Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue
A yearlong celebration of Euro-Mediterranean identities and cooperation
The Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue (MCCD) initiative was launched jointly by the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) following recommendations made by Euro-Mediterranean Ministers of Culture and over 200 civil society representatives from across the region in 2022. Endorsed by the 43 UfM Member States, the initiative designates two cities from different shores of the Mediterranean each year to implement cultural, social, and community-based programmes that celebrate the diversity, heritage, and shared identity of the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Through culture, dialogue, and cooperation, the initiative aims to strengthen intercultural understanding, support local action and civil society engagement, encourage territorial cooperation across the Mediterranean, and create public spaces for addressing shared regional challenges and opportunities.
How is the initiative shaped?
1 Year Celebrations
2 Cities from different shores of the Mediterranean
Highlighting the cities' rich Euro-Med cultural identities
Involving their populations in all their diversity
Culminating on the Day of the Mediterranean (28 November)
Aim of the Initiative
Celebrate Euro-Med identity and promote intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding
Promote cooperation at the local level between the two cities and encourage interactions between territories with limited integration.
Enhance collaboration using bottom-up approach between local government and civil society to strengthen inclusion and
An Initiative of **
With the support of
Role of ALF
The Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue (MCCD) initiative was launched jointly by the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) following recommendations made by Euro-Mediterranean Ministers of Culture and over 200 civil society representatives from across the region in 2022. Endorsed by the 43 UfM Member States, the initiative designates two cities from different shores of the Mediterranean each year to implement cultural, social, and community-based programmes that celebrate the diversity, heritage, and shared identity of the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Through culture, dialogue, and cooperation, the initiative aims to strengthen intercultural understanding, support local action and civil society engagement, encourage territorial cooperation across the Mediterranean, and create public spaces for addressing shared regional challenges and opportunities.
Pick from 2 training modules on the ethics surrounding AI tools and how to responsibly use them.
1: The AI Ethics Lab – Hands-On Tools to Govern Bias in the Euro-Med Area
Facilitated by: Geleneksel Yeşil Çevre Derneği
Country: Türkiye
Language: English
Date: 7th, 9th, 11th, 14th, 16th, 18th September (16:00–18:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module aims to give a simple, practical introduction to ethical and responsible AI governance. The training explains how AI systems can show social or cultural bias, how different regions manage AI, and why it is important for civil society to understand these issues. We compare approaches from the EU, Türkiye, and the Euro-Med region, and we look at how local communities are affected by AI decisions.
The training module is not technical. Instead, it focuses on real situations, ethical problems, and practical tools that participants can use immediately. During the sessions, participants will analyse case studies, discuss ethical dilemmas, practice simple risk-assessment methods, and create tools such as ethical checklists and organisational charters.
Training Sessions:
07/09/26 (16:00–18:00 CET): AI Ethics in the Euro-Mediterranean Context
09/09/26 (16:00–18:00 CET): Cultural & Societal Biases in AI Systems
11/09/26 (16:00–18:00 CET): Comparison of Artificial Intelligence Laws and Approaches in European-Mediterranean Countries
14/09/26 (16:00–18:00 CET): Tools for Ethical AI Evaluation
16/09/26 (16:00–18:00 CET): Ethical Dilemmas Simulation Workshop
18/09/26 (16:00–18:00 CET): Creating an Ethical AI Roadmap
2: Thought Leadership and Narrative Power in Digital Diplomacy
Facilitated by: Qendra AMAD
Country: Albania
Language: English
Date: 14th, 15th, 16th, 19th, 20th, 21st September (18:00–20:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This online training module builds participants’ capacities to serve as thought leaders and narrative shapers in communication and digital diplomacy, focusing on how AI, digital platforms, and algorithms influence public discourse and international relations. Designed for interactive online delivery, it examines how narratives are formed, amplified, and challenged in digital spaces, while addressing ethical issues, power imbalances, and responsibilities in the Euro-Mediterranean context. Through simulations, group work, and co-creation labs, participants work with real cases to develop narrative driven strategies relevant to their professional roles. By the end, they gain practical tools to ethically craft, communicate, and sustain impactful digital diplomacy narratives.
Training Sessions:
14/09/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Narrative Power and Digital Influence
15/09/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Ai, algorithms, and visibility
16/09/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Thought Leadership in Digital Ecosystems
19/09/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Strategic Storytelling for Digital Diplomacy
20/09/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Managing Digital Narratives and Risk
21/09/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Co-Creation Lab: Narrative Strategies in Practice
Pick from 6 training modules on designing inclusive governance structures within CSOs.
1: Strategic Governance for Peace and Youth Engagement: Strengthening CSO Capacities in Intercultural Dialogue
Facilitated by: Partners Albania for Change and Development
Country: Albania
Language: English
Date: 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd September (16:00 – 18:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module enhances the strategic planning, governance, and leadership capacities of civil society organisations engaged in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, coexistence, and youth engagement across the Euro-Mediterranean region. Responding to the complex intercultural environments in which many CSOs operate, it provides practical tools for effective planning, transparent governance, and inclusive leadership that supports peaceful coexistence and meaningful youth participation. Aimed at mid-level staff who coordinate programmes and facilitate dialogue, the module shows how strong internal structures and clear strategies contribute to conflict sensitive work, multistakeholder cooperation, and participatory dynamics. Delivered through six interactive online sessions using hands-on tools, case-based exercises, and peer learning, it addresses challenges related to multicultural youth engagement, including power dynamics, trust-building, communication, and participatory dialogue. By the end of the training, participants develop actionable strategies and governance practices they can apply immediately to strengthen their organisations’ roles in promoting peace, inclusion, and youth participation in the region.
Training Sessions:
08/09/26 (16:00 – 18:00 CET): Understanding Organisational Challenges in Intercultural and Conflict-Sensitive Settings
09/09/26 (16:00 – 18:00 CET): Strategic Planning for Peacebuilding and Youth Participation Initiatives
15/09/26 (16:00 – 18:00 CET): Governance Models that Support Inclusive and Peace-Oriented Decision-Making
16/09/26 (16:00 – 18:00 CET): Leadership Approaches for Intercultural Dialogue and Youth Engagement
22/09/26 (16:00 – 18:00 CET): Tools for Managing Conflicts, Facilitating Dialogue and Engaging Youth Constructively
23/09/26 (16:00 – 18:00 CET): Action Planning and Peer Feedback for Organisational Improvement
2: Intercultural Urban Youth Ecosystems: Empowering NGO Professionals to Design Inclusive Urban Spaces for Intercultural Coexistence.
Facilitated by: UNESCO Youth Club of Thessaloniki
Country: Greece
Language: English
Date: 14th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 23rd, 25th September (18:00 – 20:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module builds on the “URBAN ACTION FOR YOUTH” guidelines developed under the Urban Citizen Y project to address the growing need for inclusive, intercultural urban environments in the Euro-Med region. It equips NGO professionals and youth workers with practical tools to transform public spaces into platforms for dialogue, enabling young people—locals and migrants alike—to cocreate their cities. Through six interconnected modules, participants explore the foundations of intercultural urbanism, map “invisible borders” and contact zones in their cities, apply participatory design for intercultural reconciliation in public spaces, and learn how NGOs can facilitate diverse Youth Councils and support inclusive governance. The course also introduces digital tools for amplifying marginalized youth voices and guides participants in developing local intercultural intervention plans. Delivered through nonformal education, design thinking, sociocratic decision-making, digital whiteboards, and case studies from the URBAN ACTION collection, the module helps participants move from theory to applied practice by creating a tailored Micro-Urban Intervention for their specific Euro-Med context.
