Why the EUROMEDINCULTURE(s) network?

Findings

The EUROMEDINCULTURE(s) network was started in 2004 by ADCEI (Association pour le Développement Culturel Européen et International – Association for the European and International Cultural Development, Marseilles, France) on the basis of a triple practical observation:

• A sense of “isolation” felt by ADCEI in its mission of information and support of local cultural operators willing to extend their practises to Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as a deeply felt need to exchange and enrich its own practices by sharing the experiences of other organizations from Europe and the neighbouring countries;
• The natural Euro-Mediterranean orientation of ADCEI;
• The increasing need for support, voiced by the cultural professionals met on a daily basis, to identify and get acquainted with possible European andMediterraneanpartners in order to carry out cooperation projects.

Challenges

By offering concrete elements of networking to culture professionals eager to open up to Euro-Mediterranean cooperation projects, EUROMEDINCULTURE(s) tackles many major challenges for the future of the Euro-Mediterranean area:

• Promote intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding between peoples from both sides of theMediterranean, in particular by fostering meetings between artists and culture professionals;
• Emphasize the artistic creativity of each region of the partnership and prompt a wide audience to discover artistic creations coming from other horizons;
• Encourage participative thinking on the role of culture inEurope, especially regarding the EU external policy;
• Reinforce the role of culture and the arts in the integration ofEuropeand in the relations of the EU with third countries.

Code of ethics

The work of EUROMEDINCULTURE(s) abides with a fair idea of cooperation, grounded on values of equity and respect between partners. Too many projects, even if targeted “cooperation” projects, are actually led by the “North” in an almost unilateral way and without the active participation of the “southern” partners. On the contrary, the EUROMEDINCULTURE(s) network believes in the promotion of a just partnership, based on the equal involvement of all partners, from the conception to the execution of the project.

Governance

Since its inception, the EUROMEDINCULTURE(s) network has benefitted from financial support from the European Union, the French government and some local public authorities.

On July 3rd, 2009, in Montpellier (France), the EUROMEDINCULTURE(s) Network was legalised as a non-governmental organisation under the French law, with the eminent patronage of Mr André AZOULAY, Adviser to the king ofMorocco and President of the Euro-Mediterranean Anna Lindh Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures.

The governance of the organisation complies with a North-South parity principle. It is chaired by Mr. Besnik MUSTAFAJ, writer and former Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania, who shares his duties with two vice-Presidents, Ms. Marina BARHAM, Palestinian theatre General manager, and Mr. René KOLLWELTER, Luxembourg State Adviser. The general delegation of the network is supervised by Mr. Frédéric JAMBU, ADCEI's Director.