The Road to Rabat: A Mediterranean Journey Towards Peace

As the Youth for Peace in the Mediterranean Sea (YxP) project approaches its final stage, the partners reflect on two years of collaboration, learning, and shared purpose. What began in December 2023 as an Erasmus+ initiative has evolved into a regional movement connecting organisations, educators, and young people from across the Mediterranean.

From the very beginning, the project aimed to strengthen peace education and promote dialogue between cultures. Eight organisations joined forces to make this vision real: Asociación Iniciativa Internacional Joven (AIIJ – Spain), Forum de la Modernité et de la Démocratie (Med-Forum – Morocco), Association Solidarité Échange et Développement (ASED – Tunisia), IMF (France), CESIE (Italy), Jovesolides Egypt (Egypt), HR180 (Jordan), and Youth Development Organization (Lebanon).

Over the past two years, partners have worked hand in hand to create educational tools, organise capacity-building sessions, and inspire young people to become ambassadors of peace in their communities. From the coordination meeting in Marseille to the Capacity Building Week in Sousse, every encounter strengthened cooperation and built trust among the Mediterranean partners.

Workshops, stakeholder meetings, and local activities helped translate theory into action, while the “United for a More Peaceful and Inclusive Mediterranean” video contest brought creativity and emotion to the project’s mission. Each video, story, and exchange became a small step towards a shared dream  a Mediterranean where differences unite rather than divide.

Now, as the project heads toward its final milestone, the partners prepare for the Final Conference in Rabat, Morocco, on 28 October 2025. This event will bring together youth leaders, educators, institutions, and representatives from all partner countries to present the project’s key results: the Peace Education Manual, the Participatory Video, and the final eBook and video summarising the project’s journey.

But the event in Rabat is not just a closing ceremony. It is a celebration of what has been achieved and an invitation to continue working together for peace. As one participant said, “This project showed that peace is not only an idea , it’s something we build every day through understanding and collaboration.”

The road to Rabat is more than a journey to the final conference  it is a symbol of unity, resilience, and the shared belief that the Mediterranean can be a space of coexistence and hope.