SALAM: Imagining and building the Mediterranean of tomorrow
Fostering dialogue on unifying themes
As part of the Dialogue of the two shores, SALAM contributes to the dynamics of regional cooperation on a positive agenda to address the common issues faced by the two shores to build the Mediterranean of tomorrow. SALAM’s actions revolve around 6 unifying themes: Knowledge and Mobility; Sustainable Development; Innovation, Digital and Entrepreneurship; Culture; Inclusion; Cities and Territories.
Funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the programme is implemented by Expertise France in partnership with: the Dialogue of the 2 shores; Lab’ess Tunisia – an incubator for projects with a social and environmental impact, member of the Pulse Groupe SOS organisation; the CMI – Center for Mediterranean Integration and the international organisation Solidarité Laïque.
SALAM improves dialogue between civil society actors from both sides of the Mediterranean to support the creation of common projects and the emergence of proposals in favour of development in the Mediterranean.
Giving voice to Mediterranean youth
SALAM mobilises innovative and committed young actors and project leaders from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) – non-profit organisations, start-ups, companies in the sector of social and solidarity economy (SSE), citizens, trade unions, organisation networks from 14 partner countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Jordan.
All actors and project leaders operating in a field which actively contributes to the Mediterranean dialogue and to the dynamics of the Dialogue of the two shores have been identified through a process of inventory and mapping of actors, which started at the beginning of 2021 at the suggestion of the partners of the two shores Summit. Moreover, particular attention has been paid to the equal representation of women and men within the groups.
Following a selection committee, more than 180 young people and 6 thematic experts were invited to participate in the programme.
The tools for building a positive agenda
The SALAM programme gives voice to young actors from both sides of the Mediterranean through several mechanisms:
· Supporting 10 innovative micro-projects in areas that are considered as a priority in the region, in particular in the field of social and solidarity economy and sustainable development (SDG 12).
· Setting up a work and exchange platform: being a platform for exchange, SALAM gives voice to young people so that they can debate and develop proposals for the future of the Mediterranean.
· Launching 6 thematic working groups to forge links, imagine solutions for tomorrow and develop concrete proposals which will be presented during the Mediterranean Forum in 2022. They will provide input for the proposals made by France, for the Mediterranean, under the framework of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union.
· Holding 3 regional meetings to reflect together on the tools and mechanisms that are relevant to a sustainable dialogue in the Mediterranean.
These regional meeting will take place on 30th November, 2021 in Tunis and in January and March 2022. They should allow the participants to understand the context of dialogue in the Mediterranean, share good practices and develop areas of collaboration and a vision for civil society organisations of both sides of the Mediterranean.
· Mapping actors and leaders of innovative projects on both sides of the Mediterranean to promote networking of actors and synergies.
· Awareness-raising activities around the sustainable development goal (SDG) 12 "responsible consumption and production": designing cartoon for youth, in French and Arabic
· Designing webinars on the following themes: circular economy, sustainable/integrated agriculture, responsible production and consumption