Season’s Greetings from the ALF UK and info. on what’s to come in 2009!

The EuroMed Committee, which brings together High Officials and Ambassadors of the forty-three countries of the Union for the Mediterranean, approved the Anna Lindh Foundation’s new triannual programme during its last meeting in Nice.

 

The programme, which will commence on the 1^st of January 2009, centers on regional flag-ship projects in fields impacting on mutual perceptions across the two shores of the Mediterranean, including the fields of culture, media and education, as well as new areas of work on ‘religion and spirituality’, ‘ideas and ideologies’, ‘cities and diversity’.

 

The new programme will also see the Foundation assuming the role of observatory of intercultural relations across the forty-three countries of the Union for the Mediterranean, publishing an annual report on the socio-cultural trends contributing to coexistence in the region.  The very first report, which is scheduled for the end of 2009, will focus on the theme of ‘The impact of media in shaping mutual perceptions’.

 

President Andre Azoulay has commenced the meeting with an intervention highlighting the importance of this new phase of the Foundation and its political centrality inside the Union for the Mediterranean, where the cultural and human dimension are one of the major fields for the strategic definition of this partnership.

 

As the first common institution of the EuroMed Partnership, the Foundation is in a unique position to implement such a large-scale programme, with an intergovernmental Board of Governors and acting as a network of over two thousand civil society organizations: NGOs, associations, schools, youth groups, universities and local authorities.

 

In the presentation of the Programme at the Board, the Executive Director, Andreu Claret, said : “With our new programme approved and shared by all forty-three countries of the Partnership, we are ready to put the Foundation on a new course of action: more ambitious, more valuable and more visible to those interested in the construction of a common future in the Euro-Mediterranean region”.

EuroMed AudioVisual II-Final Newsletter

What it does: Enhances the audiovisual and cinema sectors in Mediterranean Partner Countries, thus promoting cooperation and mutual understanding with the EU.

 

Budget €15 million (MEDA)

Timeframe 2005-2008

Mediterranean Partner Countries Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey

 

Objective

 

It aims at bringing both European and Mediterranean cultures together, through enhancing audiovisual and cinema fields which are excellent vehicles for information in Europe as well as in the Mediterranean countries, through cooperation and training.   It also encourages the promotion and distribution of films in the countries of the EU and the Mediterranean. It is a follow-up to Euromed Audiovisual I (2000-2004) that was geared more specifically towards supporting production, to bring about the emergence of a Mediterranean film market.

To find out more about the AudioVisual Programme, its objectives and achievements, go to: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.328.content.en.html?PHPSESSID=131c62d6f36564c5ffddbe3d66ca5079

 

Now that the Project is coming to an end, the final newsletter has been published. An interview with the Project Manager of Euromed Audiovisual II regarding its achievements and the possibility of a third such project features in the Programme’s final newsletter, now on-line. Among the articles is a farewell note from the Programme’s team.

This can be accessed at: http://www.euromedaudiovisuel.net/nletdetail.aspx?treeID=148&lang=en

ENPI Call for proposals: Cooperation between local actors

A restricted Call for Proposals to promote mutual understanding, dialogue and cooperation between local actors in the EU and in the partner countries of the Neighborhood region (ENPI region), through the provision of capacity building for the modernization and strengthening of local and regional government, has been published. A total of €11.000.000 are available for the purpose of awarding co-financing grants. To read more visit: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.168.news.en.5038.html

New experiences for the Jordan Youth

 Thousands of youth from all shores of the Mediterranean and Europe have gathered under the umbrella of the Euro-Med Youth Programme and the Salto Euromed Resource Centre. Through youth exchanges, training courses, seminars and voluntary service they burrowed into different topics and issues affecting their lives with aspirations for mutual understanding and self development. With the third phase of the programme coming to a close, Jordanian participants, youth leaders and coordinators reflect on their past experiences and future hopes.