Training Sessions:
14/09/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Introduction to the Workshop Contextualizing Intercultural Cities: Foundations & Values
16/09/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Contextualizing Intercultural Cities: Enhancing Our Empathy
18/09/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Intercultural Mapping: Identifying Invisible Borders and Contact Zones
21/09/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Inclusive Governance: Empowering Diverse Youth Governance Models
23/09/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Digital Tools & Social Innovation: Amplifying Marginalized Voices
25/09/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Action Plan Development: Designing your own Micro-Urban Interventions
3: INSPIRE-Intercultural Skills and Peer Innovation for Resilient Euro-Med civil society
Facilitated by: Consorzio Materahub Industrie Culturali e Creative S.c.a.r.l.
Country: Italy
Language: English
Date: 6th, 8th, 13th, 15th, 20th, 22nd October (10:30 – 12:30 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacities of civil society organisations in the Euro-Mediterranean region to address emerging intercultural challenges through the creative industries and arts. Designed as a peer-to-peer capacity-enhancement programme for mid-level staff, it responds to growing pressures on CSOs related to sustainability, digitalisation, and entrepreneurship by equipping participants with future-oriented skills. The training focuses on using creative methodologies to identify opportunities, apply strategic foresight, and design innovative solutions that address social and economic needs. Through practical assignments and planning tools, participants learn to develop and scale impactful, user-centred and environmentally conscious projects that foster coexistence and support responsive societal transformation. This approach strengthens the resilience and innovation capacity of CSOs as they navigate complex transitions in the region.
Training Sessions:
06/10/26 (10.30 – 12.30 CET): Creativity as strategic foresight and opportunity mapping
08/10/26 (10.30 -12.30 CET): Project planning for impact: mastering the Creative Project Canvas
13/10/26 (10.30 -12.30 CET): Empathetic leadership for collaborative dialogue
15/10/26 (10.30 – 12.30 CET): Constructive conflict management in intercultural contexts
20/10/26 (10.30 – 12.30 CET): Critical thinking: unlocking solutions through root cause analysis
22/10/26 (10.30 – 12.30 CET): Design Thinking in action: user-centred creative prototyping
4: Train Euro-Med Trainers
Facilitated by: GMD Training and Consultancy Services Ltd.
Country: Malta
Language: English
Date: 6th, 8th, 13th, 15th, 20th, 22nd October (17:30-19:30 CET)
What you will learn:
This module builds participants’ capacities as intercultural trainers by introducing foundational concepts in intercultural learning, examining conscious and unconscious biases, and strengthening skills in dialogue, mediation, and conflict management. After exploring key trainer roles and the dynamics of bias, participants engage in hands-on codesign of an intercultural competency workshop and collaborative development of experiential learning activities using inclusive pedagogical methods provided by GMD. The final session focuses on creating a joint project that promotes social innovation in the intercultural field. By enabling participants to design and deliver effective learning initiatives that foster intercultural dialogue and communication, the module not only enhances their professional skills but also ensures long-term impact, as the knowledge and tools acquired will be transferred to their own trainees and communities.
Training Sessions:
06/10/26 (17:30 – 19:30 CET): Introduction to Intercultural Training
08/10/26 (17:30 – 19:30 CET): Conscious & Unconscious Bias Awareness for an Inclusive Society
13/10/26 (17:30 – 19:30 CET): Intercultural & Interreligious Dialogue & Conflict Management
15/10/26 (17:30 – 19:30 CET): Co-Design of Intercultural Competencies Workshop
20/10/26 (17:30 – 19:30 CET): Co-development of Experiential Learning Practices
22/10/26 (17:30 – 19:30 CET): Collaborative Project Work for Social Innovation
5: Managing Social Innovation for Inclusive and Culturally Diverse Euro-Med Communities
Facilitated by: INNOX Innovation Centre
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd September (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the managerial capacities of civil society practitioners to design, coordinate, and sustain social innovation initiatives that promote social inclusion in culturally diverse Euro-Mediterranean communities. Drawing on INNOX’s extensive experience working in North Macedonia’s deeply multicultural environment, the programme provides hands-on methods for analysing community needs, engaging diverse stakeholders, and coordinating inclusive cocreation processes. Through peer-to-peer learning and real cases from across the region, participants explore frameworks such as empathy-based community analysis, inclusion-focused problem solving, rapid prototyping, and participatory decision-making. By the end of the training, they develop a concrete inclusion-oriented mini-project and gain practical tools to manage collaborative innovation processes, ultimately empowering CSOs to build more adaptive, inclusive, and resilient communities throughout the Euro-Med region.
Training Sessions:
07/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Social Innovation in Culturally Diverse Communities
08/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Community Needs and Intercultural Realities
14/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Inclusive Social Innovation Solutions
15/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Managing Co-Creation and Participatory Processes Online
21/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Prototyping and Testing Inclusive Interventions
22/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Action Planning, Impact Measurement and Sustainability
6: Centring People, Creating Knowledge
Facilitated by: Reka Si, Research And Art Institute
Country: Slovenia
Language: English
Date: 6th, 7th, 8th September (9:30 to 11:30 CET)
What you will learn:
The participatory training introduces concepts and strategies of participatory action research (PAR) as a methodology to upscale, document, and disseminate the valuable work of CSOs that engage directly with communities. Responding to the Mediterranean Pact’s first pillar, People: driving force for change, connections and innovation, the course offers concrete approaches for collaboration between academic researchers (including PhD scholars and policy writers), CSO staff, and people with lived experience as peer researchers and knowledge producers. Through practical, accessible modules the training delivers eye-opening experiences and hands-on tools that help CSO staff view their programmes through a research lens, assess their evidential value, and translate findings into policy recommendations and public narratives. This milestone course strengthens community practice by building a sustainable, strategic bridge for knowledge transfer that centres people’s lives and produces research with real policy impact.
Training Sessions:
06/09/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Building the Community of Action Research
07/09/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Generating Themes and Articulation of Research Goals and Questions
08/09/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Choosing Methodologies and Validating Outcomes
2025 Edition: Alexandria and Tirana
Alexandria and Tirana were selected as the first Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue for 2025, marking the operational launch of the initiative.
Throughout the year, the programme brought together artists, intercultural entities, local administrations, youth, and communities from across the Euro-Mediterranean region through cultural performances, interactive workshops, artistic collaborations, storytelling experiences, and participatory activities.
50 cultural and intercultural initiatives
A total of 50 cultural and intercultural initiatives were implemented across both cities, transforming public and cultural spaces into platforms for creativity, participation, and exchange. Activities explored themes including social inclusion, gender equality, migration, collective memory, cultural heritage, environmental awareness, and the role of arts and creative industries in building more inclusive societies.
