Magazine south en final by Action Global Communications Ltd

eU soUthern neighboUrhood

Projects in Action 3 eU regional cooperation throUgh the eyes of joUrnalists 2014-15 edition

People

Environment

Innovation

Economy

EU Neighbourhood Info Centre An ENPI project

eU soUthern neighboUrhood

Projects in Action 3 eU regional cooperation throUgh the eyes of joUrnalists

European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Southern Neighbours The European Neighbourhood Policy is a privileged partnership oﬀered by the European Union to its Neighbours, aiming to achieve both the closest possible political association and the greatest possible degree of economic integration. It is built on a commitment to common values, and EU support to achieve their aims – values such as democracy and human rights, the rule of law, social inclusion, market economy and sustainable development, with the depth of the relationship depending on the extent to which these values are shared. The Southern Neighbours of the EU covered by the ENP are: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine*, Syria** and Tunisia. In 2011, the EU adopted a “Partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean”, in which it clearly stated its support for more democratic and open societies, and outlined an incentive-based approach – the concept of “more for more” – to assist political economic and social reforms in its Mediterranean partner countries.

* This designation does not entail any recognition of Palestine as a state and is without prejudice to positions on the recognition of Palestine as a state. ** EU co-operation with Syrian governmental authorities is currently suspended.

Young Lebanese from diďŹ&#x20AC;erent backgrounds during an EU-funded event in Dhour El Choueir, organised to develop respect for diversity in a pluralistic society and break down the barriers between people. (photo AFP EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre).

Contents

4 Civil Society: a formidable catalyst for democracy Interview with EuropeAid Neighbourhood Director Michael Köhler 8 The Regional Communication Programme 9 EU regional cooperation through the eyes of journalists 10 Our network of journalists

People 13 Learning by doing to become youth leaders by Mohammad Ben Hussein – Jordan 16 Showing a new face to the world by Zainab Tarbah and EU Neighbourhood Info Centre – Libya 19 Civil society leading the way towards democracy by EU Neighbourhood Info Centre – Tunisia 23 I’m a citizen, so I can have my say by Tarik Hafid – Algeria 26 The debate culture takes roots by Kamel Bouaouina – Tunisia 29 Spreading colours over isolation by Elias Zananiri – Palestine 32 Don’t touch, stay safe by Reda Fhelboom – Libya 35 A school for children of war by Antoine Ajoury – Lebanon

Environment 45 Hotels are going green too by Dalia Chams – Egypt 48 Turning olive waste into Euros while protecting nature by Mohammad Ben Hussein – Jordan 51 Children ambassadors for sustainable energy by Hicham Houdaïfa – Morocco 54 A hospital powered by wind by Elias Zananiri – Palestine 57 Stopping water leakages by Dalia Chams – Egypt

Innovation 61 The biggest solar complex in Africa by Safi Naciri – Morocco 65 Technology to take a stroll through history by Antoine Ajoury – Lebanon 68 Aladdin flies to the rescue of ancient theatres by Mohammad Ben Hussein – Jordan 71 Plants could boost local industry in the Mediterranean by Marc Weiss – Israel 74 Libyablog, giving youth a voice by Reda Fhelboom – Libya 77 Think web, write web, film web by Antoine Ajoury – Lebanon

Economy

38 Lunch at the training restaurant by Safi Naciri – Morocco

81 Starting a business? Yes I can by Elias Zananiri – Palestine

42 European Union and Council of Europe back ambitious reforms in wake of Arab Spring Interview with Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni

84 A passport for exports by Tarik Hafid – Algeria 88 The car of the future by Dalia Chams – Egypt 91 Wineries, arts and crafts on the biblical hills of Israel by Marc Weiss – Israel 94 Shortcut to the job market Interview with Madlen Serban

This publication does not represent the oﬃcial view of the EC or the EU institutions. The EC accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to its content.

96 Find out more

Civil Society, a formidable catalyst for democracy

Can women start a business? They are doing it in Ramallah, Palestine. Here some young participants at a training session s upported by the EU-funded project â&#x20AC;&#x153;Young women as job creatorsâ&#x20AC;?. (photo AFP EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre).

Interview with Michael Köhler Director for European Neighbourhood Policy at European Commission Directorate General Development and Co-operation

e European Union attaches great importance to civil society, as it empowers citizens to express their concerns, contributes to sound and democratic policy making and holds governments to account, Neighbourhood Director at DG Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid Dr Michael Köhler told the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre in an interview.

Civil society played an important role in the uprisings in the Southern Mediterranean countries. Has this had an impact on the EU’s relationship with CSOs of the region? I must say that the Arab uprisings have proved to be a turning point in Europe's relations with countries in the Southern Mediterranean, causing a major rethink in policies and partnerships with the different actors in the region. Indeed, actors such as civil society, women, youth and media have moved closer to the core of discussions. The role of civil society in carrying up the expectations for a better future is particularly important. On our part we, as Europe, must act as more than just a witness to the efforts aiming to transform the societies in the region. While the situation in each country is different, we will make every effort to support what seems to us an essential element of a culture of peace: dialogue among the key actors of society, of which civil society is key. Overall, the voice of civil society is now more listened to by partner governments. Furthermore EU relationships with Mediterranean civil society have strengthened. Public consultations are increasing in Tunisia and Lebanon. However, in countries such as Egypt, expectations have not been met with concrete improvements, as shown in the case of the controversial 2013 NGO law. Progress towards freedom of association and assembly is uneven. Several countries are witnessing the blossoming of new civil society organisations, while in others CSO registration continues to be subject to discretionary powers. Is there a regional dimension to this effort? It has now become clear that there is the need for a strengthened and comprehensive dialogue with and among civil society at a regional level, but also with the authorities in Europe. We are determined to strengthen the voice of civil society in the policy and the political dialogue. It should allow exchanges between authorities and civil society on their concerns, priorities and the challenges they are faced with, in order to help foster a better entente among those actors. Our dialogue with civil society in the South is being reinforced and we are now discussing more permanent and comprehensive structures that could be put in place, at a regional level. To this end a meeting was held in Malta in December 2013, in the presence of CSOs from the southern region, government officials, journalists, EU officials, etc. These meetings and exchanges have been continuing since, with concrete ideas on how to create networks, reinforce dialogue and strengthen civil society being put to the table.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

“Civil society represents a formidable catalyst for democracy and an essential watchdog of public life, fostering accountability and governance.

How do you view the role of CSOs within each partner country and their relation to the authorities? Civil Society acts as a bridge between society and the authorities. It is our view that civil society represents a formidable catalyst for democracy and an essential watchdog of public life, fostering accountability and governance. Its role in scrutinizing public governance, especially the management of public finance, the balance of power, fight against corruption, etc. is critical. We strongly support an active and structured dialogue between civil society and authorities in our partner countries. The task is for governments to engage with civil society to help ensure that reform programmes reflect and have the support of society. This is a need for a change in mind-sets from both sides and the creation of an enabling regulatory framework. A renewed partnership should be set up. What are the concrete actions the EU has taken to support civil society? The EU is channelling additional support to civil society, in line with the new approach of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and its financial arm, the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI). Allow me to illustrate this through some tools we have developed: Civil Society Facility (CSF): We are making EU support more accessible to CSOs through a dedicated Civil Society Facility. The main goal of the Facility, established in 2011, is to reinforce CSOs so that they play their part in change and can be real actors in the democratisation process. This is done by boosting their contribution to policy-making, and developing further their advocacy, networking and monitoring capacities. Since its inception, the CSF has benefited with €33 million for the South. European Endowment for Democracy (EED): As another message of solidarity, the EU set up the EED to help political actors of change that face obstacles in accessing donor funding, such as journalists, bloggers, non-registered NGOs, political movements. It oﬀers a rapid and flexible funding mechanism for beneficiaries who are not or are insuﬃciently supported, in particular for legal or administrative reasons. The EED has a €6 million grant to support its set-up and functioning. Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF): Intercultural dialogue is one of the key tools for conflict prevention and resolution. This is why we are firmly committed to supporting the ALF as one of the major promoters of intercultural dialogue. The EU contribution to the ALF amounts to €10 million for the period 2012-2014; €7 million to support the functioning of the Foundation and its work programme 2012-2014, and €3 million dedicated to the programme “Citizens for Dialogue (Dawrak)”, which provides CSOs with tools and skills for intercultural dialogue, exchange and networking. European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR): We continue also to promote media freedom by supporting CSOs’ unhindered access to the internet and the use of electronic communications technologies. This support occurs mainly through the EIDHR, our main instrument to help fight against human rights violations. Since the Arab uprisings, the EIDHR has doubled its investment in the region.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Is there any financial assistance to CSOs through cooperation programmes for example? There are basically two diﬀerent approaches: one is to really strengthen civil society, make it more viable, make NGOs partners in dialogue, and that can happen through financial assistance, through advice, through bringing them in contact with EU organisations. At the same time, of course, we want a civil society element of governance, we want them to scrutinize governments, our cooperation programmes, so we associate them also to the programming, to the planning, to the monitoring of the implementation of operations in the countries. How do you select the projects and CSOs? We have to distinguish between selecting projects and working with civil society. Our projects are usually demand driven, so there are tenders, there are calls for proposals and civil society organizations both in our partner countries and in the EU member states can apply. At the same time, it is equally important to have a policy dialogue with civil society, but we are not selecting the organizations. Our Delegations in the countries are in constant contact with NGOs, civil society organizations that want this contact, and we regularly invite them, for example, to discuss our programmes, like budget support operations. This dialogue is always held upon a demand from civil society. One last important aspect is that during the annual assessment of relations with each country, the Delegations invite local CSOs to submit their view. Could you give us a few concrete examples of civil society support that has had results? I will refer to two examples. Under the ENP South Regional Civil Society Facility, that seeks to facilitate civil society participation in policy making and reform, a regional project for the handicapped was funded in Egypt, Jordan and Palestine. The funding came through the CSF and the project was implemented by Handicap International and the regional networking of Disabled People Organisations (DPOs). The aim was to help them play an active role in the current legislative and policy reforms in the Middle East, ensuring the inclusion of the rights of persons with disabilities in these processes. The objective is for the DPOs to be acknowledged by authorities and other CSOs as legitimate civil society actors in national policy processes. Another, very successful and dynamic programme, promoting the culture of dialogue, is “DAWRAK - Citizens for Dialogue” implemented by the Anna Lindh Foundation since 2012. DAWRAK responds to the new context defined by the democratic processes and reforms in the Arab countries, and the impact of the economic and social crisis in the region. It provides CSOs with tools and skills for intercultural dialogue, exchange, networking, partnership-making activities to develop a culture of citizenship and democratic participation in the Euro-Med cooperation. In conclusion, I must say that the lesson learnt from the Arab awakening, and in some cases revolutions, is that we cannot have stability and prosperity without democracy, good governance and inclusive growth. Expectations of a better future remain high and the EU considers the role of civil society in carrying through these expectations as particularly important.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

“Our dialogue with civil society in the South is being reinforced and we are now discussing more permanent and comprehensive structures that could be put in place at a regional level.”

The Regional Communication Programme The EU funded Regional Communication Programme, which runs from 2011 to 2014 with a total budget of €14 million, aims to improve knowledge of the European Union and its neighbourhood policy. The programme contributes to greater understanding of EU policies and highlights cooperation actions carried out in the region. The programme works on developing sustainable communication networks and aims to strengthen the capacity and competences of journalists in the area of European aﬀairs. It follows on from the previous phase of the Regional Information and Communication Programme.

The programme covers three projects EU Neighbourhood Info Centre www.enpi-info.eu www.facebook.com/enpi.eu Media Neighbourhood – Journalist training and networking project www.medianeighbourhood.eu www.facebook.com/MediaNeighbourhood Opinion polling and media monitoring in ENPI countries (EU Neigbourhood Barometer) www.euneighbourhood.eu Participating countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine (East); Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia (South).

An artist painting in the streets of Beirut. The EU is supporting the emergence of an urban culture and the presence of arts in public places. (photo AFP EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre).

Telling the story of a Partnership

EU regional cooperation through the eyes of journalists Cooperation between the EU and the Neighbourhood countries exists on two levels. The first is the political. The meetings where oﬃcials get together to discuss the policy. The second deals with turning these decisions into actions on the ground, to the benefit of the citizens through the launch of concrete projects in partner countries. This magazine includes the stories of these projects and the people active on the ground. They give only a glimpse of the hundreds of projects supported by the EU in the Neighbourhood.

The stories are written by local journalists, who go talk to the people involved, together with photographers who capture the partnership through their lens. More photos and stories like these can be found on the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre website.

This magazine includes stories covered in 2013-2014, and gives a flavour of EU Cooperation in the Neighbourhood region on the ground. The reportages are divided into four main categories: people, environment, innovation, economy.

Telling the story of a Partnership: the journalists researched projects’ activities and spoke to the people who have beneﬁted from them about their experiences, what they have gained, their considerations and thoughts about the future. On their part, the photographers captured the story with their lens.

All the stories are available on the “Feature Section” of the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre’s website www.enpi-info.eu in English, French, Russian and Arabic, depending on the country.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Our network of journalists Hicham HOUDAIFA Morocco Freelance journalist in Casablanca, he worked at the « Hebdomadaire » newspaper where he wrote features and reports on human rights and society related stories. Between 1999 and 2003, Mr. Houdaifa was the New York correspondent of the French international magazine “Jeune Afrique”. He currently collaborates with a number of magazines, websites and TV channels as well as communication of EUfunded projects.

Safi NACIRI – Morocco Journalist and speaker at a political radio programme, he has recently published a book titled “The extreme left in Morocco: a noble struggle against the impossible”. He teaches journalism classes at a journalism school in Casablanca and he is a trainer at the “Media Diversity Institute”.

Tarik HAFID – Algeria Winner of the Euromed Heritage Journalist Award 2007 with his article “Si la Grande Poste nous était contée”, Mr. Hafid has been writing in one of the main Frenchspeaking newspapers in Algeria “Le Soir d’Algerie” since 2002. Since 2011 he is trainer in Professional Security for the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). He contributed to the previous EU-funded project Euromed Info Centre with features and articles.

Kamel BOUAOUINA – Tunisia Freelance journalist, he has worked at the « Le Temps » newspaper where he wrote features on human rights and society related stories. He currently collaborates with a number of magazines (Tourisme Info), websites (Investir en Tunisie) and TV channel (Tunisie nationale) He is correspondent of radio cap.fm in Tunisia and Director of the touristic website: www.tourismnewstunisie.com

Zainab TARBAH – Libya Freelance journalist, she has worked as correspondent at Libya “Times” magazine, becoming its editor in chief from October 2011 to May 2012. She has collaborated with the radio station Tripoli FM. She works as communications oﬃcer at Civil Initiative Libya and she currently writes for several websites and magazines.

Journalists collaborating with the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Reda FHELBOOM Libya Freelance journalist, he has worked at the ‘Tripoli Post’ newspaper and then as TV anchor and content producer at the Libya International Channel, dealing with topics such as human and women’s rights, corruption and abuse of power. He works as correspondent for a German magazine (D@C), and Al-Fanar Media. Since November 2012 he has been engaged as a mentor within the EU funded Media Neighbourhood journalist training programme implemented by BBC Media Action. He is currently head of News at the press oﬃce of the Libyan National Dialogue preparatory commission.

Dalia CHAMS – Egypt Having started as a TV reporter and presenter, Mrs. Chams has been working at the art, profiles and culture pages of the Frenchspeaking “Al-Ahram Hebdo” for many years. She also works at the social features section at the Arabic-speaking AlChourouq daily newspaper. She won the Euromed Heritage Journalist Award in 2005.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Antoine B. AJOURY Lebanon Journalist in the Lebanese Frenchspeaking newspaper “L’Orient Le Jour” since 2003 and Head of its International News section since 2008, Mr. Ajoury has contributed to the EU-funded project Eurojar with several articles on cooperation between the European Union and its partner countries in the South of the Mediterranean.

Elias ZANANIRI Palestine Mr. Zananiri has 35 years of media experience as a reporter, journalist, editor, teacher/ trainer, radio/TV programme producer, and public relations consultant throughout the Middle East. He is currently the CEO of MAHARAT PR and Media Talents Empowerment, a public relations consulting and media training company he established in Palestine in 2005.

Mohammad BEN HUSSAIN - Jordan Mr. Ben Hussain is the correspondent of the Italian news agency ANSA and ANSAmed in Jordan, where he also works as a TV producer for Thomson Reuters. He also writes in the “Jordan Times”. Mr Ben Hussain won the selection for the 2007 Lorenzo Natali award on the Arab world, Israel and Iran.

People

A Moroccan man walking on the road from Chefchaouen to Oued Laou, restored as part of an EU-funded project aiming at improving infrastructures, as well as creating jobs for the local population. (photo AFP EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre).

PEOPLE > JORDAN

Learning (by doing) to become youth leaders and agents of positive change

ey want to help their peers deal with unemployment, social justice, gender discrimination, the environment and to avoid negative political attitudes. ese Jordanian youth workers are on the way to evolving into youth leaders. eir participation in a workshop organised by the Euro-Med Youth Programme in Amman is an important step in their path to becoming multipliers for the programme within their society. By sharing their own experiences and good practices, they can motivate, empower and support other young people and youth workers to use the EuroMed Youth Programme IV as an eﬀective tool in their own activities. An EU Neighbourhood Info Centre journalist attended the seminar and has the details. AMMAN – “I have learned things about myself I wasn’t even aware of,” says Mamoun al-Rufou, a 28-year-old youth advocate from Tafilah, a town 180 kilometres west of Amman. Coming from an impoverished, neglected community, Mamoun had a burning desire to help young men deal with the impact of economic challenges and the recent Arab revolutions on their future. However, he lacked the composure, skills and technical knowledge to drum up support for Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

his cause. Mamoun wanted to help his peers tackle the social problems that affect their lives, such as unemployment and social violence. at is why he joined the ‘Youth Work Training Seminar for Multipliers’, organised by the Euro-Med Youth IV Programme in Jordan. Attractive training methods “Young men can be at the heart of social unrest. If they are unemployed, unmotivated, angry and disillusioned, they

need guidance to become positive powers in society” says Mamoun, speaking on the sidelines of the event, designed to train programme multipliers to understand the concepts of active citizenship. Since joining the seminar, Mamoun says he is a diﬀerent person. e once timid and soft-spoken man exudes confidence as he speaks in public about the EuroMed Youth Programme to an audience of youth workers playing the role of oﬃcials, 13

PEOPLE > JORDAN

“Young men can be at the heart of social unrest. If they are unemployed, unmotivated, angry and disillusioned, they need guidance to become positive powers in society” general public and press. e participants are encouraged to express themselves freely and with confidence as they are given roles to play, just like actors. “I acted as a lecturer during today's session. is is the first time in my life that I do a power point presentation. I never knew how it works,” explains Mamoun. “e method used for this training comes in to answer the political, economic and cultural changes of modern societies that have aﬀected the learning ability of young people,” says Bernard Abrignani, Head of the Programme's Technical Assistance. e programme aims at stimulating and encouraging a mutual understanding among young people in the region, fighting stereotypes and prejudices and enhancing the sense of solidarity among them by promoting active citizenship. It also seeks to contribute to the develop-

n Since 2008 thousands of young people from all over the Middle East, North

Africa and Europe have been touched by the Euromed Youth programme.

ment of youth organisations and policies in the Mediterranean Partner Countries. e aim of the seminar is to give the participants the opportunity to develop certain skills in order to work within the youth field, using appealing training methodologies. Learning slowly but surely “e concept we apply in the seminar is learning by doing. It is exactly the opposite of the old academic approach, which depends on a professor directing information down to listening students. Here they do, I sit here only to observe and to guide,” says Abrignani. “e idea is to let participants express themselves, and they learn slowly, but surely. Quality is here. Our job is to let this quality express itself.” Participants also deal with communi-

cation skills, and through exposure to universal values like tolerance and respectfulness they are being shown the way to increase solidarity with their surroundings. An innovative training methodology has been introduced by the EU experts with the hope of expanding the programme’s outreach to the largest possible portion of the population. Rufou is one of 40 representatives of local youth Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), whose mission is now to act as ambassadors of the Euro Med Youth Programme and to become the ‘seeds of knowledge’ within local communities. Exchanging knowledge and building contacts Organisers hail the programme – currently in its fourth phase – as a success story, arguing that the return for invest-

“Participants at this workshop will become multipliers, meaning they will provide orientation, training and help for the volunteers who have desire to get involved in youth work,” says Ahmed Ajarmeh, head of Euro-Med Youth unit at the Ministry of Political Development of Jordan. n Shahrazad Abu Tayeh during the training.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > JORDAN

“Despite all the available information and the close distance between us, people across the Mediterranean do not know enough about each other. We live on the other side of the same sea, or next to another country that speaks our language and yet we know so little about each other” ment has been high, bringing together hundreds of NGOs from across the EuroMed region to exchange knowledge and build contacts. e programme’s geographical scope comprises 35 countries, the 27 EU Member States and the 8 Mediterranean partner countries, signatories of the Barcelona Declaration: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Tunisia and Israel.

“Since 2008 we have touched thousands of people from all over the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. Despite all the diﬃculties, this result is very encouraging,” says Abrignani. “We know so little about each other” Sana al Imam, from the Arab Women Media Centre, believes this kind of youth programme helps unearth the potential of young Jordanians. Imam says that the workshop has opened her eyes to a new type of training and has allowed her to express herself with confidence. She believes the Euro-Med Youth Programme represents a perfect tool to bridge the gap between people from both shores of the Mediterranean and amongst neighbouring countries. “Despite all the available information and the close distance between us, people around the Mediterranean do not know enough about each other. We live on the other side of the same sea, or next to another country that speaks our language and yet we know so little about each other…” says Sana. Jordanian oﬃcials hope that the trained youth will become successful ambassadors for the project all over the Jordanian gov-

ernorates. e programme has allocated €460,000 for the implementation of phase IV in the Kingdom. A top up of €800,000 has recently been granted by the EU and will allow the approval of more projects of Jordanian youth organisations. is increase is a cause for real excitement among Jordanian oﬃcials involved in youth work. Text by Mohammad Ben Hussein Photos by AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre

EuroMed Youth IV

http://www.euromedyouth.net/ Supports and strengthens the participation and contribution of youth organisations and youth from the Euro-Mediterranean region to the development of society and democracy, and promotes dialogue and understanding. Participating countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia Timeframe: 2010 – 2013 Budget: €5 Million Aims: The programme aims at stimulating and encouraging a mutual comprehension among youth in the Euro-Mediterranean region, fighting stereotypes and prejudices and enhancing the sense of solidarity among youth by promoting active citizenship. It also seeks to contribute to the development of youth policies in the Mediterranean Partner Countries. Find out more: EUROMED YOUTH programme website http://euromedyouth.net/#top EUROMED YOUTH project fiche by EU Neighbourhood Info Centre http://www.enpiinfo.eu/mainmed.php?id=307&id_type=10 SALTO YOUTH page on JORDAN http://www.salto-youth.net/rc/euromed/tceuromed/tceuromed2013/youthworkjordan/

n Bernard Abrignani addresses the audience

EU Neighbourhood Info Centre thematic portal: YOUTH http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=13

during the Youth Work Training seminar.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > LIBYA

Showing a new face to the world

Under Muammar Gaddafi's regime, the state’s institutions and the country’s social fabric were ravaged. But Libyan civil society organisations have been quick in their actions to repair the democratic damage that has been wrought. So far, over 300 organisations have registered as civil society organisations and are pursuing training programmes in order to contribute to the country’s nationbuilding process and to sustain its transition to a democratic state. e EU has responded rapidly to support the Libyan people. For example, a number of programmes have been launched to shore up civil society, which is a key aspect of a fledgling democracy. is is a report from the field. TRIPOLI – Libyans started to become familiar with the word ‘civil society’ for the first time in February 2011, when the uprising began. At the time, efforts to create a fledgling Libyan civil society were focussing on matters such as providing food and shelter for refugees or supporting freedom fighters and their families. After the end of the conflict, things started to change and the debate in this arena moved on to human rights, education and politics… Libya is currently undergoing a huge 16

transformation. Not only is the country undergoing a democratic transition, as is happening in other ‘Arab Spring’ countries but it is also coming to terms with a nation-building process. Gaddafi's regime wrecked the state’s institutions as well as the country’s social fabric. Civil society is a crucial part of the process of repairing this damage and has a huge role to play in today's Libya. No government can be accountable without having a constructive relationship with a strong civil society that is actively

involved in democratic processes. e EU has put in place a programme to support government ministries in their dealings with civil society. In practice, this means that advisers are assisting ministries with the revision of regulations, staﬀ training and advice on funding for civil society organisations. Whilst government should seek to nurture civil society, it cannot create it. European funds have therefore been provided for a programme to set up civil society resource centres in communities Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > LIBYA

“Libyan NGOs are atypical, the numbers of them are growing, but most of them are not structured. at’s why we are supporting them” around Libya. e funds will be used to provide training and small grants. “Libya is a very new country for European civil society organisations and a terra incognita for international development partners,” says Fabienne Bessonne, Libya Desk Oﬃcer at the European Commission’s Directorate General EuropeAid. “Libyan NGOs are atypical, the numbers of them are growing but most of them are not structured. at’s why we are supporting them. We have already launched seven civil society programmes and, in 2012, we organised the EU-Libya Civil Society Forum both in Tripoli and Benghazi to improve the EU’s and Libyan civil society organisations’ knowledge of each other.” “e forum was quite successful and gathered in total more than 300 Libyan and 30 European civil society organisations,” adds Ms Bessonne. “e exchange of ideas was fruitful and some new partnerships are being developed.” Four training centres in Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata and Sabha e EU support covers the establishment of civil society resource centres, capacity building activities for civil society organisations (for example through training in advocacy and fundraising, project management and financial management etc.); support for local authorities and civil society on joint local development plans and setting up exchanges between Libyan and European/regional civil society organisations. In particular, the second year of the ‘Civil Initiatives Libya’ programme - funded by the EU and implemented by a consortium of international NGOs such as Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

n The Libyan women joining an NGO in the 50s: the old picture is hanging on

the wall of the Libyan Forum for Eﬀective Citizenship and Democracy.

