Heads of National Civil Society Networks Meeting in Berlin, Germany 

Berlin, Germany –

On 9–10 June, the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) Secretariat brought together Heads of its National Civil Society Networks for a two-day meeting in Berlin, Germany.

The meeting opened with remarks from Stefano Dotto, Team Leader for Good Governance at DG MENA, European Commission, and Josep Ferré, Executive Director of ALF, among other speakers. Stefano Dotto’s participation gave the Heads of Networks a direct opportunity to engage with the European Commission and share firsthand insights into the realities and challenges facing civil society across the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Over the course of the two days, the ALF Secretariat and Heads of Networks took part in a series of working sessions and discussions. The first day focused on evaluating the progress of ALF’s programmes and formulating recommendations for their further enhancement in alignment with the needs and priorities of the Networks, followed by a session on the structure of content for the Network Engagement Scheme (NES) 2026–2027. A Practitioners Lab then offered the opportunity to share best practices and exchange transnational knowledge, engaging grassroots representatives from the ALF Network of Germany, before discussions turned to cross-network collaboration, generating proposals for joint activities under ALF’s various programme calls. The day closed with an update from Josep Ferré, Executive Director, on recent developments at the Secretariat level within the framework of EU grant Phase VII (2025–2028) and the Pact for the Mediterranean, with a focus on placing people-to-people and cultural dimensions at the heart of Euro-Mediterranean relations.

The second day began with an internal meeting among Heads of Networks, followed by a session on AgorALF, reviewing its progress and structure. This was followed by a discussion on fundraising, exploring what the National Networks can offer donors, jointly or separately, in return for support, and what concrete fundraising roles, tools, and steps each level can realistically develop. The meeting concluded with a hands-on communications training, supporting the development of the Network’s visibility tools and strategies for showcasing their impact.

The discussions reflected the ALF’s ongoing commitment to building a more connected, resilient, and effective network of civil society organisations working across the Euro-Mediterranean region.

The ALF Secretariat extends its sincere gratitude to the German Network for hosting the meeting and for their valuable support in making the gathering a success.