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, September, 1st, 8th October (11:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
07/09/26 (11:00 – 13:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
09/09/26 (11:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
16/09/26 (11:00 – 13:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
23/09/26 (11:00 – 13:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
01/10/26 (11:00 – 13:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
06/10/26 (11:00 – 13:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 24th September, 1st, 8th, 15th October (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
24/09/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
01/10/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
08/10/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
15/10/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 9th, 11th, 16th, 18th, 23rd, 25th September (17:00–19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
09/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
11/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
16/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
18/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
23/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
25/09/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th September (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
16/09/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
17/09/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/09/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
19/09/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 24th September, 01st, 08th, 15th, 22nd, 29th October (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
24/09/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro / Med context
01/10/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
08/10/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
15/10/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
22/10/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
29/10/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
21: The AI Ethics Lab – Hands-On Tools to Govern Bias in the Euro-Med Area
Facilitated by: Geleneksel Yeşil Çevre Derneği
Country: Turkey
Language: English
Date: 30th April, 4th, 7th, 11th, 14th, 18th May (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module aims to give a simple, practical introduction to ethical and responsible AI governance. The training explains how AI systems can show social or cultural bias, how different regions manage AI, and why it is important for civil society to understand these issues. We compare approaches from the EU, Türkiye, and the Euro-Med region, and we look at how local communities are affected by AI decisions.
The training module is not technical. Instead, it focuses on real situations, ethical problems, and practical tools that participants can use immediately. During the sessions, participants will analyse case studies, discuss ethical dilemmas, practice simple risk-assessment methods, and create tools such as ethical checklists and organizational charters.
Training Sessions:
30/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): AI Ethics in the Euro-Mediterranean Context
04/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Cultural & Societal Biases in AI Systems
07/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Comparison of Artificial Intelligence Laws and Approaches in European-Mediterranean Countries
11/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Tools for Ethical AI Evaluation
14/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Ethical Dilemmas Simulation Workshop
18/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Creating an Ethical AI Roadmap
1: Thought Leadership and Narrative Power in Digital Diplomacy
Facilitated by: Qendra AMAD
Country: Albania
Language: English
Date: 16th, 23rd, 30th April, 7th, 14th, 21st May (18:00–20:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This online training module builds participants’ capacities to serve as thought leaders and narrative shapers in communication and digital diplomacy, focusing on how AI, digital platforms, and algorithms influence public discourse and international relations. Designed for interactive online delivery, it examines how narratives are formed, amplified, and challenged in digital spaces, while addressing ethical issues, power imbalances, and responsibilities in the Euro-Mediterranean context. Through simulations, group work, and co-creation labs, participants work with real cases to develop narrative driven strategies relevant to their professional roles. By the end, they gain practical tools to ethically craft, communicate, and sustain impactful digital diplomacy narratives.
Training Sessions:
16/04/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Narrative Power and Digital Influence
23/04/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Ai, algorithms, and visibility
30/04/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Thought Leadership in Digital Ecosystems
07/05/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Strategic Storytelling for Digital Diplomacy
14/05/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Managing Digital Narratives and Risk
21/05/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Co-Creation Lab: Narrative Strategies in Practice
2: Strategic Governance for Peace and Youth Engagement: Strengthening CSO Capacities in Intercultural Dialogue
Facilitated by: Partners Albania for Change and Development
Country: Albania
Language: English
Date: 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th April, 7th, 8th May (10:00 to 12:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module enhances the strategic planning, governance, and leadership capacities of civil society organisations engaged in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, coexistence, and youth engagement across the Euro-Mediterranean region. Responding to the complex intercultural environments in which many CSOs operate, it provides practical tools for effective planning, transparent governance, and inclusive leadership that supports peaceful coexistence and meaningful youth participation. Aimed at mid-level staff who coordinate programmes and facilitate dialogue, the module shows how strong internal structures and clear strategies contribute to conflict sensitive work, multistakeholder cooperation, and participatory dynamics. Delivered through six interactive online sessions using hands-on tools, case-based exercises, and peer learning, it addresses challenges related to multicultural youth engagement, including power dynamics, trust-building, communication, and participatory dialogue. By the end of the training, participants develop actionable strategies and governance practices they can apply immediately to strengthen their organisations’ roles in promoting peace, inclusion, and youth participation in the region.
Training Sessions:
16/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Understanding Organisational Challenges in Intercultural and Conflict-Sensitive Settings
17/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Strategic Planning for Peacebuilding and Youth Participation Initiatives
23/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Governance Models that Support Inclusive and Peace-Oriented Decision-Making
24/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Leadership Approaches for Intercultural Dialogue and Youth Engagement
07/05/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Tools for Managing Conflicts, Facilitating Dialogue and Engaging Youth Constructively
08/05/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Action Planning and Peer Feedback for Organisational Improvement
9: Intercultural Urban Youth Ecosystems: Empowering NGO Professionals to Design Inclusive Urban Spaces for Intercultural Coexistence.
Facilitated by: UNESCO Youth Club of Thessaloniki
Country: Greece
Language: English
Date: 23rd, 27th, 29th April, 04th, 06th, 08th May (18:00 – 20:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module builds on the “URBAN ACTION FOR YOUTH” guidelines developed under the Urban Citizen Y project to address the growing need for inclusive, intercultural urban environments in the Euro-Med region. It equips NGO professionals and youth workers with practical tools to transform public spaces into platforms for dialogue, enabling young people—locals and migrants alike—to cocreate their cities. Through six interconnected modules, participants explore the foundations of intercultural urbanism, map “invisible borders” and contact zones in their cities, apply participatory design for intercultural reconciliation in public spaces, and learn how NGOs can facilitate diverse Youth Councils and support inclusive governance. The course also introduces digital tools for amplifying marginalized youth voices and guides participants in developing local intercultural intervention plans. Delivered through nonformal education, design thinking, sociocratic decision-making, digital whiteboards, and case studies from the URBAN ACTION collection, the module helps participants move from theory to applied practice by creating a tailored Micro-Urban Intervention for their specific Euro-Med context.
Training Sessions:
17/04/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Introduction to the Workshop Contextualizing Intercultural Cities: Foundations & Values
29/04/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Contextualizing Intercultural Cities: Enhancing Our Empathy
04/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Intercultural Mapping: Identifying Invisible Borders and Contact Zones
06/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Inclusive Governance: Empowering Diverse Youth Governance Models
11/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Digital Tools & Social Innovation: Amplifying Marginalized Voices
14/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Action Plan Development: Designing your own Micro-Urban Interventions
10: INSPIRE-Intercultural Skills and Peer Innovation for Resilient Euro-Med civil society
Facilitated by: Consorzio Materahub Industrie Culturali e Creative S.c.a.r.l.
Country: Italy
Language: English
Date: 16th, 21st, 23rd, 28th, 30th April, 5th May (10.30 to 12.30 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacities of civil society organisations in the Euro-Mediterranean region to address emerging intercultural challenges through the creative industries and arts. Designed as a peer-to-peer capacity-enhancement programme for mid-level staff, it responds to growing pressures on CSOs related to sustainability, digitalisation, and entrepreneurship by equipping participants with future-oriented skills. The training focuses on using creative methodologies to identify opportunities, apply strategic foresight, and design innovative solutions that address social and economic needs. Through practical assignments and planning tools, participants learn to develop and scale impactful, user-centred and environmentally conscious projects that foster coexistence and support responsive societal transformation. This approach strengthens the resilience and innovation capacity of CSOs as they navigate complex transitions in the region.
