The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for Dialogue between Cultures (ALF) and Fondazione Mediterraneo (FM), are launching the Sixth edition of the Euro-Mediterranean Award for Dialogue Between Cultures. This annual award, which is bestowed by the 43 ALF National Networks, recognises the achievements of individuals and organizations that have been at the forefront of promoting Dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Candidates for the Award can be proposed either as an individual or as an organization, and must bear nationality of one of the 43 member countries of the Euro-Med Partnership, or of its observer countries (Libya and Sudan). As youth, women and migrants are the key target groups of the Foundation’s scope of work, special attention will be given to candidates who have actively worked or implement projects with these groups.

The selection of the winner of the Euro-Med Award is a participatory process which involves the Heads of the Networks and the members alike. The initial selection of the 5 finalists for the award is carried out by the Heads of the National Networks. And the final selection of the winner of the award is carried out by the members of the National Networks through an online voting system, which fosters the involvement of the National Networks in our work. Also, this voting system has an added value which gives more credibility and visibility to the Award.

For the Sixth edition, the selection process will work as follows:

• National Network Members from 43 countries nominate candidates for the Award according to the nomination criteria.
• Heads of National Network select the 5 finalists from the eligible candidates.
• The Network members in the 43 countries vote online for the winner out of the 5 finalists. In order to ensure a fair distribution of the votes among large and small Networks, the candidate that gets the majority of votes within a National Network will be the candidate of that respective Network for the Award.
• Finally, the candidate who is most voted out of the forty-three Networks will receive the Award.

The Award winner will receive a trophy at a prestigious event, and will participate in at least two National Network events, one of which must be organized in a Southern Mediterranean country.

The historic events that the Mediterranean region has experienced in the last months - in particular the revolutions and uprisings of Tunisia and Egypt and in other Arab countries, and the rallies which have interested several European countries - represent an important challenge for the Anna Lindh Foundation as an institution for intercultural dialogue in the region. In response, the Anna Lindh Foundation launched the regional initiative “Believe in Dialogue, Act for Citizenship”. In this framework, the 2011 Edition of the Award will be dedicated to Dialogue For Citizenship And Freedom.

The Foundation would like to give recognition to local, national and/or regional initiatives in favour of the development of democratic values and practices through an intercultural approach. This year, the Award will bestow best practices dealing with the culture of citizenship, the struggle for freedom, democracy, and human rights for all.

The candidate for the Award – whether individual or organisation – should be:

1. Involved in actions promoting universal values of freedom, democracy and citizenship;
2. Involved in actions with a clear intercultural approach;
3. Working with different communities at the local, national or international level, based on the respect of social and cultural diversity.

For the 2011 edition, the Presidency of the jury is composed of:

• Heads of Network of the following countries: Poland, France, Romania, Denmark (European countries) and Egypt, Tunisiaand Palestine (Mediterranean partner countries).
• Executive Director of the Anna Lindh Foundation
• Fondazione Mediterraneo (co-organizer of the Award)

For any further questions concerning the Euro-Med Award, please write to
rasha.shaaban(AT)bibalex.org