With this initiative, we aim to gather signatures from across Europe, the southern Mediterranean shore and beyond, in support of our “European Elections: Embracing the Mediterranean means saving Europe” Appeal. Prior to launching the initiative, key figures we appreciate for their work in favour of rights, cultural enlightenment and dialogue in the region have signed the Appeal. The full list of first signatories is below.
JOIN US AND SIGN THE APPEAL Here!
The Appeal has been signed by over eighty personalities. Among them: Esraa Abdel Fattah, 2011 revolution leader & Nobel Peace prize nominee, Egypt; Alaa Al-Aswany, Author, Egypt; Suad Amiry, Author & architect, Palestine; Massimo Cacciari, Philosopher, Italy; Chen Alon, Theatre director & Founder of Combatants for Peace, Israel; Koert Debeuf, Director, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy in Europe, Belgium; Erri De Luca, Author & poet, Italy; Costas Douzinas, Professor, London University & Greek politician, Greece/UK; Mehrez Drissi, Counselor to the Minister of Education, Tunisia; Idris El Gady, Coordinator, Libyan Union of Civil Society, Libya; Thierry Fabre, Essayist & Founder of Rencontres d’Averroès, France; Neus Fábregas, Deputy Mayor, City of Valencia, Spain; Peter Frankopan, Professor, Oxford University, historian & author, UK; Luca Jahier, President, European Economic & Social Committee, Brussels; Dima Al-Joundi, Filmmaker, Lebanon; Entela Kasi, Poet & President of PEN Club, Albania; Salam Kawakibi, Director, Centre Arabe de Recherches et d’Etudes Politiques, Syria/France; Emel Kurma, Director, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Turkey; Abdellatif Laâbi, Author, Morocco/France; Montserrat Minobis, Founder, Association of Women Journalists of Catalonia, Spain; Luisa Morgantini, Founder AssopacePalestina & former MEP, Italy; Besnik Mustafaj, Author & former Foreign Minister, Albania; Leoluca Orlando, Mayor, City of Palermo & anti-Mafia leader, Italy; Moni Ovadia, Actor, musician & author, Italy; Saïd Salhi, Vice President, Ligue Algérienne pour la défense des droits de l’Homme, Algeria; Burhan Sönmez, Author, Turkey; Ersi Sotiropoulos, Author, Greece; Igor Štiks, Author & scholar, Sarajevo-Zagreb-Belgrade; Nadia Urbinati, Professor of Political Theory, Columbia University, USA; Lesley Wood, Chair of Sociology, York University, Canada.
Read here the full list of the more than 80 first signatories.
The available linguistic versions of the Appeal are below:
Besides launching the public Appeal as a transnational citizens’ petition, we are communicating a political message to political forces through advocacy initiatives. In particular, we are organising events and debates around the vision proposed by the Appeal, before the European elections. The campaign will conclude on the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, May 21, when we are inviting those who share our ambition to organise public events as a joint-initiative under the Maydan “umbrella”. The events may include debates, cultural and artistic initiatives, media events etc., with the aim of bringing people together to discuss the Appeal and Maydan’s Manifesto. The campaign involves more than ten organisations from the following countries: Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Sweden, Croatia, Serbia, Albania, Morocco, Greece and Egypt (see below).
We are also holding a creative arts contest for youth on the Mediterranean common destiny. See the terms and conditions for Floating Voices here. The results of the contest, as well as the debates and dialogues leading up to the elections, will then be “transported” around the Mediterranean aboard the sailing ship of Progetto Mediterranea, which will begin its voyage on 8 June, 2019 from Lisbon and conclude its trip in Genoa on 12 October, 2019.
The Appeal campaign is an initiative supported by a pool of organizations, including: Maydan Association; Het Grote Midden Oosten Platform (NL); National Museums of World Culture (SW); Efsyn Newspaper (GR); Center for Comparative Conflict Studies (SRB); Tadamon: The Egyptian Refugee Multicultural Council (EGY); IEMED (ES), Jocs de Pau (ES); Albanian Forum for the Alliance of Civilizations (ALB); Progetto Mediterranea (IT); and Institut Méditerranéen démocratique pour le développement et la formation (MOR).
(Image: Tabula Rogeriana. Created by the Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi in 1154 for the Norman King Roger II of Sicily, the map showing the world, and in particular the Mediterranean space, is oriented with the North at the bottom. A metaphor for our dream of going beyond North and South categories)