ACTED, CESVI and PIN - oﬀers training sessions and a range of services to local NGOs in order to facilitate their activities. Four multi-purpose training centres for emerging civil society organisations have been set up in Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata and Sabha. “e opening of the centre in Sabha is a huge achievement considering the diﬃculties related to the security situation,” adds Ms Bessonne. “e centre is an essential place to meet, interact in and even receive visitors. e Sabha centre will work closely with the university and will greatly help civil society organisations in this remote area to overcome their isolation.” “e fact that they exist as civil society organisations is in itself an achievement,” says Remy Reymann, a project director for ACTED. “ese organisations are now paying the price of 42 years of isolation, especially management-wise. But they are extremely capable of improving. Some of them are developing fast, so I think in a short time civil society organisations in Libya will be performing much better.” The training centre in Tripoli consists of a small hall for seminars and round table discussions, three meeting rooms, a media centre with an extra private space for women, a small mosque, two offices and a small library. The centre has been up and running since June 2012. According to Mr Hisham Al Werfalli, the Deputy Programme Director

of ‘Civil Initiatives Libya’, Tripoli’s Centre reached a peak of activity in early September when almost 500 individual non-governmental organisations registered there. Both the centres in Benghazi and Misrata are just as active, he says. “Civil Society in Libya is getting stronger and stronger even though many people were questioning the capability of the NGOs in this country. But the response of the people has been impressive,” he says. Among the many activities, a ‘train the trainers’ programme was implemented in Tripoli and today 10 people are ready to become trainers and to start training other people in different cities. Mr Zoran Krtinic’ from Cyprus was responsible for the training process. He is a man with a considerable amount of knowledge in this field as he comes from a country that has recent experience when it comes to civil society or-

“Our commitment to the Libyan people is an investment in the future as cooperation with Libya will strengthen both Libya and the EU” 17

PEOPLE > LIBYA

n The participants at a Training of trainers course hold their final diploma.

ganisations and the practice of democracy. “For me it was a great experience,” he says. “The Libyan participants were very eager to work, very committed and dedicated, even though everything is pretty much new to them. The level of English was also quite good because many of them had been educated abroad.” Visits to Europe are also organised, particularly to countries that have recently experienced a transition process towards democracy. A group of eight Libyan citizens, four men and four women from different Libyan cities and civil society organisations, were selected to visit Prague, Bruno and Ostrava in the Czech Republic in an effort to gain an insight into the main steps towards the growth and development of civil society. Europe and Libya sharing now the same knowledge e Libyan Forum for Eﬀective Citizenship and Democracy is one of the most active civil society organisations in Libya. e forum was originally founded in Al Bayda, a small Libyan city in the east, and opened its doors in May 2011, focusing on the education of society. e oﬃce in Tripoli started its first workshops in February 2012 and focused on election observation right after the con18

stitutional declaration. “Among the biggest problems faced by most of the civil society’s organisations is finding convenient premises to meet and getting the financial support necessary to get started,” says Awatif Al Khabouli, the coordinator of Tripoli’s oﬃce. “Our government is lacking in all this, but luckily the EU is doing what should be done by our government…” “We are very thankful to Europe,” she concludes. “We have learned from them. ey have helped us to streamline our ideas and to direct our eﬀorts… We are sharing their knowledge now.” “e EU responded rapidly to support the Libyan people. Now it is important to keep the momentum of change up,” says Suzanne Kodsi, the Head of cooperation in the EU Delegation to Libya. “Our commitment to the Libyan people is an investment in the future as cooperation with Libya will strengthen both Libya and the EU. It’s the right moment to help this country. We feel Libya is on the right track to secure a vibrant democracy and we are here to help the Libyan people show the world the new face of their country.”

Main EU programmes in Libya In addition to "Civil Initiatives Libya" the ENPI funded programmes are: • Security Sector Reform and Rule of Law programme (€ 10 million) to support the capacity building in the police and the justice sectors. • A TVET programme (€ 6.5 million) will improve the quality of the training on oﬀer as well as their relevance to the demands of the labour market. In addition, reintegration of unemployed could help support integration of former fighters. • Health, the EU has always considered the health sector in Libya as a priority for future assistance. Additional EU assistance in this area (€ 8.5 million programme) will focus on primary health care and address both immediate service delivery and quality improvement of the sector. • Public Administration Capacitybuilding Facility (€4.5 million) for the development of a democratic and an eﬃcient public administration. • Education programme (€2.4 million) to get children back to school and provide psychological and social support to children and teachers. • Migration programme (€10 million) to ensure the basic needs and rights of foreign migrants in Libya and Libyan migrants in Tunisia and Egypt. Find out more EU Neighborhood Info Centre - EU assistance to Libya: http://enpi-info.eu/medportal/news/latest/27475/Libya:EU-adopts-%E2%82%AC10-million-package-for-education,-administration-and-civil-society EU support to Libya http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=M EMO/11/779&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLa nguage=en EU Neighbourhood Info Centre page on Libya: http://www.enpi-info.eu/countrymed.php?country=11 EU Neighbourhood Info Centre thematic page: Civil Society and Local Authorities http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=14

Text by Zainab Tarbah and EU Neighbourhood Info Centre Photos by Zainab Tarbah and the Libyan Forum for Eﬀective Citizenship and Democracy

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > TUNISIA

Civil society leading the way towards democracy

n Tunisian journalists from the youth radiostation at their morning meeting.

Between June 2011 and June 2012 the EU donated nearly €6,500,000 towards supporting Tunisian civil society with the aim of securing a democratic transition and developing a human rights culture in the country. Our journalist met with bloggers, journalists and other major players in this transition. Here is his report.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

TUNIS – A few days before the revolution of 14 January 2011, the young Tunisian Sofien Belhaj was rotting in a Tunisian Ministry of the Interior jail. His only ‘crime’ was to have challenged the existing regime by sending messages, via his computer, to his compatriots and the whole world to denounce the country’s dictatorship. Through his blog he dared to say out loud what a lot of people were secretly thinking. The experience of this young blogger is indicative of a state of mind of young Tunisians eager for change and driven by the burning desire to live their lives differently. Who would have imagined that a group of young people could have played a part in destabilising and toppling one of the Arab world’s most despotic regimes?

“I have a dream: A democratic Tunisia” Sofien,who is a member of the Association of Tunisian Bloggers, which is supported by the European Union, describes his experience: “At first we were a group of young people who, in Belgium, had decided to start an organisation to evaluate and critique the activities of the government, but then I decided to branch out and create my own space on Facebook: ‘I have a dream: A democratic Tunisia’”. He used ‘the alias ‘Hamadi Kaloutcha’. Why did he choose this name and surname? Sofien explains: “I couldn’t reveal my identity for reasons with which you are familiar, so I chose Hamadi because it’s a common name. Kaloutcha is the name of a fisherman from near Rades (10 kilometres from Tunis) who is known for his outspokenness and his bravery. I wanted to ‘de19

PEOPLE > TUNISIA

“It is remarkable that the EU was able to ﬁnance projects retrospectively or mobilise large sums of money so quickly or even change the rules so that diﬀerent political actors could fully participate in the country’s political and social life.”

molish’ the government’s approach to democracy with arguments. It was diﬃcult to do my work openly before 14 January 2011. e government was very sensitive about the possibility of publication on my blog of Wikileaks about Tunisia. e number of visits to the web page showed the huge impact that it was hav-

Increasing transparency in the electoral process e Tunisian Association for Democratic Awakening experienced problems in the early days of the revolution and was able to contribute, in its way and with limited resources, to increasing transparency in the electoral process. e association was created at the beginning of the revolution of 14 January by a group of volunteers. Today it receives financial support from the European Union. Its aim, as its Chairman Rafik Halouani explains, is to “secure the democratic transition and develop a human rights culture as well as fundamental liberties”. He adds: “one of the association’s greatest achievements has been the creation of the Mourakiboun network to monitor the Constituent Assembly elections on 23 October 2011. We were able to train and deploy 4,000 observers. It’s important to point out that, without the support of the EU, who, I can clearly state, do not interfere in the projects, we would not have been able to achieve these results.”

Two time periods: Before and after the revolution e EU has supported civil society in Tunisia for a number of years, even before the outbreak of the revolution. Mr Michel Mouchiroud, who is responsible for civil society projects at the European delegation in Tunis, explains how the process has evolved: “e EU’s support for civil society in Tunisia can be categorised into two time periods: before and after the revolution. Before the revolution it can be said that the process was blocked. It was limited to a few projects in rural and remote areas of Tunisia. In 2010 more funds were made available. We had thought about working on youth and research projects, but the revolution changed everything.” As the EU had flexible mechanisms, funds to support the transition were mobilised. e human rights sector was identified as a way to support the major players and consolidate the gains of the revolution. “One of our objectives is to boost political life and support political reform, particularly by helping the Tunisian League of Human Rights to implement its plans,” adds Mr Mouchiroud. “We are also helping the National Union of Tunisian Journalists regain a leading role in the media by providing

n Ouerghi Awatef, a journalist from the

n Meher Ferchichi, a journalist from the

n Journalist Hende Askri during the

youth radio station at work.

broadcasting of her daily show.

ing. On 5 January 2011 the police identified me and I was arrested the following day. ey confiscated all my equipment and documents. It was very upsetting.”

n The blogger Sofien Belhaj

“We have had to be extremely ﬂexible in our approach and our work with partners, who sometimes had no experience in project management.”

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > TUNISIA

changed again. “We have therefore readjusted our policy, with the aim of supporting new organisations by listening, coaching and providing personalised training in project planning and project management.” Between June 2011 and June 2012, the EMHRF supported the launch of 16 organisations at a total cost of €350,000 (approximately 700,000 Tunisian dinars). Civil society activity in Tunisia is thriving more than ever. It has become a major player in politics as well as a counterweight capable of creating a new post-revolutionary momentum. Text by EU / Neighbourhood Info Centre Photos by EPA © EU / Neighbourhood n Rafik Halouani with his team.

“Before the revolution it can be said that support from the EU for civil society was blocked. Afterwards, everything changed.” training in ethics. We have supported around forty emerging organisations, directly and indirectly. I can cite, for example, the associations that have worked on the democratic monitoring of elections, the Association of Tunisian Bloggers (ABT) and the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, which we support through the Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders. We support them in their objective of delivering visibility for the citizen. Lastly, he says: “We have had to be extremely flexible in our approach and our work with partners who sometimes had no experience in project management.” Respect for human rights “by all” and “for all” e Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Info Centre

(EMHRF), based in Tunis, played a fundamental role in supporting civil society. Created in 2004, the foundation supports the respect and promotion of the European Union’s guidelines and the United Nations declaration on defenders of human rights, adopted in 1998. “Our vision is based on the principle of respect for human rights ‘by all’ and ‘for all’ in a number of areas,” explains Mr Ramy Salhi, the regional manager of EMHRF. “ese include the fight against impunity, women’s rights, citizenship and elections, the rights of migrants and refugees, and economic, social and cultural rights...” “Before the revolution, the threats against freedom were real, which constrained the association to act in diﬃcult conditions in their support for human rights defenders. Afterwards, the situation changed. ose threats no longer existed. However, we needed to act quickly to support the wave of change. We had to lay down action plans in very short time frames in order to provide previously unanticipated funding for these young organisations..,” adds Mr Salhi. “It is remarkable that the EU was able to finance projects retroactively or mobilise large sums of money so quickly or even change the rules so that diﬀerent political actors could fully participate in the country’s political and social life.” Since then, the situation has

The development of civil society after the Arab Spring: EU support The development of civil society after the Arab Spring: EU support After the revolution, Tunisian society was eager to see European support being put into practice. The EU responded by providing its support to emerging Tunisian organisations, either directly by, in 2011, extending eligibility for calls for proposals to all organisations regardless of how long they had been in existence, or through a series of grants to smaller organisations, which were awarded by Tunisian partners of the EU in the framework of ongoing initiatives. Between June 2011 and June 2012 the EU donated nearly €6,500,000 to supporting Tunisian civil society with the aim of securing democratic transition and developing a human rights culture. Find out more: Coordination for the support of civil society in Tunisia: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/tunisia/projects/overvie w/civil_society_fr.htm Developing Civil Society after the Arab Spring: Lessons learned from the EU Delegation in Tunisia: http://capacity4dev.ec.europa.eu/article/developing-civilsociety-after-%E2%80%98arab-spring%E2%80%99lessons-learned-eu-delegation-tunisia EU Neighbourhood Info Centre factsheet – Civil society and local authorities: http://www.enpiinfo.eu/thememed.php?subject=14&lang_id=469

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PEOPLE > ALGERIA

I am a citizen, so I can have my say Having gone on a series of training courses, they have elected an executive board, organised a number of activities, visited a hospice, organised a youth festival – ‘they’ are the Youth Advisory Board of the Eucalyptus district, in a suburb of Algiers. ey have created a space for discussion and learning: their aim is to give young people a voice and to involve them in facing and debating local issues. e initiative, supported by the European Union, is part of a programme seeking to “increase democratic discussion and civic participation among young people in the management of local development policies.” is concept is spreading through other regions in Algeria. A journalist from the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre sends us this report.

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ALGIERS – Khawla, Hiba, Meriem and Toufik are nervous. On this Tuesday, they have the job of presenting to the Jeunesse Plus (Youth Plus) association and to secondary school pupils in the town of Draria their new initiative: the Youth Advisory Board (CCJ – Conseil consultatif des jeunes) for the district of Eucalyptus. e meeting takes place in the Draria national sports school. e “Eucalyptans”, who come from a low-income neighbourhood, step up to the challenge. Microphone in hand and facing the audience, Toufik Kourtaa starts oﬀ: “I met the people behind the Advisory Board at an information day: initially, I didn’t really understand some of the concepts, but I realised that being a citizen allows me to influence the future of my district. Today, I can have my say,”

he emphasises. Khawla Ghalem, a management secondary school student, takes over, explaining the various steps leading to the creation of the Advisory Board: “We took training courses to consolidate our knowledge. With this theoretical basis, we developed the internal rules and were able to organise the election of the executive board.” At the back of the room, Selma Khelif, the project leader of the International Committee for the Development of Peoples (CISP), is smiling as she listens to Meriem Attia, who is usually very reserved, listing the Board’s achievements: “We have organised several activities, notably a visit to a hospice for the elderly, a youth festival, and we took part in the ‘Knowledge Day’.” e discussion session begins. Ques23

PEOPLE > ALGERIA

n In the space of a few months, nearly 250 young people have taken part in various Youth Advisory Board (CCJ) activities.

tions come from all sides and the members of the Board answer them all. e audience is impressed by the CCJ concept. e need to speak out e establishment of the Board was the result of a long process. “A significant characteristic of Eucalyptus is the low age of its population, with nearly 70% of the people under 30,” explains Selma Khelif. An agricultural village until the mid-80s, Eucalyptus became a large town following the rural exodus caused by terrorism. Although it is only around

n Ghalem Khawla, a secondary school student studying

management, member of the Youth Advisory Board (CCJ) for the Eucalyptus district.

“I realised that my being a citizen allows me to inﬂuence the future of my district. Today, I can have my say.” 15km from the capital, living conditions are sometimes diﬃcult. Violence is often the only form of expression young people have. “e Board enables local concerns to be raised and proposals put forward for solving issues. In Eucalyptus, the first step was building a firm partnership with local stakeholders. We were able to meet the mayor, Abdelghani Ouicher, who has a special interest in civic participation. With the El Manar association (e Lighthouse), our local partner, we then began to raise awareness and get young people to join. ese activities took place in various locations, notably the library, the youth centre and the professional training centre.” 250 young people are involved in activities In the space of a few months, nearly 250 young people have taken part in various CCJ activities. From these, a strong core of 20 members was created. To assist them and increase their skills, they took Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > ALGERIA

“In the short term, the aim of our Advisory Board will be to train project promoters and put them in contact with elected oﬃcials and public services.”

n Selma Khelif, project leader of the International

n Lamine Seghir Mohamed Amine, president

Committee for the Development of Peoples (CISP).

of the Jeunesse Plus association.

training courses. ese sessions were adapted to the situation on the ground and dealt with issues around civic participation, elections, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Family Code, handling conflicts, etc. e success of this phase was essential for later stages of the process and, above all, for establishing group cohesion. In addition, the El Manar association’s actions made it easier to increase diversity. In the summer, the “Eucalyptans” travelled to Oran, the main city in the west of Algeria, to discuss their experience with members of the Le Petit Lecteur association (Little Readers), which is also part of this programme. e local elections on 29 November 2012 and the preceding electoral campaign were an excellent learning opportunity for the

members of the Board. ey met representatives of the registered political parties, learned about various programmes and had the opportunity to express the views of young people in the town. After the vote, Mayor Abdelghani Ouicher, who had helped with the creation of the Board, was re-elected. en, in February, it was the turn of the young people to elect their leaders. e Youth Advisory Board of Eucalyptus has an executive board, a president and a vice-president. e initiative launched by the CISP - with financial support from the European Commission - was soon emulated – by the Draria Jeunesse Plus association, for example, which received a sub-grant to increase the skills of local associations. Mohamed Amine Seghier, president of the Jeunesse Plus association, is quick to show his satisfaction. “e CCJ concept was a success in Eucalyptus and this encouraged us to recreate it in Draria. We presented the project to the mayor, as we believed the involvement of the public authorities was essential for the success of the initiative. In the short term, the aim of our Advisory Board will be to train project promoters and put them in contact with elected oﬃcials and public services. Currently, we have attracted around 60 young citizens. It is really encouraging.”

“e Board allows local concerns to be brought up and proposals to be put forward for resolving issues.”

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

So how is the political involvement going? Khawla, Hiba, Meriem, Toufik and even Mohamed Amine have mixed opinions. Today, their priority is not to become a political party; only to do all they can as citizens. Text by Tarik Haﬁd Photos by Farouk Batiche, AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre

“Increasing democratic discussion and civic participation by young people in the management of local development policies in the Oran and Eucalyptus districts”

https://www.facebook.com/LeCon seilConsultatifDesJeunes In the Wilayas of Algiers and Oran, the quality of civic participation in improving decentralisation policy is supported through improving the definition, monitoring and implementation of local development projects. The partners: CISP (International Committee for the Development of Peoples), Petit Lecteur, El Manar (Eucalyptus) and in association with APC Eucalyptus. Timeframe: 2 years (2012–2013) Budget: €131,556.84 Find out more: EU Neighbourhood Info Centre, Theme: Youth http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=13 Délégation de l’Union Européenne en Algérie (EU Delegation in Algeria) http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/algeria/index_fr.htm

PEOPLE > TUNISIA

Debate as a culture takes root What happens when two groups do not share the same opinion? ey must learn, if unable to actually convince one another, then at least to listen. On the southern shores of the Mediterranean, one of the biggest challenges is to learn to live with diﬀerence. e “Young Arab Voices” project, initiated and steered by the Anna Lindh Foundation and the British Council, is seeking to root the debate culture among young people and to develop their critical faculties. After participating in an “in debate” training, a journalist from the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre shares his impressions.

TUNIS – Should you refuse to tolerate someone who is intolerant? Should he who kills be killed? In a social context in which violence is growing by the day, it is normal to ask questions about its origins. According to the “eye for an eye” code of justice, evil should be combated with evil and injustice with injustice. “I believe Gandhi was perfectly right when he said: ‘An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind,’” says Souad Yakoubi, a student at the Ibn Charaf Institute of Languages. “e primary role of vengeance is to eliminate the criminal, it is a means of social protection to maintain public order and prevent re-oﬀending,” argues Jed Ben Aoun, a student at the IHEC, in response. is passionate debate was held at the British Council in Tunis as part of the “Young Arab Voices” project steered jointly by the Anna Lindh Foundation for inter-cultural dialogue and the

British Council. A unique meeting as the subject was clearly close to the hearts of the six young Tunisian participants. roughout the morning an exalting sense of genuine exchange and dialogue was in the air. Yet the two groups were not of the same opinion. Arguing your case? It can be learned is is the very purpose of the “Young Arab Voices” project that aims to firmly establish this debate culture and oﬀer young people the best techniques, including oratorical, with which to present a better case in defending their opinions on questions central to their interests. As project manager Hamza Kaabar explains: “is programme aims to develop critical faculties among our young people, strengthen their knowledge of politics, develop their analytical ability, promote the culture of democratic debate and create a link between young people Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > TUNISIA

“It is still tense out on the street. One of the biggest challenges facing Tunisia is to learn to live with difference. We are not used to having an exchange of opinions and accepting diﬀerent ways of life.”

and the political decision-making bodies.” “It is still tense out on the street,” says Tunisian activist Souhir Chaari, “and one of the biggest challenges facing Tunisia is to learn to live with diﬀerence. We are not used to having an exchange of opinions, of accepting diﬀerent ways of life.” e desire of the British Council and the Anna Lindh Foundation is to see more debates of this kind so that we can have a melting pot of opinions that is ever more enriching. “We must allow young people to have their say so that they can advance in this democratic adventure,” adds Wissem Boudrigua, a student at the Higher Institute of Human Sciences

n Souhir Chaari, Tunisian activist.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

n Chamsseddine Abdelhafidh, one of the participants in the Young Arab Voices project.

in Tunis. “We must listen to proposals, prepare counter-arguments and when opposing ideas are presented, you must know how to reply and show respect and maturity, because just because somebody has a diﬀerent viewpoint than yours it does not mean that they are against you. A good debate is a structured argument through which two opposing viewpoints try to win the support

of the audience.” is is exactly what is happening in the debate on “an eye for a eye”. e first team that argues in favour of Talion Law, thus has the burden of proof and must prepare a rigorous argument. e second opposes the idea proposed but must also defend its position. e debate is dense, rich, instructive, passionate. And certainly not without its heated moments. Souhir Chaari does a good job of defending the cause. “is Talion Law must be applied on certain occasions. It is one of the oldest laws in the history of humankind. It is legitimate defence.” Basma Ghali, a student at the Ibn Charaf Institute of Languages in Tunis, does not accept this: “is concept refers to a philosophy of justice that is both barbarous and outdated, rooted in personal vengeance rather than justice and by which each act would give rise to another.” is dialogue initiated by Young Arab Voices awakens the mind to new perceptions of reality, adds Soaud Yakoubi: “Tunisian youth,” she says, “played an important role in triggering democratic change and it is vital for these young 27

PEOPLE > TUNISIA

n Wissem Boudrigua, student at the Higher Institute of Human Sciences in Tunis.

people to continue to be able to participate and make their voices heard. I am so pleased to see the Anna Lindh Foundation and the British Council support this remarkable initiative.” Youth at the heart of change It is true that young people have been the principal force for change in the events that have swept the Arab countries since 2011, and they will remain an essential component of the new political systems these societies are demanding. ey will also be vital to the conception of new development models centred on job creation, local development and sustainability. “ese young people,” concludes project manager Hamza Kaabar, “will become the shapers of their own destinies in Tunisia’s political and economic sphere, in which a joint agenda for North-South development is needed to consolidate this partnership and redefine

“We must allow young people to have their say so that they can advance in this democratic adventure.” 28

Young Arab Voices

“A good debate is a structured argument through which two opposing viewpoints try to win the support of the audience.”

Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.” Mr Kaabar is convinced that the Anna Lindh Foundation programmes such as Young Arab Voices will be able to help achieve all these goals as they aim to give more weight to the voice of Tunisian youth and a platform from which to be heard. “It is only through dialogue, the coming together of peoples, the mutual opposing of ideas and understanding, that it is possible to combat prejudices and minds closed to diversity,” he concludes. “It is only by bringing down the barriers of ignorance that it is possible to open up a curiosity about others, to new knowledge and a mutual process of enrichment nourished by North-South dialogue.” Text by Kamel Bouaouina Photos by AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre

http://www.youngarabvoices.org/ The Young Arab Voices programme was launched jointly in 2011 by the Anna Lindh Foundation and the British Council in response to the political and social changes taking place throughout the Arab region. The programme aims to strengthen the debating abilities of young people and facilitate their involvement in the new processes of democratic transition and reform. It has led to the creation of debating societies on a wide range of subjects, at schools and universities as well as at cultural centres and within local NGOs. Young Arab Voices is supported by the European Commission and the Arab League and co-financed by the UK Foreign Oﬃce’s Arab Partnership initiative. The Anna Lindh Foundation for inter-cultural dialogue promotes knowledge, mutual respect and intercultural dialogue between the people of the Euro-Mediterranean region, working through a network of over 3,000 civil society organisations in 43 countries. Its budget is co-financed by the EU (7 million euros) and the EU Member States (6 million euros). Find out more: Anna Lindh Foundation http://www.enpiinfo.eu/mainmed.php?id=384&id_type=10&lang_id=450 Anna Lindh Foundation http://www.euromedalex.org EU Neighbourhood Info Centre – topic sheet: YOUTH http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=13

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > PALESTINE

Spreading colours over isolation Armed with brushes, paints and spades, their chosen battleﬁelds are schools across the West Bank. A group of young Palestinian and European volunteers are travelling by bus to the region’s rural areas, renovating schools and bringing with them a message of solidarity to isolated communities. e trips are part of the European Union's ‘Yalla Shabab’ initiative, which includes several activities for youth in the West Bank and Gaza such as lectures on current aﬀairs at local universities, volunteer days, a host of cultural activities and a reporting competition for young Palestinian journalists. Accompanying the volunteers on board a bus heading for the village of Uja, an EU Neighbourhood Info Centre journalist has this report. IRAMALLAH – e morning’s torrential rain was hardly the ideal wake up call, but the downpour stood in stark contrast to the upbeat mood among the 50 volunteers looking for cover at the pick up point in Ramallah. eir destination: a one-day voluntary work in the village of Uja, in the Jordan Valley. A few minutes after ten o’clock, the bus hits the road down towards Jericho.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Along the route, the rain gave way and the closer the bus gets to its destination, the warmer the sun. By the time the bus stops outside the Jeel Al Jadid Kindergarten, it is already warm enough to ensure the volunteers end the day with the slightest of tans. e brigade of young people gathers inside the Kindergarten hall, as Ibrahim Abu Alfa, deputy mayor of Al Uja extends a warm welcome to the eager-look-

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ing volunteers. “ We, the Palestinians suffer at large from the occupation by Israel. But here we have harsher conditions as Jewish settlements grow larger around us, and the desert is eating up our fields,” he says. “I thank you very much for the work you have come here to do.” e volunteers receive some last-minute instructions from a group of painting

PEOPLE > PALESTINE

“I’m so happy to spend some of my free time doing something useful, not to me personally but for society at large” professionals, before donning blue tshirts and baseball caps emblazoned with the EU emblem, and get cracking. ere is a deadline to be met: the work must be completed before dark. A leading role for young people e “Yalla Shabab” initiative, is part of an outreach campaign promoted by the European Union, in coordination with the Young Entrepreneurs Palestine (YEP) with the idea of promoting European Union values like solidarity and voluntary work. e exciting initiative, which started in March and will run until June, is planned, organized and implemented by young people and will provide the perfect opportunity for local and international youth to combine their efforts in voluntary activities within Palestine. is event in Uja is just one of the days where young volunteers visit rural districts and villages across the West Bank to show a spirit of solidarity with the isolated communities as they renovate schools and kindergartens. Other activities include the organisation of political seminars at Palestinian universities and information days about studying in EU countries, while a reporting competition was launched at the beginning of April, targeting media students and recent graduates who will compete for the best written article and best short documentary about water in Palestine. ‘Yalla Shabab’: a day’s work to last for years Meanwhile, the volunteers split into different groups, each taking care of separate business. While some paint the exterior and draw pictures on them, others clean up the main hall and paint its 30

n Palestinian and international volunteers gathering at Al Auja Village to paint the Al Aujia youth Club.

walls. A third group digs holes along the path that separates the playground from the street, filling them with small trees expected to provide added cover for a fence which protects the children playing inside. e volunteers waste no time, completing their tasks under the gratified eyes of Mahmoud, a local man his early 70s. Sitting under the shade of a big tree and watching the volunteers with spades in hand and sweating under the midday sun, he says:

“I wonder if these young people will one day come back to visit Al Uja with their children. I won’t be around, but I can imagine them saying something like “… . You see these beautiful trees? It took us no more than one day of work, many years ago. But here they are, standing up, straight and beautiful, today, tomorrow and forever.” Mahmoud is so proud, he sounds like he was the one planting the trees. e volunteers share his views. ey understand that what they are collectively doing in one day, can last for many years to come. “I’m so happy to spend some of my free time doing something useful, not to me personally but for society at large,” says Aya Haridi, a young volunteer in her early 20s.

“We are not professional painters or labourers, but the impact of what we do will sure last much longer than the work itself took us” n The volunteers split into diﬀerent groups,

each taking care of separate business.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > PALESTINE

into a plate of traditional Maqlouba, rice mixed with eggplant and cauliflower. As their work comes to a close, Aya Haridi sums up the feeling among the volunteers. “I’m sure that Al Uja people will always remember how those strange and unknown faces showed up from nowhere to refurbish the kindergarten. We are not professional painters or labourers, but the impact of what we do will sure last much longer than the work itself took us,” she concludes. Text by Elias Zananiri Photos by Ahmad Mesleh © EU n A third group digs holes along the path that separates the playground from the street, filling them with small trees.

“Joint eﬀorts essential to build societies” For Fatima, seeing European support in action is particularly encouraging. “is EU engagement is a sign that partnership between nations knows no boundaries,” she says. Journalist Ruba Mehdawi agrees that the whole issue is about partnership. “is kind of activity sends out an important message on how joint eﬀorts are essential to build societies. We are not only talking about a marginal work of rehabilitation or refurbishment, but here we are engraving in people’s hearts and minds how collective partnership can remove obstacles in daily life,” she says. For a foreign volunteer who has been working with the Palestinians for more than a year, there are signs of real progress: “ings are moving and we

all learn from previous missions,” says one of the volunteers coming from Lithuania. Shadi Zama’reh, of ‘Journalists Without Borders’, who is a well-known activist in the Palestinian youth community, agrees: “Out of this voluntary work, lessons will be learned and conclusions will be drawn, with the hope that this programme becomes a long-term plan to benefit larger segments of the Palestinian society” he says. Zama’reh has joined the volunteers as a coordinator and is beaming with pride at what has been accomplished. By three o’clock in the afternoon, everything is done. At first glance, it seems diﬃcult to remember how this place looked earlier in the day. Lunch is served as volunteers wander around, looking proud of their day’s work as they tuck

“is kind of activity sends out an important message on how joint eﬀorts are essential to build societies. We are not only talking about a marginal work of rehabilitation or refurbishment, but here we are engraving in people’s hearts and minds how collective partnership can remove obstacles in daily life” Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

“Yalla Shabab” European and Palestinian volunteers spreading colours in Palestine The “Yalla Shabab” initiative is part of an outreach campaign promoted by the European Union, in coordination with the Young Entrepreneurs Palestine (YEP) with the idea of promoting European Union values like solidarity and voluntary work. The initiative started in March and will run until June 2013. It is planned, organized and implemented by young people and it provides the opportunity for local and international youth to combine their eﬀorts in voluntary activities within Palestine. Young volunteers do visit rural districts and villages across the West Bank to show a spirit of solidarity with the isolated communities as they renovate schools and kindergartens. Other activities include the organisation of political seminars at Palestinian universities, information days about studying in EU countries and a reporting competition targeting media students and recent graduates. Find out more: Project webpage https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3500379884 30593&set=a.328844070549985.60202.28014101542029 1&type=1&theater EU Assistance to the Palestinians http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/westbank/index_en.htm EU Neighbourhood Info Centre thematic page: YOUTH http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=13

PEOPLE > LIBYA

Don’t touch, stay safe Despite the oﬃcial end of the Libyan uprising, explosive remnants of war and small arms continue to pose a threat to the lives of the civilian population, particularly children. e European Union and UNICEF support Libya’s eﬀort to raise awareness of the dangers and to keep children safe. In total, over 240 teachers have attended training of trainers sessions in mine risk education and are now master trainers. And 650,000 people – mostly children – have been reached with awareness messages. An EU Neighbourhood Info Centre journalist has this report.

n Children discussing the danger of handling weapons.

TRIPOLI – “I felt nothing when it happened: I picked up this bullet, I thought I could play with it, so I started hitting it against the tar, then it exploded and everything turned black” Mahmoud is nine years old, and last year a blast took his right hand away. He is a victim of a war whose consequences continue to hit hard. Since the Second World War, Libya has been contaminated by explosive remnants of war. Landmines have been used during diﬀerent regional conflicts, but the situation has worsened dramatically since the outbreak of the 17 February revolution, when rockets, grenades and mines were cast all over the place, and the country was flooded with small and light weapons. Despite the oﬃcial end of the Libyan uprising, explosive remnants of war and small arms continue to pose a threat to the lives of the civilian population, par-

ticularly children. “Kids are more at risk of being injured because these items are often colourful and shiny, and are mistaken for toys,” says Lucille Knight, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF, adding: “As for small arms, their constant exposure in homes, in the streets, and even in the movies, normalizes the very existence of these weapons and increases the chances for these children to find it normal to get hold of them and use them.” When it comes to the proliferation of weapons and their availability to children, the responsibility of adults is high: “It is very important for adults to understand that they need to safely dispose of weapons,” continues Ms Knight, “making sure they are unloaded, and ammunitions kept in a separate place.” According to the UNICEF specialist, there is no formal reporting mechanism in place Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > LIBYA

“By now, about 650,000 children and adults have better knowledge of the risks of mines and unexploded ordnance”

n Teachers Abdullah Abdul Salam Al Husoma (L) and Taher Abu Nawara looking at diﬀerent kinds of weapons.

“Kids are more at risk of being injured because these items are often colourful and shiny, and are mistaken for toys. As for small arms, their constant exposure in homes, in the streets, and even in the movies, normalizes the very existence of these weapons…”

for what concerns small and light weapons, but 87 casualties were reported from March to May 2013 through scanning of media and security reports alone. “Tripoli is perceived to be the region most likely susceptible to small weapons’ incidents,” she says. Teachers training teachers to reach kids: a life-saving chain In May 2011, UNICEF started its engagement in mine risk education in eastern Libya as well as in Misrata. “By the beginning of 2012, more than 100 Libyan schools had been cleared of remnants of Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

war and rehabilitated,” says Carel de Rooy, UNICEF Representative. “At the same time, a large number of teachers and members of local NGOs were trained to deliver risk education sessions to the children, and to distribute materials to help raise awareness and keep Libyan children safe.” In December 2011, the EU allocated €2.4 million for an education programme through UNICEF to improve the quality of basic education, including the development of teaching materials and teacher training, with a focus on the most vulnerable children. But since the risk of mines was still high, the EU decided to also provide €2 million funding for mine clearance. ese resources enabled the removal of unexploded ordinances and booby traps in many battleground areas in Libya. But the need to stress awareness of the danger was widespread. In 2011 and 2012, two mine risk education workshops were held in Tripoli, under the leadership of the Libyan Ministry of Education, supported by UNICEF and the EU, and with the participation of the Libyan Ministry of Defence, the United Nations Mine Action Service and non-governmental organizations involved in the clearance of mines and explosive remnants of war. As a result, a plan for a comprehensive programme was designed to be delivered in all Libyan schools. “Training of trainers, sessions for teachers and inspectors, from diﬀerent parts of the country, have been conducted during 2012/2013 to prepare

them as master trainers,” says Najia Sabkha, coordinator at the Ministry of Education. “Today there are 243 master trainers engaged in training other teachers across the country.” ousands of songs to pass the message After attending an intensive training course in December 2011, Khiare Bilhaj, the coordinator in the city of Zawiya, called the education authority in town to nominate two teachers from each school in the city. “Twenty-four teachers from 12 schools responded to the call and attended the course, and are now ready to deliver their knowledge to fellow teachers

n Educational material for middle school

students explaining the dangers of handling weapons left behind in post-conflict zones.

PEOPLE > LIBYA

“I’m now aware of the danger. e posters on the school board have given me good advice not to touch or approach strange objects on the street and to stay away from weapons and explosives.”

n Hossam Bassem Flute with a school friend look

at diﬀerent kinds of explosive war remnants.

and children,” says Mr Bilhaj. “I have benefited from the course myself,” agrees Taher Abu Nawara, a teacher at Shibani Bin Nasrat School in Zawiya. “I am ready to share the skills with others in my school, and I am looking forward to receive the teacher’s kit that has been prepared by the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with UNICEF and Handicap International.” “We have distributed millions of leaflets and posters to primary and secondary schools,” adds Ms Sabkha, “and also over 6,000 CDs with awareness songs. As part of the outreach programme, awareness messages were also printed on the covers of textbooks. By now, about 650,000 children and adults have better knowledge of the risks of mines and unexploded ordnance.” For further support in the classrooms, a teacher's kit has been designed, with different modules on landmines, unexploded

ordinance, small and light weapons. “A teacher’s booklet and a children's activity book will be merged in one kit, which is now under its final development stage. It will be distributed to all schools across Libya,” concludes Ms Sabkha. “I’m now aware of the danger,” says Hosam Nayif, a year nine student at Shibani Bin Nasrat School. “e posters on the school board have given me good advice not to touch or approach strange objects on the street and to stay away from weapons and explosives.” Better trained teachers are key to quality education As part of ongoing eﬀorts to improve the quality of education in Libya, the European Union and UNICEF are supporting authorities in enhancing access to quality education for all children, with special focus on the most vulnerable ones. “For example, more than 140 teachers have been trained on child rights, child-centred teaching and positive discipline,” says Katharina Imhof, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Libya. One component of the project is to study various aspects of the Libyan teaching system, such as teachers’ qualification, motivation, recruitment, deployment and management. Classroom observations aim at and lead to action for improved teaching. “Prior to this, a nationwide school assessment on 4,800 schools was conducted,” says Ms Imhof: “the data and analysis of both studies will inform a high level road map for more eﬀective teachers’

management, the establishment of a solid Education Management Information System and enhanced child-friendly school environments. All this action lays a solid ground to enhance education administration and governance.” Text by Reda Fhelboom Photos by AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre

Mine Risk Education The project aims to raise awareness of the danger of explosive remnants of war and small arms and to reduce the danger of civilian population, particularly children, being exposed to the risk, by delivering ‘train the trainers’ sessions of mine risk education to teachers and members of local NGOs, and by distributing informative materials. Timeframe: May 2012 - September 2013 Budget: €335,000 Find out more: UNICEF in Libya: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/laj.html EU support to Libya http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/779&format=HTML&aged=0&language =EN&guiLanguage=en EU Neighborhood Info Centre - Libya: EU adopts €10 million package for education, administration and civil society http://enpi-info.eu/medportal/news/latest/27475/Libya:EU-adopts-%E2%82%AC10-million-package-for-education,-administration-and-civil-society EU Neighborhood Info Centre - Libya http://www.enpi-info.eu/countrymed.php?country=11

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > LEBANON

A school for children of war Syrian children have suffered “the fastest and clearest educational decline” ever seen in the Middle East, announced the UN and several NGOs in a report published recently. Refugee children are faced with several difficulties related to lack of space, insecurity, poverty, community tensions and different dialects. In Lebanon, the ‘Back to learning’ UNICEF programme, which is funded by the EU, is trying to overcome these difficulties. A journalist from the European Neighbourhood Centre visited some schools and sent us this report. BEKAA - It’s 3pm. Pupils from the public school of Jarrahiyeh, in Marj, in the region of Bekaa in Lebanon, are patiently waiting for the beginning of their afternoon classes. is particular one is part of a special course for Syrian children as part of the ‘Back to learning’ programme financed by the European Union (EU). “In the region of Bekaa alone, there are estimated to be over 65,000 Syrian children old enough to go to school, aged from four to 14,” explains César Al Fakih, who is UNICEF’s official in charge of education in Bekaa. “About 25,000 are not interested in school activities. Some are

already working. So that leaves 40,000 young Syrians who have expressed the wish to sign up for public schools. But only ten schools have the capacity for more pupils and they can only take 18,000 individuals,” he adds. School in the camps So one of the solutions has been to set up classes in the afternoon to relieve the pressure on the normal morning classes. Broadly speaking, there are children who attend the normal school programme in the morning and who have been integrated with Lebanese pupils; there are

those who attend a special afternoon programme in the schools, those who benefit from the ALP programme (Accelerated Learning Programme) in the schools too; and those who live in camps and who do not go to school but who are targeted by specific UNICEF actions. e aim of the ALP programme is to enable children who have left school in Syria to get back on track and catch up where they have fallen behind. It also consists of teaching them some basic English or French with a view to their being put into the Lebanese schools. In addition, a two-week session has been

n Young Syrian students attend class at El Jarrahiyeh public school.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > LEBANON

“In addition to the purely educational aspect, there is also a psychological-social aspect that is aimed at parents and which is of the utmost importance” given to Syrian teachers to prepare the ALP programme with them in around 30 or so camps of Syrian refugees in the Bekaa. e ‘Back to learning’ programme, of which ALP is a part, takes care of the schooling of children, books and school materials and in some cases a light snack. “In addition to the purely educational aspect, there is also a psychological-social aspect that is aimed at parents and which is of the utmost importance as the change of environment, poverty, violence and abuse of all sorts have created lots of problems at these levels. Whole families are living in a single room or under a single tent,” explains Amina Kleit, Director

n Lebanese Bedouin tents.

n Students show their artwork.

of the programme at the Iqra association, tasked by UNICEF with the application of the programme. is aspect covers everything which is connected to health, nutrition and hygiene. “A lot of progress has been achieved in this area, providing pedagogical support, a prevention campaign and even oﬀering shampoo, medicine and other necessary provisions for Syrian families,” she adds.

“e inhabitants of the region are poor, be they natives or Bedouins who live there. e Lebanese pupils also beneﬁt from the services and support provided by this programme”

An overcoat is forgotten as a way to stay in school Gretta teaches at the public school of Jarrahiyeh. ere are 27 young pupils in her class. She gathers them in a circle around her. Each of them has to say their name, write it on a piece of paper (each letter with a diﬀerent colour) and say how many syllables it is made of. “With this simple game, pupils learn to read, count and get to know the colours,” explains Gretta. en the real educational fun begins. Instead of the ‘truth or dare’ game, young Syrians have to say what they like, what disturbs them, what they want etc. With a mischievous smile, Majd recites a love poem to Gretta. Ahmad tells of how he likes to fold the laundry at home. Aya for exProjects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > LEBANON

n UNICEF Lebanon communication specialist Miriam Azar with young Syrian students.

are invited to be partners in this project,” she adds. Talking along the same lines, Riad al Kadri, the Director of the school of Jarrahiyeh, confirms that “the inhabitants of the region are poor, be they natives or Bedouins who live there. e Lebanese pupils also benefit from the services and support provided by this programme”. To confirm this, Amina Kleit refers to the school’s cleaning lady, who is illiterate. anks to the educational programme, she can read and write. “Now, when I have a document to sign, I write my name whereas before I used to sign with my fingerprint,” says the lady proudly. She is the mother of four children and is encouraging them to go to school to study. Text by Antoine Ajoury

“e change of environment, poverty, violence and abuse of all sorts have created lots of problems. Whole families are living in a single room or under a single tent”

ample loves coming to school but still hopes to return home to Syria to carry on with her studies. Gretta says she is extremely happy to take care of these children, who could become a lost generation if nobody looks after their education. So she tells the story of the young boy who used to leave his coat behind in class so that he would have to come back to pick it up after the end of classes. “Every time, his parents used to come up to pick him up and found him asleep in class. He preferred to stay at school rather than go home,” adds Gretta, with tears in her eyes. Weighed down by the conﬂict e programme also gives a lot of hope to youngsters who are a bit older. In another Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

class, pupils are starting to learn English. Some of them already work in the morning in order to be able to attend classes in the afternoon. e weight of the Syrian conflict is already weighing down on them. ey are afraid of giving their name and they are apprehensive about the camera lens for fear that they might be recognised by men from the regime who are hunting down their parents. But, despite all the diﬃculties, they study diligently and with determination. Mohammad (his name has been changed) is 11 years old. In the morning, he helps his big brother in a farm in the region. Despite his fatigue and the long road to get to school, he takes an active part in the classes and he too hopes one day to teach English in Syria. In addition, it is worth noting that this programme, which initially started as an emergency measure to meet the needs of refugees, will be pursued with the aim of a form of sustainable development that targets the Lebanese education system as a whole. “e training granted to staﬀ and to teachers will be beneficial for all the Lebanese pupils. And all the educational materials used will stay in the school for use beyond the current context,” confirms Miriam Azar, a specialist in emergency communications at UNICEF. “So this is a long-term investment that is not only targeted at pupils but also the parents who

Photos by AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre

“Back to learning”

http://www.unicef.org/french/info bycountry/lebanon.html The objective of the UNICEF Lebanon’s Non Formal Education programme is to provide learning opportunities tailored to the needs of out-of-school children aﬀected by the Syrian crisis. The project aims at the identification and enrolment of up to 50,000 out of school children into regular primary schools, while up to 150,000 children and adolescents are to be enrolled into NFE programmes for a total of 200,000 out-of-school children targeted. The interventions cover all six governorates of Lebanon. The timeframe is expected to span from September 2013 to August 2014. Find out more: The EU & UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/eu/ EU Delegation http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/lebanon/index_en.htm EU and UNICEF press pack http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id= 470&id_type=3&lang_id=450 EU Neighbourhood Info Centre Thematic portal: EDUCATION and TRAINING http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=11

PEOPLE > MOROCCO

Lunch at the training restaurant

n Chef Ibrahim Raji explains how to cook a couscous dish.

irty-two years ago, a group of parents of children with Down’s syndrome, doctors and people of goodwill founded the Moroccan Association for Support and Assistance to People with Down’s Syndrome (AMSAT). eir aim: to provide everyday support for families. Today, also thanks to the support of the European Union, a vocational training project is enabling 40 young people to train for careers in the catering trade. AMSAT ﬁrmly believes that work is a fundamental value, which ensures social integration and independence for young people with Down’s syndrome. A journalist from the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre ate a (delicious) meal at the association's training restaurant.He sent us this report. RABAT – On a sunny day, down a quiet alleyway, not far from the city's railway station, I have come to the headquarters of the Moroccan Association for Support and Assistance to People with Down’s Syndrome, AMSAT. e building attracts passers-by due to the originality of its architecture. Everything blends harmoniously, the style and the colours. A harmony that makes you wonder who lives 38

in this two-storey building. Mariam Nekkach is the project manager of the AMSAT Training Restaurant. She talks about the Association and its goals, before inviting me on a guided tour of the premises, enlivened by the friendly atmosphere of children with Down’s syndrome accompanied by their mothers. “It's a special day,” says Mrs. Nekkach. When asked about the creation of AM-

SAT, the project leader looks back to 32 years ago, when the Association was founded on the initiative of a group of parents of children with Down’s syndrome, doctors and people of goodwill, and organisations from civil society. en, they embarked on a long adventure. An act that founded a noble human mission. is long journey, which has brought so many experiences and conProjects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

PEOPLE > MOROCCO

n Young people with Down’s syndrome aged between 16 and 23 preparing lunch.

tributed so many new skills, soon bore fruit with the establishment of the training restaurant project. Work, a fundamental value e project is dear to the heart of Dr. Hassan Benkhlafa, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and a member of AMSAT's Board of Directors. “e idea of launching this vocational training project, tailored to children with Down’s syndrome, has been in our minds throughout the experience gained by the association since the centre was started, right through to the implementation of this training, via the construction of the HRH Prince Moulay Rachid Centre,” says Dr. Benkhlafa. He emphasizes, in passing, the important role of partnership with the European Union for the realization of the association's objectives. e European contribution funds the restaurant and the running of the train-

“e teaching restaurant will be operational by the end of 2014 and ready to open to the public. Four graduates of the centre will join the staﬀ ”

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

n The teaching restaurant oﬀers some 40 dishes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, to which the staﬀ of the centre and friends of AMSAT are invited.

ing course, focusing on careers in catering to improve the situation of young people with Down’s syndrome. Here, within this friendly and courteous environment of children with Down’s syndrome and staﬀ who are here to train them, work is a core value. In the culture of the centre, it provides social integration and independence for young people with Down’s syndrome. And based on this core value, the centre has launched training workshops in the fields of catering and gardening. Forty young people with Down’s syndrome are undergoing training, which will be completed in 2014. In addition, 30 specialized technical instructors are being trained at the centre. e various workshops provided for the children provide irrefutable evidence of the ability of young people with Down’s syndrome to adapt to these careers. e staﬀ at the centre embrace their mission with great dynamism and belief. Kahdija, who runs the cookery workshop, Osama, who is responsible for educational activities, and Nihad, project assistant: a trio working hard for these young people, giving the best of themselves in this project focused on the human and social dimensions.

