A Shared Mediterranean: Youth, Mobility, Sustainability, and Culture

Date: 03 October 2025

The Mediterranean has always been a crossroads of civilisations. From the exchange of goods in ancient ports to the circulation of ideas, art, and music, the region has thrived on its diversity.

Today, the sea that unites us faces challenges that go beyond borders: climate change, economic inequalities, limited opportunities for young people, and a growing sense of disconnection among communities. Yet, within these challenges lies a powerful chance to reimagine a shared Mediterranean built on youth, mobility, sustainability, and culture.

Young people are the driving force of tomorrow, and in the Mediterranean, they represent both an opportunity and a responsibility. Too often, however, they are left with limited pathways for education, training, or meaningful work. Creating more opportunities for mobility across the region is not only about student exchanges or internships. It is about giving young people the possibility to learn from one another, to experience life on the other shore, and to carry those lessons back to their own communities. In doing so, we strengthen a common identity that is built on dialogue and curiosity rather than fear and separation.

Sustainability is another urgent priority. The Mediterranean is warming faster than most regions on the planet, placing immense pressure, especially on water resources, the agricultural sector, and coastal cities. Youth engagement in green innovation, local climate initiatives, and community-based projects is essential. If supported, Mediterranean youth can lead the way in creating resilient societies that protect both people and ecosystems. These efforts should be connected across borders so that lessons from Barcelona can inspire projects in Tunis, or solutions in Alexandria can benefit Palermo.

Culture, finally, is the language we all share. From cuisine and music to architecture and literature, Mediterranean culture reminds us that diversity is a treasure rather than a threat. Acknowledging the multiple exchanges that have taken place across borders and shores for centuries, enriching and enlarging Mediterranean culture is a need. Investing in cultural exchanges, festivals, and joint artistic projects is a necessity to heal divisions and create spaces where trust can grow.

A reimagined shared Mediterranean will not emerge overnight. It requires vision, investment, and above all, political will. But if we give youth the means to move, create, and engage in sustainable solutions, we will see the Mediterranean not as a line that divides continents, but as a space that connects them. Our future depends on this shared horizon.

Read the AMWAJ Position Paper on the New Pact for the Mediterranean

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