Training Sessions:
17/04/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Creativity as strategic foresight and opportunity mapping
29/04/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Project planning for impact: mastering the Creative Project Canvas
04/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Empathetic leadership for collaborative dialogue
06/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Constructive conflict management in intercultural contexts
11/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Critical thinking: unlocking solutions through root cause analysis
14/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Design Thinking in action: user-centred creative prototyping
14: Train Euro-Med Trainers
Facilitated by: GMD Training and Consultancy Services Ltd.
Country: Malta
Language: English
Date: 7th, 9th, 14th, 16th, 21st, 23rd April (17:30 -19:30 CET)
What you will learn:
This module builds participants’ capacities as intercultural trainers by introducing foundational concepts in intercultural learning, examining conscious and unconscious biases, and strengthening skills in dialogue, mediation, and conflict management. After exploring key trainer roles and the dynamics of bias, participants engage in hands-on codesign of an intercultural competency workshop and collaborative development of experiential learning activities using inclusive pedagogical methods provided by GMD. The final session focuses on creating a joint project that promotes social innovation in the intercultural field. By enabling participants to design and deliver effective learning initiatives that foster intercultural dialogue and communication, the module not only enhances their professional skills but also ensures long-term impact, as the knowledge and tools acquired will be transferred to their own trainees and communities.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Introduction to Intercultural Training
09/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Conscious & Unconscious Bias Awareness for an Inclusive Society
14/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Intercultural & Interreligious Dialogue & Conflict Management
16/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Co-Design of Intercultural Competencies Workshop
21/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Co-development of Experiential Learning Practices
23/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Collaborative Project Work for Social Innovation
17: Managing Social Innovation for Inclusive and Culturally Diverse Euro-Med Communities
Facilitated by: INNOX Innovation Centre
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, 29th, 30th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the managerial capacities of civil society practitioners to design, coordinate, and sustain social innovation initiatives that promote social inclusion in culturally diverse Euro-Mediterranean communities. Drawing on INNOX’s extensive experience working in North Macedonia’s deeply multicultural environment, the programme provides hands-on methods for analysing community needs, engaging diverse stakeholders, and coordinating inclusive cocreation processes. Through peer-to-peer learning and real cases from across the region, participants explore frameworks such as empathy-based community analysis, inclusion-focused problem solving, rapid prototyping, and participatory decision-making. By the end of the training, they develop a concrete inclusion-oriented mini-project and gain practical tools to manage collaborative innovation processes, ultimately empowering CSOs to build more adaptive, inclusive, and resilient communities throughout the Euro-Med region.
Training Sessions:
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Social Innovation in Culturally Diverse Communities
16/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Community Needs and Intercultural Realities
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Inclusive Social Innovation Solutions
23/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Managing Co-Creation and Participatory Processes Online
29/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Prototyping and Testing Inclusive Interventions
30/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Action Planning, Impact Measurement and Sustainability
18: Centring People, Creating Knowledge
Facilitated by: Reka Si, Research And Art Institute
Country: Slovenia
Language: English
Date: 14th, 15th, 16th April (9:30 to 11:30 CET)
What you will learn:
The participatory training introduces concepts and strategies of participatory action research (PAR) as a methodology to upscale, document, and disseminate the valuable work of CSOs that engage directly with communities. Responding to the Mediterranean Pact’s first pillar, People: driving force for change, connections and innovation, the course offers concrete approaches for collaboration between academic researchers (including PhD scholars and policy writers), CSO staff, and people with lived experience as peer researchers and knowledge producers. Through practical, accessible modules the training delivers eye-opening experiences and hands-on tools that help CSO staff view their programmes through a research lens, assess their evidential value, and translate findings into policy recommendations and public narratives. This milestone course strengthens community practice by building a sustainable, strategic bridge for knowledge transfer that centres people’s lives and produces research with real policy impact.
Training Sessions:
14/04/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Building the Community of Action Research
15/04/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Generating Themes and Articulation of Research Goals and Questions
16/04/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Choosing Methodologies and Validating Outcomes
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
2026 Edition: Tetouan and Matera
Building on the momentum and lessons learned from the first edition, the initiative continues to evolve through more inclusive, participatory, and impact-oriented approaches. Feedback from participants, cultural actors, local communities, and ALF Networks continues to shape future editions, ensuring that the initiative remains responsive to the realities, aspirations, and creativity of Mediterranean societies.
Matera (Italy) and Tétouan (Morocco) officially launched their journey as the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue through opening ceremonies that reflected the spirit of intercultural exchange, creativity, and shared Mediterranean belonging. Bringing together local authorities, cultural institutions, artists, civil society actors, and communities from both shores of the Mediterranean, the opening events transformed the two cities into vibrant spaces of encounter and participation. Through artistic performances, music, storytelling, and symbolic moments of exchange between the two cities, the ceremonies celebrated the diversity of Mediterranean cultures while reaffirming culture as a powerful tool for dialogue, cooperation, and people-to-people connection across the region.
21: The AI Ethics Lab – Hands-On Tools to Govern Bias in the Euro-Med Area
Facilitated by: Geleneksel Yeşil Çevre Derneği
Country: Turkey
Language: English
Date: 30th April, 4th, 7th, 11th, 14th, 18th May (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module aims to give a simple, practical introduction to ethical and responsible AI governance. The training explains how AI systems can show social or cultural bias, how different regions manage AI, and why it is important for civil society to understand these issues. We compare approaches from the EU, Türkiye, and the Euro-Med region, and we look at how local communities are affected by AI decisions.
The training module is not technical. Instead, it focuses on real situations, ethical problems, and practical tools that participants can use immediately. During the sessions, participants will analyse case studies, discuss ethical dilemmas, practice simple risk-assessment methods, and create tools such as ethical checklists and organizational charters.
Training Sessions:
30/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): AI Ethics in the Euro-Mediterranean Context
04/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Cultural & Societal Biases in AI Systems
07/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Comparison of Artificial Intelligence Laws and Approaches in European-Mediterranean Countries
11/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Tools for Ethical AI Evaluation
14/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Ethical Dilemmas Simulation Workshop
18/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Creating an Ethical AI Roadmap
1: Thought Leadership and Narrative Power in Digital Diplomacy
Facilitated by: Qendra AMAD
Country: Albania
Language: English
Date: 16th, 23rd, 30th April, 7th, 14th, 21st May (18:00–20:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This online training module builds participants’ capacities to serve as thought leaders and narrative shapers in communication and digital diplomacy, focusing on how AI, digital platforms, and algorithms influence public discourse and international relations. Designed for interactive online delivery, it examines how narratives are formed, amplified, and challenged in digital spaces, while addressing ethical issues, power imbalances, and responsibilities in the Euro-Mediterranean context. Through simulations, group work, and co-creation labs, participants work with real cases to develop narrative driven strategies relevant to their professional roles. By the end, they gain practical tools to ethically craft, communicate, and sustain impactful digital diplomacy narratives.
