This report captures findings from the final evaluation of the project “I Am the President,” implemented over 18 months from September 2018 to March 2020. The project was funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by Search-Tunisia in collaboration with Ma’an, a Palestinian non-profit media organization with a regional satellite network focusing on youth engagement and programming.
The project aimed to promote youth participation in democratic processes and empower the next generation of Tunisian democratic political leaders through the launch of the reality television show “I Am the President.”
The final evaluation highlights how the program’s activities and trainings helped to successfully increase Tunisian youth’s understanding and support for local and national democratic political processes. 96% of surveyed youth reported that Tunisians believe that youth participation in the democratic processes can make a positive change, almost ten points above the baseline conducted before the show. Additionally, a total of 83% of surveyed viewers agreed that the show increased their knowledge of the political and decision-making process, while close to 80 percent of viewers agreed that the show encouraged them to reflect and get informed on the social issues and challenges that were discussed. Furthermore, the results indicate that the show led to positive action. 61% of viewers wanted to take a more active role in their community, and close to 30% of participants reported becoming involved in local initiatives as a result of the show, including in online awareness campaigns for violence against women and girls, election campaigns, cleaning campaigns and campaigns in response to COVID-19 crisis.
