MEM Summer Summit 2018
Seminar 2018
The programme consisted of a series of plenary session and workshops, thematically separated into three streams – “New Dynamics of the Middle East Mediterranean Region”, “Middle East Mediterranean Region: Governance, Administration, and Policy Making”, “Middle East Mediterranean Region: Narratives, Representations, Images”.
Full programme of the Seminar 2018: MEM Summer Summit 2018 Seminar – Programme
MOUNA ATASSI
Founder, Atassi Foundation, Abu Dhabi
SHIREEN ATASSI
Director, Atassi Foundation, Abu Dhabi
CLAUDIA BAEZ-CAMARGO
Basel Institute for Governance, Switzerland
FABRICE BALANCHE
Professor, Hoover Institution, The Washington Institute, USA-France
JASMIN BASIC
Head of Fiction Programme, FIFDH – International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights, Switzerland
ESSMA BEN HAMIDA
Founder, Enda Inter-Arabe, Tunisia
ISA BLUMI
Associate Professor, Stockholm University Institute for Turkish Studies, Sweden
RICCARDO BOCCO
Professor, Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland
WOLFGANG AMADEUS BRÜLHART
Assistant State Secretary and Director General, Head Middle East and North Africa Division, Swiss Foreign Ministry, Switzerland
JEAN-FRANÇOIS CHARNIER
Scientific director of Agence France-Muséums, France
CATHERINE DAVID
Deputy Director, Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, France
ISHAC DIWAN
PSL – Paris Sciences et Lettres, and Columbia University, France-USA
JOLANTA DRZEWIECKA
Professor, Institute for Public Communication, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
GABRIELE DERIGHETTI
FABRICE EPELBOIN
Cofounder Yogosha Bug Bounty; Startupper, creative technologist, Teacher, Sciences Po, France
JOHANNA FASSL
Associate Professor, Art History and Visual Communication, Franklin University Switzerland, Switzerland
FEDERICA FREDIANI
Ph.D. Senior Researcher, Educational Program Manager MEM Freethinking Platform, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
DANIEL GASTEIGER
Founder, Procivis AG, Switzerland
ABIR HAJ IBRAHIM
Modaberoon Network, Syria
MARLEN HEIDE
Ph.D. Student, Institute for Public Communication, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
ANISSA HELOU
Writer, Journalist, Food Blogger, UK-Italy
JULIAN HOTTINGER
Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAE), Switzerland
TOMASZ JANOWSKI
Professor and Head of Department of Applied Informatics in Management, Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland
MARCO KAMPP
CEO, Deutsche Bahn Italia S.r.l., Italy
HABIB KARAOULI
Chairman and CEO, Capital African Partners Bank (CAP Bank), Tunisia
ALEXANDRE KAZEROUNI
Post-Doc Research Fellow, Ecole Normale Supérieure, France
GILLES KEPEL
Professor, PLS Paris Sciences et Lettres-École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
MICHEL KHLEIFI
Film Director, Writer, Belgium
ANDREAS LADNER
Professor and Director, Institut de hautes études en administration publique, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland
MARTINO LOVATO
Lecturer in Comparative Literature, Mount Holyoke College, USA
XIANKUN LU
Associate Partner, IDEAS Centre Geneva, Switzerland-China
AHMED MATER
Artist, Saudi Arabia
SILVIA NAEF
Professor, Université de Genève, Switzerland
YOSRA NAGUI
Swisspeace, Geneva, Switzerland
MOATAZ NASR
Artist, Darb 1718, Egypt
IBRAHIM OLABI
Executive Director and Founder, Syrian Legal Development Programme, Syria
HELA OUARDI
Professor, Université de Tunis, Tunisia
FRANCIS PICCAND
Head, Think-Tank Middle-East and North Africa, Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland
GINO RAIDY
Blogger, Lebanon
GHADA SAYEGH RAHAL
Institut d’Etudes Scéniques, Audiovisuelles et Cinématographiques, Université Saint-Joseph Beyrouth, Lebanon
PRASHANT SHARMA
Senior Consultant, The World Bank, Switzerland
MARK THATCHER
Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
LUCA URECH
MATTIA VACCA
LIISA VÄLIKANGAS
Professor, Hanken School of Economics, Finland
JEAN-PATRICK VILLENEUVE
Professor and Vice-Director, Institute for Public Communication, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
ÉDOUARD WAINTROP
Film Critic, Artistic Director, Switzerland
GABRIELLA ZALAPI
Artist, France
Forum 2018
Programme
The first Middle East Mediterranean Summer Summit involved 150 young people from over 30 countries of the Middle East Mediterranean region and Europe. Organised by Università della svizzera italiana (USI) with the joint support of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the meeting aimed to develop innovative solutions and concrete opportunities for dialogue and growth.
