How to Save Democracy podcast is on!
How to Save Democracy

With Jon Alexander and Jo Barratt, we’re super proud to introduce How To Save Democracy – season zero of a new podcast that aims to heal society’s broken relationship with democracy.I’d love you to join us as we hold the space for the tough conversations we need to have.We love democracy, genuinely, wholeheartedly. But it’s…

Continue Reading
Dictatorships Fear What We Must Build: Collective Intelligence and Action
Dictatorships Fear What We Must Build: Collective Intelligence and Action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xixX5ZeGW8A Dictatorships Fear What We Must Build: Collective Intelligence and Action What do dictatorships fear most? It’s noise, connection, and solidarity. Resistance together. In this personal and politically charged keynote at the 2025 Creative Bureaucracy Festival, I shared my journey from growing up under dictatorship in Tunisia to witnessing -and participating in- the uprising that…

Continue Reading
Is democracy in danger?
Participants gathered to speak after my talk

In the summer of 2023 I was invited to Olympia in Greece to speak to emerging leaders from Europe. On that occasion, I was invited to share a few thoughts on the ELIAMEP’s podcast produced as part of the 3rd Summer Academy: Training Emerging Leaders for the New Geopolitical Challenges in the Mediterranean. I talked…

Continue Reading
Crowd Wisdom and Optimism in Reshaping Democratic Processes

Meeting Kate Chaney MP deeply touched me. It was one of those encounters where you realize you’re in front of a good person, someone sincere, resilient, committed to defending the rights of the most vulnerable.We met in September 2023 during her induction into the “Democratic Innovators of the 21st century” Politicians’ Hall of Fame ,…

Continue Reading
The art of creating awesome politicians
Omezzine Khelifa

A tech engineer by training, Omezzine Khelifa left a life in France to work in the Tunisian transition from dictatorship to democracy. Today she is the executive director of the Apolitical Foundation Accelerator programme, helping equip a new type of community-powered politician all over the world. Following her appearance at Stronger Things, she speaks to Katy Oglethorpe about…

Continue Reading
Founding a Ministry of Citizen Participation
Apolitical Hope podcast

Link to Apolitical Hope podcast In September, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ximena Peredo, Secretary of Citizens Participation in the city of Leon, Mexico. She stands out as one of the exceptional recipients of the inaugural “Democratic Innovators of the 21st Century” Politician’s Hall of Fame and graciously shared insights into her journey leading…

Continue Reading
Announcing the recipients of the "Democratic Innovators of the 21st century" Politicians' Hall of Fame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYQrUXsTL2U&t=16920s Athen’s Democracy Forum – September 27, 2023 During last Athen’s Democracy Forum, on September 27, 2023, I had both the privilege and honor to announce the recipients of the inaugural “Democratic Innovators of the 21st Century” Politician’s Hall of Fame. Representing the Apolitical Foundation, we associated with the Democracy and Culture Foundation to award…

Continue Reading

Omezzine Khelifa

Omezzine Khelifa is a Tunisian politician, activist, and social entrepreneur. Born on 7 July 1982 in Carthage she was raised in La Marsa in the northern suburb of Tunis.

XX Reports   |   XX Articles   |   XX Podcasts


Hey, welcome! My name is Omezzine Khelifa and this is my official website. Here you will find some of my latest news and information.

I have been initially trained as a Telecommunications and computer science engineer but life has awakened the activist in me – remember the Tunisian Revolution of Freedom and Dignity in 2010? It’s called the Arab Spring nowadays.

I then became a politician, ran for office for the first free and fair elections and advised two Ministers in transition governments during the Tunisian transition to democracy. After leaving party politics in 2015, I founded and ran “Mobdiun – Creative Youth”, a social impact & civic innovation organization that inspires youth to lead change and help build a peaceful democracy in Tunisia using arts, financial, and leadership education.

Today, I am an experienced public policy leader, social entrepreneur, and program director with over a decade of experience driving social and economic change through policy, advocacy, and innovative program development.

I am passionate about building bold initiatives to tackle inequality, empower future leaders, and advance systemic change. 

My work has been recognized by global leadership organizations such as the Obama Foundation, the World Economic Forum, and the Aspen Institute. My current ambition is to leverage my knowledge, connections, and expertise to serve ambitious projects and institutions that build bridges between Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, focusing on sustainable development, arts, and democracy.


Newsletter Updates

Subscribe for more news about me!