“e idea of launching this vocational training project, which is tailored to children with Down’s syndrome, has been in our minds throughout the experience gained by the association since the centre was started, right through to the implementation of this training”

At the end of 2014, the restaurant project will open to the public In the basement of the building, surrounded by eight young people with Down’s syndrome aged between 16 and 23, Khadija welcomes us with a smile in a friendly atmosphere. ese young people demonstrate professionalism and hard work. ey have to prepare meals for lunch in a few hours. e teaching restaurant oﬀers around 39

PEOPLE > MOROCCO

“e problem of stigma? It is a real handicap that must be fought in order to enable people with Down’s syndrome to integrate into the life of society”

40 dishes on Mondays, Tuesdays and ursdays, to which the staﬀ of the centre and friends of AMSAT are invited. A full-scale exercise. But the result appears to be conclusive. A first taste of their dishes confirms the catering expertise of these young people with Down’s syndrome. “e teaching restaurant,” confirms Mariam Nekkach, “will be operational by the end of 2014 and ready to open to the public. Four of the graduates of the centre will join the staﬀ, and promises have been made by social enterprises to recruit other candidates trained by the centre. is bodes well for all of our graduates,” the project manager concludes optimistically.

e AMSAT centre is also the place where 30 young specialized technical instructors work, having been hired by the centre after a competition. Dynamic, committed young people, whose performance in training people with Down’s syndrome meets the expectations of the centre's managers. e instruction given here is a shortcoming of other such centres in Moroccan cities – hence the importance of training for human resources specialised in this field. It's a view echoed by Dr. Hassan Benkhlafa: this active association worker also insists on the legitimate rights of people with Down’s syndrome to education, specific training and access to employment through coaching. Dr. Benkhlafa highlights the stigma attached to the syndrome. “It is a real handicap that must be fought in order to enable people with Down’s syndrome to integrate into the life of society,” he says.

members with Down’s syndrome. Sessions and services are provided to them by psychologists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, educators and technical instructors. And to combat the limitations and impaired capacity related to the disability, AMSAT offers early sessions for groups of babies, and rehabilitation and specific monitoring as well as educational workshops. Support is also provided on schooling in integrated classes. At lunchtime, I am invited to share the meal with the staff of the training restaurant. Each of us pays for our meal voucher. It's a delicious meal. I am totally convinced by the talent of these young people Down’s syndrome who are potential future recruits to the catering trade. And now, I am proud to be counted among the friends of their training restaurant. Text by Safi Naciri Photos by AFP © EU / Neighbourhood

A delicious meal The centre of the Moroccan Association of Support and Assistance to People with Down’s Syndrome (AMSAT) looks like an anthill swarming with activity. It is a clean and friendly place. The Association provides daily support for 40 families that have children or

Info Centre

Creating a Teaching Restaurant and start-up of a vocational training curriculum focused on the catering trade to improve the situation of young people with Down’s syndrome

http://www.amsat.ma/?Id=1&lang=fr The objective of the project is the training of 40 young people with Down’s syndrome for careers in catering, as well as the training of 30 technical instructors specializing in coaching young people with disabilities for careers in catering Timeframe: 24 months Budget: 149,600 EUR Find out more: EU Neighbourhood Info Centre http://www.enpi-info.eu/countrymed.php? country=6&lang_id=450 EU Delegation to Morocco http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/morocco/index_fr.htm

n In the kitchen we find chef Ibrahim Raji, Safaa NMILA Anas LAMGHABER, Mariam NEKKACH,

EU Delegation to Morocco https://www.facebook.com/DELEGATIONUEauMaroc

project manager, Sami YAOUISS, Nihad RHANEM project assistant, Latifa LAGHLID, Osama CHAHBI, in charge of educational activities, Ayoub SALHI, Yassir BASRAOUI and chef Khadija SEBBAH.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Projects in Action 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EU Southern Neighbourhood

European Union and Council of Europe back ambitious reforms in wake of the Arab Spring

Young people working on a mosaic built to highlight cultural diversity and heritage. The activity is implemented in Lebanon by members of Citizenship and Peace clubs from different regions and political aﬃliations within the EU supported project “Windows to Participation, Door to Peace”. (photo AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre).

Interview with Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Why did the EU and the CoE join forces over promoting democracy in the European neighbourhood? e European Union and the Council of Europe are built upon and share common values – human rights, rule of law and democracy. Some of the EU's closest neighbours in the East joined the CoE over a decade ago. e Parliament of Morocco and the Palestinian National Council benefit from the “Partner for Democracy” status with the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE (PACE) since 2011, while the Israeli Parliament enjoys Observer status with the PACE. We all want these two neighbouring regions – the South and the East – to enjoy stability and prosperity, which would in turn strengthen the stability of Europe. e best way to contribute to this cause is to promote democratic security, by fostering respect for our shared values. It was only natural for the EU and the CoE to join forces in this endeavour, so as to send a common strong message to the partner countries and to maximise our impact, ensuring complementarity. What are you trying to achieve through this joint eﬀort? We seek to accompany the processes of transition to democracy or support the consolidation of democracy, depending on the progress achieved by the country concerned. We do it by making available the expertise and some relevant tools of the CoE. e relevance of these tools has been demonstrated by the fact that they have contributed to democratic changes in other member states of the CoE. Some of them have since joined the EU; others are well on the way of doing so. On which areas does EU-CoE cooperation focus in the region? Our cooperation with the EU has been steadily increasing. Budget-wise, it amounts to more than €20 million per year. Over the last decade, the emphasis of EU/CoE cooperation has been on improving the independence and eﬃciency of the judiciary, fighting Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

corruption and organised crime, promoting good governance, diversity, tolerance and intercultural dialogue. Our cooperation is also designed to address challenges, which go beyond borders, such as trafficking in human beings, counterfeit of medical products or cybercrime. What is the expected impact on citizens of the ‘Strengthening democratic reform in the Southern Neighbourhood’ programme? is programme focuses on enhancing the independence and efficiency of the judiciary, on promoting good governance by fighting corruption and money laundering, as well as on promoting respect for human rights, with special emphasis on the prevention of trafficking in human beingsA more independent and effective justice, better governance and broader respect for human rights ultimately benefit the people, also because an environment that is respectful of human rights, the rule of law and democratic values will create better conditions for economic development. What do you consider as your most important achievements in the South so far? First and foremost, we succeeded in establishing a climate of trust and mutual respect in our relations with the authorities of partner countries. Let me give you a few examples. One of the CoE specialised bodies, the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), has made an assessment of the Moroccan judicial system, and is about to complete one in Tunisia. ese evaluations are an absolute prerequisite for addressing the specific needs of partner countries in reforming their judicial systems. A similar exercise is being carried out in respect of the fight against corruption and money laundering in Morocco and Tunisia, on the basis of specific methodologies used by GRECO (Group of States against corruption) and MONEYVAL (Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of AntiMoney Laundering Measures and the Financ-

ing of Terrorism). Last but not least is the recent opening of the School of Political Studies of Tunisia, a civil society organisation supported by the CoE and belonging to a larger CoE network, aimed at training future generations of political, economic, social and cultural leaders. e Tunisian School of Political Studies is the first such structure ever in the region – as well as the first to be opened in a nonCoE member State – and has already trained, among others, a significant number of young leaders of the National Constituent Assembly and of political parties. e second School of Political Studies in the region, the Moroccan School, was oﬃcially inaugurated in March 2013. What is the biggest challenge you are facing in the South? As far as the South is concerned, one of the biggest challenges we are facing is to adapt our instruments and know-how to the specific socio-cultural and political context of partner countries. is is vital if we want to provide responses adapted to their needs. Such responses are being worked out, in certain cases, in the context of political instability, which also remains a major challenge. We all know that significant changes do not happen overnight and that progress will not be the same in all the countries concerned. Will there be new projects in the South any time soon? ‘Strengthening democratic reform in the Southern Neighbourhood’ can be considered as a pilot programme. It has already produced concrete results, so we assume it will be followed by other programmes, which would build on our valuable experience and successes achieved so far. At the same time, the CoE also carries out other targeted actions in the southern neighbourhood, through voluntary contributions from some CoE member states, notably in the field of combatting violence against women and children, or promoting freedom of expression in Tunisia.

Environment

The landscape between Chefchaouen and Oued Laou. This northern region of Morocco suﬀers from a significant lack of infrastructures and the EU is supporting local authorities in their construction eﬀorts. (photo AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre).

ENVIRONMENT > EGYPT

Hotels are going green too e European project Shmile 2 aims to spread eco-labels to tourist accommodation services in the Mediterranean, particularly in six countries: Egypt, Italy, France, Jordan, Greece and Tunisia. Visit by our correspondent from the European Neighbourhood Information Centre to the only hotel in Alexandria to have obtained an environmental certiﬁcate. A place once frequented by spies, diplomats and Greek ship-owners…

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Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ALEXANDRIA – is is much more than a luxury hotel; this is the first tourist accommodation to hold an eco-label in Alexandria, mythical city of the Mediterranean. It obtained its certificate oﬃcially at the end of 2011 from the Australian environmental system, EarthCheck. e Accor group, to which the Cecil hotel – established 1929 – belongs, is one of the customers of this benchmarking and certification system, which is the most widely used in the travel and tourism industry. e establishment is committed to using special cleaning and hygiene products, reducing its energy and water consumption, generating low quantities of waste, providing bins for sorting and recycling, using renewable energy sources and substances that are less harmful to the environment, etc. …

Eco-label? Like ISO standards that apply to industry Room 209 overlooks the sea and its memories. It is named after Elvis Presley; he stayed here in days gone by. Everywhere there are notices attempting to educate customers about the environment: if you do not want the hand towels and bath towels changed, please put them back on the rail; please close the doors, as the room is fitted with an automatic air conditioning system. Taps and shower heads have been designed to reduce the pressure and therefore waste less water… “ese environmental measures are also a marketing tool for our hotel in the long term. Because all over the world, customers are increasingly opting for environment-friendly hotels. Very soon, the eco-label will be a selec45

ENVIRONMENT > EGYPT

n A Cecil Sofitel kitchen employee uses waste recycling bins.

“Very soon, the eco-label will be a selection criterion for guests, it’s like ISO standards in industry” tion criterion for guests; it will be like ISO standards in industry,” says Nabil Kahil, Manager of the Cecil, who visited Nice in November 2012 to participate in the exchange workshop on the benefits of an environmental approach to tourist accommodation. Nabil Kahil had to share his experience with other tourism professionals from countries including the six taking part in the Shmile 2 project funded by the European Union under cross-border cooperation in the Mediterranean region, namely: Egypt, Italy, France, Jordan, Greece and Tunisia. Phase 2 of the project, launched in 2011, aims to spread the eco-label to tourist accommodation services in the Mediterranean. e project brings together 11 partners and is led by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nice-Côte d'Azur.

n Cecil Sofitel Hotel employees

n A housekeeper from Sofitel Cecil Hotel in Alexandria, Egypt, environment-friendly cleaning products.

e European Eco-label is not the only appealing feature of the project: besides the work to increase awareness among Mediterranean businesses about the importance of eco-tourism, there is also the work with local communities, staﬀ training, and the sharing of experiences, like the workshop in Nice - where Nabil Kahil explained to participants how his hotel had reduced its water consumption by 45% in a year, (the cost also went down by 12%) and its electricity consumption by 31% (bringing the cost down by 21%). Taking the old wooden lift to the lobby, he points to the crystal chandeliers with their energy-saving light bulbs: “Conventional bulbs cost 3 EP each, whereas the energy-saving ones cost 30 (€ 1 = about 8 EP), but it is a long-term investment; they last longer and enable us to save energy”. Mediterranean coast shunned With its ornate colonnades, wooden and polished brass revolving door, the manager walks around his hotel immor-

“ese environmental measures are also a marketing tool for our hotel in the long term. Because all over the world, customers are increasingly opting for environment-friendly hotels” talised in e Alexandria Quartet, a novel in 4 volumes by British author Lawrence Durrell. He was one of many eminent visitors to the hotel, as were Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie and Josephine Baker. But the coastal city is now far-removed from those cosmopolitan days. Today, 80% of the tourists who come to Egypt prefer to head for the Red Sea and its scuba diving, coral and natural reserves, while the northern Mediterranean coast,

adopt environment-friendly behaviours in their daily tasks.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ENVIRONMENT > EGYPT

n Sofitel Cecil Hotel laundry employee has loaded a washing

machine with environment-friendly soap in the hotel basement.

despite its attractions, only lures a tiny percentage of them. And then just over three years ago, when eco-tourism really started to take oﬀ, the authorities decided first of all to convert the seaside town of Sharm el-Sheikh (in the Sinai Peninsula) into a green city. e north coast - with its beautiful cities like Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh - was shunned when it came to eco-labels. at explains the data provided by Ahmed El-Dorghamy, expert in environmental aﬀairs and energy with the CEDARE, Centre for Environment and Development in the Arab Region and Europe, set up in 1992, which collaborates with the Shmile 2 project: “Our work consists of increasing the awareness of the hotel industry and telling everyone about good practices leading to the award of the Eco-label, while engaging with local communities. We therefore identified 94 hotels in Egypt that held some kind of label, all located on the Red Sea, except for one in Alexandria (e Cecil)”. El-Dorghamy continues: “Given that 72% of visitors to the Red Sea are European, the owners of the tourist accommodation want to please their customers by applying international environmental standards. ey sought to obtain recognised environmental certification, German or Australian for the most part”. Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Photovoltaic panels on cruise ships CEDARE is currently trying to cooperate with the Chamber and Ministry of Tourism in Egypt to extend eco-labelling to the Mediterranean towns, with the hope of establishing country-specific standards, or setting up a national ecolabel. “We are still a long way from providing an Egyptian eco-label, or imposing a European eco-label, but we are trying to help professionals to find their bearings and select the certificates and products that suit them without imposing anything. ey understand that it is in their interest to have a more eﬃcient economy. For example, the cruise ships between Luxor and Aswan can use solar panels to meet their energy needs at a lower cost. e Ministry is studying the possibility of changing the standards for evaluating tourist sites, so as to include eco-labels in our criteria,” says Mahmoud El-Kaissouni, member of the Supreme Council of Tourism and Head of the Green Unit (ecotourism) set up just four months ago. e current crisis in the sector is driving all professionals to aim to achieve greater competitiveness by going down the path of ecotourism and sites with eco-labels. Text by Dalia Chams Photos by AFP©EU/Neighborhood Info Centre

“We are still a long way from providing an Egyptian eco-label, or imposing a European eco-label, but we are trying to help professionals to ﬁnd their bearings and select the certiﬁcates and products that suit them without imposing anything”

Cross-border cooperation in the Mediterranean ENPI CBCMED

http://www.enpicbcmed.eu/docu menti/30_153_20120316174130. pdf The project aims to promote the European Ecolabel and environmental management in tourist accommodation services in the Mediterranean. In particular, the project aims to inform, raise awareness and support the tourism industry (especially providers of accommodation) in applying for environmental certification. Timeframe: 24 months Budget: € 1,998,998 Aims: • Key players in the tourism sector informed and aware of the advantages of the Eco-label for tourist accommodation services • Professionals in tourist accommodation aware of the Eco-label and engaged in an Eco-label certification process • Public institutions and stakeholders informed and aware of tools for dissemination and implementation of the Ecolabel • The general public aware of the Ecolabel issue • 10% increase in the number of environmental certifications in the territories of the countries involved Find out more: CBC Cross Border Cooperation EU Neighbourhood Info Centre project sheet: http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id= 171&id_type=10 EU Neighbourhood Info Centre portal, theme: ENVIRONMENT http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=6

ENVIRONMENT > JORDAN

Turning olive oil waste into euros while protecting nature It’s no secret that the Mediterranean region accounts for the overwhelming majority of the world’s olive oil production, in fact 97% of it. What is less well-known, however, is that for the estimated two million tons of olive oil produced annually, some nine million tons of waste is generated. Given the potential environmental harm that this can cause, scientists across the region are putting their minds together to discover the perfect method of minimising the environmental impact of olive oil mill wastewater, generating bio-products for commercial use in the process. anks to project MEDOLICO – funded by the EU through its Cross Border Cooperation initiative - the Jordan University of Science and Technology has opened its doors as a testing ground. e EU Neighbourhood Info Centre sent one of its journalists to ﬁnd out more about the project.

Watch “The Neighbourhood Info Centre Photo stories” on ENPI You Tube 48

IRBID, NORTH JORDAN – e lavish and picturesque olive groves dotted across northern Jordan are certainly indicative of the quality of the olive oil produced in this part of the world. While the surroundings could hardly be more serene, under the biblical tree seeps an environmental hazard created by tons of toxic and non-degradable chemicals, released during the olive oil manufacturing process. Locally known as zebar, olive mill wastewater is highly resistant to biodegradation and it is damaging plantations, water resources and humans. Wastewater dumped across the Mediterranean basin While the rush continues for ‘liquid gold’, as ancient Greek epic poet Homer described it, more and more tons of chemical wastewater are being illegally

dumped across the Mediterranean basin. is includes Jordan, where olive oil production is rising by five per cent a year. Oﬃcials from the country’s Natural Resources Department at the Ministry of Agriculture point to a town in the Ajlun northern governorate, where residents stopped drinking tap water following the contamination of their main water source by the chemicals on at least three separate occasions since 2009. “Wastewater used to be dumped on the field side. In the past, it worked. e soil was better and water was in abundance. But due to the growing scarcity of water resources, and the higher production rate, nature cannot absorb wastewater anymore,” says Professor Munir Rusan of the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) and representative of the ‘Mediterranean Cooperation in the Treatment Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ENVIRONMENT > JORDAN

“e issue of olive oil wastewater is an environmental and ﬁnancial headache. We cannot keep the water near the mill, as it is toxic and very dangerous. We have to get rid of it. But it costs a lot” and Valorisation of Olive Mill Wastewater’ (MEDOLICO) project. MEDOLICO is an EU-funded project, which aims to reduce the environmental footprint of olive mills by ensuring a wider implementation of practical and cost-eﬃcient solutions to treating and managing olive mill wastewater in the region. e project seeks to use treated water as a source of irrigation, and hopes to compensate for the cost of olive mill wastewater treatment technologies through the development of a suitable quality and quantity of recovered byproducts. e project also enhances cooperation among scientists and authorities involved in the olive oil industry research. e three-year project is at its very early stage: the parties are trying to figure out the best treatment to be adopted and Jordan is the testing

ground for some innovative technology. “We are trying to tackle the cost of producing the world's finest olive oil, in a feasible and eﬃcient way,” says professor Rusan. From the nine million tons of wastewater generated during the process of olive oil production, nearly 60 per cent of the urban wastewater still flows untreated into the Mediterranean; 48 per cent of major coastal cities have no sewage works and less than half the liquid industrial waste is purified, according to the ENPI Cross Border Cooperation Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme of 2007-2013, under which MEDOLICO is funded. “How to feed my children is more important to me” Standing on top of the dumping ground

of solid olive waste, Jassem Mahmoud Abdullah, owner of one olive mill, says he is excited about this project. “e issue of olive oil wastewater is an environmental and financial headache. We cannot keep the water near the mill, as it is toxic and very dangerous. We have to get rid of it. But it costs a lot,” says Abdullah. e owner of one mill reportedly paid JD 15.000 (€16,000) to transport wastewater to a government dumping ground, an amount considered astronomical. “If they find a system, it would be great to make any extra income during these diﬃcult times,” adds Abdullah, an active member of Jordan's Mills Owners Association. “Not all mill owners can aﬀord to pay so much. e economic factor plays a role in the decision to dispose of olive oil wastewater in a proper way,” he concludes. Abdullah is not the only one considering the financial implications. “Wastewater is bad for the environment, but honestly, I have more important issues to worry about, particularly how to sell my olive oil and feed my children,” says Ebrahim Sweirki, a 56-year old

n General view of a Jordanian mill in Irbid: water waste from the olive harvest is gathered

in a simple water shed that easily runs oﬀ and could aﬀect the environment.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ENVIRONMENT > JORDAN

owner of an olive plantation in the Roman city of Jerash. While ensuring his family has bread on the table may be Sweirki’s priority, safe drinking water remains a concern. “Wastewater kills our plants. People come at night and dump their wastewater outside the town, damaging crops and causing a bad smell. e government should be vigilant,” adds the father of six. e government admits it is facing an uphill struggle to stop unlawful dumping and has called for the cooperation of the local community. Farmers have also called for government protection from illegal dumping, but Agriculture Ministry oﬃcials have struggled to find an environmentally friendly and economically feasible disposal method. ey also point to their inability – due to lack of funds – to establish a central treatment plant or a common disposal facility for the country's 116 mills. Testing ground in Jordan So far, the treatment of olive oil mill wastewater has only been partially addressed through isolated studies, and today there is a need for a harmonised and basin-wide eﬀort, which is a key objective of the MEDOLICO initiative. e Jordanian government has expressed enthusiasm in joining the EU-funded project and it has agreed to provide testing grounds for tech-

“Wastewater used to be dumped on the ﬁeld side. In the past, it worked. But due to the growing scarcity of water resources, and the higher production rate, nature cannot absorb wastewater anymore”

nologies developed by the other participating countries, namely Italy, Israel and Portugal. e partnership led by the University of Cyprus' International Water Research Center (Nireas). As in all Cross Border Cooperation initiatives supported by the EU, this project strives to address challenges that are common to European Member States and to partner countries, providing the grounds for a real people to people exchange and cooperation. It is the core of the Cross Border Cooperation concept: there is an impact on all sides of the border , or the sea-basin. Benefits are real for all partners involved. In this case, Jordan is offering the testing ground for innovative technology that could benefit all project partners. In fact, Jordan is due to receive the first centrifuge from Portugal to start the testing process, which will involve a range of tests on different centrifuges. e results will be examined by scientists, who will attempt to determine the suitable technology to be used by authorities in each country. Treatment centres will be established near major dumping grounds and possibly mills. Ideally, treated wastewater should be pumped to water farms. In a region that suffers from the lack of water resources, the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture is considered as an ideal alternative source of irrigation. At the same time, the remaining chemicals will be turned into bio-products such as soil conditioner, biomass fuel, fertilisers and antioxidants, to be used for commercial purposes. e programme also includes orientation and public awareness campaigns to educate farmers and mill owners on the significance of this project and to train them to harness every drop from the olive tree. e ultimate goal? To turn waste into euros, while protecting nature. Text by Mohammad Ben Hussein Photos by AFP © EU/Neighbourhood

Cross-border cooperation in the Mediterranean ENPI CBCMED

http://www.enpicbcmed.eu/ The multilateral cross-border cooperation programme, “Mediterranean Sea Basin”, is part of the new European Neighbourhood Policy and its financial instrument (ENPI) for the period 20072013: it includes regions of the EU and of partner countries located along the Mediterranean Sea coasts. MEDOLICO - Mediterranean Cooperation in the Treatment and Valorisation of Olive Mill Wastewater http://www.enpicbcmed.eu/documenti/29_153_20110930144130.pdf The project specifically targets the issue of olive oil mill wastewater (OMW), which is highly resistant to biodegradation. Provided that the treatment of OMW has only been partially addressed through isolated studies, there is a need for an harmonized and basinwide eﬀort that significantly reduces the environm6ental impact of wastewater generated by olive mills. Participating countries: Cyprus, Italy, Israel, Jordan, Portugal Timeframe: 36 months Budget: € 1.964.500 Aims: • Reduction in levels of toxic substances contained in the OMW before and after being disposed into the environment • Suitable quality and quantity of recovered by-products to compensate for the cost of the OMW treatment technologies • Development of user-friendly methodological and technical handbooks/guidelines for operators of olive mills • Accessible and eﬃcient training schemes for the olive millers chosen for the pilot tests • Relevant stakeholders informed about the outcomes of the projec Find out more: MEDOLICO project website http://www.medolico.com CBC Cross Border Cooperation EU Neighbourhood Info Centre project sheet http://www.enpiinfo.eu/mainmed.php?id=171&id_type=10 EU Neighbourhood Info Centre portal, theme: ENVIRONMENT http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=6

Info Centre

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ENVIRONMENT > MOROCCO

Children: ambassadors for sustainable energy

Being eco-friendly is a civic act: this is the message to emerge from the ‘energy days’ organised in Salé, the first town in Africa and the Arab world to have signed up to the Covenant of Mayors. An approach where local communities are heavily involved is at the centre of the framework of the SURE project, which is financed by the European Union and aims to help local authorities in their efforts towards integrating sustainable energy solutions in their urban planning. e goal is to make citizens responsible partners in the use of renewable energy. SALÉ – “Before leaving the house, when we've finished watching TV, I turn it off straight away. Energy is priceless!” Twelve-year-old Fadela, has got the message: being eco-friendly is, above all, a civic act by a responsible citizen. is is the message communicated by the ‘energy days’ organised by Salé, the twin town of Rabat. In 2011, Salé beProjects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

came the first town in the Arab world to sign the Covenant of Mayors, by which it is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020. Salé was also chosen to host the awareness-raising days as part of the SURE European project on renewable energy in urban areas. “is event helps to draw the attention of the local population to

the importance of protecting the environment and changing their energy consumption habits,” explains Anass Laâlou, coordinator of the SURE project in Morocco, developed in the framework of the regional CIUDAD programme financed by the European Union. anks to this project, two EU towns, Murcia (Spain) and Friedrichshafen (Germany), both of 51

ENVIRONMENT > MOROCCO

‘Children are the country’s future. If we encourage them from a young age to have a responsible attitude towards energy, it will deﬁnitely pay oﬀ.’

n The theatre full of children from diﬀerent areas of Salé.

