Young innovators building a sustainable future in the Mediterranean

This article is also available in French.

A young generation in the Mediterranean is finding sustainable ways to mitigate economic challenges by consolidating cooperation. The EU-Programme Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality launched the "Mediterranean Innovators for Solidarity" initiative to support projects in Arab countries of the Mediterranean region.

A new wave of young, informed, and committed citizens is rising from Morocco to Syria. Young people in Arab countries in the Mediterranean are taking action for their future and that of their communities. However, they still require assistance to exchange ideas and receive guidance to implement their projects.

The EU-Programme Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality contributes to boosting their potential in specific areas of action by providing financial, strategic and communication support. This programme first worked on regional climate and environmental issues. Following on from this success, 29 activities in ten countries have benefitted from the joint regional action Mediterranean Innovators for Solidarity to promote the concept of social and solidarity economy.

Serena Vitale, Deputy Head of Operations at the EU Delegation to Algeria explains, "young professionals often are actors of change and innovation without even knowing it." She continues, "they are bound to struggle and feel isolated in their environment until they meet their 'twins' from other countries."

Main takeaways of the Mediterranean Innovators for Solidarity include:

1. Adaptability: the preparations of the activities were entirely online – including the virtual boot camp – except for the implementation of local activities;
2. Continuity: exchange of knowledge between young leaders from the previous boot camp and the participants joining in this edition;
3.  Effectivity: the advice and support provided by the programme has a positive impact on the community.

1. Adaptability: responding to current challenges

The outbreak of COVID-19 has challenged the implementation of the activities planned by the EU-Programme Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality.

The difficulty of travelling or meeting physically could have jeopardised the programme. However, the partially-online activities, carried out in the framework of the “common action” on climate and environmental issues, had already proved that online solutions could be an opportunity to foster cooperation.

Maurizio Giachero, Programme Manager of the Governance, Human Rights and Civil Society Section at the EU Delegation to Egypt, explains, "the pandemic has enabled the enlargement of the target group thanks to the use of online exchange platforms; widening participation while still managing to keep a human touch and connection among participants."

2. Continuity: building a network of young leaders exchanging experiences

The second takeaway is the synergies created between the previous boot camp participants – working on climate and environmental issues – and the current young leaders in the field of social and solidarity economy.

One of the leaders who shared their experience is Tasnim Hemmadeh, a climate activist working in a rural area of western Syria.  For the last ten years, she has been working in the region to mitigate the effects of climate change. "In a war context, everyone thinks of humanitarian assistance, but people are losing their jobs because of the degradation of the environment, and I want to build back for the community," she said.

Tasnim Hemmadeh joined the first boot camp to acquire policy knowledge on renewable energy and gain experience from young activists, particularly in Lebanon and Jordan. She did not hesitate to join the second boot camp for social entrepreneurs, sharing her own projects, including:

• Mentorship programme to support young leaders with specialised training, helping them to improve their funding from donors or crowdfunding initiatives;
• Informative session on nature-based solutions with practical examples from the field and storytelling narratives;
• A short video to display four social projects in Syria on agriculture, social cohesion, ITC and support to displaced people in the north of Syria.

Wisam Khalifa is a young entrepreneur in Jordan working with 20 volunteers at Syndrome of change, an organisation offering support to around 400 vulnerable people. He is one of the young leaders who joined the social and solidarity economy boot camp, interacting with activists from the previous edition. "It was essential to hear the lessons learnt by previous participants. One of the most important things I have learnt from them was how to improve my financial management – to optimise my budget, save time and maximise my work," he says.

3. Effectivity: accessible advice and evidence-based decisions

Youssef Askour is a social entrepreneur working with young people in Essaouira, Morocco. He is the project manager and trainer of the association Les amis du verbe, one of the implementing partners of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Youth Platform action, receiving support and advice from the Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality team.

The three young leaders interviewed for this article shared one of the most valuable aspects of joining Mediterranean Innovators for Solidarity. Despite their differing contexts and challenges, Tasnim, Wisam and Youssef agreed on the accessible advice and support provided by the programme team. The team was always available to guide them through financial, technical and communication decisions for their chosen work areas and project proposals. 

"Other than learning from the experience of others, I appreciated the constant guidance from the team during the three months after the boot camp. I have learnt, for example, of communication tools I would never have thought of before," says Youssef.

Wisam knows first-hand about the challenges that people with disabilities have in finding a job in Jordan because of his brother. For this reason, the idea to launch the action My right to work was raised at the start of the boot camp. "I have received the expertise needed to set up my action and draft my strategy," he recalls. This action ran through the month of January 2021. It mobilised six volunteers to help ten families overcome the psychological challenges that this vulnerable population and their relatives face.

Tasnim from Syria agrees, "I have found the freedom to develop my ideas, to test my proposals, and even to fail. The team was always there to suggest solutions or propose improvements to maximise my impact."

Serena Vitale, Deputy Head of Operations at the EU Delegation to Algeria also shares this idea of flexibility, "we should listen more carefully to what young people seek, and adapt accordingly." She continues, "we ought to dare and acknowledge that structured forms of civil society organisations are no longer the norm, especially for young people. We need to cater to this less structured expression of citizenship and engagement, more popular among young people."

Click on the play button below to watch our video about the Mediterranean Innovators for Solidarity. 

Credit: Video © Capacity4dev | Photo © Med DIalogue