Calle San Francisco de Borja 20 puerta 8
46007 Valencia
Spain
- Democracy and community development
- Environment/Sustainable development
- Gender
- Human rights
- International/Cultural relations
- Others
- Youth and education
The Mediterranean Citizens’ Assembly Foundation mission is a citizens’ network of dialog, proposal and action, founded on the democratic values of freedom, peace, respect for cultural diversity and environmental responsibility. It aims to favour the emergence of a common voice and a common citizens’ action in the area of the Mediterranean, through the action and involvement of citizens, both men and women, that a united and positive “community of destiny” will be set up in the Mediterranean. The Citizens' nature involved in all the activities is a key component in itself.
In relation to its main objectives, the MCAF aims to:
- Contribute to the construction of a sustainable area of peace, development, solidarity and shared prosperity by the peoples.
- Enhance economic and political integration in the regional framework.
- Boost the emergence of the dialog and the common citizen action.
- Promote the citizen intervention within a new political, economic, and social construction, for the Mediterranean basin.
- Work to overcome mutual fears and give a human, political, cultural, environmental and economic sense to a Mediterranean community of peoples.
- Boost religious tolerance and peaceful conviviality between Mediterranean peoples.
The Mediterranean Citizens’ Assembly Foundation undertakes or participates in the:
- Organisation of meetings, workshops and seminars.
- Participation in projects, initiatives or actions in the Mediterranean, with special attention to youth and women…
- Creation of Mediterranean local citizens’ circles in different countries of the basin.
- Edition of publications and other output.
- Design of priorities, common strategies and specific proposals.
- All other activities considered to be appropriate to reach the objectives.
Since its new formal structure (2016), the foundation has been especially active in the following initiatives:
- Organisation of local cultural seminars and large events such as the Mostra Viva del Mediterrani (Valencia, October 2016).
- Organisation of a workshop about food security during the Medcop international conference (Tangier, July 2016), together with several Mediterranean partners and presentation of the Declaration about Food and Agriculture Transition, coordinated by the MCAF and already signed by around 30 organisations in the Mediterranean. Submission of a workshop for the COP22 (Marrakech, November 2016).
- Participation in activities of the Workshop of the Young Citizens’ of the Mediterranean.
- Contribution to submit a Europe for Citizens Programme project proposal. Possible participation as an associate in an Erasmus Plus project.
- Creation and coordination of an expert group in the field of the humanitarian crisis and the refugees in the Eastern Mediterranean, with the aim to establish recommendations and to design actions to be undertaken by the MCAF.
- Update and publication of a book summarizing the ideas behind the MCA and its activities since its creation in 2010 (October 2016).
- Participation in official conferences held (or to be held in the near future) by Euro-Mediterranean organisations (Euro-Mediterranean University-EMUNI, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, Anna Lindh Foundation, European Parliament, etc.).
The Mediterranean Citizens’ Assembly Foundation is a network in itself, putting together a number of citizens, from different cities and countries, and belonging to other organisations. Independently of their gender, religion, status, etc. they all share a Mediterranean citizen identity. This union in the diversity is the main strength of the MCAF and many synergies may arise if we work together with the Spanish network of the Anna Lindh Foundation and its member organisations.
From a sectorial perspective, the MCAF is able to work in any initiatives or actions to support the Mediterranean citizenship, for instance in the fields of culture, education, youth, women, food security, humanitarian issues, etc. Both MCA Circles and the MCAF itself may join projects and actions in these and other domains, or to launch new ones, to which other members of the ALF may be interested in contribute.
After five years of informal activity (2010-2015), the MCAF has been formally established in Valencia as a foundation according to the Spanish Law at the beginning of the year. After a few months of legal and administrative procedures, the MCAF has now the opportunity to launch new outstanding relations with first order organisations working in the Mediterranean and the ALF is probably the most important network of organisations active in the Mediterranean region. In this sense, the MCAF would like to work within the citizenship working group.
The MCAF is certain that belonging to the Spanish network will create synergies with other members and will facilitate the participation in projects to enhance the situation in the Mediterranean.