We are happy to welcome our second Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) of the Interreg NEXT MED Programme to our Branch Office for the Western Mediterranean located in Valencia. Over the next six months, Nabil, coming from Tunisia, will be working with us as an IVY Reporter in the communication team to help increase the visibility of Mediterranean cooperation among young people through audiovisual storytelling. Thanks to the IVY initiative, this experience also marks his first time living in a foreign country outside Tunisia, offering him the opportunity to discover Spain while sharing his perspective on Mediterranean culture and cooperation.
Tell us about yourself!
As a young Tunisian born and raised on the coast of Cap Bon, in the north-east of Tunisia, I grew up very close to the sea. From my room’s window, I could almost see Pantelleria, a small Italian island. Because of our proximity to Italy, we could receive the Rai Uno signal.
My hometown also had strong Mediterranean connections. Many Spanish people lived in the city and worked in the textile trade, selling lace for tailoring. My grandmother was a seamstress and one of their loyal clients, using their materials to create curtains, wedding dresses, and handmade garments. Through her work, I witnessed everyday cultural exchanges across the Mediterranean.
As a child, I often wondered what existed beyond the sea. Later, cinema gave me the wings to explore that curiosity. Through films, I discovered cultures that felt familiar — especially those of Southern Europe, which resonate deeply with North Africa.
This shared Mediterranean space is something I carry both in my heart and in my spirit. It inspired me to cross the sea, to discover what lies beyond it, and to dive deeper into Mediterranean culture — to see myself reflected through different perspectives and new visions.
What motivated you to become an IVY Reporter in Interreg NEXT MED?
As I was about to finish my master’s degree in cinema, I found myself returning again and again to the image of the sea. In the film I wrote and produced, the sea became almost a second character. It plays many roles: navigation, separation, love, and loss. I tried to portray it as something that carries emotions.
For me, this was also a sign of a deeper curiosity — a desire to explore what lies beyond the Mediterranean basin. Becoming an IVY Reporter felt like a natural continuation of this journey. It allows me to bring my skills in cinematography into a more contemporary format, creating visual content that can travel easily on platforms like Instagram.
Through short audiovisual pieces, I hope to share my vision of the world and express my perspective in a creative and accessible way, using storytelling and images to connect people across the Mediterranean.
I found the IVY at the Interreg NEXT MED Programme to be the starting point that could drive me through this journey.
What are your expectations for the next six months?
Over the next six months, I expect growth, maturity, and learning. One of my main goals is to improve my Spanish and gain more practical experience by interacting frequently with Spanish people and immersing myself in the culture.
I also hope this experience will help me broaden my mindset, become more open to the world, and strengthen my empathy. I believe empathy is one of the most powerful qualities we have as human beings, and it allows us to connect more easily with people from different backgrounds.
Through this journey, I hope to build meaningful connections with people from all over the world. I also expect that working with the team in the office will be a valuable opportunity to learn from their experiences and perspectives.
ABOUT INTERREG YOUTH VOLUNTEER
Funded by the European Commission’s DG Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO) and implemented by the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR), the Interreg Volunteer Youth initiative is a programme for young people eager to gain new international experiences through volunteering. IVY offers a unique opportunity for Interreg projects and programmes to have a lasting impact on European cooperation.
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