Training Sessions:
16/04/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Narrative Power and Digital Influence
23/04/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Ai, algorithms, and visibility
30/04/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Thought Leadership in Digital Ecosystems
07/05/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Strategic Storytelling for Digital Diplomacy
14/05/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Managing Digital Narratives and Risk
21/05/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Co-Creation Lab: Narrative Strategies in Practice
2: Strategic Governance for Peace and Youth Engagement: Strengthening CSO Capacities in Intercultural Dialogue
Facilitated by: Partners Albania for Change and Development
Country: Albania
Language: English
Date: 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th April, 7th, 8th May (10:00 to 12:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module enhances the strategic planning, governance, and leadership capacities of civil society organisations engaged in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, coexistence, and youth engagement across the Euro-Mediterranean region. Responding to the complex intercultural environments in which many CSOs operate, it provides practical tools for effective planning, transparent governance, and inclusive leadership that supports peaceful coexistence and meaningful youth participation. Aimed at mid-level staff who coordinate programmes and facilitate dialogue, the module shows how strong internal structures and clear strategies contribute to conflict sensitive work, multistakeholder cooperation, and participatory dynamics. Delivered through six interactive online sessions using hands-on tools, case-based exercises, and peer learning, it addresses challenges related to multicultural youth engagement, including power dynamics, trust-building, communication, and participatory dialogue. By the end of the training, participants develop actionable strategies and governance practices they can apply immediately to strengthen their organisations’ roles in promoting peace, inclusion, and youth participation in the region.
Training Sessions:
16/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Understanding Organisational Challenges in Intercultural and Conflict-Sensitive Settings
17/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Strategic Planning for Peacebuilding and Youth Participation Initiatives
23/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Governance Models that Support Inclusive and Peace-Oriented Decision-Making
24/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Leadership Approaches for Intercultural Dialogue and Youth Engagement
07/05/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Tools for Managing Conflicts, Facilitating Dialogue and Engaging Youth Constructively
08/05/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Action Planning and Peer Feedback for Organisational Improvement
9: Intercultural Urban Youth Ecosystems: Empowering NGO Professionals to Design Inclusive Urban Spaces for Intercultural Coexistence.
Facilitated by: UNESCO Youth Club of Thessaloniki
Country: Greece
Language: English
Date: 23rd, 27th, 29th April, 04th, 06th, 08th May (18:00 – 20:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module builds on the “URBAN ACTION FOR YOUTH” guidelines developed under the Urban Citizen Y project to address the growing need for inclusive, intercultural urban environments in the Euro-Med region. It equips NGO professionals and youth workers with practical tools to transform public spaces into platforms for dialogue, enabling young people—locals and migrants alike—to cocreate their cities. Through six interconnected modules, participants explore the foundations of intercultural urbanism, map “invisible borders” and contact zones in their cities, apply participatory design for intercultural reconciliation in public spaces, and learn how NGOs can facilitate diverse Youth Councils and support inclusive governance. The course also introduces digital tools for amplifying marginalized youth voices and guides participants in developing local intercultural intervention plans. Delivered through nonformal education, design thinking, sociocratic decision-making, digital whiteboards, and case studies from the URBAN ACTION collection, the module helps participants move from theory to applied practice by creating a tailored Micro-Urban Intervention for their specific Euro-Med context.
Training Sessions:
17/04/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Introduction to the Workshop Contextualizing Intercultural Cities: Foundations & Values
29/04/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Contextualizing Intercultural Cities: Enhancing Our Empathy
04/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Intercultural Mapping: Identifying Invisible Borders and Contact Zones
06/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Inclusive Governance: Empowering Diverse Youth Governance Models
11/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Digital Tools & Social Innovation: Amplifying Marginalized Voices
14/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Action Plan Development: Designing your own Micro-Urban Interventions
10: INSPIRE-Intercultural Skills and Peer Innovation for Resilient Euro-Med civil society
Facilitated by: Consorzio Materahub Industrie Culturali e Creative S.c.a.r.l.
Country: Italy
Language: English
Date: 16th, 21st, 23rd, 28th, 30th April, 5th May (10.30 to 12.30 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacities of civil society organisations in the Euro-Mediterranean region to address emerging intercultural challenges through the creative industries and arts. Designed as a peer-to-peer capacity-enhancement programme for mid-level staff, it responds to growing pressures on CSOs related to sustainability, digitalisation, and entrepreneurship by equipping participants with future-oriented skills. The training focuses on using creative methodologies to identify opportunities, apply strategic foresight, and design innovative solutions that address social and economic needs. Through practical assignments and planning tools, participants learn to develop and scale impactful, user-centred and environmentally conscious projects that foster coexistence and support responsive societal transformation. This approach strengthens the resilience and innovation capacity of CSOs as they navigate complex transitions in the region.
Training Sessions:
17/04/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Creativity as strategic foresight and opportunity mapping
29/04/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Project planning for impact: mastering the Creative Project Canvas
04/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Empathetic leadership for collaborative dialogue
06/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Constructive conflict management in intercultural contexts
11/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Critical thinking: unlocking solutions through root cause analysis
14/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Design Thinking in action: user-centred creative prototyping
14: Train Euro-Med Trainers
Facilitated by: GMD Training and Consultancy Services Ltd.
Country: Malta
Language: English
Date: 7th, 9th, 14th, 16th, 21st, 23rd April (17:30 -19:30 CET)
What you will learn:
This module builds participants’ capacities as intercultural trainers by introducing foundational concepts in intercultural learning, examining conscious and unconscious biases, and strengthening skills in dialogue, mediation, and conflict management. After exploring key trainer roles and the dynamics of bias, participants engage in hands-on codesign of an intercultural competency workshop and collaborative development of experiential learning activities using inclusive pedagogical methods provided by GMD. The final session focuses on creating a joint project that promotes social innovation in the intercultural field. By enabling participants to design and deliver effective learning initiatives that foster intercultural dialogue and communication, the module not only enhances their professional skills but also ensures long-term impact, as the knowledge and tools acquired will be transferred to their own trainees and communities.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Introduction to Intercultural Training
09/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Conscious & Unconscious Bias Awareness for an Inclusive Society
14/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Intercultural & Interreligious Dialogue & Conflict Management
16/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Co-Design of Intercultural Competencies Workshop
21/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Co-development of Experiential Learning Practices
23/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Collaborative Project Work for Social Innovation
17: Managing Social Innovation for Inclusive and Culturally Diverse Euro-Med Communities
Facilitated by: INNOX Innovation Centre
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, 29th, 30th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the managerial capacities of civil society practitioners to design, coordinate, and sustain social innovation initiatives that promote social inclusion in culturally diverse Euro-Mediterranean communities. Drawing on INNOX’s extensive experience working in North Macedonia’s deeply multicultural environment, the programme provides hands-on methods for analysing community needs, engaging diverse stakeholders, and coordinating inclusive cocreation processes. Through peer-to-peer learning and real cases from across the region, participants explore frameworks such as empathy-based community analysis, inclusion-focused problem solving, rapid prototyping, and participatory decision-making. By the end of the training, they develop a concrete inclusion-oriented mini-project and gain practical tools to manage collaborative innovation processes, ultimately empowering CSOs to build more adaptive, inclusive, and resilient communities throughout the Euro-Med region.
