Launching of a new series of public debates on civil society challenges13.09.2021
In the framework of its “Bridging the Sea: a Review of Mediterranean Civil Society” publication, Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality programme is organizing six debates, in partnership with selected regional CSO organizations in different countries from August to September 2021. The objective of these debates is to create a free space for dialogue and discussion with local, regional civil society organizations and networks, and other stakeholders about crucial topics as follows:
IT is recalled that “BRIDGING THE SEA: A Review of Mediterranean Civil Society”, is the final output of the survey research carried out by the Med Dialogue Programme, and aiming at mapping civil society networks, platforms and other entities active in the southern Mediterranean and Euro-Med space. Building upon data and findings of the research, this digital publication offers statistical data on needs, activities, and orientations of the regional civil society networks in the Mediterranean, as well as an assessment of their needs and challenges.
In this context, the first debate held online in Jordan by the Arab Network for Civic Education on 24 August was the occasion to exchange about Mediterranean civil society activities in the field of democracy, advocacy and sustainable development. More than fifty experts, representing regional civil society institutions and members of ANHRE network from organizations working in Jordan, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt participated in this debate, as well as a number of researchers, journalists, academics and experts, among them Dr. Lina Alameddine from the MED Dialogue Programme, and Yara Shahin, political researcher, and one of the researchers who participated in the publication. This debate was an attempt to create a space for reflection and effective dialogue to build a more resilient civil society in the region that works towards the rooting of rights and equality in order to build peace, stability, respect and harmony in the future among the Mediterranean countries. According to Mrs. Fattouh Younis, Executive Director of The ANHRE Network “The digital version of “BRIDGING THE SEA” publication aims at bridging the knowledge gap, even partially, between the two sides. It also aims at providing the Med Dialogue Programme and the civil society actors as well as the European Union itself with a set of statistical data, analyses and good practices that will guide the European Union in its commitment and cooperation with civil society”.
Furthermore, the second debate organized by IRADA platform was held online on 4 September under the topic “Environmental engagement within Mediterranean civil society activities”. It aimed at bringing together main Algerian civil society representatives to share with them the results of this mapping survey. It was also the occasion to debate about the engagement of citizens and authorities in the environment field in Algeria. Thus, 25 representatives of civil society organisations including environmental and social activists actively participated in this session in addition to several journalists, academics, and experts and MED Dialogue programme team Leader Gianluca Solera. In this context, several topics were addressed, such as: mindsets of Algerian civil society involved in the environment and the sustainable development fields and a retrospective of the environmental question in Algeria; from the colonial period to the first decades of independence as well as the evolution of its treatment by the Algerian government. In addition, expert Karim Tejdani who is an environmental activist, presented to the audience the main historic phases of Algerian civil society engagement in terms of ecology and environment while highlighting the famous fight against crossing “EL Kala national park” by the “East-West highway”.
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- advocacy
- Algeria
- Challenges
- Civil Society
- Democracy
- environment
- Jordan
- public debate
- publication
- sustainable development
