The CLUSTER project celebrated its Final Conference on the 27^th and 28^th of November, with two days of dialogue, discussions, and workshops to exchange ideas and ensure a long-lasting effect for the project.

the CLUSTER Advocacy Program commenced its proceedings on November 27th at the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed). The event, which featured prominent stakeholders committed to fostering sustainable economic growth, unfolded with an opening and welcome session led by Senén Florensa, Executive President of IEMed, Anna Dorangricchia Gender Equality Programme Manager of the Union for the Mediterranean, and Joumana Sweiss, Programme Officer for ENI CBC MED at the Branch Office for the Western Mediterranean.

The event, aimed at advocating for the inclusion of Mediterranean youth in employment, kicked off with the interventions from CLUSTER’s project partners; Arces Association (Italy), the National Agricultural Research Center (Jordan), General Agency for Regional Development (CGDR, Tunisia), EcoRegió (Catalunya), the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Cyprus), Petra Patrimonia (France), and the Business Women Forum (Palestine). Roger Albinyana, Managing Director of the IEMed, moderated discussions with project partners, who shared their specific key insights and challenges.

Gemma Aubarell facilitated a roundtable discussion focusing on gender, youth occupation, and green, circular, and blue economies. Speakers from BETA Technological Center, UfM, PRIMA and the Second Chance Network shared insights on strategic orientations, youth and gender perspectives, and the green transition. This session strived to further a reflection on how stakeholders can implement the policy actions presented by the project partners in relation to their own activities and agendas, give insights and respond to the given recommendations.

The second day of the program, held on Tuesday, November 28, took place at the Fundació Bofill in Barcelona, a research laboratory that specializes in social inclusion and social transformation through education. After a welcoming word by the Foundation research Director; Mònica Nadal, Oumaya Amghar and Minerva Martínez, part of CLUSTER's coordination team, framed the context of the day and explained the methodology of the sessions to be conducted.

The working sessions included dynamic exercises assessing CLUSTER's relevance in advocating for the inclusion of Mediterranean youth in employment, which were facilitated by the partners and participants of the project (Reem El Adwan, from CLUSTER’s partner Business Development Center in Jordan, Maria Klokkari from the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Celia Murcia, author of the CLUSTER Policy Report focused on Blue Economy). Two groups, focusing on entrepreneurship and training & e-learning, engaged in fruitful discussions by sharing the experiences of trainees, trainers, partners, and the insights of local actors.

Facilitated by Suzanna Barghouti and Abeer Haridi from the Business Women Forum (BWF) in Palestine, the second session connected participants from different groups to explore how their workshops related to gender equality and entrepreneurship. Through discussions, the participants reflected and gave input into gender equity and employment.

The conference concluded with a wrap-up session led by representatives from Tunisia, and France, highlighting the roots of CLUSTER and envisioning a future where collaborative efforts continue to drive positive change. Moreover, Ms Sweiss from the ENI CBC Med programme shared relevant information about future calls and gave a final acknowledgement to the work behind the project’s development.

During the CLUSTER final conference, partners of the project and participants shared the value of the project and expressed their willingness to keep working on the topic, making CLUSTER results sustainable in the long term. The event aimed to shape policies and foster collaboration for a sustainable and social future in the Euro-Mediterranean region, and the eagerness and commitment shown by all participants showed the real intention of an active mediterranean population that cooperates towards an inclusive region.

Watch the first session on the following link:

• CLUSTER Advocacy Session