Oslo, December 10

Members of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, which helped build democracy in the violence-torn country after the 2011 revolution, collected the Nobel Peace Prize in the Norway’s capital today.

This year’s award was picked up at a ceremony in Oslo City Hall by members of four organisations, representing unions, industry, trade and human rights.

The quartet is made up of four key groups: The Tunisian General Labour Union; the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts; the Tunisian Human Rights League; and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers, the country’s bar association.

Norwegian Nobel Committee Chairwoman Kaci Kullmann Five cited the group for “its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy” following Tunisia’s 2011 revolution that overthrew its long-time authoritarian president.

The gold medals and diplomas were picked up by Houcine Abassi, the labour union leader; Mohammed Fadhel Mafoudh, head of the bar association; Abdessatar Ben Moussa, president of the human rights group and Wided Bouchamaoui, the head of the employers’ association.

Addressing the audience of 1,000 people, including royalty, government members and foreign dignitaries, Kullmann Five described as “dramatic” the narrative behind this year’s peace prize.

“It speaks to the core of Alfred Nobel’s will and Nobel’s vision of fraternity, disarmament and peace-building forums,” she said. “Against a backdrop of unrest and war ... (their) resolute intervention helped to halt the spiralling violence and put developments on a peaceful track,” after the summer of 2013 when Tunisia was on the brink of civil war.