To view Razan Nasser’s story covering this event, click:  http://www.euromedinfo.eu/uploads/File/Success%20stories/810123%20Jordan%20Youth%20(en).v.3.pdf

SALTO-Youth educational report: Let’s meet the three cultures

“Let’s meet the three cultures” (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) is the focus of the latest educational report (Issue eight) produced by the Euromed SALTO-Youth project, comprising details of four training courses on this theme carried out by the Resource Centre. These are:

• 1st in Cordoba in 2004, the focus was cultural, rather than religious – how was it, how is it and how can it be, using the past as a starting point;
• 2nd in Jerusalem in 2005, due to the uniqueness of the place, the focus was on the history of the city and the three monotheistic religions;
• 3rd in Antwerp in 2006, the training course was linked to the political power and the communities, the connivance of the communities within a multinational city;
• 4th in Paris in 2007, focusing on laïcité vis-à-vis the three cultures. The challenge was to tackle the four topics – four cultures living in Paris in peace nowadays;

Each educational report is intended to be used as a ‘resource pack’ for youth workers dealing with the kind of issues and activities examined during the trainings.

To view the full, detailed report online, go to: http://www.salto-youth.net/reportscollection/

Arab Media Centre Conference: ‘African and Arab Media Audiences: Shared Agendas for Research’

Conference jointly organised by the

Africa Media Series, Arab Media Centre and Audiences Group

Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), University of Westminster

 

Dates: 30-31 March, 2009

Venue: University of Westminster, New Cavendish Campus, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1

The Topic:

Media research to date has largely neglected the fast growing and diverse media audiences in African and Arab countries. These countries share painful histories of colonization and broadly comparable experiences of post-independence media development. Today they share the challenge of adjusting to global trade and investment regimes that affect local media production and distribution systems but are crafted elsewhere. Yet when we speak of media reception in the Global South, we tend to think in terms of isolated geographies: of ‘Latin America‘, ‘Africa‘, or the ‘Middle East‘. By contextualizing primarily in terms of place, we overlook memories, issues and features that media users in different regions have in common. We foster artificial boundaries and separate research agendas. As a result, opportunities for productive joint debates about Arab and African media consumption are missed.

 

Blogs, chatrooms, social networking sites, and the use of SMS indicate that African and Arab audiences, like audiences generally, are highly active in sending and receiving messages in innovative ways. This conference, organised by the University of Westminster’s Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), will explore this activity, taking in the old, the new, and processes of change and transformation. It draws on the combined resources of CAMRI’s African Media Series, Arab Media Centre and Audiences Group. It focuses on media use and media users in two overlapping regions, where the culture and politics of former colonial powers have combined with internal influences to shape the audience experience in particular ways.

For more information on the pogramme and registration, go to: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-1660

Call for artists – A.I.R. International Artists Residencies- BUDAPEST, Hungary

The Hungarian Multicultural Center (HMC) is currently accepting applications for the Budapest -International Artist/Writer Residencies.  The HMC invites interested visual artists, musicians, film makers and writers to submit application for its residencies program.

‘Understanding of World Cultures’: Culture is the true identity power.  In this context the major role of the artists is to promote through art cultural diversity and preserve common values. Intercultural dialogue through art is an important instrument.   Art is not a means – art is a space in which everything is possible, in which different times, subjects and objects, sometimes divergent, coexist.  And not just coexist, but communicate and create values.   Through art, culture, tolerance, initiating a dialogue among nations, among various artistic expressions, a real dialogue among real people.  Culture communicates in the language of heart, which is understood by everybody. For artists, communication is essential – both with the audience – the art consumer, and with representatives of national and international art
groups.

2009 Dates:
1. 27th AIR. Tuesday, March 3 – Tuesday, March 17 –Deadline (must be received) by January 06
2. 28th AIR. Tuesday April 7 – Tuesday, April 21 –Deadline (must be received) by February 06
3. 29th AIR. Tuesday, May 19 – Wednesday, June 10 –Deadline (must be received) by March 06
4. 30 AIR. Tuesday, June 16 – Thursday, July 09 –Deadline (must be received) by March 06
5. 31st AIR. Tuesday, July 14 – Wednesday, August 5 –Deadline (must be received) by March 06
6. 32nd AIR. Tuesday, September 22 – Tuesday, October 6 –Deadline (must be received) by June 06
7. 33rd AIR. Monday, December 28 – Monday, January 11 –Deadline (must be received) by September 06

For an application form or questions please write to:
Beata Veszely: veszelyb@gmail.com or
Beata Szechy: bszechy@yahoo.com

www.hungarian-multicultural-center.com

EuroMedScola participants draw up ‘key phrases’ on Euro-Med Partnership issues

“Key phrases” in areas of concern to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership were drafted by young people from both shores of the Mediterranean who had gathered in Strasbourg recently, at the initiative of the European Parliament (EP), for the first “EuroMedScola” meeting.

