In a world marked by ongoing tensions and increased interconnection, ensuring harmonious interactions between young people with plural cultural, religious and ethnic identities remains more than ever a priority. The Euromed youth training and networking program seeks to address this challenge by instilling a culture of peace and respect for diversity in tomorrow’s leaders and by gradually building a network of vibrant entrepreneurs who act for social transformation and promote values of mutual respect and dialogue through civic engagement. The project aims at achieving several key objectives : (a) Promote intercultural learning, the respect of diversity, and the values of solidarity, equal opportunities and human rights among young people in Europe. (b) Contribute to the personal, socio-educational and professional development of young people through intensive summer course and mobility projects (c) Equip young students with the knowledge and intercultural skills required for a pursuit of a successful career in today’s culturally diverse and globally-connected work environments ; (d) promote entrepreneurship education to develop active citizenship, employability and new business creation (including social entrepreneurship), supporting future learning and career paths for individuals in line with their personal and professional development. (e) increase cooperation and transnational partnership between the world of academia, business, research, and youth With a multidisciplinary approach - through intensive summer course, workshops, debates, joint research projects, group activities - the program will enable young students from diverse origins to be immersed every year in a dynamic and though provoking academic environment which stimulates dialogue and enables them to learn from each other and reflect together on complex issues relating to democracy and human rights, peace and conflict, cultural diversity, racism and discrimination. In that context, they also develop their communication, leadership, listening and interpersonal skills with students from different cultures. As part of the program, the participants are also given the opportunity to receive support and develop social entrepreneurship project.
The "Euro Med Youth Training and Networking Program" project was created in continuity with the first two International Summer Universities initiated by the Aladdin Project (France) in order to train students to intercultural leadership. The International Summer University is an intensive two consecutive week program bringing together students and teachers from universities worldwide to study, research and discuss a theme from a multidisciplinary perspective. In addition to lectures, the work program includes the construction of research conducted by voluntarily multicultural student groups. Two International Summer Universities were organized before applying for the Erasmus + fund: - The International Summer School for Intercultural Leadership 2013, held in Istanbul, Turkey, from July 1 to July 15 2013, on "The European experience: the world wars to reconciliation and cooperation." - The University International Summer for Intercultural Leadership 2014, held in Berlin, Germany, from June 30 to July 12 2014, on "Religion, Peace and Conflict in the 21st Century". Under the project, two other Two International Summer Universities were organized in partnership with Bahcesehir University (Turkey), The School of Oriental and African Studies (UK) and the University Mohammed V (Morocco) : - The International Summer School for Intercultural Leadership 2015, held in Cappadocia, Turkey, from July 19 to August 2 2015, on the theme "Images of Power: Truth, manipulation and intolerance" - The International Summer School for Intercultural Leadership 2016, held in Guba, Azerbaijan, from July 24 to August 5, 2016, on the theme "Migration and the future of intercultural relations" The project "Euro-Med Youth Training and Networking Program" coordinated by the association Aladdin Project aims at achieving several key objectives: a) Promote intercultural learning, respect for diversity, solidarity, equal opportunities and human rights for young people; b) Contribute to personal development, socio-educational and professional youth through intensive courses and mobility projects; c) Provide young students knowledge and intercultural skills necessary to pursue a successful career within work environments increasingly connected and competitive worldwide; d) Promote entrepreneurship and foster employability and entrepreneurship (including social entrepreneurship), support (future) training course / career plans for each individual based on their personal development and professional; e) Increase cooperation and partnerships between academic worlds of business, research, and youth; f) Intensify the collaboration of universities between the two shores of the mediterranean and thus help to foster a dialogue for peace and tolerance. With a multidisciplinary approach - via intensive courses, workshops, debates, joint research projects, group activities - the program enables young students from diverse origins to be immersed every year in a dynamic academic environment which encourages dialogue, enables them to learn from each other and reflect together on complex issues relating to democracy and human rights, peace and conflict, cultural diversity, racism and discrimination. In this context, students also develop their communication skills as well as leadership, listening, interpersonal and intercultural skills by interacting with students from different cultures. The "Euro Med Youth Training and Networking Program" project aims to instill in these students, leaders of tomorrow, a culture of peace and respect for diversity and to gradually build a network of entrepreneurs who act in favor of social transformation and promote the values of mutual respect and dialogue through civic engagement.