Training Sessions:
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Social Innovation in Culturally Diverse Communities
16/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Community Needs and Intercultural Realities
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Inclusive Social Innovation Solutions
23/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Managing Co-Creation and Participatory Processes Online
29/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Prototyping and Testing Inclusive Interventions
30/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Action Planning, Impact Measurement and Sustainability
18: Centring People, Creating Knowledge
Facilitated by: Reka Si, Research And Art Institute
Country: Slovenia
Language: English
Date: 14th, 15th, 16th April (9:30 to 11:30 CET)
What you will learn:
The participatory training introduces concepts and strategies of participatory action research (PAR) as a methodology to upscale, document, and disseminate the valuable work of CSOs that engage directly with communities. Responding to the Mediterranean Pact’s first pillar, People: driving force for change, connections and innovation, the course offers concrete approaches for collaboration between academic researchers (including PhD scholars and policy writers), CSO staff, and people with lived experience as peer researchers and knowledge producers. Through practical, accessible modules the training delivers eye-opening experiences and hands-on tools that help CSO staff view their programmes through a research lens, assess their evidential value, and translate findings into policy recommendations and public narratives. This milestone course strengthens community practice by building a sustainable, strategic bridge for knowledge transfer that centres people’s lives and produces research with real policy impact.
Training Sessions:
14/04/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Building the Community of Action Research
15/04/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Generating Themes and Articulation of Research Goals and Questions
16/04/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Choosing Methodologies and Validating Outcomes
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
2027 Edition
Building on the momentum and lessons learned from the first edition, the initiative continues to evolve through more inclusive, participatory, and impact-oriented approaches. Feedback from participants, cultural actors, local communities, and ALF Networks continues to shape future editions, ensuring that the initiative remains responsive to the realities, aspirations, and creativity of Mediterranean societies.
Matera (Italy) and Tétouan (Morocco) officially launched their journey as the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue through opening ceremonies that reflected the spirit of intercultural exchange, creativity, and shared Mediterranean belonging. Bringing together local authorities, cultural institutions, artists, civil society actors, and communities from both shores of the Mediterranean, the opening events transformed the two cities into vibrant spaces of encounter and participation. Through artistic performances, music, storytelling, and symbolic moments of exchange between the two cities, the ceremonies celebrated the diversity of Mediterranean cultures while reaffirming culture as a powerful tool for dialogue, cooperation, and people-to-people connection across the region.
21: The AI Ethics Lab – Hands-On Tools to Govern Bias in the Euro-Med Area
Facilitated by: Geleneksel Yeşil Çevre Derneği
Country: Turkey
Language: English
Date: 30th April, 4th, 7th, 11th, 14th, 18th May (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module aims to give a simple, practical introduction to ethical and responsible AI governance. The training explains how AI systems can show social or cultural bias, how different regions manage AI, and why it is important for civil society to understand these issues. We compare approaches from the EU, Türkiye, and the Euro-Med region, and we look at how local communities are affected by AI decisions.
The training module is not technical. Instead, it focuses on real situations, ethical problems, and practical tools that participants can use immediately. During the sessions, participants will analyse case studies, discuss ethical dilemmas, practice simple risk-assessment methods, and create tools such as ethical checklists and organizational charters.
Training Sessions:
30/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): AI Ethics in the Euro-Mediterranean Context
04/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Cultural & Societal Biases in AI Systems
07/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Comparison of Artificial Intelligence Laws and Approaches in European-Mediterranean Countries
11/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Tools for Ethical AI Evaluation
14/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Ethical Dilemmas Simulation Workshop
18/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Creating an Ethical AI Roadmap
1: Thought Leadership and Narrative Power in Digital Diplomacy
Facilitated by: Qendra AMAD
Country: Albania
Language: English
Date: 16th, 23rd, 30th April, 7th, 14th, 21st May (18:00–20:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This online training module builds participants’ capacities to serve as thought leaders and narrative shapers in communication and digital diplomacy, focusing on how AI, digital platforms, and algorithms influence public discourse and international relations. Designed for interactive online delivery, it examines how narratives are formed, amplified, and challenged in digital spaces, while addressing ethical issues, power imbalances, and responsibilities in the Euro-Mediterranean context. Through simulations, group work, and co-creation labs, participants work with real cases to develop narrative driven strategies relevant to their professional roles. By the end, they gain practical tools to ethically craft, communicate, and sustain impactful digital diplomacy narratives.
Training Sessions:
16/04/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Narrative Power and Digital Influence
23/04/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Ai, algorithms, and visibility
30/04/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Thought Leadership in Digital Ecosystems
07/05/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Strategic Storytelling for Digital Diplomacy
14/05/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Managing Digital Narratives and Risk
21/05/26 (18:00–20:00 CET): Co-Creation Lab: Narrative Strategies in Practice
2: Strategic Governance for Peace and Youth Engagement: Strengthening CSO Capacities in Intercultural Dialogue
Facilitated by: Partners Albania for Change and Development
Country: Albania
Language: English
Date: 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th April, 7th, 8th May (10:00 to 12:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module enhances the strategic planning, governance, and leadership capacities of civil society organisations engaged in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, coexistence, and youth engagement across the Euro-Mediterranean region. Responding to the complex intercultural environments in which many CSOs operate, it provides practical tools for effective planning, transparent governance, and inclusive leadership that supports peaceful coexistence and meaningful youth participation. Aimed at mid-level staff who coordinate programmes and facilitate dialogue, the module shows how strong internal structures and clear strategies contribute to conflict sensitive work, multistakeholder cooperation, and participatory dynamics. Delivered through six interactive online sessions using hands-on tools, case-based exercises, and peer learning, it addresses challenges related to multicultural youth engagement, including power dynamics, trust-building, communication, and participatory dialogue. By the end of the training, participants develop actionable strategies and governance practices they can apply immediately to strengthen their organisations’ roles in promoting peace, inclusion, and youth participation in the region.
Training Sessions:
16/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Understanding Organisational Challenges in Intercultural and Conflict-Sensitive Settings
17/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Strategic Planning for Peacebuilding and Youth Participation Initiatives
23/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Governance Models that Support Inclusive and Peace-Oriented Decision-Making
24/04/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Leadership Approaches for Intercultural Dialogue and Youth Engagement
07/05/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Tools for Managing Conflicts, Facilitating Dialogue and Engaging Youth Constructively
08/05/26 (10:00 to 12:00 CET): Action Planning and Peer Feedback for Organisational Improvement
9: Intercultural Urban Youth Ecosystems: Empowering NGO Professionals to Design Inclusive Urban Spaces for Intercultural Coexistence.
Facilitated by: UNESCO Youth Club of Thessaloniki
Country: Greece
Language: English
Date: 23rd, 27th, 29th April, 04th, 06th, 08th May (18:00 – 20:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module builds on the “URBAN ACTION FOR YOUTH” guidelines developed under the Urban Citizen Y project to address the growing need for inclusive, intercultural urban environments in the Euro-Med region. It equips NGO professionals and youth workers with practical tools to transform public spaces into platforms for dialogue, enabling young people—locals and migrants alike—to cocreate their cities. Through six interconnected modules, participants explore the foundations of intercultural urbanism, map “invisible borders” and contact zones in their cities, apply participatory design for intercultural reconciliation in public spaces, and learn how NGOs can facilitate diverse Youth Councils and support inclusive governance. The course also introduces digital tools for amplifying marginalized youth voices and guides participants in developing local intercultural intervention plans. Delivered through nonformal education, design thinking, sociocratic decision-making, digital whiteboards, and case studies from the URBAN ACTION collection, the module helps participants move from theory to applied practice by creating a tailored Micro-Urban Intervention for their specific Euro-Med context.
