From 22 to 24 October, more than 50 civil society practitioners from Sweden, Europe and SWANA region gathered in Gothenburg and Stenungsund for the seventh edition of Celebrating Our Diversity Forum. The annual Swedish network forum is an opportunity for
- networking and creating new partnerships between members
- exchange of knowledge and expertise
- capacity building through the Practitioners Labs
- sharing initiatives and lessons learned by network members
- presenting ALF open calls and opportunities by other Nordic donors.
Theme 2025: Trust - How civil society organisations are contributing to building trust in the society.
The programme included networking sessions, members held workshops under the Practitioners Lab, inspirational TED-like talks during the OPEN MIC segment, a panel talk organised by the Swedish Dialogue Institute for MENA, presentation of the new Pact for the Mediterranean launched by the European Commission on 16 October. For the first time, the ALF President Princess Rym Ali joined virtually our Forum to talk about the mission of the Anna Lindh Foundation and the core values of the civil society network of networks. This year, the ALF Board of Governors member from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Christian Kamill joined the Forum and talked about the importance of having the Anna Lindh Foundation and its mission is very crucial today for the Euro-Med region.
Practitioners Lab workshops:
- Trust as a human and spiritual truth by Johanna Westbrandt (Waytogo)
This workshop is for anyone who feels now is a difficult time with so much division and so much fraction and friction between people. It's for anyone who want to have more depth going into joint ventures or relationships and need to find ways to collaborate with grace. We will explore and learn what it is like to trust in myself as the starting point of any deep, lasting and cooperating relationship.
- 55 techniques of psychology, storytelling behind influence by Haythem Kamel (Formation et Sensibilisation Luxembourg)
Presentation of the handbook, educational manual, that was created within the long term training course (SecureScreen) to familiarize youth workers and human rights educators with techniques that are commonly used to make people more vulnerable in the online environment.
- Deep Puppetry by Laura Geiger (Kulturrummet)
Deep Puppetry is an applied puppetry approach in which engaging with a puppet as an autonomous partner uncovers new ways of relating that challenge internalised systems of exclusion and hierarchy while providing a rehearsal ground for imagining and enacting new futures. Deep Puppetry lives at the edges where relationship remains possible without definition, collapse, or domination and as such fosters an orientation in which otherness is not a threat but a source of connection and learning.
- Forum Theatre by Eman Albohtori (Support Group Network)
An introduction to Forum Theatre, an interactive tool used in non-formal education with young people and youth workers to discuss important issues and topoics in the society.
- Resilience redefined: bouncing back stronger from life's challenges by Zeinab Hefny (Zeina Coaching Company)
Understanding resilience as bouncing forward, not just bouncing back. Identifying personal strengths and past examples of resilience. Learning practical strategies to handle stress and setbacks. Creating a personalized resilience action plan for future challenges.
- Reflection cards: tensions and triggers by Farhia Nur and Marisa Feto (STPLN)
A dialogue-based session using cards to explore real-world dilemmas in cultural collaboration, focusing on trust, understanding, and stronger partnerships.
- Power of group pressure, delegated responsibility and internal dilemmas by Marta Husarava (Proqvi Igloo)
A workshop on power of group pressure, delegated responsibility and internal dilemmas where participants will experience moral dilemmas as part of group activities, feel the propriety of choices made and discuss the mechanisms behind it.
- Trust - Ny i Sverige: Breaking Taboos and Giving Support by Kiriaki Christoforidis (Tidigt Föräldrastöd)
Being a new parent is challenging for everyone. But, being a newly arrived parent in a new country is especially demanding. Many who come to Sweden have left great difficulties behind, and trauma is not uncommon. Yet, most find it hard to talk about it. Welcom to take part in what Trust-Ny i Sverige project has done so far, and to join a conversation about to break difficult taboos.
- Values of Solidarity by Rasha Shaaban (NMWC)
An introduction into the Gamified Workshop Toolkit, which is designed for teams that are just beginning their collaboration. A discussion about values and how we build solidarity along the partnership with others.
OPEN MIC:
- "From open your heart to go home" by Sira Jokinen Lisse (Kisam-Världens mammor och Världens ungdomar, Linköping)
- "Why Sweden is missing out on leadership talent among foreign-born women" by Anna-Carin Hall (Kvinna till Kvinna, Stockholm)
- "Building a society together" by Zeinab Elsaneh (Hammarkullens Folkets Hus, Gothenburg)
- "A dinner with Margaret Thatcher" by Hans Nyman (Swedish Friends of Alexandria, Gothenburg)
- "The Sex Talk Arabic: The Sexual Health and Rights Revolution Led By Arab Women" by Fatma Ibrahim (Jasadeyat, Paris/SWANA)
- "From Belonging to Trust: LGBTQI Communities Leading Change" by Jonathan Österlund (RFSL, Stockholm)
- "Wellbeing is a pillar of democracy" by Ieva Ugne Ulianskaite (Wellbeing Lab, Gothenburg)
- "Collective Biking in Cairo. A Failed Attempt" by Waleed Mansour (Environmental and Cultural Heritage Expert, Cairo)
- "Clowning, Circus, and Acrotheatre: Empowering Children in East Africa and DRC" by Donna-Maria Maalouf (Clowns Without Borders, Stockholm)
- "Beyond Algorithms: Ethics as the Foundation of AI Trust and Safety" by Salam Shebli (IT for Intercultural Dialogue Expert, Albania/Jordan)
- "You and Me were meant to be" by Ophélie Masson (European Alternatives, Paris)
On the first day, the panel talk on "Building Trust - Stories from SWANA region" was moderated by Ann Måwe, director of the Swedish Dialogue Institute for MENA (Amman). The panel spotlighted the civil society efforts in building peace and conflict resolution by:
- Sulaima Ramadan, a Palestinian social entrepreneur and strategist focused on inclusive innovation, education, and systemic change. She is the founder and CEO of Ibtikar for Empowerment and Social Entrepreneurship, a Palestine-based organization that supports communities under the Occupation by fostering opportunity, dignity, and agency.
- Yazeed Al Jeddawy is the Research Coordinator at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies and a research consultant on Yemen. His work focuses on peacebuilding, transitional justice, civil society, and youth empowerment. From 2018 to 2022, he served on the International Steering Group of the United Network of Young Peacebuilders, representing the MENA region.
- Rashed Alrashed is a Syrian civil society activist, working with youth on peacebuilding and enhancing the roles and participation of refugees. Based in Berlin, he has been actively engaged since 2011 in Syrian civil society efforts, discussion forums, and networks across Syria and the region.
Last but not least, we had a workshop by Arjan Verdoreen about AI and intercultural competences. Arjan presented the TOPOI AI Chat bot which can help analyse intercultural sensitive situations or dilemmas. He presented the TOPOI model based on the hypothesis that Cultures do not meet, people do!
Photos taken by: Sofia Belhabib and Marisa Feto----------------------------------------------------------------------
For information/questions
Rasha Shaaban - ALF Coordinator in Sweden
This Forum is organised by the ALF Swedish network coordinator, the National Museums of World Culture with the support of the Anna Lindh Foundation, European Commission, the Swedish Ministry of Culture and the Swedish Dialogue Institute.
Special thanks to the support from the ALF Swedish network advisory committee members: Bilal Almobarak (Support Group Network), Nasma Salim (PeaceWorks Sweden) and Farhia Nur (STPLN).