‘Our work involves speaking to housewives and advising them of the everyday actions that can make a diﬀerence, such as ways to reduce energy consumption in order minimise energy bills.’

citizens come every day to ask for copies of birth certificates and other certificates of residence. e town hall was chosen to organise the awareness-raising activities and the choice is fully justified: Salé's decision to sign the Covenant of Mayors is of major significance, it commits the town to achieving the objectives set by the European Union, which involve implementing an action plan for sustainable energy within its territory, with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions by at least 20% by 2020. e ‘energy

days’ are an opportunity for the town of Salé to share its experience with other towns interested in sustainable development in order to facilitate their membership to the international network of the Covenant of Mayors. Next to the town hall, in a specially designated area, awareness-raising workshops for housewives take place. It is a highly interactive programme led by trainers from the ‘Women, Water and Environment Association’, true ambassadors of sustainable energy. “Our role is to speak to housewives and advise them of the everyday actions that can make a diﬀerence, such as ways to reduce energy consumption in order to minimise energy bills,” explains Ms Hasnaa Chihabi, Chairwoman of the association. During the day, the trainers record vox

which have extensive experience in sustainable urban energy planning, have guided Polotsk (Belarus) and Salé through the process of fulfilling the obligations of the Covenant of Mayors. e Covenant of Mayors is a voluntary agreement signed by more than 4,500 towns around the world that are willing to promote sustainable energy planning in urban areas. What does this mean in concrete terms? By signing the Covenant, the signatory towns commit to drafting an action plan to reduce CO2 emissions by increasing energy eﬃciency and promoting the use of renewable energy sources. Everyday actions that make a diﬀerence We are at Salé town hall, the place where 52

n Salé, a green town; more than just a slogan for children at the Jasmine Association.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ENVIRONMENT > MOROCCO

demonstrate that they understand the importance of moderating energy use. is goes to show that educating young children is key to creating the ecofriendly citizens of tomorrow. Text and photos by Hicham Houdaïfa

CIUDAD – Sustainable urban development

http://www.ciudadprogramme.eu/index.php The CIUDAD programme aims to help local governments in the ENPI region address problems relating to urban development, by encouraging cooperation between local actors and their EU counterparts.

n The entrance of the Municipality’s theatre.

pop interviews with housewives and young people. “e aim of this type of activity is to start a debate and, from there, generate a discussion with citizens. e objective is always the same; to raise awareness of the importance of energy efficiency,” adds Mr Laâlou. ‘Turn the computer off when you’re not working ...’ Children are the second target group. “ey are the country’s future. If we encourage them from a young age to have a responsible attitude towards energy, it will definitely pay off,” believes Mr Laâlou. e children are happy to be taking part in the exhibition that has been organised in the town of Salé and in the local theatre. Singing and art activities, a painting competition and a theatre workshop on energy are just a few of the fun activities enjoyed by some fifty children, thanks largely to the Yasmine Association, which is very active in the energy field. Proudly wearing a T-shirt with the SURE initials, the children represent a broader dimension of the ‘energy days’: “We have been working in the energy field for more than seven years. We have organised dozens of awareness-raising activities for the children of Salé, particularly in the disadvantaged areas of Hay Salam, Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

‘Before leaving the house, when we've ﬁnished watching TV, I turn it oﬀ straight away. Energy is priceless!’

Sidi Moussa and Btana,” explains Ms Fouzia El Harrati, Secretary General of Yasmine. When we meet some children in the local theatre, Fadela, aged 12, explains: “When I leave a room at home, I turn the light oﬀ straight away to save energy.” Samah, aged 11, has finally been able to convince his grandfather to turn oﬀ the computer when he isn’t working. And Zakaria, aged 15, thinks about his wallet: “When you think about the money you can save by watching your energy consumption, it’s an easy choice to make.” Not turning the electricity on in the morning when there is sunlight, being careful not to leave the fridge door open too long or the TV on when you’re not watching it, using LED lights or using renewable energy are all ways of using energy responsibly. e children soon

Participating countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine Timeframe: 2009-2013 Budget: €14 million

SURE - Sustainable urban energy in the ENPI region – towards the Covenant of Mayors

http://www.ciudadprogramme.eu/grant_profile.php?l ang=1&country_id=10& grant_id=14 Participating countries: Morocco, Belarus Timeframe: 30 months Budget: €791,725 EU contribution: €616,725 Find out more: Project information sheet http://www.ciudad-programme.eu/grant_profile. php?lang=1&country_id=10&grant_id=14 CIUDAD – Project overview http://www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id= 310&id_type=10 CIUDAD – website http://www.ciudad-programme.eu/about.php?lang=1 The Covenant of Mayors: www.eumayors.eu EU Neighbourhood Info Centre – CIVIL SOCIETY AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject= 14&lang_id=450

ENVIRONMENT > PALESTINE

A hospital powered by wind Spreading the word about renewable energy is one thing, but who would have thought that you could run a hospital on wind power? Well, you can and the proof is in Hebron, where the Al Ahli Hospital plans to use wind power to cover about 40% of its energy needs. e project, which is the ﬁrst of its kind in the country, is supported by the European Union and will include the installation of a wind turbine that can produce up to 225 kilowatts of energy. Our journalist visited the site and put together this report of what he saw.

n Palestinian project manager Mohammad Tamimi (L) and journalist

Elias Zananiri (R) visit the construction site of the future wind turbine.

HEBRON – “It’s all about being green and clean,” says Mohammad Tamimi, chief engineer in charge of the wind energy project at Al Ahli Hospital in Hebron, West Bank. He takes us to the roof of the hospital, stands at one edge and points down to where work has started. With the funding from the European Union, Tamimi hopes the wind turbine will be up and running before the end of the year, supplying the hospital with electricity and saving 35% of its current expenditure on energy, be it electricity or fuel. e wind system, he said, will provide the hospital with 330MW of electricity per year while the solar thermal system will save the hospital 54

100,000 liters of diesel per year. In exact figures, the hospital annual consumption of diesel is about 200,000 liters and when the project runs, half of this will be saved through renewable energy. A new way to cope with power shortages Sitting on top of the highest hill in the area, Al Ahli Hospital serves over 600,000 Palestinians living in the Hebron district, on the southern edge of the West Bank. In normal circumstances, the hospital has a capacity of 365 beds, but in emergency situations, it can go up to 500 beds. In 2001, a few months after the second Palestinian uprising Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ENVIRONMENT > PALESTINE

n Palestinian public relations director Basem

AL-Natsheh (R)and journalist Elias Zananiri (L) look at a wind turbine design model.

n Palestinian project manager Mohammad Tamimi (R) and public relations director Basem AL-

Natsheh (L) discuss contruction plans during a meeting of the EU-funded project.

“We have set up stations throughout the West Bank to measure wind speed and force and to decide accordingly which areas are good for wind and which for solar energy” against Israel broke out, the security situation in the West Bank deteriorated. e hospital staﬀ had to think of ways to cope with the new challenges, including shortages in fuel, power and oxygen supplies. A team led by Tamimi put together a comprehensive plan to create alternative resources for the hospital. ey thought of digging a well to store water, they implemented a project to produce the oxygen needed to all hospital facilities including the operating theatres and they built a huge tank for up to 50,000 liters of fuel needed for power generators and other machinery. e fourth idea they came up with was to use wind energy. ere are some things in life that you just cannot believe until you see them and that was exactly the case with the wind energy site, which we visited under the burning sun in June. e wind that blew on the hospital roof was so Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

refreshing, that it was hard to believe that it was summer or that the temperature was 38 degrees centigrade. at was nature at work. And this natural phenomenon will be transformed into energy in less than six months from now. e idea of renewable power in OPT started back in the 1980s. Tamimi said that he was moved by the scene of Palestinian women who came to the city from remote villages and brought with them batteries to charge and take back home to operate their small TV sets and emergency lights. “I told myself something should be done to help those women,” he said. “I thought of solar energy. I installed simple sunbeam receivers to transform solar energy into electricity, which is stored during the day and used at night.” e system worked. And Tamimi won an important victory on two fronts. For one thing, he sold quite a few receivers but, more importantly, he became convinced that renewable energy is something that Palestine should consider as an option in the future. Tamimi hooked up with Al Ahli Hospital and put together a core team made up of experts belonging to diﬀerent stakeholders in Palestine, including Najah University, the Hebron Electricity Company, the PA Energy & Environment Authority, Hebron Polytechnic University and the

University of Twente in the Netherlands. Together they prepared a comprehensive study on wind energy in Palestine. At a certain point, contacts started with the EU, culminating in a strategic agreement: the European Union would fund 80% of the overall cost of the project, i.e. providing €1.6 million. e project was officially inaugurated in May 2009. Capacity building and dissemination of information A main objective to the project is to increase the capacity building in the fields of energy and environment. In its capacity as the European partner, the University of Twente helps in designing and conducting a technical and managerial training on different topics related to energy. e trainees were from different Palestinian institutions connected to clean energy technologies. Among them were universities, municipalities and NGO's. Alongside with in-house capacity building, the project sent two engineers

“e hospital annual consumption of diesel is about 200,000 liters and when the project runs, half of this will be saved through renewable energy” 55

ENVIRONMENT > PALESTINE

“e cost is high today – he says - but it was a lot higher in the past. e more we make progress in this area, the less it costs,” he says. Text by Elias Zananiri Photos by EPA © EU / Neighbourhood Info Centre

Integrated Wind Energy Production System for Al-Ahli Hospital

http://www.awep.ps/index.php To install an integrated cost eﬀective, sustainable and reliable clean energy system, with very low environmental costs; to create public awareness as to the enormous opportunities oﬀered by the green energy technologies.

n Palestinian project manager Mohammad Tamimi.

Participating countries:

to study issues related to energy at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, where they both acquired their master degree. Besides, the project contains five workshops; two already took place and two in the near future. e fifth workshop will be the closing ceremony of the project. ose workshops are designed to increase community awareness regarding renewable energy and environmental issues. Now the planning phase is over and the installation process of the turbine is due to start by this autumn. It is a pilot project that is designed to spread the concept of renewable energy throughout Palestine, a country that enjoys a moderate climate in the winter and summer. e estimated power consumption in the West Bank is approximately 600 megawatts. e Palestinian National Authority’s Energy & Envi-

“e cost is high today, but it was a lot higher in the past. e more we make progress in this area, the less it costs” 56

ronment Authority has a plan to generate no less than 15 megawatts of power from wind energy by the year 2020. According to Dr. Imad Ibrik of Najah University, the institute has decided to mobilize all its resources to help promote renewable energy. “For this purpose, we have set up stations throughout the West Bank to measure wind speed and force and to decide accordingly which areas are good for wind and which for solar energy,” he says. Dr. Radwan Tahboub, from the Polytechnic University in Hebron, says his team of researchers worked closely with Tamimi’s staﬀ. Noting that fuel-operated turbines release huge quantities of CO2, causing major health and environment hazards, he stresses that renewable energy is gaining momentum in Palestine as well as elsewhere in the world. Tahboub has other objectives that he wants this project to help him achieve. “We should build women’s capacity and engage them in promoting clean and green energy. We also need adequate legislation by the PNA to regulate the spread of renewable energy in the future.” Expressing his profound appreciation for the EU initiative to support the project, Tahboub hopes to transform this pilot project into an example that others will follow in Palestine and in the region.

Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Netherlands Timeframe: January 2009 to December 2012 Budget: € 1.6 Million (80% EU contribution) Aims: a. To decrease the hospital’s power consumption costs by approximately 3040% per year b. To minimize the risk of damage to sensitive and costly equipment as a result of repeated power interruptions (i.e. increased reliability). c. To reduce the environmental costs, such as carbon emissions, in the power generation process. d. To provide the hospital with an alternative source of power that will be integrated with the existing grid and fossil-fuel power generating systems. e. To increase the awareness of the local community including power distribution companies, large industries, health care centres, in the usage and utilization of green and sustainable energy. f. To build the capacity of the hospital’s staﬀ and its associates in the field of energy management and technicalities. Find out more: Project website http://www.awep.ps/index.php EU Delegation in the West Bank and Gaza strip http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/westbank/index_en.htm EU Neighbourhood Info Centre Thematic portal: ENERGY http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=5

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ENVIRONMENT > EGYPT

Stopping water leakages

n Water filtering at the Nozha water plant in Alexandria.

In an effort to optimize water consumption and to minimize leakages in the Mediterranean region, the EU is deploying smart water meters as part of five pilot projects in Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Italy and Cyprus. ese are being implemented within the framework of the Aquaknight initiative, which is part of the “Mediterranean Sea Basin” multilateral cross-border cooperation programme. A first international conference on water leakage, attended by distribution network operators, took place in Alexandria. e EU Neighbourhood Info Centre’s journalist has sent us this report. ALEXANDRIA – Modest eight to tenstorey apartment blocks constructed on a 5 km² site house around 10,000 people. is is the working-class district of Aarama in eastern Alexandria where the Aquaknight pilot project is being implemented in Egypt. One of its objectives is to identify water leakages in the distribution network. On the outskirts of the district there is a hatch which leads through a concrete passageway into a room that contains an ultrasonic water meter and a pressure sensor. is equipment is required to test the leakage of Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

drinking water in the district from the main pipeline beneath the road. “We closed all of the other supply pipes leaving only this one open to assess and measure the leakage using the ultrasonic meter,” explained Ahmed Gaber Chéhata, an engineer. He continued: “We then installed volumetric meters in the entrance hall or under the stairwell in each building to enable the metering of very low flow levels. ese devices are also equipped with pressure regulators in order to better manage the backflow and leakage of water. We also deployed smart meters equipped with state-of-the-

art AMR (automated meter reading) technology which provide detailed and accurate information on household consumption and transmit it by telephone to the data manager at the drinking water facility.” Mr Gaber Chéhata is the CEO of AlexWater, the drinking water company in Alexandria and the Egyptian partner in the project. It is contributing 10% of the budget amounting to €178,230.22, while the European Union provides the remainder, as part of a regional initiative aiming to optimize water consumption, minimize leakages and to reduce non57

ENVIRONMENT > EGYPT

revenue water (water which cannot be metered and invoiced). is goal will be achieved through pilot projects in the Mediterranean region in Egypt (Alexandria), Tunisia (Tunis), Jordan (Aqaba), Italy (Genoa) and Cyprus (Limassol). It is always the local operators who decide where the project is carried out over a two-year period to collect results after several regular tests based on the comparison of the readings and invoicing of various meters installed. Leakage of up to 50% of water distributed Using simple calculations and by keeping track of indicators, the operators are managing to identify and repair the leakages. Ahmed Gaber Chéhata remarked: “e project began around a year and a half ago. Our partners indicated the best methods to use and recommended the new generation of water meters. is has enabled us to reduce our natural losses - due to old pipes and connections etc. - by 2% in the district selected.” Mr Chéhata also revealed that Egypt is already below the water poverty threshold with citizens using less than 700 cubic metres of water a year. It is estimated that most of the distribution networks in the emerging countries leak 50% of the water distributed compared to 20% in the developed countries. However, the population of Aarama, in eastern Alexandria, is not aware of the situation. Some complain

“e project began around a year and a half ago. Our partners indicated the best methods to use and recommended the new generation of water meters.” about reduction in water pressure in their homes while others say that the installation of the new meters has resulted in a rise in consumer charges. e reason for this is that the new meters record water consumption extremely accurately (from 0 to 25 litres). “Water no longer gets to the third floor,” grumbles one resident outside a cheese dairy in rue Al-Mohaguérine. Jelassi Riadh, head of the north Tunis district (la Marsa), is part of the delegation from the Aquaknight CBC project that visited the Aarama site. Like many other experts in the region, he has come to take part in the first international conference on water leakage in the Mediterranean, held in Alexandria, as well as the two specialist workshops and site visits organized as part of the same programme. Having listened to the resident’s complaints, he goes to check the meter in the ground floor of the building and confirms: “ere’s some clogging which can impact upon general flow. We have one meter per household in Tunisia.”

n Alessandro Bettin giving a presentation

on water leakage detection and solutions.

A search for joint solutions to shared problems e context changes from one country to another and the objective of these meetings in Alexandria was to pool expertise and to enable knowledge transfer. at is precisely the goal of the “Mediterranean Sea Basin” multilateral cross-border cooperation programme which includes Aquaknight, an initiative seeking to strengthen cooperation between the regions of the European Union and those of the partner countries along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. e project aims to provide the tar-

Meanwhile, Mamoud returns to his desert hometown, full of conﬁdence and determination to fulﬁl his objectives. “I wish to see more young men from outside the urban centres involved in the Euro-Med Youth Programmes. ese activities are really what we need to rebuild the fabric of our society”.

n A standard old water metering system in the Arama neighbourhood.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ENVIRONMENT > EGYPT

ters has therefore helped us enormously.” Based on the five pilot projects, Aquaknight will produce a good practice guide for determining the value of administrative losses in the water networks in the Mediterranean basin. Every single drop of water counts. Text by Dalia Chams Photos by AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre

n The central lab at the Nozha water plant.

get groups (water operators in each country) with the expertise and tools to improve the management of their systems and to reduce the volumes of nonrevenue water. In the various countries, the network operators are trained in water balance techniques and the use of sophisticated metering systems. e project therefore encourages the adoption of the best international practices in the Mediterranean region by helping to establish common standards for the management and comparative analysis of water supply systems throughout the region. During the workshops, Alessandro Bettin gave a presentation on the Palm project in Italy, which aims to achieve similar objectives. Marios Milis, who works for Signal Generix in Cyprus, provided an in-depth insight into smart meters. Angelos Amditis, the project’s Greek coordinator, attentively took note. e results of this initial phase will be part of the agenda of the next one. Knowledge is transferred from countries like Italy,

“is has enabled us to reduce our natural losses due to old pipes and connections etc. - by 2% in the district selected.” Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Cyprus and Greece, who possess greater experience in this field as they started to address these issues at an earlier stage. Mr Amditis explained: “Greece, for example, which is responsible for the technical work and coordination of the project, has been tackling these issues since the 1970s. It had a very old network which was developed in stages and therefore contained several types of pipe and system. It has similarities with Egypt in this respect and there are lessons to be learned.” Goﬀredo La Loggia, professor of hydraulics at the University of Palermo, gave an overview of the situation in all countries involved in the project. “Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, will be an interesting period in the Arab countries to test whether there will be excessive consumption or greater leakages,” he remarked. Mohammad Al-Shafey from Jordan, head of the strategic planning department at the water company in Aqaba, does not see any reason for concern, even though his country is one of the driest in comparison with other participants. “e pipelines in the Jordanian network are modern, the drinking water meets the most rigorous standards but our problem is the water tanks, which are located on the terraces of houses, which is not the case in Egypt and Italy. He added: “e output is low and as a result the meters used do not provide high-precision indications of the volume of water obtained. e introduction of AMR me-

Cross-border cooperation in the Mediterranean ENPI CBCMED

http://www.enpicbcmed.eu/ The “Mediterranean Sea Basin” multilateral cross-border cooperation programme is part of the new European Neighbourhood Policy and its financial instrument (ENPI) for the period 2007 to 2013. It includes the EU regions and those of the partner countries situated along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. AQUAKNIGHT

http://www.aquaknight.eu/?page_ id=4 AQUAKNIGHT aims to facilitate dialogue between the water authorities and the operators in various regions of the Mediterranean and to promote sustainable solutions to combat water shortages in the region. AQUAKNIGHT’s general objectives are set out below: • To contribute to environmental protection through the implementation of more eﬃcient usage of water resources; • To establish a cooperative framework between the water services stakeholders in the EUMC and the MPC to encourage initiatives aimed at improving the eﬃciency of the water networks. Find out more: EU Neighbourhood Info Centre - Cross Border Cooperation fiche http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id=171&id _type=10&lang_id=450 EU Neighbourhood Info Centre thematic page - Environment http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=6

Innovation

A worker at the Nozha water plant in Egypt. In an eďŹ&#x20AC;ort to optimize water consumption and to minimize leakages in the Mediterranean region, the EU is deploying smart water meters as part of five pilot projects in Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Italy and Cyprus. (photo AFP ÂŠ EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre).

INNOVATION > MOROCCO

e biggest solar complex in Africa

With support from the European Union, the Moroccan Solar Energy Agency is busy setting up Morocco’s ﬁrst energy complex. e Ouarzazate plant, which will cover an area of around 2,400 hectares and will be one of the biggest in the world when complete, will be located in a vast area of desert. e complex will produce 500 MW, the equivalent of the volume of electricity used by a town of 250,000 inhabitants. e ﬁrst tranche of work will be complete in October 2015. A journalist from the European Neighbourhood Information Centre visited the project and sent us this report. Ouarzazate is a city located at an altitude of 150 metres in the Grand Atlas mountains in southern Morocco. It attracts large numbers of visitors with the legendary hospitality of its inhabitants, the splendour of its historic monuments and above all the originality of its cinema studios, which are a draw for the best Hollywood productions. e charming Nicole Kidman came by here a few weeks ago and Tom Hanks, who acted in Forrest Gump, is getting ready to come to Ouarzazate to do some filming. e central administration was quick to Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

send a civil servant to Ouarzazate as a disciplinary measure when the town was in the doldrums, but it has now emerged from that period and is on an upward curve. e town itself is unlikely to be a big draw for investors from Rabat or Casablanca. But the Ouarzazate complex is proving a hit. Ouarzazate has been chosen as the location to set up Morocco’s energy complex, the first of its kind in northern Africa. e plant is part of an ambitious solar plan for the country, which is supported by the EU.