Some 250 young people aged 16 to 18 came together and debated key issues facing the Mediterranean region, such as education, energy and transport. The students, who in the course of their debates stepped into the shoes of members of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA), presented their findings to Hans-Gert Pöttering, EP President and EMPA President-in-Office.

The “Key Phrases” drawn up by working groups and then adopted in plenary session, refer to: Education and the Future, Equal opportunities – a vehicle for democratic change, Environment, transport and renewable energy, Immigration and integration, and Freedom of information and citizenship.

To view the Brochure and the ‘Key Phrases’ document, go to: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.168.news.en.4986.html

Tempus gives € 60 m to University cooperation projects

The European Commission has given its approval to 63 university co-operation and 13 other high quality projects under the new phase of the Tempus programme, selected from 530 applications. All 28 Tempus partner countries are involved, with a total budget of € 60 million. 600 universities from the partner countries and 300 from the EU will participate in these projects.

The Tempus programme supports the modernisation of higher education and creates an area of co-operation in countries outside the EU. Established in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the scheme now covers 28 countries in the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.

The Tempus projects are based on multilateral partnerships between higher education institutions from the EU and partner countries. They can develop, modernise and disseminate new curricula or teaching methods, boost a quality assurance culture, and modernise the management and governance of higher education institutions.

For further information on the selected projects, and Tempus in general, please refer to: http://ec.europa.eu/tempus

Second Meeting of the Research Group on the EU and Democracy Promotion in the Middle East‏

Dr Michelle Pace (Senior Research Fellow) at the European Research Institute of  University of Birmingham and Federica Bicchi, PhD, (Lecturer in International Relations of Europe Department of International Relations LSE) will be organisin the second meeting of the ESRC research group on the EU and Democracy Promotion in the Middle East will be held at the London School of Economics on Friday, 9th January, 2009.

The meeting’s programme includes four paper presenters and registration is now open. For those intending to participate, the programme and registration form are available at:

http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/intrel/eudemocprogramme.html

And here:

http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/intrel/eudemocregistration.html

For those new to the group you may also wish to visit the web site of the
ESRC project to which this group is attached at www.eumena.bham.ac.uk
<http://www.eumena.bham.ac.uk/>

Journeys to Europe

‘Journeys to Europe’ took place on 9 December 2008 on a dark wintry evening in Brussels. Despite the weather, over 80 people attended the event to discuss issues of migration and identity and view a series of short films about the thoughts, hopes and aspirations of young migrants and refugees living in Europe.

The films were made as part of our Living Together project, where 18-25 year old participants from minority, migrant and refugee communities across South East Euorpe were trained in script-writing, recording voiceovers, and editing photos and drawings. Using these skills they created a seris of 2-minute films that express new perspectives of their lives in their countries as well as their hopes for the future. You can watch the films here, and, if you’d like to comment on any, double-click on the video and make your comments on youtube (you will need to create an account in order to do so).

To view short films produced by participants, go to: http://www.britishcouncil.org/brussels-europe-journeys-to-europe

Mr. André Azoulay visits Egypt from 13 to 15 December 2008

The objective of André Azoulay’s visit to Egypt

On the eve of launching the Anna Lindh Foundation’s new three year programme, Mr. André Azoulay, President of the Foundation and Counsellor of His Majesty King Mohamed VI of Morocco, visited Egypt from 13 to 15 December 2008. Taking into consideration the prominent role played by Egypt in forging the future of the Arab World, the visit of Mr. Azoulay represents a great opportunity in the way of building on the new momentum of “Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean”.

Seen as one of the major leaders in the region, Egypt was the initiator of Middle East peace process, a process in line with the Barcelona Process’s long-term objective to build a region of cooperation, exchange, peace and stability. Furthermore, Egypt  is leading an important process, co-chaired with France, on the “Union for the Mediterranean”, a process which will involve and has considerable implications for people living and working across Egypt, the Mediterranean region and Europe.

