Home > Our action > Events > 10 years of certification: The Mediterranean New Chance network meets again in Barcelona

10 years of certification: The Mediterranean New Chance network meets again in Barcelona

The 20th Steering Committee meeting celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Union for the Mediterranean's designation in Barcelona.

Photo_des_membres_a_Barcelone_Photos_de_groupe_UpM

le 10 May 2024

On 15 and 16 April, 16 of the 18 members of the Réseau Méditerranée Nouvelle Chance met in Barcelona at the headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean. The members had the opportunity to present the New Chance Mediterranean Network to a delegation of development players from the countries of the Union for the Mediterranean, made up of 30 representatives of international cooperation agencies active in the region.

Opening ceremony at the Union for the Mediterranean

Itaf Ben Abdallah, Senior Advisor for Higher Education and Research, warmly welcomed us to the Union for the Mediterranean on Monday 14 April, marking the official start of this event. 10 years ago, the Union for the Mediterranean awarded a label to the Réseau Méditerranée Nouvelle Chance, which at the time consisted of 4 member countries (Algeria, France, Morocco and Tunisia) for its innovative actions in favour of Mediterranean youth. This labelling, carried out as part of the Mediterranean Initiative for Employment (Med4Jobs), produced significant results, as it helped to strengthen the network's institutional recognition and visibility. It has also encouraged the development of new partnerships and synergies between the players involved. The Union for the Mediterranean is also a place full of memories, as 5 years ago, the network had already met in Barcelona in the presence of 12 members. Today, the New Chance Mediterranean Network has 18 members in 10 different countries, testifying to its growth and impact in the region

Visits to innovative training schemes

Barcelona, reputed to be a major hub for digital innovation in Europe, gave the thirty or so COPIL participants the opportunity to visit the El Llindar 2nd Chance School, where we had the privilege of discovering La Fàbrika, an innovative project focusing on the use of digital technology in training schemes for young people.

 

 

Explanations of the functionning of the machines by a young person in training at El Llindar, Barcelona, April 2024 © MedNC

 

The following day, the members went to meet the teaching team at the Martí-Codolar 2nd Chance School. This school has set up effective integration schemes that enable it to take on around 1,000 young people over an average period of two years.  

 

Discovery of the different training path possible at the 2nd Chance School Marti-Codolar, Barcelona, April 2024 © MedNC

 

Photo de Claire Leproust
 
« I found the school visits very inspiring, as they always offer new perspectives. I also found the concept of the Mezcladis application restaurant very innovative. »
 
Maria Elena Ronza,  from SELA - for training and protection of heritage
 

Discussions and reflections on the network's current projects 

  • Capitalisation of our activities

As part of the activities of the Erasmus+ 2021-2024 consortium, each member organisation is planning to organise a presentation event to share the results of completed projects. We've come a long way in the last three years! The annual conferences and meetings with numerous institutional figures, the expert missions organised in three different countries (France, Morocco and Spain), the advocacy actions carried out with young people, such as the ‘Voices of Youth’ campaign, and the good practice guide on sustainable integration intended for all civil society organisations in the Mediterranean are all great successes to be shared with the general public!  

  • Digital platform 

We also spent time developing the digital platform of the Mediterranean New Chance Network. This platform aims to facilitate communication and information sharing between network members. The session enabled us to gather valuable feedback from members, to ensure that the platform meets their needs and expectations as closely as possible. These exchanges were enriching and will enable us to finalise the platform over the coming months, ensuring that it is an effective and relevant tool for everyone.

  • Teaching kit

The Mediterranean New Chance Network has embarked on the design of an educational tool to raise awareness of sustainable development in the Mediterranean, in the form of a turnkey edutainment kit for trainers of NEETs on both sides of the Mediterranean. The creation of this ‘MedN'Green’ teaching kit is the operational phase of the guide to good practice and training in green jobs, which will be published in November 2023. This working session was an opportunity for the members to exchange views with the experts in charge of designing and co-imagining the ideal kit!

  • Youth Council

The members of the network have decided to set up a Youth Council, which will enable young people to be represented at major events such as this one in Barcelona. They envisaged various activities for this council, such as interviews and surveys conducted by the young people themselves, or their participation in strategic meetings with political decision-makers. The session ended with a discussion on integrating young people into the decision-making processes of the training centers, encouraging the exchange of good practice between peers.

On the road to Rome...

The next meeting between the members is scheduled for the annual conference in Rome in October 2024. This will mark the official launch of the Youth Council!