Four solar power stations Ten kilometres north east of the town lies a huge and arid area that seems to go on and on for an eternity. e only sign of life is a young shepherd and his few goats. It’s an ongoing challenge for animals to find places to graze here. Speaking at the premises of the Moroccan Solar Energy Agency, young engineer Mamoune Badraoui explains: “e work to complete the first tranche of work will end in October 2015 while setting up sites 2, 3 and 4 is scheduled for 2017, the date of the completion of the project, 61

INNOVATION > MOROCCO

that will allow 500 megawatts (MW) to be generated, the equivalent of the volume of electricity used by a town of 250,000 inhabitants…One of the plus points of the project is that it will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 110,000 tonnes per year. is project will be one of the biggest in the world.” Mr Badraoui points out that the work building the complex began in the spring of 2013 over an area of 2,400 hectares. It is made up of four solar power stations. e first one, called Nour 1, for which the work is in progress, will be followed by the Nour 2, Nour 3 and Nour 4 stations. Technological diversity is a special feature of the complex. us, Nour 1 and 2 will work on the basis of thermo-solar technology with parabolic trough systems, while Nour 3 will be based on thermosolar technology with a ‘tower’. Nour 4 will work on the basis of photovoltaic technology. Nour 1 is being set up over an area of 450 hectares with a workforce of 500 employees that will rise to 1,200 in the next phases of the project. e Moroccan Solar Energy Agency is looking to give priority to hiring local labour. us, 85% of the administrative and technical staﬀ are Moroccan, of which a sizeable proportion come from the rural commune

“One of the plus points of the project is that it will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 110,000 tonnes per year.” of Ghassate where the complex is located. e choice of site meets several criteria, which take into account topographical factors, the nature of the ground, seismic risks as well as the very high level of sun with regular direct sunshine. In the complex itself, the focus is on comfort both in the oﬃces and the clinic with its three doctors, its ambulance and modern equipment. A place of prayer a mosque - is also being built. All the international standards of quality are being respected in this construction site too, which will be music to the ears of the workers. An integrated vision for energy e agency has made a point of backing up the solar energy production by looking to encourage the development of an integrated industry. As part of this vision, eﬀorts have been made to keep im-

n The site’s medical equipment

includes an equipped ambulance.

ports down in order to save money on currency exchanges and to create local job opportunities. Mamoune Badraoui expects this integrated vision for energy to lead to the generation of 42% of the country’s electrical energy (made up of 14% solar energy, 14% wind energy and 14% hydro energy) by around 2020. Morocco’s solar plan requires a colossal investment of six and a half billion euro. By around 2020, the plan will produce 2,000 MW (which will save on 3.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide) and will put in place a renewable energy service whilst at the same time increasing Morocco’s energy security. is is the first solar project set up in northern Africa and benefits from a considerable amount of EU support to the tune of 345 million euros. e European Investment Bank (EIB) is the lead investor among the European financial in-

“is project will be one of the biggest in the world.” n Preparatory work underway.

Projects in Action 3 – Southern Neighbourhood

INNOVATION > MOROCCO

the framework of the partnership between Morocco and the EU, in particular in the energy, transport and infrastructure sectors,” he says. Local society is at the heart of the Moroccan Solar Energy Agency’s vision. at focus is clear given the special links with the inhabitants of the rural commune of Ghassate, where the Ouarzazate complex is located. As a result, the road leading to the commune has been tarmacked and holiday camps have been organised for children from the commune and there is a mobile dental care unit which has provided services for the inhabitants of Ghassate. At the end of the day, this is an enchanting location that foretells of a brighter future for Ouarzazate if good use can be made of its solar complex.

n The first installations of solar panels.

“is project must be incorporated into the framework of the partnership between Morocco and the EU in the energy, transport and infrastructure sectors.”

stitutions. Its representative in Rabat, Guido Prud’homme, points out that the EIB will support the project with a loan of 100 million euros. e project also benefits from loans from the French Development Agency and KFW, a German publicly owned banking institution, as well as non-refundable aid of 30 million euros from the EU through the Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF). e EIB oﬃcial highlights the need for a Euro-Mediterranean electrical energy market to be developed in the future. “is project must be incorporated into

Text and pictures by Saﬁ Naciri (© EU / Neighbourhood Info Centre)

The solar complex of Ouarzazate Launched in July 2008 as one of the six priority projects of the UfM (Union for the Mediterranean), this solar plan set itself a broad twin aim: to install 2,000 MW of renewable energies by 2020 and to strengthen interconnections between Mediterranean countries in order to create a Euro-Mediterranean market for green electricity. The solar plan also aims to limit emissions of harmful gases and to create jobs. It requires an investment of six and a half million euro and benefits from EU support amounting to 345 million euro. Find out more: The Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF) http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/regi onal-cooperation/irc/investment_en.htm EU Neighbourhood Info Centre http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php? lang_id=450&searchtype=simple&id=530&id_type=10 EU Neighbourhood Info Centre http://www.enpi-info.eu/countrymed.php? country=6&lang_id=450 EU Delegation to Morocco http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/morocco/index_fr.htm EU Delegation to Morocco https://www.facebook.com/DELEGATIONUEauMaroc

n Water basin used for the construction.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

EU Neighbourhood

Press packs Find your way around EU cooperation with its Neighbours www.enpi-info.eu PRESS PACKS

INNOVATION > LEBANON

Technology to take a stroll through history Is it possible to visit a Roman amphitheatre as if you were right there hundreds of years ago? Not for the moment, but you will be able to soon. A European project ﬁnanced by the CBC MED programme aims at using innovative multimedia technologies in the management of the cultural and natural heritage of the Mediterranean Basin. A journalist from the European Neighbourhood Centre was at the port of Byblos when the ﬁrst video mapping on the history of the town was projected onto the old fortress of the port. He sends us this report.

Watch “The Neighbourhood Info Centre Photo stories” on ENPI You Tube

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

BYBLOS – “At least the European taxpayer’s money is spent here on useful and noteworthy projects!” We are at the port of Byblos, in Lebanon, and this is the opinion expressed by a couple of Dutch tourists on the subject of a video mapping on the history of the town. What we are talking about here, is threedimensional multimedia technology projecting videos onto large surfaces, thereby recreating big images on the old fortress of the port. The technique literally brings hundred-year-old stones back to life. Com-

bining grandiose music with colours and light, this is a breathtaking show. Stunned, the spectators fall under the spell of a projection that only lasts ten minutes or so. But it’s worth the wait. Noah is a ten-year-old Canadian. His eyes light up: “It’s a magic show!”. “It’s a way that allows you to quickly understand the history of the town and to memorise it,” says an old resident. “The impact of the 3D projection allows you to absorb information that you don’t get by reading a book or a brochure.” 65

INNOVATION > LEBANON

“e impact of the 3D projection allows you to absorb information that you don’t get by reading a book or a brochure.”

e maritime fortress as a pilot site “We have archaeological sites, the port, the souk,” says Ayoub Bark, the vicepresident of the municipality of Jbeil. “But we still needed an extraordinary event to promote tourism, create new opportunities and generate work.” at is how the maritime fortress, which is on the outskirts of the port, was chosen as a pilot site. We then had to choose a subject for the projection. “As the project has been spread out over three years,” adds Mr. Bark, “we opted this year for the thousand year history of the town of Byblos, from the Phoenicians to today via the Hellenic, Roman and Arab periods, the period of the Crusades and the Ottoman period…” e video mapping is part of the International Augmented Med (I AM) project, whose aim is to apply innovative multimedia technologies to the management of cultural and natural heritage. “e project includes 14 partners from seven diﬀerent countries. It is part of the CBC Med programme, a cross-border programme funded by the European Union between the EU member countries and the third countries of the Mediterranean Basin,” explains Daniel Asmar, professor at the American University of Beirut, one of the partners in Lebanon, along with the municipality of Jbeil (Byblos). e main interest of the project is the

n A 3D projection is shown on the walls of Byblos maritime citadel.

cultural heritage of the countries of the Mediterranean. Other than the fortress of Byblos, visitors will have the chance to rediscover a variety of sites and monuments – such as the Alexandria Library (Egypt) or the archaeological museum of Dar-es-Saraya in Jordan – from a new perspective. “e project saw the light of day thanks to the initiative of two experts in IT/multimedia, Enzo Gentile and Paolo Servi, who initially saw the potential of the technology in showing cultural sites in Sardinia at their best, before expanding it to the Mediterranean Basin,” explains Alma Cardi, a member of the municipal council of Alghero in Italy. “e aim of these little projects is also to strengthen friendship and good neighbourliness around the Mediterranean Basin,” adds Enzo Gentile. What is interesting is that each country can develop ideas according to the means and capacities that it has. “e aim being,” stresses Paolo Servi, “to enrich local skills with the help of other project part-

“e aim of these projects is to enrich local skills, with the help of other project partners, and also to create cross-cutting relations between countries.”

ners, and also to create cross-cutting relations between countries.” Special glasses through which to look back at the past ere are lots of technological means used to reach the desired result. e first innovation is ‘architectural mapping’, and also International Augmented Mapping (IAM), relating to the reconstruction in 3D. Nor should the interactive systems be forgotten. But what is the

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

INNOVATION > LEBANON

started with a prototype: a broken antique vase that was found in the sea. Of course its ‘augmented part’ is not aweinspiring, but already one can get an idea of the interest of the project and how it works. e second stage will be to rebuild the Roman amphitheatre, which is near the fortress of Byblos, in three dimensions. A historical study will ensue. e aim is to create a play with characters from that era that tourist could watch as if they were there on the spot hundreds of years ago. Text by Antoine Ajoury Photos by AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre n People watch a 3D projection show on the walls of the Byblos maritime citadel.

“We have archaeological sites, the port, the souks, but we still needed an extraordinary event to promote tourism, create new opportunities and generate work.”

impact of the multimedia technologies

for tourism then? Daniel Asmar explains: a tourist visits the archaeological site of Byblos. If they are not accompanied by a guide and if they do not have specific knowledge about the subject, they are not going to fully appreciate the remains that are there. In order to do this, the visitor could visualise the site as it was before its destruction with special glasses or, by using their electronic tablet, they could reconstitute the site in question via a virtual image. anks to technology, the past and what it was like no longer hold any secrets. At the AUB, the specialist IT team

Cross-border cooperation in the Mediterranean

http://www.enpicbcmed.eu/ The Mediterranean Maritime Basin multilateral cross-border cooperation programme is part of the new European Neighbourhood Policy and its financial instrument (ENPI) for the period 2007 - 2013. It includes the regions of the EU and those of partner countries located along the coasts of the Mediterranean sea. International Augmented Med (I AM)

http://www.enpicbcmed.eu/sites/ default/files/i_am_final_0.pdf The project aims to apply innovative multimedia technologies in the management of cultural and natural heritage. Participating countries: Italy, Spain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia Timeframe: October 2012 – October 2015 Budget: €3,060,000 Find out more: Example of video mapping http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjWJHEmFfPA EU Neighbourhood Info Centre project file on Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id= 171&id_type=10&lang_id=450

n Here is the “augmented” part of a vase: it’s a 3D archaeological reconstruction made possible by special software.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Thematic portal: INFORMATION SOCIETY http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=7

INNOVATION > JORDAN

Aladdin ﬂies to the rescue of ancient theatres An EU-supported project to protect and preserve ancient theatres in ﬁve Euro Med countries has turned to the magical world of Aladdin and his genie to inspire and educate children about coliseums and the value of cultural heritage. e EU Neighbourhood Info Centre sent along one of its journalists to take a look.

AMMAN – Do you remember Aladdin, the young hero of the Arab folktale entitled ‘One ousand and One Nights’? Riding on his flying carpet, he goes to a cave where he retrieves a magical oil lamp containing a genie… and oﬀ he goes, jumping from one adventure to the next, always on top of his dreams (and his carpet). A school book - Aladdin’s Magical Travels to Ancient eatres in the EuroMed Region - is now resurrecting the tale to ensure that ancient theatres can continue to play a vital cultural role in

the future. e new book is about a young adventurer travelling through time and space on his flying carpet, but this time he will explore theatres dotted along the shores of the Mediterranean in a bid to persuade children that keeping coliseums alive and well is also their business. “is book is a lot more than just a book with a story to tell,” says the author, award-winning poet and writer Mohammad aher. “It’s a cultural tool to raise children’s awareness of the importance of preserving their past. As they are the

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youngest members of society, it is children who can carry forward the message of respect for and protection of archaeological sites. Kids will turn into young men and women and they will pass what they have learned on to future generations,” he adds. From battlegrounds for gladiators to prisons for convicts Produced by the ATHENA project (eatres Enhancement for New Actualities) under the Euromed Heritage 4 pro-

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

INNOVATION > JORDAN

n Jarash Southern Theatre, Jordan: students on stage during an educational

activity organised by ATHENA as part of its awareness raising campaigns.

gramme, the book is one of the main tools adopted to raise awareness about

“We want to make school kids proud of the marvels and treasures they have, both in their own countries and all over the world” the importance of ancient theatres in Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Italy and Spain. ATHENA is designed to reach out to future generations to create a bond between them and their cultural heritage, with the hope of preserving the coliseums “as they face an uncertain future” says project manager Nizar Al Adarbeh “under siege from the modern world”. Mr Al Adarbeh believes that eﬀective storytelling is a more powerful tool than dry history textbooks to inspire knowledge and aﬀection for cultural topics. “e use of the well-known animation and fantasy characters loved worldwide by many children,” continues Al Adarbeh

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

“will grab attention and contribute to spreading the educational value of the story”. rough colourful images and stunning landscapes, the book does indeed capture the imagination of readers. Always accompanied by his faithful genie, Aladdin turns up in the ancient theatre of Jerash, where workers are building the actors’ rooms and the stage. en he finds himself in Petra, where, building on the remains of Nabatean constructions, Romans are now expanding the venue so that it can accommodate more than 8,000 people … e magic carpet then crosses the Mediterranean, where its next port of call is Cherchell, Algeria. Here, Aladdin tours the ruins of the old site, which has been burnt down and destroyed during a conflict. After that, it is time to go and the carpet winds up in Carthage, Tunisia, where the genie tells the story of the times when actors from all over the world would flock to perform on the theatre stage there. Next up is Syracuse, Italy, where the theatre has now been turned into a prison… Finally, Aladdin flies back to his hometown, Baghdad, where he began his odyssey.

roughout the story, the legendary character moves back and forth in a tunnel of history to take a firsthand look at the construction of the coliseums, their destruction and rejuvenation. e story charges through pages and pages of history, unearthing past tragedies and moments of glory. ese majestic architectural wonders have gone through years of ups and downs, switching between being battlegrounds for gladiators, backdrops for musical performances and dungeons for convicts. “rough Aladdin’s story,” adds aher, “we want to make school kids proud of the marvels and treasures they have, both in their own countries and all over the world”. “Aladdin’s story shows how important it is to preserve such cultural treasures and why younger generations should care about them,” says Al Adarbeh. 10,000 copies to be distributed in Jordan 10,000 copies of the book will be printed and distributed to diﬀerent schools in Jordan. Several organisations have also been identified, including the Madrasati educational initiative, to reach out children across the kingdom, in schools and beyond. e book will also be translated into English, Spanish, Italian and

“As they are the youngest members of society, it is children who can carry forward the message of respect for and protection of archaeological sites. Kids will turn into young men and women and they will pass what they have learned on to future generation” 69

INNOVATION > JORDAN

French. Aimed at schoolchildren aged between 10 and 12 years old, the text will capture everyone’s imagination “because of its style”, explains aher “which is entertaining and compelling”. Work is also ongoing to develop online educational games related to the story, such as memory games, puzzles and interactive exercises. “It is a great initiative,” says school teacher Abel Razaq, from al Jubeiha school in Amman. “e book carries enough information for a young mind to absorb and it oﬀers the possibility of a visual journey that will engrave itself on the minds of young and adults alike.” A balance between conservation and development e ATHENA project,– which came into being in 2009, has brought oﬃcials from Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Italy and Spain into one task force to protect and promote heritage sites. ATHENA aims to produce new methodologies, tools and techniques for site managers and for the people working in the field. e project aims at finding a balance between theatres’ protection and development. e six archaeological sites have been laser-

“Ancient heritage sites should be used in a proper way to ensure that they continue to play a vital cultural role in the future”.

entail the preservation of these ancient jewels for future generations. “Ancient heritage sites should be used in a proper way to ensure that they continue to play a vital cultural role in the future. eatre management is a complex activity that should create a balance between conservation and enhancement” he concludes. Text by Mohammad Ben Hussein Photos by ATHENA

scanned to collect historical and technical data and to identify possible problems. A database has been built and technical studies are being produced to analyse environmental and seismic risks facing the sites but also to produce management plans focussing on sustainable tourism. “We need to inform the public about the importance of taking care of archaeological sites, which carry a cultural, aesthetic and artistic value, as well as a value for civilisation, and not only an economic or income generating one,” says ATHENA’s chief editor Marwan Asmar. “Each citizen has a stake in an old theatre: these ancient structures are part of the community and should be seen within the wider context of society” he continues, noting that the modern use of heritage sites should also

Euromed Heritage IV

www.euromedheritage.net The programme facilitates interdisciplinary cooperation, exchange of good practices, training and networking, actions to stimulate and reinforce the social and economic impact of cultural heritage, and improvement of the institutional and legislative frameworks for cultural heritage in the partner countries. A regional management and support unit (RMSU) provides technical support for 12 projects including the ATHENA project.

ATHENA

www.athenaproject.eu Aims: • To minimize the progressive decay of ancient theatres in terms of physical, cultural and socio-economic aspects • To support the revival of theatres as a part of a wider archaeological site or urban context • To establish an overall strategy for dealing with tangible and intangible heritage aspects Find out more: ATHENA Website www.athenaproject.eu EU Neighbourhood Info Centre EH4 programme fiche http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id=243&id_ type=10&lang_id=450 Euromed Heritage 4 programme website http://www.euromedheritage.net/index.cfm?lng=en Euromed Heritage II and III project description http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id=73&id_ type=10&lang_id=469

n A Roman legion on stage during a performance organised by

EU Neighbourhood Info Centre : Thematic portal Euromed CULTURE http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=10

ATHENA at the Jarash Southern Theatre, Jordan.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

INNOVATION > ISRAEL

Plants could boost local industry in the Mediterranean Could the medicinal plant sector become a catalyst for development in the Mediterranean? e challenge for researchers at the Bio-Xplore project is to identify and isolate plant compounds that may have a commercial potential. e ﬁnal aim of the project – implemented under the EU funded ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme ¬– is to create jobs and to boost local industry in the spheres of agriculture, food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical supplement and biotech, while at the same time protecting natural resources. An EU Neighbourhood Info Centre journalist visited the laboratory where scientists (and students) do their screening.

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JERUSALEM – Some 25,000 diﬀerent plants grow in the Mediterranean basin, but less than one percent of them have been scientifically studied. Aspirin and about a quarter of all medicines used today originate from plants, so the potential, and not only for medicinal use, is enormous. e natural products sector, including herbal medicines, teas, cosmetics and perfumes, is a fast-growing industry worldwide. It was to tap into this potential that the Bio-Xplore project was set up: to identify and develop valuable natural products derived from Mediterranean flora. Coordinated by Hadassah College President, Professor Bertold Fridlender, partners from four countries have joined the project: Israel's Hadassah College, the

Biodiversity and Environmental Research Centre (Palestinian Authority), Leitat Technology Centre (Spain), and the Hellenic Regional Development Centre (Greece), as well as two associate partners, Rutgers University (New Jersey) and North Carolina University (United States). Testing plant families: which plant kills what? Bio-Xplore uses a technique developed by Rutgers to screen up to a hundred samples of plants at a time. In April 2012, the teams from Greece, Spain and the Palestinian Authority came to Israel to learn the technique at first hand. e plants are picked, crushed and turned into a liquid extract, which is then trans71

INNOVATION > ISRAEL

“We go out in the ﬁeld once a week with students and a leading botanist, but we need to extract the plant immediately and use it within 24-48 hours, otherwise it loses its activity” ferred into a special plate containing various bacteria, fungi or parasites. If, for instance, a particular plant extract kills oﬀ roundworm samples in the plate, the researchers know that this plant may have compounds that can be developed for medicinal use. Dr Gili Joseph, Bio-Xplore's project manager, who received her Post Doctorate at Rutgers, explains that there are around 2,800 plant species in Israel, and in order to screen so many plants you have to do it quickly. “We go out in the field once a week with students and a leading botanist, but we need to extract the plant immediately and use it within 2448 hours, otherwise it loses its activity. If we are far from our Jerusalem lab, we have to carry out the tests in the field.” Along with four permanent members of the Jerusalem team, there are 16 students working on the Bio-Xplore project, including five Israeli Arabs and Palestini-

“We've already found compounds that we may be able to use to combat human infections and to ﬁght diabetes, as well as high anti-oxidants that might be used in the cosmetics and food supplement industry” 72

n Prof. Bertold Fridlender, president of the Hadassah Academic College( R )

and Gili Joseph (PhD), the BioXplore project manager(L).

ans from east Jerusalem. e Israeli team have already tested more than 1,000 plant samples since the two-year project was launched in November 2011, and have already discovered some promising plant families, which may have a commercial potential. Plants develop over thousands of years, adapt to climatic conditions and synchronize new compounds for protection against pests, parasites and fungi. e challenge of the Bio-Xplore researchers is to identify and isolate the compounds that may have a commercial potential. From identiﬁcation to ‘dose response’ Professor Fridlender, speaking at the Hadassah College laboratory in the centre of Jerusalem, says the potential is enormous. “We've already found compounds that we may be able to use to combat human infections and to fight diabetes, as well as high anti-oxidants that might be used in the cosmetics and food supplement industry. After identifying the plant compounds, we can move on to controlled growing of the relevant plants and to the production of the final product.” Once the compounds showing potential have been identified, the next stage is

“dose response”: diluting the extract to see at which concentration it remains active. e researchers must also ensure that the compound is non-toxic. e final stage will be to attempt to grow the active compound in a laboratory or outside, in commercially viable quantities. e total cost of the 24-month Bio-Xplore project is two million euros, of which the European Union is contributing 90 percent through the European Neighbor-

n A bottle containing herbal extract.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

INNOVATION > ISRAEL

n Students perform experiments at the Hadassah Academic College BioXplore laboratory in the city of Jerusalem.

“Till now there has been no scientiﬁc knowledge, and we hope our research will help in combatting diabetes, cancer, abdominal pain and hypertension” hood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) under the ENPI Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme. e four partners together contribute the other ten percent. Contacts have already been made with pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Spain and

Greece to use their expertise and financial backing for the further development of products. e aim is to create jobs and boost local industry in the agriculture, food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical supplement and biotech spheres, while at the same time protecting natural resources. e four partners have agreed that any royalties will be divided equally, with all four countries benefitting.

ogy at the Nablus Biodiversity and Environmental Research Centre. “However, up till now there has been no scientific knowledge, and we hope our research will help in combatting diabetes, cancer, abdominal pain and hypertension.” e Israeli and Palestinian teams are also examining the possibility of expanding the project in the future to include neighbouring Jordan.