In this context the visit of President Azoulay is two-folded. From one side it aims to coordinate with Egyptian officials on the role Egypt has to play in this Union. And from the other side to mobilize  Egyptian Media and civil society to actively participate in shaping this “Union for the Mediterranean”. Accordingly, the Anna Lindh Foundation is co-organizing together with the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs a conference on “the role of Egypt in the Union for the Mediterranean”, as well as the central role played by the Anna Lindh Foundation in this Union.  Members of the panel are Mr. Boutros Boutros Ghaly, Ambassador Ahmed Maher, Dr. Farouk Hosny, and Dr. Ismail Serrag El-Din The conference is taking place on 15 December, and will gather more than 200 participants, including Euromed ambassadors in Egypt, local and foreign journalists, representatives of civil society organizations, Egyptian artists, researchers, intellectuals and businessmen. André Azoulay will also meet with Mr. Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, to discuss the current political and cultural situation in the region.

 

For more information on André Azoulay and his role as an advocate of intercultural dialogue, go to: http://www.euromedalex.org/News/EN/NewsDetails.aspx

Exhibitions in London

Byzantium: At the Royal Academy London until March 22nd 2009

A thousand years of sprawling empire is cajoled into display cases and colourful icons. Much of what is in the award winning Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki in now placed here…in London.  Michael Hodges (timeout.com.london/art) highlights that for ‘Byzantium’, ‘it stands for complication and intrigue, but it is simplicity and honesty that shine out from the works.’  Worth checking out…

Babylon: At the British Museum until March 15 2009

Most of the exhibits at the show are other artist’s versions of Babylon, be it Rembrandt, Durer or Blake.  What is impressive is that the exhibition is telling a story-a story of how a culture develops and spreads its influence long after the fall of the empire.  Colourful and impressive!

Euro-Med/Mena in the Film Industry (November-December 2008)

Films to watch out for this month: ‘Waltz with Bashir’ and ‘Mustafa’.

Both have made headlines over its controversial story-lines, sparking off much commentary and debate forums.

‘Waltz with Bashir’ (Winner of Best Foreign Independant Film-at the British Independant Film Awards 2008) is an an extraordinary animated documentary by Israeli Film Maker Ari Folman-about the Lebanese Sabra and Chatila massacres of 1982.  Just flicking through the reviews, you get a real sense of just how thought provoking this film is.  For a more in-depth look into reviews, commentary on the film and discussion groups, click on the following link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/movie/124299/waltz.with.bashir

The film is our in the UK from 21st November 2008.

 

‘Mustafa’, is a documentary that chronicles the renouned Turkish leader, Mustafa Kamal Ataturk’s life from childhood to his death on November 10th 1938.  This film presents an intimate and flawed Ataturk rarely seen before.  The film which has drawn large crowds, has fed into a climate of soul searching in Turkey where democratic reforms, social changes and impassioned debate over secularism is shaking the pillars of an autocratic state left by the infamous Ataturk.

Whilst the film has angered hardline secularists whi have called for a boycott, stating the film is an enemy polt to ‘himiliate Turkishness’, Director Can Dundar said, ‘I wantd to show a more human Ataturk than the Ataurk they teach us about at school and in the military service,’. 

‘Mustafa’ has spawned extensive commentary in the media since its opening on 29th October 2008 (coinciding with the 85th anniversary of the foundation of the Repulic of Turkey).  Nearly half a million film seekers saw it within the first five days of its release.  Could be a film worth looking out for…

For more details on ‘Mustafa’ go to:  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mustafa-the-movie-divides-turkey-with-a-portrait-of-the-real-ataturk-998232.html

Anna Lindh Foundation 7th Annual Meeting of Heads of National Networks

From the 27th to the 30th of November 2008, the Heads of the Anna Lindh Foundation National Networks of the Euro-Mediterranean region gathered in Nice, France – currently holding the Presidency of the European Union – to have a debate over the Foundation’s triennial programme 2009 – 2011 and the development of the work with Euro-Med civil society. The meeting was co-organized by the Anna Lindh Foundation and Fondation René Seydoux, Head of the Anna Lindh Foundation French National Network, and hosted by the city of Nice.

 

The discussion centred on the strategic fields of action which the Foundation proposed to focus on in the next three years, fields which have an impact on our ways of thinking and on mutual perceptions, as well as new tools for supporting and mobilizing civil society actors in the region. 

 

 

To view the conclusions of the meeting, go to: http://www.euromedi.org/page/1655/1655_E-M_Award_Presidency_CONCLUSIONS.pdf