The meeting, held in Alexandria on 30–31 July 2026, brought together local authorities, civil society, communities and international organisations to advance participatory and inclusive governance.
TRANSFORMED strengthens participatory governance by bringing communities and local authorities together to co-design more inclusive and responsive local solutions.
TRANSFORMED continues its series of Community Engagement Symposia, holding its second symposium in Alexandria, Egypt, on 30-31 July 2026 continuing to bring local administrations, civil society actors, and community members together to share their experiences and collectively shape the programmes being designed with their communities across the five partner countries. The Symposium also gathered representatives from international organisations who are present in Egypt such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Egypt, Care Egypt, Save The Children Egypt, and Caritas Egypt, among other prominent organisations. The EU-funded project, supported under the Interreg NEXT MED Programme, brings together local administrations and civil society organisations to ensure that the people most affected by public policies have a real say in shaping them.
The Second Community Engagement Symposium a Space Bringing Together Local Administrations and Authorities, Intergovernmental Practitioners, and Civil Society and Grassroots Organisations Representatives
The two-day symposium organised by the Lead Partner Anna Lindh Foundation brought together a group participants and distinguished guests, including Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, H.E. Amb. Nelly El-Oraby, Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for EU Institutions, Dr. Amira Yassin, Deputy Governor of Alexandria, and Dr. Rasha Fawzy, Assistant Governor of Beheira for Health Affairs, representatives of local and regional administrations from the partnered countries.
The active representation of the local administrations reflects the vital role of municipalities and local authorities in advancing social inclusion and active interaction between different stakeholders in line with the TRANSFORMED project, as highlighted by H.E. Amb. Nelly El-Oraby and Dr. Amira Yassin Deputy Governor of Alexandria. Dr. Amira Yassin noted that municipalities, in particular in Alexandria, ensures to promote the cooperation between local and regional partner and actively including citizens in identifying and addressing the sustainable development.
Dr. Ahmed Zayed reflected on the importance and relevance of the TRANSFOROMED project not only in bridging the gap and strengthening the cooperation between the civil society and local authorities, but also in enabling the Mediterranean community to face the common social challenges.
Insightful Sessions Led by The TRANSFORMED Project Partners Reflecting Governance Models in Practice
Sessions were led by the five project partners, each presenting the key components underpinning the governance models of their community-serving programmes. Aiming to increase understanding of the audience and ensure their active engagement in the design and implementation of community-serving programmes. The symposium served as a platform and an open dialogue to explore the role of local administrations in shaping and advancing narratives of social inclusion, drawing on national case studies from Egypt showcasing how local governance structures contribute to designing inclusive policies, engaging communities, and addressing social inequalities at the local level.
Reflecting on best practices and future expectations
Civil society practitioners shared their experiences from the community-based initiatives that they tailor on a grassroot level and a space to articulate their needs and expectations for stronger collaboration with local administrations and other stakeholders. Through thematic working groups, participants identified challenges in designing inclusion initiatives, proposed context-responsive solutions, and explored participatory mechanisms for involving stakeholders in programme design and implementation process. These discussions serves to enrich the TRANSFORMED Community Engagement Symposium and supports the completion of the survey, which will contribute to consolidating the formulation of the project’s forthcoming handbook that will serve as a tool for communities and local administrations to develop their community engagement programmes.
The conclusions and recommendations emerging from the symposium will guide the next phases of the TRANSFORMED project, contributing to the development of practical tools, methodologies, and policy recommendations for municipalities and organisations across the partner countries. An introduction to future engagement opportunities through the project’s ongoing Work Package “The Agora” was delivered as well as information about the second TRANSFORMED Community Engagement Symposium, which will take place on 30–31 July 2026 in Alexandria, Egypt, hosted by the project lead partner, the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF).
About The TRANSFORMED Project
TRANSFORMED, Fostering Transnational Knowledge for a More Inclusive and Participatory Mediterranean, will support local administrations and civil society organisations in co-designing community driven programmes, sharing successful governance models, and strengthening the capacity of local actors to better respond to the needs of their communities. The project is led by Anna Lindh Foundation (Egypt), the project brings together four partners: International Committee for the Development of Peoples (Italy), Cultural Movement of Limassol EPILOGI (Cyprus), Rene Moawad Foundation (Lebanon), and Youth Center of Epirus (Greece). The total budget is €1.1 million, with 89% co-funded by the European Union.
For more information, please visit the TRANSFORMED Project website pages here and here.
For project enquiries:
Egypt: mohammed.hafez@alfsecretariat.org
Cyprus: info@eaymc.org
Greece: youthcenterofepirus@yahoo.gr
Italy: francia@cisp-ngo.org
Lebanon: psaadeh@rmf.org.lb
For press and communications enquiries: thouraya.bouchamia@alfsecretariat.org and mariam.elgiziry@alfsecretariat.org
The contents of this press release are the sole responsibility of the Anna Lindh Foundation and its partners and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or the Programme management structures.
Last Update
03/08/2026
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