Closing Seminar of Challenging Inequalities – Masar Al’an Programme Co-organised with MYA Programme
On 20–21 April, participants of the Challenging Inequalities – Masar Al’an Programme, funded by AECID, gathered at the Anna Lindh Foundation headquarters in Alexandria, Egypt, for the Closing Seminar, co-organised with the MYA Programme.
The two-day gathering provided an opportunity to reflect on participants’ journeys, share results, and exchange lessons learned. Over the past year, CBOs from the Southern Mediterranean implemented grassroots initiatives addressing different forms of inequality within their local contexts, including gender equality, climate change, disability accessibility, and the needs of underprivileged communities. The seminar served as a platform to present these community-based actions, discuss challenges emerging from the grassroots level, and explore how locally driven solutions can contribute to sustainable and inclusive impact.
The event concluded with closing remarks, key takeaways, and reflections from the programme beneficiaries. The seminar was attended by H.E. Ambassador Sergio Román Carranza Förster, Ambassador of Spain to Egypt, Dr. Cecilia Garcia Gasalla, AECID Egypt representative, and Anna Lindh Foundation Executive Director Josep Ferré, who shared reflections on the importance of supporting community-driven approaches to addressing inequalities across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
The programme also included discussions on strengthening financial sustainability and diversifying resources for community-based organisations, as well as collaborative working groups where participants reflected on the outcomes of their initiatives and collectively assessed the strengths and limitations of their methodologies. Participants additionally engaged in a session focused on enhancing communication effectiveness to support long-term sustainability and visibility.
The MYA programme added value to the co-organised event through the active engagement of its beneficiaries. Four MYA Transformative Youth and MYA Voicing Youth beneficiaries led a Practitioners Lab to explore best practices implemented by peers across ALF programmes. In addition, one MYA Transformative Youth beneficiary joined a communication session as a guest speaker to share his success on social media with his initiative. A MYA content creator also used her unique lens to creatively cover the event and share the project outcomes across digital platforms.