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SABIRMaydan II @ WSF

Dialogues around the Mediterranean Citizenship

Introduction

In the very last years, nations and territories around the Mediterranean Sea have been at the core of several, extraordinary social struggle movements and street protests. Although countries involved were heterogeneous, a contagious knock-on effect spread out in the region, showing that these movements were sharing common ways of doing and common aspirations. Chanting the Tunisian slogan "Bread, Freedom and Social Justice", the citizens of many countries have conquered the squares to reclaim commons goods, public spaces, and those civil and social rights, which have been too often violated. All of that with the purpose of regaining respect and dignity, which are the foundations for building a more equitable and inclusive society.

Despite this extraordinary mass mobilization and the resulting empowerment of entire generations, many countries and communities are now facing growing frustration over the inability of the classical structures of the formal democracy to tackle the challenges laid by this Mediterranean Spring, often acting with the intention to repress these movements by force or propaganda.

On the other hand, Islamic fundamentalism and xenophobic agendas are preaching the impossibility of reconciliation between European peoples and the Arab Islamic world, and the lack of a shared political commitment in the region is deepening social fractures, such as in Greece or Spain, or political conflicts, such as in Libya or Syria.

At the end of September 2014, a group of activists from around fifteen countries of the Mediterranean region gathered together in Messina, Sicily, to discuss about transnational grassroots activism in the region, and its potential in terms of critical review, political responsibility, social

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

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innovation and cultural exchange. At the core of their dialogues were citizenship issues and the need to reinvigorate a sense of belonging to communities sharing a common history, geography, lifestyle, and values. They named the forum “Sabir Maydan”, and the brand they adopted was “Building an inclusive and multiple Mediterranean Citizenship”. The questions they raised were: How can we share the vision for a United Mediterranean Space? Which policies, strategies and instruments are required to build it through citizens’ initiative?

Moving Forward

After this first encounter, the participants and their associations agreed to continue to get involved in an overall process on the road to “Mediterranean Citizenship”, proposing priority issues to be discussed and periodical meetings on both shores of the Mediterranean. In this framework, a group of organizations is holding a second appointment, Sabir Maydan II, during the 2015 World Social Forum (Tunis, 22-28 March, 2015), aiming at:

− Discussing in public debates fundamental issues of regional importance through the lenses of envisioning a Mediterranean citizenship, where activists and thinkers from both shores would be invited to share their views;

− Holding ad-hoc working groups among the founders and friends of the Sabir Maydan process on: how to give continuity to it; which social, political or cultural priorities to set ahead; and which projects to prioritize.

Moreover, an Info-Point will be opened inside the Social Forum, where participants can contact the organizers and know more about this vision. The objective is to involve new organizations and interested initiatives in pursuing the process towards a Mediterranean Citizenship. The organizations promoting Sabir Maydan II at the WSF are: COSPE Italy, Forum Tunisien pour les Droits Economiques Sociaux Tunisia, Civitas Academy Palestine, Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Turkey, Citizens for Syria, Alternatives Maroc

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

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The Programme: an Overview

Sabir Maydan II includes two thematic public debates and two ad-hoc working groups. The topics of the debates are:

- People for Mediterranean Citizenship: Toward a grassroots initiative for a United Mediterranean;

- The Mediterranean as a Common Destiny: Challenging Clash of Civilizations, for a plural and inclusive Mediterranean Identity.

The agenda of the two working groups is instead:

- Strategies and Spaces for Mediterranean Citizenship: Drafting a Manifesto for Mediterranean Citizenship; trans-Mediterranean campaigns on subjects of common interests; the festival/forum on Mediterranean Citizenship;

- Infrastructures ad tools for Mediterranean Citizenship: the Institute for Mediterranean Activism; the trans-Mediterranean Radio-TV citizens’ channel; the Exchange and Mobility Programme for activists and civil society organizations.