Training Sessions:
17/04/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Introduction to the Workshop Contextualizing Intercultural Cities: Foundations & Values
29/04/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Contextualizing Intercultural Cities: Enhancing Our Empathy
04/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Intercultural Mapping: Identifying Invisible Borders and Contact Zones
06/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Inclusive Governance: Empowering Diverse Youth Governance Models
11/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Digital Tools & Social Innovation: Amplifying Marginalized Voices
14/05/26 (18:00 – 20:00 CET): Action Plan Development: Designing your own Micro-Urban Interventions
10: INSPIRE-Intercultural Skills and Peer Innovation for Resilient Euro-Med civil society
Facilitated by: Consorzio Materahub Industrie Culturali e Creative S.c.a.r.l.
Country: Italy
Language: English
Date: 16th, 21st, 23rd, 28th, 30th April, 5th May (10.30 to 12.30 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacities of civil society organisations in the Euro-Mediterranean region to address emerging intercultural challenges through the creative industries and arts. Designed as a peer-to-peer capacity-enhancement programme for mid-level staff, it responds to growing pressures on CSOs related to sustainability, digitalisation, and entrepreneurship by equipping participants with future-oriented skills. The training focuses on using creative methodologies to identify opportunities, apply strategic foresight, and design innovative solutions that address social and economic needs. Through practical assignments and planning tools, participants learn to develop and scale impactful, user-centred and environmentally conscious projects that foster coexistence and support responsive societal transformation. This approach strengthens the resilience and innovation capacity of CSOs as they navigate complex transitions in the region.
Training Sessions:
17/04/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Creativity as strategic foresight and opportunity mapping
29/04/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Project planning for impact: mastering the Creative Project Canvas
04/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Empathetic leadership for collaborative dialogue
06/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Constructive conflict management in intercultural contexts
11/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Critical thinking: unlocking solutions through root cause analysis
14/05/26 (10.30 to 12.30 CET): Design Thinking in action: user-centred creative prototyping
14: Train Euro-Med Trainers
Facilitated by: GMD Training and Consultancy Services Ltd.
Country: Malta
Language: English
Date: 7th, 9th, 14th, 16th, 21st, 23rd April (17:30 -19:30 CET)
What you will learn:
This module builds participants’ capacities as intercultural trainers by introducing foundational concepts in intercultural learning, examining conscious and unconscious biases, and strengthening skills in dialogue, mediation, and conflict management. After exploring key trainer roles and the dynamics of bias, participants engage in hands-on codesign of an intercultural competency workshop and collaborative development of experiential learning activities using inclusive pedagogical methods provided by GMD. The final session focuses on creating a joint project that promotes social innovation in the intercultural field. By enabling participants to design and deliver effective learning initiatives that foster intercultural dialogue and communication, the module not only enhances their professional skills but also ensures long-term impact, as the knowledge and tools acquired will be transferred to their own trainees and communities.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Introduction to Intercultural Training
09/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Conscious & Unconscious Bias Awareness for an Inclusive Society
14/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Intercultural & Interreligious Dialogue & Conflict Management
16/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Co-Design of Intercultural Competencies Workshop
21/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Co-development of Experiential Learning Practices
23/04/26 (17:30 -19:30 CET): Collaborative Project Work for Social Innovation
17: Managing Social Innovation for Inclusive and Culturally Diverse Euro-Med Communities
Facilitated by: INNOX Innovation Centre
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, 29th, 30th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the managerial capacities of civil society practitioners to design, coordinate, and sustain social innovation initiatives that promote social inclusion in culturally diverse Euro-Mediterranean communities. Drawing on INNOX’s extensive experience working in North Macedonia’s deeply multicultural environment, the programme provides hands-on methods for analysing community needs, engaging diverse stakeholders, and coordinating inclusive cocreation processes. Through peer-to-peer learning and real cases from across the region, participants explore frameworks such as empathy-based community analysis, inclusion-focused problem solving, rapid prototyping, and participatory decision-making. By the end of the training, they develop a concrete inclusion-oriented mini-project and gain practical tools to manage collaborative innovation processes, ultimately empowering CSOs to build more adaptive, inclusive, and resilient communities throughout the Euro-Med region.
Training Sessions:
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Social Innovation in Culturally Diverse Communities
16/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Community Needs and Intercultural Realities
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Inclusive Social Innovation Solutions
23/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Managing Co-Creation and Participatory Processes Online
29/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Prototyping and Testing Inclusive Interventions
30/05/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Action Planning, Impact Measurement and Sustainability
18: Centring People, Creating Knowledge
Facilitated by: Reka Si, Research And Art Institute
Country: Slovenia
Language: English
Date: 14th, 15th, 16th April (9:30 to 11:30 CET)
What you will learn:
The participatory training introduces concepts and strategies of participatory action research (PAR) as a methodology to upscale, document, and disseminate the valuable work of CSOs that engage directly with communities. Responding to the Mediterranean Pact’s first pillar, People: driving force for change, connections and innovation, the course offers concrete approaches for collaboration between academic researchers (including PhD scholars and policy writers), CSO staff, and people with lived experience as peer researchers and knowledge producers. Through practical, accessible modules the training delivers eye-opening experiences and hands-on tools that help CSO staff view their programmes through a research lens, assess their evidential value, and translate findings into policy recommendations and public narratives. This milestone course strengthens community practice by building a sustainable, strategic bridge for knowledge transfer that centres people’s lives and produces research with real policy impact.
Training Sessions:
14/04/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Building the Community of Action Research
15/04/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Generating Themes and Articulation of Research Goals and Questions
16/04/26 (9:30 to 11:30 CET): Choosing Methodologies and Validating Outcomes
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
Pick from 5 training modules to equip you with the tools to build compelling, inclusive narratives and challenge misinformation.
1: Countering Gender-Based Disinformation: Practical Tools for Women-Led CSOs in the Euro-Med Region
Facilitated by: Femina RY
Country: Finland
Language: English
Date: 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th,21st, 22nd April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This training module tackles gender-based disinformation as a major barrier to intercultural dialogue, equipping women-led CSOs with practical skills to identify hostile narratives, respond safely and strategically, and foster more inclusive public discourse. Through Euro-Mediterranean case studies, hands-on simulations, and cross-cultural peer exchange, participants analyse how disinformation travels across borders, how cultural references and stereotypes are weaponised, and how coordinated responses can rebuild trust and protect civic space. The module covers the mechanisms of gender-based disinformation, its role in polarising narratives, digital safety and crisis response, the creation of culturally sensitive counternarratives, and the design of small-scale communication actions that promote dialogue. By providing a shared learning space for mixed-nationality groups, it helps participants compare narratives across contexts, deconstruct gendered constructions of “the Other,” and design responses that reduce polarisation. Ultimately, the module strengthens cross-regional solidarity among women-led CSOs and supports mutual understanding, trust building, and peaceful coexistence in line with the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Training Sessions:
13/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Understanding Gender-Based Disinformation
14/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Mapping Euro-Med Narratives and Crisis Response
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Crisis Response and Digital Safety
20/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Building Inclusive Counter-Narratives
21/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Designing Micro-Campaigns
22/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Toolkit Development and Peer Review
2: The Art of Being Heard
Facilitated by: Social Visions e.V.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Date: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th May (13:00–16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module introduces creative, participatory visual methods that help communities move beyond traditional surveys and feedback tools, which often feel disconnected from people’s lived realities. It teaches two core approaches: Participatory Evaluation Through Art, which uses symbolic photography, collage, intuitive drawing, storytelling cards, and embodied scenes to help participants express insights that might otherwise remain unspoken; and Participatory Survey of Themes Through Art, which employs photographic observation, collage-based mapping, guided storytelling, spatial mapping, and embodied scenarios to identify the issues that truly matter to a community. Together, these methods empower participants, strengthen critical reflection, and shift influence from external decisionmakers to community members. By transforming lived experience into collective knowledge, the module fosters deeper dialogue, inclusive participation, and collaborative group processes. By the end of the training, participants gain a practical toolkit for creative evaluation, participatory theme identification, collaborative analysis, and inclusive group leadership.
