From migrants and people with disabilities to vulnerable women and children, communities across the Mediterranean face mounting pressures that demand inclusive, practical solutions.
The EU-funded TRANSFORM project officially kicked off this week at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, bringing together regional partners to place people, participation, and local action at the centre of change.
Funded by the European Union under the Interreg NEXT MED Programme with a budget of approximately 1.1 million euros, TRANSFORM aims to respond to growing social, economic, and governance challenges across the Mediterranean. The project seeks to strengthen transnational knowledge and promote more inclusive and participatory societies throughout the region.
Interreg NEXT MED is a major EU-funded transnational cooperation initiative that brings together 15 Mediterranean countries to address shared regional challenges. Representing the third generation of EU cooperation across the Mediterranean Basin, the programme builds on earlier cross-border efforts to support sustainable development, economic growth, social inclusion, and improved governance through collaboration among public authorities, civil society, research institutions, and private-sector partners.
Conceptualised by the Anna Lindh Foundation, a NGO, and funded through Interreg NEXT MED, the 30-month TRANSFORM project aims to strengthen inclusive communities by supporting the integration of people with disabilities, vulnerable women, and migrants.
By combining innovation, cross-border cooperation, and skills development, it seeks to address real local needs through practical, scalable approaches. The project officially began on 10 October 2025 and will run until 9 April 2028, with partners from Egypt, Italy, Cyprus, Lebanon, and Greece working jointly to deliver community-driven solutions.
At its core, it focuses on identifying, developing, and scaling up effective community-serving programmes that benefit society at large. It also aims to reinforce inclusive governance and participatory decision-making by fostering closer collaboration between local authorities and civil society organisations.
“We are putting practical and inclusive solutions at the heart of local governance to address the economic and social pressures facing our communities,” said Antonello Chessa, head of the Operational and Authorising Unit at the Managing Authority of the Interreg NEXT MED Programme.
Chessa emphasised that fostering partnerships and leveraging innovation are key to building a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable Mediterranean. He described the adoption of 10 projects under the programme as a milestone in regional cooperation, noting that its hashtag #MADE4MED reflects a long-term commitment rather than a slogan.
TRANSFORM is structured around five phases. The first focuses on dialogue and exchange, bringing together 125 representatives from local authorities across the five participating countries. It provides a platform for discussions on inclusive societies, experience sharing, and participatory solutions, while introducing the project’s objectives, implementation stages, partner roles, expected outputs, and long-term impact.
The project partners include the Anna Lindh Foundation as the lead partner, alongside the International Committee for the Development of Peoples in Italy, the Cultural Movement of Limassol EPILOGI in Cyprus, the René Moawad Foundation in Lebanon, and the Youth Centre of Epirus in Greece.
Representatives from Lebanese partner organisations described TRANSFORM as a benchmark project with strong potential for replication across the Mediterranean. They also highlighted the long-standing inclusive work of the René Moawad Foundation.
“This initiative is highly beneficial for civil society organisations delivering impactful programmes,” said Priscillia Saadeh and Nathalie Abdel-Wahed of the foundation.
The Cypriot representatives emphasised that inclusion is most effective when it develops organically rather than through imposed frameworks. Their work uses culture and the arts through festivals, training courses, and hands-on experiences as tools for migrant integration. By mapping migrant needs and strengthening organisational capacity, they aim to create safer, more inclusive spaces.
“Let’s work together to make the Mediterranean a safer place for everyone,” they concluded.
The project also underscores the role of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in supporting community-serving programmes across the Euro-Mediterranean region. By catalysing cooperation, mobilising resources, and promoting inclusive socio-economic development, the UfM helps amplify the impact of initiatives like TRANSFORM.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 5 February, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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