Israeli-Palestinian teams joining hands e Israeli-Palestinian scientific cooperation generated by Bio-Xplore is relatively rare in a region where conflict tends to get in the way of joint development initiatives. However, both sides decided to put politics aside and concentrate on the work at hand, which has the potential to benefit both populations. e Palestinian team, working from the Biodiversity and Environmental Research Centre in Nablus, the West Bank's largest city, have already screened almost 1,500 plant extracts from across the West Bank. e team is in almost daily contact with their Israeli partners in Jerusalem. Staﬀ from Nablus have visited Hadassah College and vice versa, and the Israeli centre has purchased equipment for the Nablus laboratory that was diﬃcult to obtain in the West Bank. “Using plant extracts for medicinal purposes is very common in the West Bank and Gaza and such products are available at herbalists and nature shops,” explained Dr Rana Jamoos, the head of Biodiversity and Biotechnol-

BIO - XPLORE Novel methodology for the Identification of Valuable Natural Products Derived from Mediterranean Flora

http://www.enpicbcmed.eu/documenti/29_153_20111028122848.pdf The project intends to employ eﬀective screening methodologies for identifying commercially valuable natural compounds which are derived from the diverse and relatively unexplored flora of the Mediterranean area. The final aim is to increase local job opportunities and cross-border scientific, business and cultural interaction. Timeframe: 24 months Budget: € 1.999.400 Aims: • Four bio-exploration centers providing scientific and educational support • Identification of new natural compounds with potential for cosmetics, food, supplements and/or pharmaceuticals industries • Joint scientific publications • Increased employment and business opportunities in the agriculture, food, cosmetics, supplement pharmaceutical and biotech industry Find out more: CBC MED Programme website http://www.enpicbcmed.eu/ CBC Cross Border Cooperation EU Neighbourhood Info Centre fiche http://www.enpiinfo.eu/mainmed.php?id=171&id_type=10 EU Neighbourhood Info Centre thematic portal: HEALTH http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=16

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

INNOVATION > LIBYA

LibyaBlog, giving youth a voice

Professional and independent media can play a decisive role in the process aimed at restructuring democratic and civil society within a country. Social media is no exception. e European Union has decided to support the creation of a young, responsible and active Libyan blogosphere, where Libyans can express themselves freely and build relationships with other bloggers around the world. Forty byoung Libyan journalists and activists have been trained, a website set up and more than 300 articles already published, many of which deal with controversial issues such as federalism, torture and human rights violations. After talking to the trainers and participants, an EU Neighbourhood Info Centre journalist has this report. TRIPOLI – ings began to change with the emergence of videos and pictures that exposed the atrocities committed by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. It was the start of the February 17 revolution and attracting global attention was the first step which eventually led to the overthrow of one of the world’s most repressive regimes. 74

e boom of new independent media that followed the fall of Gaddafi demonstrated the need of the Libyan people for access to independent information, after being deprived of their freedom of expression for so many years. e country’s media landscape was chaotic, and is still in fact evolving, with frequent changes at the top and a lack of profes-

sionalism. For this reason, many Libyans lost confidence in traditional media and turned instead to social networks for information. But while many media organisations have been training their television and radio staﬀ, the social media environment remains very fluid and suﬀers from a deficiency of skills and know-how. It is here Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

INNOVATION > LIBYA

“Now I know how to work as part of a team, I know how to write an article, how to edit it, how to take a good picture or a video. But most of all, I know what needs to be done to make sure that my stories are accurate, credible” n LibyaBlog website: http://libyablog.org/.

that the European Union can oﬀer its assistance, especially given the real influence on public opinion that such media can exert, particularly among young people. A young, responsible and active Libyan blogosphere Libyan bloggers nowadays represent an alternative source of information and news coverage. Howeve, a lot of them have no experience of professional journalism and are not very familiar with key concepts such as verification of information and what constitutes defamation, privacy violation and advocating violence. In order to increase their awareness of the impact that their statements can have, the EU has decided to engage in training activities and to support the creation of a young, responsible and active Libyan blogosphere, where Libyans can express themselves and forge relationships with bloggers abroad. e EU-supported LibyaBlog project aims at providing a free virtual space for young Libyan bloggers to express themselves through electronic media. e European Union has chosen France 24, Radio France Internationale and Radio Monte Carlo as its main partners and these organisations have worked together to create a new website covering news stories and publicising opinion articles. Young Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Libyan bloggers have been selected for training in editorial writing, text, images and video publishing, technical and editorial aspects of internet publication and more. Today, 40 bloggers have been recruited and trained from all over the country, from Benghazi to Tripoli, Misrata to Sabha, Alqtroon to Brega or Mizdah. To date, more than 300 articles have already been published on the website. Project manager Hadia Laghsini is a journalist from Radio France International. “Bloggers in Libya face many challenges, beginning with threats to their personal safety. e wounds of the war in Libya have not healed yet, there are huge quantities of weapons in the country, violence is still high and state institutions are not yet functioning properly. In this context, bloggers go out themselves to cover the events, and expose themselves to risks,” she explains. “But I’m happy with what we are achieving. LibyaBlog in itself is an accomplishment.” According to Mrs Laghsini, who is the administrator of the blog as well as its Facebook and Twitter pages, “there are no requirements for publishing articles, posting pictures or videos on the site, there is no minimum or maximum number of words and access to the blog is free.”

Ségolène Malterre, a broadcast and internet journalist who works for the show ‘Observers’ on France 24, is one of trainers. One of her tasks is to train bloggers to make sure that the information, photos and videos published on the site are correct and accurate. “We have recruited diﬀerent kinds of people. Some of them are journalists and work for mainstream media, others are just activists or amateurs – people who are not professionals, just passionate about new social media” No hate speech, discrimination or advocacy to violence Mrs Malterre makes a point of explaining that LibyaBlog is free from hate speech, discrimination and advocacy to violence, common factors in Libyan social media. She ensures that the trainers do not impose any priority in their selection of topics and it is up to the bloggers themselves to decide what kind of story they would like to write about. “We teach them the importance of the news, its value and diﬀerent elements, but we do not dictate to them what needs to be written. France 24 has already used one blogger story from the website and that is a sign that the site is being followed up well, even from professional media, to access information,” 75

INNOVATION > LIBYA

“We have recruited diﬀerent kinds of people. Some of them are journalists and work for mainstream media, others are just activists or amateurs – people who are not professionals, just passionate about new social media”

n Journalist Segolene Malterre(L) and Hadia Laghisini speak to Libyan journalists and bloggers during a Blogging and website building workshop.

she concludes. Wisam Hasan, a 19-year-old from the city of Benghazi, is an amateur writer who began blogging in 2009. He heard about the project at the end of last year, sent a request to join the blog and was selected. “Being accepted has motivated me to pursue my talent of writing, it has made me feel like I have homework to do,” says Wisam. “ Now I know how to work as part of a team, I know how to write an article, how to edit it, how to take a good picture or a video. But most of all, I know what needs to be done to make sure that my stories are accurate, credible. I know I

“LibyaBlog is a place where free Libyan writers come together so that the voice of the Libyan people can be heard all over the world. Even if a dictator comes back, LibyaBlog will remain as the voice of the Libyan people”

have to verify my sources of information before publishing something:” “e voice of the Libyan people” For Wisam, the impact of the project will be long lasting. “LibyaBlog is a place where free Libyan writers come together so that the voice of the Libyan people can be heard all over the world. Even if a dictator comes back, LibyaBlog will remain as the voice of the Libyan people,” he says confidently. When asked about the challenges of the job, Wisam is adamant that a lack of recognition for the type of work he does is the main stumbling block. “Many people, even oﬃcials, do not consider blogging as journalism. ey refuse to communicate with us, sometimes they even prevent us from filming. is happens despite many TV channels considering LibyaBlog as one of their reliable sources of information. We have published many controversial stories on hot issues such as federalism, torture and human rights violations in Libya…. However, I was prevented from doing my job many times, and I think it’s a shame.” Text by Reda Fhelboom Photos by AFP © EU/Neighbourhood

LIBYABLOG

http://libyablog.org/ https://www.facebook.com/Media Neighbourhood The overall objective of the project is to contribute to stabilisation eﬀorts in Libya, leading into the next elections, through developing skills in new media. The specific objective of the project is to support the creation of a young and active Libyan blogosphere where Libyans can express themselves and build relationships with other bloggers in the world The project intends to create a participatory website in Arabic to welcome the blog of future beneficiaries and to identify and train about 30 young Libyan bloggers and amateur to cover the election through the website. Timeframe: 6 months Budget: €340 000 Find out more: EU Neighbourhood Info Centre press pack EU's response to the “Arab Spring”: The State-of-Play after Two Years – Libya http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id=344&id_ type=3&lang_id=450 EU Neighborhood Info Centre - EU assistance to Libya http://enpi-info.eu/medportal/news/latest/27475/Libya:EU-adopts-%E2%82%AC10-million-package-for-education,-administration-and-civil-society EU Neighborhood Info Centre page on Libya http://www.enpi-info.eu/countrymed.php?country=11 EU Neighborhood Info Centre thematic page: Audiovisual and Media http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=9

Info Centre

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

INNOVATION > LEBANON

ink web, write web, film web More and more people are connected to two screens at the same time: people watch the TV whilst holding their laptop or tablet. ‘Transmedia’ is a new form of writing which consists of working on an artistic, fun or informative project while using several media together. By taking part in the DIA SUD MED project – financed by the EU as part of the Euromed Audiovisual programme – students have discovered this pioneering idea, so innovative that, in Lebanon, the ALBA school of cinema and graphic design has incorporated it into is official course. After all, this is about the new direction that audiovisual media is taking. A journalist from the European Neighbourhood Centre viited a training session organised by the project and sent us this report.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

n The seat of the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts in Beirut.

ey’re young and brimming with energy and future projects. ey are the pioneers of a future Mediterranean transmedia school. Mohamed, Nour, Bassam, Joy and Nivine are five Lebanese students, each from a diﬀerent discipline, but the DIA SUD MED project has brought them together around a pioneering idea called transmedia. e project brings together three schools of cinema, graphic design and multimedia from the southern Mediterranean (ALBA in Beirut, ISAMM in Tunis and ESAV in Marrakesh). Cofinanced by the European Union, it aims to develop the southern Mediterranean audiovisual industry through training sessions generating excellence and meetings of professionals.

“is project is mainly aimed at training young people in this new form of writing that’s called transmedia,” says Vincent Melilli, the Director of the project and of ESAV Marrakesh, straight from the outset. Transmedia consists of “working on an artistic, fun or informative project while using several media together”, explains Alain Brenas, Director of the ALBA school of cinema and graphic design. “We can thus produce a film and then create an interactive game about the film.” Mr Brenas also points out that it is “a pioneering area. Even in the US and in Europe, they ae still in the middle of building this area”. ALBA has thus incorporated into its oﬃcial course a module on transmedia in the 77

INNOVATION > LEBANON

n Vincent Melilli, Director of the project

and of ESAV Marrakesh.

“‘Transmedia’ is a new form of writing which consists of working on an artistic, fun or informative project while using several media together.” school of cinema and the school of graphic design. ere will soon be a university diploma in this type of production. “is project has enabled us to master our needs so as to put in place some real educational content with the aim of creating a Mediterranean transmedia school in the long term. We’re in the process of getting a little ahead of the market,” said Mr Brenas proudly. A way of getting round censorship “We were sceptical about the idea and content of the programme given that transmedia, for us filmmakers, is killing the big screen,” admits Mohamed Sabbah, a 23-year-old student doing a Masters in cinema production. It’s the same for Joy

n Alain Brenas, Director of the school of cinema and graphic design at ALBA.

n Nour Tayeh, producer of the project

Zeinoun, a 24-year-old doing a Masters in production: “I was also apprehensive at the start of the project. Who is the target? e challenge for me is the interaction and involvement of the spectator.” Agreeing wholeheartedly, Nivine Yakzan, a 24-year-old who is doing a Masters in multimedia studies thinks that he is attracted “by the novelty and originality of transmedia but also by the cooperation with filmmakers, an aspect that I hadn’t imagined beforehand”. “Afterwards, we became very interested when we found that this is the new direction that audiovisual production is taking. It’s a new world that enables us to have a much broader platform,” admits Mohamed, who maliciously adds: “Transmedia is going to allow us also to address issues that censorship in our country bans us from doing on the big screen.” According to Mohamed, from an artistic point of view, “transmedia is pushing us towards even bigger challenges as we bring together several strands, from web designers to filmmakers to marketing people. at was a great discovery.” e story was the same for Bassam Naous, a 22-year-old doing a Masters in multimedia studies: “With transmedia, we’ve learnt to use our training to make web

documentaries, series on the internet, web fiction stories etc… Our challenge is to mix the design side and interactivity with the cinematographic side to produce a useful and original work of art,” he adds.

‘The tree of forbidden love’.

Mixture of cultures Another particularity of the DIA SUD MED project is the cooperation and interaction between Lebanese, Tunisian and Moroccan schools and students. A particular trait of these Francophone schools that are in Arab-speaking countries is their mastery of two languages and two cultures. is allows for very interesting cross-fertilisation,” thinks Vincent Melilli. For Alain Brenas, “it has been interesting to work with schools that share the same problems. So we were looking for the same solutions. And that is what this project has given us, with the contribution of expertise coming from Europe”. ere is another advantage which concerns students directly, namely the discovery of talent in the region of the southern Mediterranean and the creation of a sort of synergy on the human and professional level, which has been very important,” thinks Mr Brenas. e DIA SUD MED project has made it possible to put in place complementary

n Bassam Naous, a 22-year-old doing a

n Nivine Yakzan, a 24-year-old doing a

n Joy Zeinoun, a 24-year-old doing a

Masters in multimedia studies.

Masters in production studies.

n Mohamed Sabbah, a 23-year-old

Masters student in cinema production.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

INNOVATION > LEBANON

“ose who have followed the DIA SUD MED programme will continue to see each other… For example, people will look for a producer in Beirut but will make and ﬁlm the ﬁlms in Morocco… this is how transnational working habits will come into being.” hubs of excellence so as to create an activity that develops along the lines of a south-south relationship more than a north-south one, creating another kind of flow. So we envisage that, in Lebanon, these training sessions would revolve more around production, in Tunisia around what is transmedia content and in Morocco around everything that is digital post-production. In each of the schools, there would be students from these three countries, invited to professional exhibitions to create networks. Vincent Melilla stresses the long term and complementary nature of the project. “ose who have followed the DIA SUD MED programme will continue to see each other because they have lived together. For example, people will look for a producer in Beirut but will make and film the films in Morocco… this is how transna-

“Transmedia is pushing us towards even bigger challenges as we bring together several strands, from web designers to ﬁlmmakers to marketing people. at was a great discovery.” Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

n Round table at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA).

tional working habits will come into being. And those people will necessarily work on projects tailored to the region and no longer local ones. at’s part of the aim of the programme.” One of the Lebanese projects is called ‘e tree of forbidden love’ and is going to bring together stories of forbidden love, be they love across different faiths or homosexual love etc. and offering testimonies and story reconstructions. “ese stories are universal. ey happen in Morocco as much as in Lebanon.” Nour Tayeh is the producer of the project. In her view, DIA SUD MED has offered a chance to discover new horizons by getting to know another country. “It has allowed us to open ourselves up to other cultures too and I’m sure that it could also open up other opportunities for us in the future.” “I also realised the importance of the internet in my work: knowing how to use my training as a producer based on the needs of the web. It’s a whole training programme to think web, write web and film web! It’s the future,” she concluded. Text by Antoine Ajoury Photos by AFP ©EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre

DIA SUD MED - Development of the South Mediterranean Audiovisual Industry through training in excellence and professional meetings

http://www.diasudmed.com/ DIA SUD MED is a project based on the partnership of three Mediterranean schools specialised in the audiovisual, arts and multimedia sectors. These schools will work together to provide students and professionals in the region with training modules on the management of the audiovisual industry over a period of one year (ten participants per cycle and per country for a total of 90 participants). The project also aims to create three advice bureaus for the establishment of audiovisual and management companies in the three partner schools located in Tunisia, Morocco and Lebanon. Timeframe: 36 months Find out more: Euromed Audiovisuel http://www.euromedaudiovisuel.net/p.aspx?l=en EU Neighbourhood Info Centre http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id=301&id_type=10 Thematic portal http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject= 9&lang_id=450

Economy

Employees of the Condor Electronics company in Bordj Bou Ariridj, Algeria. The company benefits from the support Programme to small and medium sized enterprises co-funded by the EU and the Algerian government. (photo AFP ÂŠ EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre).

ECONOMY > PALESTINE

Starting a business? Yes I can e percentage of women in the overall labour force in Palestine does not exceed 14%. But some young female students have a clear goal in life: to become successful businesswomen. In order to learn how to start a business, they need to be trained, informed, motivated. A journalist of the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre attended a training session supported by the EU funded “Young women as job creators” project. is is his report.

RAMALLAH – “I know I am not even 20, but when it comes to my ambitions, the sky is the limit,” says Hiba Usama, a young Palestinian girl in her third university year. Hiba, 19, from Ramallah on the West Bank, wants to own her own business. e idea? To open a restaurant to serve special healthy meals. “I see people mostly eat junk food, and that is where my idea came from,” she explains. “I hope to see our future society suﬀering less and less from diseases related to bad eating habits.” Hiba is one of the hundred young university students, mostly women, attending the Women Entrepreneurship Day (WED) workshop organized in the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean labeled project “Young Women as Job Creators”. e project is promoted by the Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Association of Organizations of Mediterranean Businesswomen (AFAEMME) and implemented in Palestine by the Business and Professional Women (BPW) Ramallah Club. It is funded by the Union for the Mediterranean, the EU, the Norwegian Government and the Spanish company Gas Natural Fenosa. e scope of the initiative? To learn how to start a business. “e workshop is very useful, it is opening up my mind – she says - I have learned that it is not enough to have an idea: you still need proper planning, minimal market research, and feasibility studies to see where you will be in three, five or ten years from now.” Only 14 women out of 100 have a job “Young Women as Job CreatorsProject” is a twelve-months programme launched in 81

ECONOMY > PALESTINE

April 2013 to train some 10,000 young female university students from Morocco, Jordan, Spain and Palestine on how to become successful businesswomen and employers. e programme is promoted by the Association of Organizations of Mediterranean Businesswomen (AFAEMME)

“I have learned that it is not enough to have an idea: you still need proper planning, minimal market research, and feasibility studies to see where you will be in three, ﬁve or ten years from now” A few male students showed interest to attend, and the BPW Ramallah Club didn’t object. But a number of considerations stood behind the emphasis on women for this project. e percentage of women in the overall labour force in Palestine does not exceed 14% and a substantial eﬀort is therefore needed to encourage their engagement. Another factor is the rising percentage in Palestine of literate women, today at 89%. Amazingly enough, unemployment rates are highest among women with 13 or more years of schooling. But the more women are part of the labour force, the better their chances for proper integration into society. is is the opinion of Ambassador Delphine Borione, Deputy Secretary General of the UfM’s Social and Civil Affairs Division. She flew from Barcelona, 82

home of the UfM Secretariat, to attend the workshop. She says she is quite impressed with the enthusiasm of the participants. “Most of the girls do not know what direction they will take upon graduation,” she says, “but some already have ideas of what they want to do in their post-university life. And opportunities such as this workshop are very precious for them.” Learning from those who made it The workshop is taking place at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) in Ramallah, which is a collaborator of the project’s partner BPW Ramallah Club. “Our aim is to support these girls,” says CCI head Khalil Rizeq. “We try to give them all the guidance we can, we even opened our office so that they can come and spend

time researching for their businesses.” He welcomes the idea of raising local funds from large companies to help young people start up their new businesses. During the workshop, participants are exposed to success stories. One of them comes from Noor Mohammad Taha, who is only 21. “I came to the CCI, they gave me guidance and a space that became my little oﬃce. I started creating a network and eventually set up my firm some six months ago,” she says. Noor is already a certified interior designer. She sounds satisfied, although she admits that she continues to face some challenges. Her parents wanted her to become a lawyer, a doctor or anything else, but not an interior designer. She counts on her success to win them over. “e more I succeed, the less will

n Hilda Awwad, President of the BPW Ramallah Club, on the right, gives

to Hiba Osama, on the left, a certificate at the end of the seminar.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ECONOMY > PALESTINE

“Our role is to identify students with potential and make sure they understand that leadership and creativity depend on their capacity to transform a new idea into a substantial business success” n Khalid Abedallah, member of the BPW Ramallah Club, at the podium duringt

the seminar organized by the Women Entrepreneurship Days, in Ramallah.

“To accommodate students’ talents to society’s needs is a great achievement, not only for the new graduates, but also for the society at large” be my diﬃculties in convincing my family that I took the right decision and that I'm on the right track.” “My key to success,” she concludes, “is perseverance.” Society needs to accommodate students’ talent ree local universities in the West Bank have joined the programme. Hilda Awwad, BPW Ramallah Club President, hopes that thanks to the great interest and enthusiasm, further moves will take place to enlarge the programme and involve more universities in the West Bank. “To accommodate students’ talents to society’s needs,” she says, “is a great achievement, not only for the new graduates, but also for the society at large.” BPW Ramallah Club will continue to advise the project’s participants after the project’s end in order to provide them with all the necessary legal and administrative support for their future businesses. e three colleges are the UNRWA-run Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Women’s Community College, Birzeit University, and the Palestine Technical Girls’ College, which has around 600 students, 200 of whom graduate every year. Founded back in 1952, the college oﬀers diplomas and BA degrees in a cluster of vocational training such as computer programming, graphic designs, interior architects and others. “Our role is to identify students with potential and make sure they understand that leadership and creativity depend on their capacity to transform a new idea into a substantial business success,” says Sahab Zalmout, who represents the College in the workshop. Musab Abdul Majid Abu Aideh is 19 years old and lives in the village of Biddo, on the western outskirts of the city of Jerusalem. He is one of the few male students who participates in the programme. His dream is to own a bookstore where he hopes to encourage book reading as opposed to spending long hours on computers. “I know it is not so easy to start a new business, but with the kind of partnership I have seen among stakeholders in this programme, everything is doable.” Text by Elias Zananiri Photos by AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre

Young Woman as Job Creators

http://www.afaemme.org/youngwoman-project/content The project promotes self-employment and entrepreneurship among young women university students who are about to graduate from a university and who have an interest in starting their own business. Participating countries: Morocco, Jordan, Spain and Palestine Timeframe: April 2013- April 2014 Aims: The project’s focus is the organization of Women Entrepreneurship Days (WEDs), consisting of seminars which will provide the participants with free advice to create new businesses. The WEDs will be hosted by local universities, faculties, higher education centres and similar agencies oﬀering useful training, advice, motivation, key basics for setting up a company, involvement of role models and support while putting a special focus on women-related issues. Find out more: The Union for the Mediterranean http://ufmsecretariat.org/ The Union for the Mediterranean - project fiche http://ufmsecretariat.org/young-women-as-job-creators-2/ The Association of Organizations of Mediterranean Businesswomen http://www.afaemme.org/ EU Neighbourhood Thematic page: GENDER http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=12

ECONOMY > ALGERIA

A passport for exports

n Workers and technicians at work on the drinks production line at NCA.

Creating and developing small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs) is a major economic challenge for the Algerian authorities. e process needs to be accompanied by mechanisms that help boost the capacities of the SMEs and improve their competitiveness. is is very much the aim of the support programme coﬁnanced by the European Union and Algeria. A journalist from the European Neighbourhood Information Centre paid a visit to two companies that have beneﬁted from programme actions and that have improved in terms of quality and in terms of their level of compliance with good manufacturing practices. is is the report he sent us. ALGIERS – Algeria has put in place a number of programmes that aim to create a network of high performing and competitive small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Initiated and co-financed by the European Union, the PME (SME) II programme is based on three key elements: direct aid to com84

panies, support for quality and insitutional support. e Director of the programme, Mr Abdeldjalil Kassoussi, sees the need for an overall approach that factors in the expectations of companies and of public and private support structures. “PME II has come into play in 162 companies

through carrying out diagnostics and in-depth upgrade work especially in terms of industrial organisation, quality and information systems. Around sixty additional companies have benefited from training and action organised in partnership with several professional associations.” Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ECONOMY > ALGERIA

was successfully achieved. However, these audits have also revealed some shortcomings in the management of the company’s laboratory. “Actions were undertaken in the context of the PME II programme to put the laboratory in line with the ISO 17025 standard. is was clearly something new that the company gained,” adds Ms Ferhat.

n Employees in a laboratory at Pharmalliance, a company

specialising in the production of generic medicines.

“PME II has come into play in 162 companies through carrying out diagnostics and in-depth upgrade work especially in terms of industrial organisation, quality and information systems” Certiﬁcation for food safety With its 500 employees, the Nouvelle Conserverie Algérienne (NCA) is among the companies in the food-processing sector that has benefited from the PME II programme. “NCA is no longer the small family business that it was when it was created in 1966. Today it is a group leader in the drinks sector and has developed considerably. In the short term, NCA’s aim is to reach out to foreign markets, in particular north African countries,” explains Mr Sahbi Othmani, Director General of the NCA. To reach this objective, the group has made a commitment to apply the ISO 22000 certification, a standard that demonstrates better joint organisation of food safety at the company. “In the food processing sector, ISO 22000 is considered to be a passport for exports. Armed with this certification, companies can place products with the big retailers,” says Ms Nadia Ferhat, the Director of the Audit and Supervision Department. e start of the mission leading to the certification ran from September 2011 Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

to May 2012. e programme was in three phases. e first consisted of training the staﬀ. irteen employees attended sessions on the ISO 22000 standard and 96 employees attended sessions on good hygiene practices. Eight internal auditors were also trained in other sessions. “e second phase enabled NCA to get help in putting in place the Safety of Foodstuﬀs Management System approach,” notes Ms Ferhat. Audit missions confirmed that the implementation of the ISO 22000 standard

“In the food processing sector, ISO 22000 is considered to be a passport for exports. Armed with this certiﬁcation, companies can place products with the big retailers”

From 14 to 40 million boxes per year In a sector as sensitive as the production of pharmaceuticals is, quality remains a major concern. Pharmalliance specialises in the production of generic medicines and is one of the ten top local pharmacy operators. “Our facilities allow us to make up to 50 million boxes per year in dry, liquid and viscous forms,” says Mr Adel Merzekani, the Directeor of Industrial Operations. “Our main objective was to increase our level of production with a high quality approach whilst ensuring profitability,” he adds. For Pharmalliance, the solution to this equation was achieved by carrying out a plan to upgrade management by meeting European manufacturing good practices standards. This process was achieved thanks to PME II. “At the outset, the audit showed that our production site was 32% compliant with the European manufacturing good practices standards,” explains Mr Merzekani. Actions were taken to reduce the cost of the non-compliance of products and supervisory operations, to set up a quick and eﬃcient complaint processing system as well as the establishment of a risk assessment process that made it possible to improve the risk assessment processes for products and facilities. Staff training and the purchase of production material were important aspects of this programme, which was estimated to cost six million euro. And the results are already here. “Our production went from 14 million boxes per year in October 2010 to 40 million boxes per year in March 2013 when the programme was finalised. On that 85

ECONOMY > ALGERIA

a boost is now “a priority for our country’s economy”. “I wouldn’t call it PME III but rather PADI (Programme d’Appui au Développement Industriel or Support Programme for Industrial Development in English),” he says. “e objective of this new programme should be to contribute to structuring Algeria’s private industrial sector by strengthening the network of community associations, by creating a programme of industrial technical centres and by boosting national industrial engineering skills.” Text by Tarik Haﬁd Photos by AFP © EU / Neighbourhood Info Centre

n NCA is a group leader in the drinks sector today.

