The complex topic was approached through two recently published reports focusing on the intercultural trends and mutual perceptions in the Euro-Mediterranean region, a presentation on the development and current state of Black Sea civil society cooperation, as well as a panel discussion where common themes and challenges were identified. 

Mapping the common ground for cooperation
 
Anna Lindh Report on Euromed Intercultural Trends 2010

Questions of identity, mutual perceptions and prejudices cause a lot of debate which, however, is often based on a limited amount of subjective experiences. The recently published Anna Lindh Report on EuroMed Intercultural Trends 2010 aims to give a broader and more scientific basis for the discussion and policymaking related to intercultural dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Claudia Marinaro from the Anna Lindh Foundation told the participants that the report is based on the interviews of 13 000 people in 13 countries, which were analysed by a network of intercultural experts. The results reveal that in some issues there are significant differences in the values and perceptions of people living in the EU-countries on the one hand and those living in Eastern and Southern Mediterranan countries, on the other.

One of the differences is related to the role of religion: 64% of Europeans prefer to raise their children based on family solidarity and respect of other cultures, while 59% of people from Southern and Eastern Mediterranean prefer to raise their children based on religious beliefs and obedience. This type of differences shouldn’t, however, be seen as obstacles for cooperation but instead as important preconditions to be taken account when developing intercultural dialogue in the region. This is aided by the generally good image the respondents have of the other region, despite the fact that most of them believe that the Media has not positively improved the image of the other group of countries.

The report’s recommendations for future action focus on developing the intercultural aspect in exchanges, education and research. There is a need for increased dialogue and cooperation focusing especially on urban spaces and supporting the participation of youth, women and migrants. 

Study on the Attitudes and prejudices between the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean regions

Another study, presented by Evelin Andrespok from the Estonian Roundtable for Development Cooperation, examines similar issues on a smaller scale in the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean regions. The study,
which forms a part of the ongoing project “Facilitating Political Dialogue in the Baltico-Mediterranean Axis”, aims to find out how the two regions perceive themselves, the other region and the relations between the two. It is based on a survey of 260 people form 18 different countries. The thematic focus of the study is on three topics, environment, culture and mobility.

The results reveal that in the Baltic Sea region regional identity is not very strong: 62% of the respondents don’t consider themselves as Baltic, whereas in the Mediterranean region the majority identify with Mediterranean identity. In both regions the respondents mainly associate their region with a rich cultural heritage, whereas environment is seen as the major challenge for both the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea regions. In the Mediterranean, somewhat contrary to the Baltic Sea region, important challenges are also seen to exist in connection with immigration, economy and democracy.

Respondents from both regions also associate the other region mainly with rich cultural heritage. The image of the other region is generally positive, though it is not felt that immigrants from the Baltic Sea or Mediterranean regions have generally contributed positively to the receiving society. Environment is seen as the most important shared challenge, though common ground for cooperation can be found also to some extent in issues related to immigration, economy and democracy. Concerning the role of the EU, most respondents don’t feel that the EU has significantly improved the political and economic situation in the regions. Neither do they have much trust in the EU bringing the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean regions closer together.   
 
All in all the study gives a rather positive image concerning the future potential of Baltic-Mediterranean cooperation: even though the connections between the regions are still weak, there is plenty of potential for cooperation due to common interests and worries.

Civil society cooperation in the Black Sea region

From mapping the identities and perceptions the seminar moved to a more concrete level of civil society cooperation in the Black Sea region. Olga Borou from the International Center for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS) told the audience that civil society in the Black Sea countries is relatively new and faces similar challenges. External actors have played important role in the development of civil society in the region, which has faced a common transformation from mainly humanitarian assistance and social service providers in the 1990s to capacity building and lobbying organizations during the last decade.

The challenges for civil society cooperation in the region are many. Black Sea countries have diverse political systems and in many cases democratization has been slow. Low citizen participation is normal, and states often hamper NGOs’ work: in many countries it is felt that states are using civil society just for propaganda purposes. Legislation concerning the role of civil society often exists, but it is poorly implemented and/or understood. Civil society suffers from the lack of democratic tradition in the region, which marks a significant difference from Mediterranean and Baltic Sea regions.

There is, however, also a lot of potential for civil society cooperation in the region. Most important platform for regional cooperation is the Black Sea NGO Forum, which was launched in 2008 and has partners from all over the region. Effective way of enhancing (inter-)regional cooperation is to learn from examples in the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea regions. Especially Mediterranean and Black Sea regions share many similar concerns related to democratization, environment and economy among others. Before the general situation in the region related to democracy and frozen conflicts is improved, however, civil society can’t function properly.

Cooperation is fundamental for civil societies to realize their full potential

The panellists and other participants identified many common challenges and obstacles that are hindering the NGOs to use their full potential. Fundamental problem for the NGOs is the lack of both financial and human resources. Funding is insufficient and favours big, well established organizations, while the smaller ones often have less expertise and resources needed for the complex application processes. The lack of training and support from the governments’ part was brought up, while on the other hand it was mentioned that the NGOs themselves should be more active in cooperating with each other and making their needs known to the governments and donors.

The role of networks was seen as important especially in selecting and transmitting information that is relevant for the NGOs. It was also noted that when the organizations communicate with authorities as a network, they have a better chance of getting their voice heard. As a conclusion, Rilli Lappalainen from the Finnish NGDO Platform to the EU, Kehys, noted that it should always be remembered that civil society is a fundamental part of any functioning democracy. In order for it to work well, both human and financial resources are needed, as well as respect for the principles of good governance by both the governments and the NGO actors. Civil societies in the Mediterranean, Baltic Sea and Black Sea regions have a lot of expertise and potential, but in order for it to be fully realized active cooperation and networking inside and between the regions is essential.

Find out more about the project Facilitating Political Dialogue in the Baltico-Mediterranean Axis
 
Download the Anna Lindh Report on Euromed Intercultural Trends 2010

Participate in a debate on the themes of the report

Download the Study on the Attitudes and prejudices between the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean regions