A delegation of young people from 2nd Chance School visited Helsinki with the MedNC coordination team in November

A Forum Designed for Youth, with Youth

Organized by the Union for the Mediterranean, in collaboration with the European Commission and key regional partners such as MIMIR, the Mediterranean Youth in Action Forum brought together young people from across the region to exchange ideas on how to build more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Thanks to the support of the European Commission and the Union for the Mediterranean, nine young people from Second Chance Schools in the region were able to travel to Helsinki and actively take part in the forum discussions.

Why Youth Voices Matter so much 

With one in three people under the age of 25 in the Mediterranean region, youth voices are not just important—they are essential.

This event echoed the spirit of the Ministerial Declaration of Marrakech, which emphasizes the importance of considering the aspirations of young people as a foundation for:

• A green and digital recovery

• A more effective labor market

• Improved support for NEET youth (Not in Education, Employment, or Training)

Insights from the Field  

Astrid Desjobert, Director of Partnerships at IECD, shared her perspective on what is needed to develop youth-led entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Mediterranean:

• Empowering youth voices: We need to create more spaces where young people can express their entrepreneurial ideas and ambitions. Their perspectives are invaluable—they know better than anyone the realities of their communities.
• uilding entrepreneurial skills: There is an urgent need for more trained professionals to teach entrepreneurship in 2nd Chance schools. This is a key driver for supporting the next generation of innovators.
• Engaging with the informal economy: Many entrepreneurial initiatives in the region operate in the informal sector. It's crucial to develop targeted tools and resources to support NEET youth, despite the structural challenges they face.

Nisrein Abdoul, a member of the MedNC network, shared her own journey at the forum. Initially discouraged, she found her path through vocational training and a program led by SELA. She is now a trainer within the same organization that supported her. Her story highlights how meaningful engagement and support can lead to long-term empowerment.

What Does a Young Person Take Away from a Forum ? 

That’s a question we asked ourselves as MedNC coordination team after the Mediterranean Forum on Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems. Nour, a 20-year-old student at the Second Chance School in Carcassonne (France), offered a powerful and inspiring response.

After participating in the forum, Nour sent a short voice message sharing his reflections. His heartfelt testimony shows just how transformative meaningful participation can be—when youth are truly heard.

"Hello everyone, my name is Mohamed-Nour, I’m 20 years old, and I come from the Second Chance School in Carcassonne, France.

Today I’d like to talk about an opportunity I was given—to travel from France to Finland to attend a conference on youth entrepreneurship.

I was lucky. Where I come from, I don’t know a single young person who’s ever been exposed to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. For us, it always seemed so out of reach that we simply stopped asking questions.

Becoming an entrepreneur has always been my goal, but I thought it was a journey I’d have to take alone, searching for answers far away from my environment. I started to believe that maybe I could become an entrepreneur someday… but far too late—when I wouldn’t even be considered young anymore.

So what about those who feel even more excluded from this ecosystem and have completely given up on ever being part of it?

It’s crazy to think that just one conference, one day, a few questions, a few answers, a bit of information about the entrepreneurial ecosystem... was enough to make me want to start asking questions again. It made me feel that maybe, just maybe, I do have access to it—and now, not later.

Finally, going back to what I said earlier: I used to think I had to find the path to entrepreneurship on my own. But today, I’m beginning to believe that may not be the case. Maybe we, as young people, need guidance and support to learn how to move forward.

I hope to see things move in that direction, so that young people have easier access to entrepreneurship. Thank you again for this opportunity. I hope every young woman and man can have the same chance I did—or even more."