On 25 and 26 August 2018, after an intense eight-day Seminar, the ideas generated and formulated by the young participants were presented and debated in the framework of a Forum, open to the public. Forum attendees included high-level political authorities, experts, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs of the Middle East Mediterranean region. The Forum was held at Palazzo dei Congressi, Lugano, over two days, with a programme consisting of several thematic sessions, based on a structured presentation of key issues and points for reflection raised during the preceding Seminar. Tunisia, a major crossroads in the Mediterranean civilisation, and clear political-constitutional example of a government’s successful policy of integration and coexistence of differences, was the guest of honour at the MEM Summer Summit 2018.
The event provided opportunities to explore the geopolitics of the region, to outline scenarios for material reconstruction, and the development of cultural policies; to address the relationship between water, peace, and borders; and to discuss new models of citizenship, energy transition, and education and training as an engine of change. Also on the agenda: the question of infrastructure, of the need to rethink economics; examples of success stories on the ground; and how to promote new and positive narratives through literature and the arts.
Full programme of the Forum: MEM Summer Summit 2018 Forum – Programme
Speakers
ALMOTAZ ABADI
Senior Adviser – Managing Director Water and Environment, Union for Mediterranean, Palestinian Territories
KAMEL AKROUT
First Counselor for National Security to the President, Tunisia
MUFLEH AL ALAWEEN AL ABBADI
Regional Water Advisor, Jordan
TERESA ALBERO
President, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Tunisia
LINDSEY ALDACO-MANNER
President, World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW), USA
AMER AL-HINAI
Director, Sustainable Energy Research Center, University of Sultan Qaboos, Oman
MUZAHM QASSIM AL-KHAYAT
President, Ninevah University; Chairman, Advisory Group for the reconstruction of the Province, Iraq
H.E. ENG. MAYSOON AL-ZOUBI
Former Secretary-General, Jordan Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Jordan
SUAD AMIRY
Writer and Architect, Founder of RIWAQ, Center of Architectural Conservation in Ramallah, Palestinian Territories
ROBERTO ANTONINI
Journalist, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, Switzerland
BASHAR AZZEH
AL Quds Holding Company, Palestinian Territories
SABRI BACHTOBJI
Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tunisia
PASCALE BAERISWYL
State Secretary and Head of the Directorate of Political Affairs, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland
SALMAN BAL
Chief, Political Affairs and Partnerships Section, Office of the Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland
MOHAMMED LAÏD BENAMOR
President, CACI – Chambre algérienne de commerce et d’industrie, Algeria
ALESSANDRO BERTELOTTI
Journalist, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, Switzerland
MANUELE BERTOLI
State Councilor, Republic and Canton of Ticino, Switzerland
MARCO BORRADORI
Mayor, Lugano, Switzerland
PAOLA CARIDI
Journalist and Writer, Italy
IGNAZIO CASSIS
Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Switzerland
CINZIA CATALFAMO
Consultant, FIFA, Global Academic Network and Interagency Partnerships, Switzerland
JEAN-FRANÇOIS CHARNIER
Scientific director of Agence France-Muséums, France
MAROUANE EL ABASSI
Governor and Chairman, Central Bank of Tunisia, Tunisia
BOAS EREZ
Rector, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
PHILIPPE ÉTIENNE
Foreign Policy Advisor of the President, France
LUCA FASANI
Journalist, RSI Radiotelevisione Svizzera, Switzerland
WAHID FERCHICHI
Professor of Law, Tunisian Association of Defending Individual Liberties (TADIL); Vice-President, Tunisian Foundation for Public Administrations Sciences, Tunisia
ALESSANDRO FERRARI
Professor of Law and Religion, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Italy
KAMEL GHRIBI
CEO, GK Investment Holding Group, Switzerland
ENRICO GRANARA
Minister Plenipotentiary, Coordinator Euro-Mediterranean Multilateral Activities, Directorate General for Political and Security Affairs, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation MAECI, Italy
ROBERTO GRASSI
Fidinam, Switzerland
MARCO KAMPP
CEO, Deutsche Bahn AG, Italy
GILLES KEPEL
Professor, PLS Paris Sciences et Lettres-École Normale Supérieure, France; Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
IQBAL LATIFI GHARBI
Professor, Ez-Zitouna University, Tunisia
JINAN LIMAM
Professor of Public Law, Tunis Faculty of Legal, Political and Social Sciences, Tunisia
XIANKUN LU
Associate Partner, IDEAS Centre Geneva, Switzerland-China
STEFANIA MANCINI
Vice-President, Fondation Assistance Internationale-FAI Lugano, Italy-Switzerland
SAFWAN M. MASRI
Executive Vice President for Global Centers and Global Development, Columbia University, USA
ANTOINE NASRI MESSARRA
Constitutional Council of Lebanon, Lebanon
STÉPHANE MICHEL
President, Middle East, Exploration and Production Division, Total, France
BETTINA MÜLLER
Journalist, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, Switzerland
