Sabir Festival of Mediterranean Cultures

transform! at the

The question of migrants and refugees is increasingly showing and outlining a regressive face and profound injustice from several European countries. The walls that stand in defence of the borders represent the image of a Europe unable to distribute the vast wealth produced and at the same time is a prison for the European peoples themselves, trapped in the austerity policies, which invariably impoverish wider strata of the population. On the other shore of the Mediterranean, the spring seems to have fallen back into a cold winter and war favours the emergence of new and old forms of dictatorships that reduce spaces of democracy.

transform! europe promotes, throughout the festival “Sabir”, to be held in Pozzallo from 12 to 15 May, a meeting between political representatives and civil society of the two shores of the Mediterranean with the aim of strengthening the democratic movements and political alliances of these two shores.

What is the European Union’s role in building peace policies, who are the subjects and the forces with whom to build relationships that can strengthen forms of democracy and participation, that can redefine economic and social policies that replace the new forms of economic colonialism and neo-liberal dominance?

These are some of the questions we will try to answer, in order to strengthen and expand the social and political alliances between the many sides of the sea, cradle of our civilization.

The meeting organized by transform! europe will take place on May 14 and is composed by two sessions.

 

Contact and information
transform.italia@gmail.com
Roberto Morea
Phone: +39 3396234477


Programme

Saturday, 14 May 2016

 

9.30 – 11.30: The Democratic Transitions

Coordination: Roberto Morea, transform! europe

Tasia Christodoulopoulou, former minister of immigration, Greece

Messaoud Romdhani, Tunisia, Forum for Economic and Social Rights, Maghreb Social Forum and Executive Board Euromed Rights network

Kamal Lahbib o Hamouda Soubhi, Marocco, Alternatives Morocco and Maghreb Social Forum

Stefano Galieni, Rifondazione Comunista, Italy

Marie-Christine Vergiat, MEP – Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union

Maria Jaidopulu Vrijea, Nicos Poulantzas Institute, Greece

 

11.30 – 13.00: Struggles and Convergences

Coordination: Katerina Anastasiou, platform change4all, Vienna

Cagla Elcin Aykac, Network University of Peace, Turkey

Ziad Abdel Samad, Arab NGOs network for Development

Jan Robert Suisser, Vice-president of the European Civic Forum, League of Human Rights

Lorenzo Marsili, European Alternatives, DiEM 25

Domenico Rizzuti, La Sinistra Euromediterranea, Italy

Sahkry A., Democratic Confederation of Labour (CDT), Morocco

For the full program please refer to the folder (pdf) on the right.