Fotoessa had the great privilege to actively participate in an historic celebration for the EuroMed region, the Anna Lindh Foundation FORUM 2025, in Tirana, Albania, 18-20 June. This Forum celebrated two historic milestones: 20 years of the Anna Lindh Foundation’s commitment to fostering dialogue across the Euro- Mediterranean region, and 30 years since the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership/Barcelona Process, an initiative that reshaped the relations between both shores and laid the grounds for a vision of peace, stability, shared prosperity and dialogue between cultures and civilizations.
The ALFORUM 2025 brought together more than 600 participants, including civil society and academic entities, young leaders, media outlets, influential figures, governments and institutions representatives, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders from 43 countries to transform the Euro-Mediterranean region.
With 10 focus areas, the ALForum parallel sessions tackle the most urgent and inspiring priorities shaping the Euro-Mediterranean region. Fotoessa’s members contributed by attending many sessions and by participating in the panel of two peer to peer sessions.
Dr. Stefanos Vallianatos, co-founder of Fotoessa, head of the Greek ALF Network, and Head of the Department of International Relations at the Hellenic Foundation for Book and Culture (Greece), was the moderator for the session “Multi/Inter-cultural cities: stakeholders & the challenge of collective actions.”
As cities become more diverse, it is more important than ever to have regulations that are inclusive of everyone and a government that works with everyone. Local governments, civil society groups, business owners, and academics participated in this discussion to explore how different groups shape, challenge, and support multicultural living in cities.
Building on earlier research conducted in Greece, this session examined and compared experiences from across the Euro-Med region. It explored new trends in intercultural dialogue, the gaps in governance in stakeholder collaboration and possible models for long-term cooperation in cities, including dialogue, networking, and shared policy ownership.
Aspasia Protogerou, ALF certified Intercultural Trainer of Trainers, participated in the panel titled “Hands-On practitioners for a participatory and resilient Euro-Med region”. As a region with shared histories and new challenges, the Euro-Mediterranean area requires practical, collaborative solutions. This session explored how public actors can be better prepared to address the region’s social, economic, and environmental changes through hands-on learning and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.
Having participated in a variety of ALF Hands-On programs, Aspasia Protogerou presented experiences and good practices from youth participation programs, peacebuilding, social inclusion and innovation, at the transnational level and at the local community level. In this dynamic meeting, fruitful ideas were presented and the delegates shared their passion for creating solutions through critical thinking, digital literacy, leadership and intercultural collaboration. At the same time, significant opportunities for collaborations and strong synergies emerged.
ALFORUM 2025 theme: The Dialogue Effect
From Knowledge to Action: Redefining Dialogue in the Euro Mediterranean Region: In times of global uncertainty, dialogue might seem not powerful enough to address the challenges we face. Yet, when the world is shaken to its core, collective dialogue becomes not just a solution, but often the only way to move forward. Like the butterfly effect, the power of dialogue may not always be immediately visible but its impact is undeniable. Every decision, every initiative, and every transformative action begins with a conversation. A conversation to understand, connect and create change.
