3rd Euro-Mediterranean Forum on Inter-Cultural Dialogue to examine youth issues and concerns in the Euro-Mediterranean Region.
Following the two previous Forums in Barcelona, 2010 and Marseilles, 2013, the Malta Forum will discuss, inter alia, 'Moving beyond the Extremist Narrative: Youth on the Frontline' and also host the launching of the EU-funded initiative 'Young Mediterranean Voices,' following the success of its forerunner 'Young Arab Voices.'
Speaking ahead of the event the European Union's High Representative/Vice-President, Federica Mogherini, said: "We have a responsibility to create new pathways for our region's young people to be the drivers of change. And we need to start today, not tomorrow. This was the original idea behind the Young Arab Voices programme, launched by the Anna Lindh Foundation five years ago. Today we know that our young people in Europe feel many of the same passions, fears and aspirations of their Arab peers. We dream the same dreams. So for me, the evolution from ‘Young Arab Voices’ to ‘Young Mediterranean Voices’ is only natural."
The Forum, taking place in the refurbished Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valetta, falls on the eve of Malta assuming the Presidency of the European Council from January 2017. One of the major objectives of the gathering is to develop policy recommendations for regional cooperation and inputs for the Maltese Presidency. Putting the Southern neighbourhood region and youth on the political agenda is consistent with the recently launched EU Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy.
In Malta today, Dr George Vella, Maltese Minister of Foreign Affairs, who will officially open the Forum on Sunday 23rd October said: “On the eve of our landmark gathering, MED FORUM of the Anna Lindh Foundation is sending out a powerful message across the region that there is an alternative narrative based on dialogue and cooperation. The diverse youth and civil society actors gathering in Valletta over the coming days represent a far-reaching movement for intercultural action in the face of unprecedented cultural aggression and violence in the region. The Forum is a beacon of light across the Mediterranean which can lead us to our first EU Presidency and transform into action new policies aimed at launching a new era of relations for our common Mediterranean future.”
As a key speaker in the Opening Plenary, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova declared ahead of MED FORUM that “We must equip young men and women with the tools they need to carry the torch of peace and human rights. Facilitating the exchange between youth along the banks of the Mediterranean is key to build effective and sustainable policies, generate positive and constructive discourses and establish enabling economic, social and political environments.”
More information:
A new strategy to put culture at the heart of EU international relations