“Our production went from 14 million boxes per year in October 2010 to 40 million boxes per year in March 2013 when the programme was ﬁnalised” date, the level of compliance had reached 88% of the European manu-

facturing good practices standards,” says the Director of Industrial Operations. “So the aim of having an operational and efficient production site has been achieved,” he says happily. Towards support for industrial development So the PME II programme has allowed Algerian companies to achieve concrete objectives. As this project has ended, would it not judicious to head towards a new phase? In Mr Abdeldjalil Kassoussi’s view, a programme to help the deployment of a national policy to give industry

Programme of support for SMEs

http://www.algerie-pme2.dz/ Set up by Algeria and the European Union in 2009, the Programme d’Appui aux PME/PMI et à la Maîtrise des Technologies d’Information et de Communication (PME II or Support Programme for SMEs for Mastering Information and Communications Technologies) aims to contribute to the modernisation and development of the Algerian SME sector.

Acting under the administrative supervision of the Ministry for Industrial Development and Investment Promotion, PME II is equipped with a budget of 44 million euro allocated to funding advisory and training activites and studies on upgrading SMEs, improving levels of quality of SMEs and their institutional development. Find out more: European Union Delegation in Algeria http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/algeria/index_fr.htm EU Neighbourhood Info Centre: Algeria http://www.enpi-info.eu/countrymed.php?country= 1&lang_id=450

n Actions have been taken to reduce the cost of non-

EU Neighbourhood Info Centre page Theme: Economy http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php? subject=4&lang_id=450

conformity of products and supervision operations.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

EU Neighbourhood

Handbooks A wealth of knowledge at your disposal, just a click away on www.enpi-info.eu OUR HANDBOOKS

Lost in EU jargon? Look it up in the EU Neighbourhood website GLOSSARIES

ECONOMY > EGYPT

e car of the future Four prototype vehicles that run exclusively on solar energy are parked in the seaside resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, at the workshop of the Airtec company. In 2008, the company received a grant from the bilateral Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) programme funded by the European Commission. And today, work has already started on modifying the electrical circuit to improve the performance of the car of the future, which runs on solar energy. Our reporter went there to test it out for herself…

SHARM EL SHEIKH – His destiny changed overnight. On 1st January 2010, Italian company Comcor and its Egyptian partner Airtec recruited a new electro-technical engineer. At the time, Ahmed Abdel-Hafez was just 30 years of age. Since then, he has been immersed in the world of solar-powered cars. “e company was looking for an electronics engineer who could speak Italian, following the sudden death of the man in charge of its project to produce vehicles suitable for solar recharging. A friend of a friend told me about it and I applied for the position. I was a bit fed up with teaching at the Don Bosco Technical Institute where I studied Italian”, he says in Airtec's workshop, located in the city of Sharm El Sheikh, at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. e site is approximately 15 km from the airport, in the

industrial area of Al-Rowayssat. e four prototypes built in the project financed by the bilateral Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) programme established between the European Commission and Egypt since 2007 are parked at the back of the building. A special production line was due to produce at least two models of these prototypes for sale in September 2012. But it was decided otherwise. Because there will probably be a phase II. Towards storage of energy produced while the car is moving Ahmed Abdel-Hafez, who in recent years has divided his time between Egypt and Italy, has been studying factory management at the University of Modena and also works at the photovoltaic unit at Comcor. e cost of his studies is being Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ECONOMY > EGYPT

“By sharing tasks with other partners they were able to develop four prototypes over a period of 18 months”

covered by the company, which is looking to set up a new factory near Hurghada on the Red Sea in Egypt, to manufacture solar-powered vehicles, but this time after having made some changes. “Currently, to charge the car's batteries, it has to be at a standstill. I had to make some modifications to the design and the electrical circuit, in order to store the energy produced by photovoltaic panels on the roof of the car while it is moving,” reveals engineer AbdelHafez, adding that these changes will increase the energy supply from 270 W to 500 W. Between 2007 and 2011 the RDI programme, which is managed by the Egyptian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, received 11 million euro to promote research and innovation. e programme then received an allocation of 20 million euro for the period 20112015. e Egyptian and Italian partners are awaiting a reply from the programme

n One of the prototypes.

to find out whether they can rely on its aid so that they can move ahead with phase II of the solar-powered car. For the first phase of the project, the RDI programme paid approximately 75% of the budget of over 330,000 euro. But EU funding is not a grant, it has to be won by participating in calls for tender: and at the moment the project team is waiting to hear if they have won. Four prototypes with a battery range of up to 50 km e Director of RDI, Ahmed Saleh, tells us how the programme can provide a platform for communication and a point of information for researchers, inven-

tors, academics and industry: “A professor from the University of the Suez Canal, Hussein Ezz Eddine, had installed solar panels on the roof of a Fiat 128. e results were more or less satisfactory. Initially he collaborated with Egyptian company Airtec, which had obtained a grant from the EU in 2008, via the RDI programme. e company was already operating in the diving sector in Sharm El Sheikh. By sharing tasks with other partners - the Universities of Mansoura, the Suez Canal and Modena, and the company Comcor Engineering and the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan - they were able to develop the four current

“Currently, to charge the car's batteries, it has to be at a standstill. But I had to make some changes in order to store energy produced when it is moving”

n The four prototypes parked in Sharm El-Sheikh, awaiting phase II.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ECONOMY > EGYPT

Research, Development and Innovation programme

http://www.rdi.eg.net/Pages/D efault.aspx

n Engineer Ahmed Abdel-Hafez driving one of the prototypes.

“We have been talking to the governorate of Hurghada for the last 3 months, proposing to adapt our prototypes to the needs of their tourist resort: a sightseeing train, a boat with photovoltaic panels ...” prototypes over a period of 18 months”. e cars don’t have a futuristic appearance,

n Portrait of engineer Ahmed Abdel-Hafez.

but look more like the kind of vehicle used for moving around in hotels and holiday villages. A kind of fun toy in blue and gold, the colours of the European Union flag. eir weight varies between 300 and 800 kg. How big are they? Up to 360 cm long and 150 cm wide. e driver has an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, lights and a horn. On the roof, photovoltaic panels measuring 1.20 m x 1.40 m have been fitted. One of the prototypes has been designed for safaris; it is called the “pirate ship of the desert”. And the smallest is a three-wheeler called Jambo, which has a range of 10 km. e other two are used to transport goods and passengers for short journeys; their batteries are charged in 8 to 10 hours and they have a battery endurance of 40 to 50 km. “We have been talking to the governorate of Hurghada for the last 3 months, proposing to adapt our prototypes to the needs of their tourist resort: a sightseeing train, a boat with photovoltaic panels. Just to test our vehicles, which have a selling price of 80,000 EGP each (approximately €10,700 EUR). We are considering setting up our factory in Hurghada, because the workshops making the fibreglass chassis are already there”, says Ahmed Abdel Hafez, who is well aware that experiments with making solar cars are moving at a fair rate all over the world, but they will probably only really take oﬀ once fossil fuels have run out.

The Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Programme aims at strengthening the links between the research sector and the industry while enhancing the innovation and technology transfer culture. In addition, RDI seeks to support the progressive integration of Egypt into the European Research Area. Funded by the European Commission with a grant of €11 million over a period of three years, the RDI Programme is managed by a Project Implementation Office set-up by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Solar car Funded by the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) programme, the project aims at contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in Egypt through the improvement of technological innovation in the sectors of transport and renewable energy. Participating countries: Egypt, Italy, Jordan Timeframe: August 2009 - February 2011 Budget: €329,300 Aims: Design and manufacture of a fleet of prototype vehicles that run exclusively on solar energy, to transport passengers and goods. Find out more: Sunny vehicles - wordpress http://sunnyvehicles.wordpress.com/ EU-Egypt Innovation Fund http://www.rdi.eg.net/InnovationFund/DocumentLibrary/Documents/projects_catalogue.pdf Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) programme http://www.rdi.eg.net EU Neighbourhood Info Centre thematic portal: ENERGY http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=5

Text and photos by Dalia Chams

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ECONOMY > ISRAEL

Wineries, arts and crafts and agro-tourism on the biblical hills of Israel As the numbers employed in traditional agriculture steadily decline, Israel's Ministry of Agriculture has encouraged residents of agricultural communities to turn to alternative employment. Wineries and dairies, micro-breweries, rural bed and breakfast accommodation, and arts and crafts outlets are among the new options being explored. anks to the European Union’s widespread experience with rural diversiﬁcation, Israel has turned to the EU's Twinning project for help in shaping a new rural development policy, focusing on agro-tourism. An EU Neighbourhood Info Centre journalist visited some of the rural diversiﬁcation activities, and has this report.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

n Barrels of wine in a vinery in the moshav of Mata, close to Jerusalem.

JERUSALEM – It all began in 2001 when Leah, who lives in a farming community in Israel's Mate Yehuda regional council, asked her nephew Nevo Haza if she could pick his neighbour's grapes, left over after the harvest, in order to make wine. e wine was a hit, and Leah swears that the love and devotion she put into the wine-making was instrumental in her recovery from cancer. Nevo, a religious man, spoke in terms of divine intervention and promised his aunt he would continue making wine. He began to study viticulture with the aim of setting up a family business… Fast-forward 12 years. Coach parties and organised tours visit the Nevo boutique winery at Mata, a moshav agricultural community half an hour from

Jerusalem, almost every day. After a guided tour that includes tastings and an explanation of the wine-making process, the guests visit the countrystyle visitor centre. ey can order a delicious meal prepared by Nevo's wife, Iris, using locally-grown fresh produce, washed down, of course, with a glass or two of Nevo wine. Nevo wines age for 20 months in French oak barrels, placed in an old bomb shelter no longer in use, before selling for about 25 euros a bottle. Today, the region boasts more than 30 boutique wineries. A new rural development policy Increasingly, residents of Israel's agricultural communities are seeking alternative livelihoods as the numbers em91

ECONOMY > ISRAEL

n Sheep made of scraps in the israeli moshav of Tzafririm, close to Jerusalem.

“e EU has a lot to oﬀer in terms of diversiﬁcation: trying to accommodate new industries and agro-tourist ventures into rural areas. However, it's a two-way street, and Europe can also learn from the Israeli experience” ployed in traditional agriculture steadily decline. Israel's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) saw the potential of agro-tourism and encouraged residents of farming communities to venture into new areas, such as wineries and dairies, micro-breweries, rural bed and breakfast accommodation and arts and crafts outlets. European Union member states have widespread experience with rural diversification and, with this in mind, Israel turned to the EU's Twinning programme for help in shaping a new rural development policy, focusing on agro-tourism. EU Ambassador to Israel, Lars FaaborgAndersen, says that the EU’s Twinning programme aims to share European experience in fields of interest to its immediate neighbours, like Israel: “At first sight – he says – it might seem 92

unusual that we have anything to offer to Israel, with its rich tradition of kibbutzim and moshavim. But the EU has a lot to offer in terms of diversification: trying to accommodate new industries and agro-tourist ventures into rural areas. However, it's a two-way street, and Europe can also learn from the Israeli experience – cross fertilisation, to use agricultural terminology, beneficial to both parties.” “Israeli entrepreneurs, whether in kibbutzim, moshavim or for instance the Bedouin communities in the Negev, who are trying to develop agro-tourism initiatives, face similar administrative challenges – continues the Ambassador - I am fascinated by the way all these initiatives develop rural areas, while keeping alive the different traditions that enrich Israel's diverse society”. As part of the Twinning project, MARD

chose Italian and German experts to assist Israel with its rural development programme, aiming at approximating Israel's rural development policy with existing EU legislation and thus realizing one of the objectives of the EU-Israel Action Plan under European Neighbourhood Policy. Italy's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies chose Giuliano Polenzani from Umbria as Resident Twinning Advisor (RTA). Polenzani provides hands-on expertise in mobilising the most suitable Italian and German experts to help meet Israel's challenges. His day-to-day cooperation with MARD staﬀ makes it easier to adopt the EU rural development approach to the Israeli

“EU and Israeli farmers have similar needs and are looking for new income sources” Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ECONOMY > ISRAEL

“In the framework of the Twinning project we are learning from the EU how to help many and varied initiatives, such as the Nevo winery and Grandfather's Gallery”

environment. “EU and Israeli farmers have similar needs and are looking for new income sources,” Polenzani says. “Rural development policy is the most suitable tool for accompanying agricultural diversification and development of rural communities. rough twinning, MARD is drawing up a new programme able to support agro-tourism and innovative ideas from local farmer entrepreneurs seeking an alternative source of income.” Grandfather’s Art Gallery Nissim Levy was born in the Kurdish region of Iraq in 1941 and migrated to Is-

rael with his family, aged 10. He worked as a farmer in moshav Zafririm, not far from Mata, but struggled to make a living. At the ripe age of 58 he decided to devote more time to his real passion: metalwork. He soon discovered he possessed a rare talent for turning discarded day-to day artefacts into works of art. Relatives, friends and neighbours began to flock to Nissim's outdoor workshop, dubbed ‘Grandfather's Gallery’ by his granddaughters, to see every imaginable piece of metal, wood and plastic junk recycled into sculptures of animals, musical instruments and much more besides. Grandfather's Gallery soon turned into a tourist attraction. To cope with the growing number of visitors, Ziona, Nissim's wife, began oﬀering ethnic Iraqi-style meals, and Nissim's daughter, Galia, runs chocolate-making workshops. e family have also built a Kurdish heritage room with displays of original Kurdish costumes, carpets and photographs. Today the Levy family generates about half of its income from tourism, and Grandfather's Gallery has become a shining example of an initiative backed by MARD to encourage diversification of activities in rural areas. Shai Dotan, MARD's agro-tourism di-

rector and RTA counterpart, believes diversification is one of the important tools of rural development. “In the framework of the Twinning project we are learning from the EU how to help many and varied initiatives, such as the Nevo winery and Grandfather's Gallery,” he says. As MARD develops a comprehensive framework for agricultural sustainable development, the EU will continue to provide advice and financial assistance with the aim of strengthening Israeli rural communities. Text by Marc Weiss Photos by AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre

TWINNING It is an instrument for the cooperation between Public Administrations of EU Member States (MS) and of beneficiary countries

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/t enders/twinning/index_en.htm Twinning is an EC initiative originally designed to help candidate countries acquire the necessary skills and experience to adopt, implement and enforce EU legislation. Since 2004, Twinning has also been available to countries in the ENPI region. On a demand driven base, the projects bring together public sector expertise from EU Member States and partner countries, with the aim of enhancing co-operation activities. Twinning projects are joint projects, shared by the two partner administrations. The partner country retains ownership. Find out more: EU Neighbourhood Info Centre fiche http://www.enpiinfo.eu/mainmed.php?id=167&id_type=10 Twinning News http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/over view/twinning_en.htm EU Neighbourhood Feature story Sharing experience to bring equal opportunities

n EU Ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen (C) listens to a

Multi-country cooperation instruments http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id= 271&id_type=10

vinery owner during a visit to a vinery in the moshav of Mata.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

Shortcut to the job market

Graduates of the ‘Young Women as Job Creators’ initiative working in a shop in Ramallah, Palestine. The workshop was organized in the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean’s project. (photo AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre).

Interview with Madlen Serban Director of the European Training Foundation

e name of the organisation, the European Training Foundation, sounds self-explanatory. In fact, it can be misleading because the ETF does not operate in the European Union, nor it is engaged in training, and is not a foundation. It’s an EU agency that helps partner countries to develop their vocational education and training (VET), as well as labour market systems related to employment, explains its Director, Madlen Serban, in an exclusive interview to the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre. How does the ETF achieve its goals of helping partner countries develop vocational education and training, as well as labour market systems related to employment? We try to make sure that each country has appropriate public policies addressing these areas, that there is a legislative framework to back it, and that the stakeholders are getting support in their implementation. So the whole cycle consists of policy development, adoption and implementation. By stakeholders, I mean gov-

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

ernments, but as the policy should be inclusive, we are also working with employers, trade union associations at the national and sectoral levels, as well as civil society organisations. We have 35 partner countries, grouped according to the EU’s external instruments into enlargement, neighbourhood South and East, and Central Asia. Who beneﬁts from your work? e ETF works at the systemic level, helping partner countries to strengthen vocational educational training and labour market institutions. So the first to benefit are the policy makers, i.e. both governments and their partners – associations of employers, trade unions and civil society associations as well as institutions that specialise in vocational education and training such as VET centres or council. We encourage countries to have an inclusive policy-making process, embracing civil society. Take the young Mediterranean leaders initiative in the Southern neighbourhood, in a region where young people make up more than half the population. We cannot develop policies for them. We have to work out policies together with them. In 2012, we organised a competition to select young leaders under the age of 30 with experience in public management, with a view to involving them in the policy-making process in the VET sector, known as the Torino Process (as the ETF is based in Torino). What is the source of funding for the ETF? We are non-commercial so we do not raise funds ourselves. We act as an external arm of EU policies in education, training and employment, so we are funded by the EU, with the money being allocated by co-decision of the European Parliament (EP) and the Council. e ETF functions within a multi-year financial framework. Under discussion now, is the 20142020 programme, based on a multi-year strategic plan with a mid-term benchmark in 2017. In addition, we submit the annual work programme. First of all, our strategy and funding have to be adopted by the Governing Board and then approved by the European Parliament. In the Governing Board, the European Commission, represented by the Directorate General for Education & Culture, and each Member State has one vote. We also have six observers - three are independent experts appointed by the EP and three represent partner countries.

Does the ETF make an intellectual or ﬁnancial input into local initiatives? The ETF does not fund individual initiatives, and it’s not the money that attracts the countries, regions or institutions, but a strong belief that VET makes a difference for their communities. However, our partners may not have the right knowledge, so we try to empower them by taking advantage of our own expertise. Besides, we can mobilise expertise from EU Member States, partner countries themselves and from international organisations. What do you consider as your most important achievements? It’s first and foremost our capability to act when we are needed. In the early days of Arab Spring, for example, we were the only EU agency acting in the area of human resources development, present in such countries as Tunisia and Libya. We were there to support the societies in systemic development. Now we have very good relations with the Libyan authorities and stakeholders, which is a big strategic achievement. Even though we see a lot of violence there, we carry on working with the government to make sure that when the violence subsides, citizens will have a way to move ahead. The same applies to Egypt. What’s also important is that we are opening up avenues for larger scale EU funding by helping to identify policy areas that need support in the form of expertise and assistance funded by the Development and Cooperation (DEVCO) budget. To give you an example, we mobilized a €50 million project in Egypt. What are your biggest challenges? e main challenge in the South is stability. Second, in both regions we continue fighting with the perceptions in societies, both in the minds of authorities and citizens, that VET is a second-best choice. People believe that a university degree will provide them with jobs for life. Yes, high aspirations in this sense are an asset, but this is not enough, because we face an overproduction of university graduates, which creates a mismatch between demand and supply on the labour market. Another challenge is the highly centralised system of vocational education and training. ere are still very few regional initiatives that fly, and we are proud to be supporting them.

PEOPLE > JORDAN

Find out more European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) It was developed after the EU’s enlargement in 2004 with 10 new countries, in order to avoid the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe. Through it, the EU oﬀers its neighbours a privileged relationship, building upon a mutual commitment to common values - democracy and human rights, rule of law, good governance, market economy principles and sustainable development. The ENP oﬀers a deeper political relationship and economic integration through reforms as a means of achieving peace, stability and economic prosperity. Following an extensive review, in 2011, the EU launched a renewed ENP, seeking to strengthen ties through a ‘more for more’ approach – making more funding available, for those countries more committed to reform. The participating countries are: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine. Although Russia is also an EU neighbour, and benefits from the ENPI, relations are developed through a Strategic Partnerhsip. http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_en.htm

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) The ‘Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean'‚ was launched in Paris on 13 July 2008 in a bid to give a new impulse to the Barcelona Process, the framework that manages relations between the EU and its Southern Neighbours. In November 2008, it was renamed simply ‘Union for the Mediterranean’ (UfM). In March 2010, the Barcelona Headquarters of the UfM Secretariat were inaugurated and its mandate was defined in identifying, processing, promoting and coordinating projects, which enhance and strengthen cooperation, and impact directly on the livelihoods of citizens. The UfM proactively gathers regional, sub-regional, or transnational projects in sectors such as transport, energy, water, environmental protection, higher education and mobility, research, social aﬀairs, empowerment of women, employment promotion and business development. While the size and scope of projects may vary – from micro-projects on employment and women’s entrepreneurship to macro initiatives such as the Mediterranean Solar Plan – they all share a strong political and economic relevance. http://ufmsecretariat.org/

European Commission Directorate General Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid B-1049 Brussels, Belgium http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid

Useful links Commissioner Enlargement and ENP http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/fule/ ENP website http://eeas.europa.eu/enp/index_en.htm Development and Cooperation – EuropeAid http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm External Action Service (EEAS) http://eeas.europa.eu/index_en.htm

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) 2014-2020 The EU is a major donor for the Neighbourhood. Support to the region is mainly channelled through the Directorate General for Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid. One of the main tools is the new ENI (European Neighbourhood Instrument), worth €15.4 billion for the period 2014-2020, that will provide the bulk of funding to the ENP (European Neighbourhood Policy) countries. It will also enable citizens from the Neighbourhood to participate in selective successful EU internal programmes, including student mobility, youth programmes and support to civil society. Special emphasis will be given to engagement with civil society. The ENI replaces the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), which had funding of €11.2 billion for the period 2007-2013.

Six targets

How support is given

The ENI key words

• Fostering human rights and fundamen-

Support through the ENI is programmed

Faster and more flexible: reducing the complexity and length of the programming process so that the relevance of the assistance is not undermined. In order to further increase the EU’s capacity to respond to unforeseen events, new mechanisms have been introduced for revision of the instruments to increase flexibility.

tal freedoms, the rule of law, equality, sustainable democracy, good governance and a thriving civil society. • Achieving progressive integration into the EU internal market and enhanced co-operation including through legislative approximation and regulatory convergence, institution building and investments. • Creating conditions for well managed mobility of people and promotion of people-to-people contacts. • Encouraging development, poverty reduction, internal economic, social and territorial cohesion, rural development, climate action and disaster resilience. • Promoting confidence building and other measures contributing to security and the prevention and settlement of conflicts. • Enhancing sub-regional, regional and Neighbourhood wide collaboration as well as Cross-Border Cooperation.

Projects in Action 3 – EU Southern Neighbourhood

and given in three diﬀerent ways: • Bilateral programmes covering support to one partner country. • Multi-country programmes which address challenges common to all or a number of partner countries, and regional and sub-regional cooperation between two or more partner countries. • Cross-Border Cooperation programmes between Member States and partner countries taking place along their shared part of the external border of the EU (including Russia).

Incentives for best performers: using the more-for-more approach allows the EU to increase its support to those partners that are genuinely implementing what has been jointly agreed. More-for-more principle: introduced at the last ENP review in 2010-11, this principle means that the EU will develop stronger partnerships and oﬀer greater incentives to countries that make more progress towards democratic reform – free and fair elections, freedom of expression, of assembly and of association, judicial independence, fight against corruption and democratic control over the armed forces. Mutual accountability: this means that the EU is accountable to its partners for the support promised, and the partners are accountable to the EU for their own progress towards political and economic reform. ENI support takes greater account of human rights, democracy and good governance when it comes to allocating assistance.

EU Neighbourhood Info Centre An ENPI project

Cover photo: a journalist from Morocco participating at the EU programme “Community media: for citizen information”. Photo AFP © EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre

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