From Casablanca to Tunis, the Mediterranean Meetings unite CSOs around common issues

On July 4th, the Moroccan laureates gathered in Casablanca for a day dedicated to discussions on entrepreneurship and youth engagement. This meeting provided an opportunity to explore various innovative projects underway in Morocco, with six speakers sharing their experiences and perspectives. Among the highlighted initiatives, the ASETE project, led by AERDD and winner of the J-MED in 2021, illustrated the impact of entrepreneurship support on young people. Other notable examples include Anapec's Anamoukawil program, which supports project leaders, and the Ensemble vers la relance entrepreneuriale program, developed by IECD Maroc, which works to strengthen the entrepreneurial capacities of young people in the country.

The second roundtable focused on youth engagement and its role in the development of essential skills for their socio-professional integration. The speakers, including Abdeljallol Bakkar, Mohamed Aloua, and Karima Bouchehboun, emphasized the crucial importance of associative action in popular neighborhoods. They also stressed the need to include women from rural areas in partnerships between civil society actors and institutions to ensure true social and economic inclusion.

Throughout the discussion, one key point stood out: the importance of youth training, not only to enable them to become agents of change in their communities but also to provide them with the tools necessary for constructive and effective civic engagement.

After Casablanca, the next meeting took place in Tunis, continuing the dialogue among actors engaged in the Mediterranean region.

The Mediterranean Meeting in Tunis

In Tunis, on September 27th, the laureates gathered at the IHEC of Carthage, where the coordination team and participants wanted to create a space dedicated to youth expression. The day began with an artwork created by young people from the Dispositif Nouvelle Chance in Sousse, a wonderful initiative that highlighted their talent and symbolized the importance of active youth participation in shaping their future. They offered us their interpretation of the concept of "Mediterranean youth."

Next, the first roundtable explored the theme of inclusion through art and culture, particularly from the perspective of self-employment in the cultural and creative industries. This topic, which was also addressed by civil society organizations (CSOs) in Morocco a few months earlier, allowed for a discussion of the opportunities and challenges related to the integration of young people into these sectors, while highlighting the potential of the creative industries as a lever for the economic and social empowerment of youth in Tunisia.

Later in the morning, young people took center stage during a roundtable dedicated to youth engagement in associative projects. This discussion brought together three young people from different projects: Fatma from the Dispositif Nouvelle Chance, Alaedinne, a master's student at IHEC, and Khalifa from E2C Rafiq. Their participation highlighted their active role and essential contribution to associative and social engagement.

In the early afternoon, the association forum provided an opportunity for participants to better understand the Tunisian ecosystem dedicated to the inclusion of young people and to discover the many local initiatives supporting youth in various fields such as art, civic engagement, dance, audiovisual, and the environment.

The strengthening of the capacities of the laureats

These days were also an opportunity for the winners to take part in training courses on ‘How to use indicators, the keys to the success of your project’ and ‘Communicating effectively about your project’, focusing mainly on institutional communication.