PAOLA NURNBERG
Journalist, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, Switzerland
ERNESTO OTTONE RAMIREZ
Assistant Director-General for Culture, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Paris, France
BADREDDINE OUALI
Chairman, Vermeg Group; President, Tunisia Foundation for Development, Tunisia
MATHIEU PITET
CEO, Interstar Investment Ltd, France
PHILIPPE PORTIER
Director of Studies, École Pratique des Hautes Etudes Paris, France
PAOLO ROTELLI
President, Gruppo San Donato, Italy
PAOLO SCARONI
Deputy Chairman, Rothschild Group, Italy
DIANA SEGANTINI
Journalist, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, Switzerland
BAVAGUTHU RAGHURAM SHETTY
Founder and Chairman, NMC Health, UAE
JOHN SIBI-OKUMU
Journalist, Kenya
HAIG SIMONIAN
Journalist and Former Correspondent, The Economist and Financial Times, UK
FRANÇOIS-AÏSSA TOUAZI
Vice President, France-Saudi Arabia Council; Managing Director, Ardian, France
DANILO TÜRK
Chairman, Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace; Political adviser of the Geneva Water Hub, Former President of Slovenia, Slovenia
KHAYAM TURKI
President, Think-Tank Joussour, Tunisia
YVES UBELMANN
President and Co-founder, Iconem, France
FRANCO VACCARI
President, Rondine Cittadella della Pace, Italy
MARIANNE VIDAL MARIN
Institut Français, Safir Lab, France
PIO WENNUBST
Vice Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Switzerland
Cultural Dimension 2018
Public Conference with Anissa Helou
Friday, 17 August 2018
Born to a Syrian father and Lebanese mother, Anissa Helou is a well-known writer, blogger and chef. Based in London she specialises in Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa cuisine. During her conference, she talked about food and commensality.
Jazz Concert "Migrante"
Friday, 17 August 2018
Brilliant trumpet player, composer and arranger, Giovanni Falzone is one of the leading figures of Italian and European jazz. He defines himself as a migrant, having left his village in the Sicilian province to embark on a journey in search of a new life.
Jazz Concert "Mediterraneo"
Friday, 24 August 2018
The popular songs from Sicily of the Giovanni Falzone Trio blended with other sounds of the Mediterranean: from the voice of the Sufi mysticism of the Tunisian Houcine Ataa, to the African percussions of Dudu Kouatè, to the mythical Persian instrument Santur by the Iranian Alireza Mortazavi.
Symphony for Water and Peace
Saturday, 25 August 2018
The concert held by the Blue Peace Orchestra was organised in collaboration with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the City of Lugano. Its aim was to raise awareness on the issues of peace and water.
Multimedia Installations by Moataz Nasr
25 -26 August 2018
The Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr is a painter, sculptor, multimedia artist and cultural activist. His work explores the traditions and consequences of globalisation, questioning the geopolitical and social developments in the MEM region.
Photo Exhibition 'Journeys through our Fragile Heritage'
July - September 2018
The photo exhibition 'Journeys through our Fragile Heritage' was showcased on the perimeter area of Parco Ciani. From a project by Wikimedia and UNESCO it highlighted the beauty and fragility of our common heritage. It landed in Lugano thanks to the cooperation between the UNESCO chair, founded and directed by Prof. Lorenzo Cantoni, and the Swiss commision for UNESCO.
Register for the Forum
Registration for the MEM Summer Summit 2018 Forum is available on-site from Saturday, 25 August, from 07:00 at the venue – Palazzo dei Congressi.
Online registration is now closed.
We would like to thank our sponsors for their generosity in supporting the MEM Summer Summit.
New registration fees
The registration fee includes:
• Entrance to the two-day Forum
• Access to all programme sessions: panels, keynote speeches and breakout sessions
• Access to the exhibition area
• Lunch and coffee breaks
Cancellations
To cancel your registration, please contact the MEM Summer Summit organisers at administration@mem-summersummit.ch.
All cancelled Forum registrations will be subject to a cancellation fee as shown below:
- Minus 50% for cancellations made before 15 July 2018
- No refunds for cancellations made on or after 16 July 2018
The Lugano Initiative 2018
‘The Lugano Initiative. Proposals for the Middle East Mediterranean region’ is a document that collects concrete proposals for development and growth in the MEM region, developed and drawn up during the MEM Summer Summit 2018. The main contributors are the 150 young change-makers, who worked together across cultural differences and national identities.
Download the document: MEM Summer Summit 2018 – The Lugano Initiative
Partners 2018
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Partners, who supported both the vision and realisation of the MEM Summer Summit 2018.
Patronage
Institutional Partners
Main Partners
Partners
Media Partners
Event Partners
Sponsors 2018
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Sponsors. The MEM Summer Summit 2018 could not exist without their generous support.
Elite Sponors
Sponsors
Champions
Donors
Gallery 2018
