The Ceremony of the Fifth Edition of the Euro-Med Award for Dialogue between Cultures, organised by the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation, was held in Brussels on Friday December 3, 2010. The 2010 Winner of the Award is ECOPEACE Friends of the Earth Middle East, jointly established by environmentalists from Palestine, Jordan and Israel and member of Friends of the Earth International, the largest grassroots environmental organization in the world. FoEME is a civil society organization, conducting trans-boundary research projects and promoting cross border dialogue for ecological sustainability in the region, a fair share of natural resources in the Jordan Valley, and a just peace.

Speaking during the ceremony about the main role of their organization, FoEME representatives said“We do not have to wait for the conclusion of the peace process to take social and environmental action. We at Friends of the Earth have decided to anticipate the times and bring people together to change development policies in the region beforehand. By doing so, we are creating local alliances that will help to find also political solutions to the Middle Eastern conflict.”

During the ceremony, a public debate on the theme “Can Intercultural Dialogue Prepare Social Change to Address the Ecological Challenge” was held and involved around 120 participants, including institutional and civil society figures.

The main speakers at the debate were the winners Munqeth Mehyar (Jordan), Nader Khateb (Palestine), Gidon Bromberg (Israel) (Friends of the Earth Middle East), Philippe Lamberts (Co-President of the European Green Party), Kumi Naidoo (Director of Greenpeace International – audiovisual message), Mohend Mahouche (WWF France), Andrew Murphy (European Commission) and moderated by Olaf Gerlach-Hansen, Director of Culture|Futures, Denmark.

During the debate, Philippe Lamberts commented on the work of FoEME as “an inspiring model for all politicians who care about the environmental and conflict solution agenda in the Middle East, and do not know how to contribute to changing reality on the ground.”

From his side, Kumi Naidoo estimated that the struggle for climate justice and ecological sustainability provides an opportunity for overcoming prejudices and racism: “We all live on this planet together and it will be by peaceful and constructive coexistence - coexistence between peoples and nations, coexistence between Man/Woman and Nature - that we will avert catastrophic climate change.”

Mohend Mahouche concluded the debate by stating that “the preservation of the beautiful landscapes and the rich biodiversity of the Mediterranean Region must go hand in hand with dialogue to appreciate its social and cultural diversity. Men and Nature have forged and made unique the heritage of the region, and it is our responsibility to protect it.”

The Anna Lindh Euro-Med Award is an annual award that recognises the achievements of individuals and organizations that have been at the forefront of promoting Dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Taking place this year on the theme of ‘Intercultural Dialogue for Ecological Sustainability, the Dialogue Award is unique in the fact that it is bestowed and voted upon by members of the Anna Lindh Foundation’s region-wide Network of 3000 civil society organizations working across the 43 countries of the Union for the Mediterranean.