Below the detailed programme:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

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Debate 1 The Mediterranean as a Common Destiny: Challenging Clash of Civilizations, for a plural and inclusive Mediterranean Identity - Moderator: Gianluca Solera – COSPE, Italy

- Vice moderator: Fabio Laurenzi – COSPE, Italy

Speakers

- Adel Abdulrahman Belhma – Horriyat Group for Human Rights, Lybia

- Fatima Abdelrahim Saeed Idris – Tadamon Egyptian Multicultural Council, Egypt

- Mustafa Cagri Kurte – Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Turkey - Sophie Chamas – Mashallah News, Lebanon - Francesco Diasio – AMARC, Belgium - Nagwan El Ashwal – Regional Center for Dialogue and

Mediation, Egypt - Maher Essa – Civitas Academy, Palestine - Drissi Mehrez - Forum El Jahedh, Tunisia - Rasha Shaaban – WoMidan Project, Egypt/Tunisia - Alternativa Mediterranea – name to be confirmed, Italy

25 March 2015, Wednesday 11:30 - 14:00

Slot: Mini Room: Amphi 137

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

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25 March 2015, Wednesday 15:00 - 17:30

Room: TD 17 Workshop 1 Strategies and Spaces for Mediterranean Citizenship: drafting a Manifesto for Mediterranean Citizenship; trans-Mediterranean campaigns on subjects of common interest; the festival/forum on Mediterranean Citizenship

- Moderator: Gianluca Solera – COSPE, Italy

- Vice moderator: Lara Panzani – COSPE, Italy

- Facilitator: Rasha Shaaban – WoMidan Project, Egypt/Tunisia

Debaters

- Nagwan Al Ashwal - Regional Center for dialogue and mediation, Egypt

- Antonio Bruno – Gruppo Consiliare Federazione Sinistra Comune di Genova, Italy

- Pier Virgilio Dastoli - Movimento Europeo, Italy - Youssef El Kalakhi – Civitas, Morocco - Jannet Kaddechi – Voix d'eve, Tunisia - Zaher Khaled – Hadatha Organization, Lebanon - Stefan Ralchev – IRIS, Bulgaria - Odeh Zahran – AFKAR, Palestine - Lavinia Ruscigni/ Maria Manenghi – AMSED, France

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

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27 March 2015, Friday 11:30 - 14:00

Box: Mini Room: Amphi 137

Debate 2

People for Mediterranean Citizenship: Toward a grassroots initiative for a United Mediterranean

- Moderator: Fabio Laurenzi – COSPE, Italy

- Vice moderator: Gianluca Solera – COSPE, Italy

Speakers

- Mariah Alabdeh – Citizens for Syria, Syria - Mharram S.H. Barghouti – Palestinian Youth Union,

Palestine - Aboubakr El Khamlichi/ Lamyae Azouz – Chabaka,

Morocco - Kamal Lahbib – Alternatives Maroc, Morocco - Lina Mhenni – Blogger, Tunisia - Ivana Suboticki – SeConS, Serbia - Costis Triandaphyllou – Artist and activist of the Syntagma

Square movement, Greece - Fatima Zohra Menouar - Algerian Forum for Youth, Algeria

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

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Workshop 2 Infrastructures and tools for Mediterranean Citizenship: the Institute for Mediterranean Activism; the trans-Mediterranean Radio-TV citizens’ channel; the Exchange and Mobility Programme for activists and civil society organizations

- Moderator: Alaa Talbi - Forum Tunisien pour le Droits

Economiques et Sociaux, Tunisia - Vice moderator: Gianluca Solera – COSPE, Italy - Facilitator: Fariza G.A Beseiso – Civitas, Palestine

Debaters - Ola A.Adawi – Palestinian Youth Union, Palestine - Maria Alabdeh – Citizens for Syria, Syria - Fariza G.A Beseiso – Civitas Academy, Palestine - Sophie Chamas – Mashallah News, Lebanon - Hossam Hab - Center for Youth & Democratic

Transformations, Morocco - Chaker Hajbi / Mohamed Al Ahmadi – Association Liberté

et Développment, Tunisia - Ghassan Koumiya / Mohcine Hamman – Chabaka,

Morocco - Afaf Nasreldin Hassan Marie / Magdy Abdelhamid Farag

Belal – Egyptian Association for Community Participation & Enhancement, Egypt

- Alternativa Mediterranea – name to be confirmed, Italy

27 March 2015, Friday 15:00 - 17:30

Room: TD 13