Training Sessions:
06/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM EXPERIENCE TO VOICE: Participatory Theme Identification Through Art
13/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM IDENTITY TO PLACE: Participatory Visual Evaluation — Mapping Generative Themes
20/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT IF: Collage Making & Vision Boarding
27/05/26 (13:00–16:00 CET): CLOSING THE CIRCLE: Creative Evaluation, Dialogue & Exchange
3: With a Youth Lens: Bridging Minds, Uniting Hearts
Facilitated by: Unity Up
Country: Lebanon
Language: English
Date: 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th April (17:00 – 19:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module tackles rising mistrust, misinformation, propaganda, and entrenched prejudices affecting civil society by creating a safe, structured learning environment where participants develop emotional intelligence, broaden their perspectives, and gain practical tools for responsible communication and intercultural engagement. Through six interconnected sessions blending experiential learning, conflict analysis, coaching, reflective storytelling, and media literacy, participants explore the conflict cycle using regional cases, strengthen conflict sensitivity through the “Do No Harm” framework, and deepen empathy via roleplay and story-sharing exercises. Additional modules build skills in recognising manipulation and misinformation, practicing constructive dialogue, and using ethical storytelling—including AI-assisted narrative tools—to inspire positive change. With contributions from “Lens Sharers” across the Euro-Med region, the module ultimately empowers youth workers, professionals, and young people to humanise the “other,” bridge divides, and become active promoters of peace and intercultural dialogue.
Training Sessions:
01/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Cycle
04/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Conflict Sensitivity
08/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): In Their Shoes
11/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Fighting Propaganda and Misinformation
15/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Coaching for dialogue and leadership
18/04/26 (17:00 – 19:00 CET): Storytelling and AI
4: Living Together Youth Lab: how to design activities to promote dialogue and peacebuilding with the ALF Handbook
Facilitated by: Youth Work Synergy
Country: Luxembourg
Language: English
Date: 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st May (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
What you will learn:
The Living Together Youth Lab addresses emerging intercultural challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region by equipping youth workers and educators with practical tools to transform everyday tensions, stereotypes, and feelings of exclusion into opportunities for dialogue, learning, and peacebuilding. Grounded in the Anna Lindh Intercultural Citizenship Education Handbook, the module enables participants to experience and deconstruct activities on diversity, migration, Euro-Med identities, participation, and social justice, and then adapt them to their own local youth contexts with attention to power dynamics and emotional safety. Working with real cases from their practice, participants design at least one “living together” activity and a short programme to implement with young people, ensuring meaningful youth participation in dialogue and decision-making processes. By the end, they gain a practical understanding of how to use the ALF Handbook as a toolbox, develop concrete session plans ready for testing, and join a peer network committed to fostering coexistence, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict transformation among youth across the region.
Training Sessions:
13/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Mapping Challenges & Meeting the ALF Handbook
14/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Experiencing the ALF Handbook with Youth in Mind
18/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): From Activities to Youth Peacebuilding Programmes
21/05/26 (10:00 – 13:00 CET): Testing Designs, Evaluation & Next Steps
5: Detect and debunk: practical tools for countering information manipulation in the Euro-Mediterranean space
Facilitated by: ESTIMA
Country: North Macedonia
Language: English
Date: 7th, 14th, 20th, 27th April, 4th, 11th May (14:00 – 16:00 CET)
What you will learn:
This module strengthens the capacity of young journalists, influencers, civic actors, and local media outlets across the Euro-Mediterranean region to recognise and counter information manipulation, which increasingly undermines social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the quality of public debate. Responding to the limited editorial resources and professional support available in many smaller cities and communities, the training offers practical, step-by-step skills for identifying manipulation techniques, validating sources, detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and understanding how geopolitical interests shape narratives. Building on ESTIMA’s extensive experience with media professionals and its research into external influence and misleading narrative flows, the module uses real regional examples and evidence-based methods to help participants apply rapid verification tools both individually and in newsroom settings. By blending analytical insight with hands-on exercises and quizzes, the training enables participants to turn theory into operational competence, ultimately enhancing their ability to safeguard their audiences and strengthen the information ecosystems in which they work.
Training Sessions:
07/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Understanding information manipulation in the Euro/Med context
14/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Narrative mapping and recognizing influence patterns
20/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Critical societal areas and porous zones
27/04/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Platforms and their ecosystems: opportunities for debunking and manipulation
04/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Strategies for identifying and debunking manipulation (individual & newsroom/editorial approaches)
11/05/26 (14:00 – 16:00 CET): Live simulation: “Detect and debunk” (under time pressure)
2028 Edition
Building on the momentum and lessons learned from the first edition, the initiative continues to evolve through more inclusive, participatory, and impact-oriented approaches. Feedback from participants, cultural actors, local communities, and ALF Networks continues to shape future editions, ensuring that the initiative remains responsive to the realities, aspirations, and creativity of Mediterranean societies.
Matera (Italy) and Tétouan (Morocco) officially launched their journey as the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue through opening ceremonies that reflected the spirit of intercultural exchange, creativity, and shared Mediterranean belonging. Bringing together local authorities, cultural institutions, artists, civil society actors, and communities from both shores of the Mediterranean, the opening events transformed the two cities into vibrant spaces of encounter and participation. Through artistic performances, music, storytelling, and symbolic moments of exchange between the two cities, the ceremonies celebrated the diversity of Mediterranean cultures while reaffirming culture as a powerful tool for dialogue, cooperation, and people-to-people connection across the region.
Culture as a Tool for Dialogue
The Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue support activities that place people and communities at the centre of cultural exchange. From immersive performances and participatory workshops to community storytelling, music, crafts, food heritage, public art, and intercultural encounters, the initiative encourages approaches that move beyond passive audiences towards active participation and co-creation.
By connecting local realities with regional Mediterranean narratives, the initiative contributes to stronger social cohesion, greater mutual understanding, and more connected civil societies across the region.
| Source | Applications | Countries |
|---|---|---|
| ALForum | 615 | - |
| Alexandria | 81 | - |
| Tétouan & Matera | 206 | - |
| TOTAL | 902 | 43 Euro-Mediterranean countries |
The initiative also generated exceptional regional engagement through its open calls, receiving 615 (ALForum) + 81 (Alex) + 206 (Tetouan & Matera) = 902 Total applications from 43 Euro-Mediterranean countries. Following a transparent evaluation process, selected initiatives from across the region contributed to a vibrant programme of intercultural dialogue and community participation.
In a time of growing fragmentation and polarisation, the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue reaffirm the role of culture as a shared space where dialogue, diversity, and human connection can thrive.