially paving the way for an uptick of social unrest.

How much Saied can count on the country’s security forces — including its popular military that sided with the people in the 2011 revolt — is another unknown.

“It does look like he still has the military with him,” analyst Marks says. But if the country tips into the massive protests of a decade ago, “the military might make a recalculation.”

Marks, for one, is not betting on the president.

“I think Kais is destined to become that most unfortunate of creatures – an unpopular populist,” she says. “I think his days are numbered – how long remains to be seen.”

Engineer Rania Zahafi, who did not vote for Saied’s constitution and worries about its fallout, remains confident Tunisians will have the last say.

“It’s up to us to change things,” she says. “We have to make our country a better place.”

Source: Voice of America

Blinken Arrives in DRC; Regional Stability Tops Agenda

NAIROBI — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday to raise concerns that tensions with neighboring Rwanda could spread instability in the region. Political analysts say the United States is also concerned about Russia and China’s access to rare earth minerals in the DRC.

The top priority during Blinken’s two-day stay to Congo is pushing for peace between the DRC and Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of backing militia groups.

Blinken is visiting the DRC as part of his second trip to Africa as the U.S. top diplomat. The trip follows a visit by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, his first to Congo.

Analysts say the Cold War rivals are vying for influence in the DRC, which is marred with violence and conflict in its east because of the region’s rare minerals. Macharia Munene, an expert on international relations, said its part of a power play.

“The strategic resources, minerals and other critical ones that are used for industrial development as well as weaponry and technology, and Congo is extremely rich in these things so whoever can deny those things to other people becomes very powerful,” he said.

Munene said the conflicts in Congo are destabilizing the country along with neighboring Rwanda and by extension other nearby nations. He said the issue is one of concern to the United States.

“You never know who is going to come up and take advantage of the situation, to the detriment of the U.S. interest,” he said. “Now as [a] destabilizing force not just in eastern Congo but in Rwanda, maybe a bit of Burundi.”

Another top issue amid the long-standing rivalry between DRC and Rwanda is the re-emergence of M23 rebels. Kinshasa says Kigali is backing the rebels, but Rwanda has repeatedly denied the allegations. Congo’s army, along with a United Nations mission in Congo known as MONUSCO, defeated the M23 in 2013. In November of last year, its forces began to reappear.

Their reappearance is threatening human rights in Congo, according to the United Nations. Separately, Amnesty International’s advocacy director for Africa, Kate Hixon, said the U.S. should remain focused on rights issues.

“Blinken’s visit is a welcome engagement but only a few raise human rights issues with Congolese and Rwanda counterparts; the fact that it is Blinken’s second visit to the continent two years into his tenure demonstrates the importance of [the] DRC to the U.S. human rights policy,” she said.

Congolese officials say such high-profile visits to the DRC are raising hope that their country is beginning to attract developed nations. Congo’s presidential adviser, Jean Jacques Elaka, told VOA that such renewed interest could help Kinshasa get back on its feet.

“His coming shows Congo is beginning to be attractive; I can’t begin to mention leaders from nations all over the world who have visited Congo this year and last year. There were many,” Elaka said.

As part of hios Africa tour, Blinken is scheduled to visit Rwanda on Thursday. He has already visited South Africa on his trip.

Source: Voice of America

AFRICOM Gets New Military Commander

WASHINGTON — U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has a new leader, with U.S. Gen. Michael “Mike” Langley assuming command of U.S. military missions on a continent where the Pentagon says countering Chinese influence and threats from extremists remain paramount.

“I know I have a lot to do. We have a lot to do,” Langley said during a ceremony at the command’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

Upon his promotion earlier this month, Langley became the first African American four-star general in the Marine Corps’ 246-year history. Prior to this post, Langley served as commander of Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic and Marine Forces Command.

“He is the right leader at the right time with the right skill set to lead this critical command. He has the unique blend of character, competence, courage, experiences, and knowledge to lead AFRICOM in this challenging time,” Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday.

Langley is the sixth AFRICOM commander since the command was established in 2008. Outgoing commander Gen. Stephen Townsend, who is retiring after 40 years of service in the military, warned at the ceremony that “America cannot afford to ignore Africa.”

“The continent is full of potential but also full of challenges, and it’s standing at a historic crossroads,” said Townsend. “On one side is authoritarianism and foreign malign influence, along with the terrorism and food and economic insecurity that goes with it. On the other side is peace, security, democracy, development, and rule of law.”

Townsend continued to sound the alarm on terror groups thriving in ungoverned spaces in Africa, telling Congress earlier this year that the United States “may be backsliding” in its fight against al-Shabab terrorists since former President Donald Trump decided to pull all U.S. troops from Somalia during his final days in office.

In January, Townsend told VOA in an exclusive interview that he thought there are “more effective and efficient ways” to fight al-Shabab than commuting in and out of the country for missions. Less than four months later, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin signed an order to deploy hundreds of U.S. troops back to Somalia.

Austin, who presided over the ceremony, said Africa is on the front lines of many of this century’s most pressing threats. He warned that “autocracy is on the march,” with Russia and China “working to tighten their grip on the continent.”

“Russia is peddling cheap weapons and backing mercenary forces. That’s yet another reminder of Moscow’s willingness to sow chaos and threaten the rules-based international order — and it goes far beyond [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s reckless invasion of Ukraine,” he said.

Source: Voice of America