Diana Ionita, Head of Digital at GEYC, participated in the Anna Lindh
Foundation Forum 2025 held in Tirana, Albania, 18-20 June 2025. The forum
brought together approximately 800 participants from 43 countries, including
civil society organizations, academic institutions, young leaders, media
representatives, government officials, and policymakers to address challenges
in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
The context
This year's forum marked two significant anniversaries: 20 years of the Anna
Lindh Foundation's work in fostering dialogue across the Euro-Mediterranean
region and 30 years since the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership/ Barcelona
Process.
The 2025 forum operated under the theme
The Dialogue Effect: From Knowledge to Action: Redefining Dialogue in the
Euro Mediterranean Region. Tirana was selected as the host city in recognition of its designation as
Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2025, a title awarded annually
by the Anna Lindh Foundation and the Union for the Mediterranean.
Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali, President of the Anna Lindh Foundation,
participated in the forum, reinforcing the organization's role in connecting
governments, civil society, and cultural leaders across the
Euro-Mediterranean region.
Stefano Sannino, Director General for the Middle East, North Africa and the
Gulf at the European Commission, led discussions on the New Pact for the
Mediterranean and people-to-people approaches in policy design and
implementation.
A significant plenary panel titled "Bridging Cultures and Religions in the
Euro-Mediterranean Region: Reflecting on Two Decades of Dialogue for
Humanity", led by H.E. Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos,
Under-Secretary-General, High Representative for UNAOC and United Nations
Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, and moderated by Ms. Nihal Saad, UNAOC
Director, bringing together high-level speakers, including: H.E. Mr. George
Andreas Papandreou, Former Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic; H.E. Mr.
Mladen Ivanic, Former Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
H.E. Mr. Egemen Bağış, Former Minister for European Union Affairs of the
Republic of Türkiye; and Prof. Michele Capasso, President of Fondazione
Mediterraneo, Architect and Engineer. The panel examined the progress and
challenges in intercultural dialogue over the past two decades.
GEYC Contribution
Diana was invited as a speaker in two panel discussions:
• Fact checking and data integrity: On the perils of information bubbles, fake news, and biased data and how to fight them: During this session, she addressed the importance of developing digital
competences among youth, youth workers, and educators, particularly in
relation to the
European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025. She also presented the role of young people in using digital storytelling
to raise awareness and create counter-narratives, referencing the
No Hate Embassy project
as a practical example.
•
Hands-On Practitioners for a Participatory and Resilient Euro-Med Region: In this panel, she shared findings from GEYC's
Enhance Your Capacity Academy Digital program, conducted under the ALF Hands-on programme. Her presentation focused on
adapting non-formal education methodologies to digital environments and
developing learning programs that emphasize practical approaches, peer-to-peer
learning, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Besides 100 learning sessions with 10 focus areas, the forum also included 15
artistic performances representing various Mediterranean cultures, featuring
music, theatre, dance, and comedy. Performances ranged from Lebanese wedding
celebrations and Bulgarian folklore to Flamenco and Egyptian Mizmar, alongside
contemporary presentations including stand-up comedy and DJ performances, as
well as plennary contributions from TV Presenter and Journalist Jaafar Abdul Karim and
Comedian best-selling author ,and disability advocate Maysoon Zayid -
"Dialogue. When to Listen, When to Leave"
Several side events complemented the main program such as: "Memories of the
Mediterranean – From Antiquity to Modern Times" exhibition at the National
Library of Albania, displaying historical books, manuscripts, maps, and
engravings from 1300–1800, open to the public for one month and "The Odyssey
of the Mediterranean" cultural event at Agimi Art Center, organized by NGO
Argjiro in partnership with the Creative Industries Agency of the Municipality
of Tirana and the French Embassy in Albania.
The forum addressed pressing regional challenges including misinformation,
democratic dialogue, civic trust, and evidence-based governance. Sessions
focused on practical solutions, including fact-checking tools, digital media
literacy, and data integrity measures implemented at local, national, and
regional levels.
Building GEYC's capacity
The forum provided a platform for sharing GEYC's work in digital education and
intercultural dialogue. Diana Ionita's participation contributed to
discussions on combating misinformation and developing resilient educational
approaches for the digital age, particularly relevant given the European Year
of Digital Citizenship Education 2025, as well as our continuous efforts in
cultivating sustainable development and intercultural dialogue
across the Mediterranean, where GEYC creates platforms for youth-led solutions addressing shared
challenges from climate change to economic opportunity.
The Anna Lindh Foundation Forum 2025 served as a platform for policy dialogue,
knowledge sharing, and network building among stakeholders working on
Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. The event's focus on transforming dialogue
into concrete action reflected ongoing efforts to address regional challenges
through collaborative approaches. The forum's timing, coinciding with
significant anniversaries in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, provided an
opportunity to assess progress and identify future directions for regional
dialogue and collaboration initiatives.
Learn more about the ALForum 2025
here.
GEYC's participation at the forum was an opportunity to build the capacity of
our team and is closely aligned with our 2030 Strategy priorities, as part of the
system development & outreach activities of the project Erasmus+ Youth
Accreditation / 2024-1-RO01-KA151-YOU-000208961.