Suchergebnisse

Education and training have been identified as one of the key instruments for the promotion of social stability and economic prosperity in the Mediterranean region in a number of policy documents and bilateral cooperation programmes under the so-called Barcelona Process. Among other measures to support this process, a special regional MEDA programme – Education and Training for Employment (MEDA-ETE) – was launched by the European Commission (EuropeAid Cooperation Office), and is being implemented by the European Training Foundation (ETF) between 2005 and 2008. This project aims to support 10 Mediterranean Partners – Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip – in the design of relevant education and training policies that can contribute to promote employment through a regional approach. When the MEDA-ETE project was designed, many of the 10 Mediterranean Partners expressed the interest and need to better understand the career guidance services in the region and to identify existing good policies and practices both in and outside the European Union. As a result, in 2006, a specific component of the project was dedicated to career guidance in the Mediterranean region. It has generated a number of outputs, such as country and cross-country analyses of career guidance policies as well as the establishment of a regional network of policy-makers in career guidance, supported by a virtual community/discussion forum on guidance. The analysis was built upon previous experience with career guidance reviews of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European Commission (Directorate-General for Education and Culture), Cedefop, ETF and the World Bank, and developed further the research methodology by paying particular attention to the socio-economic and cultural context of the Mediterranean region and its impact and limitations on career guidance services. It was based on the assumption that career guidance is not only important for individuals, but also can contribute to a number of public-policy goals in education and training, in the labour market and in social cohesion and equity. It further took into account the paradigm shift in career guidance that is emerging in the EU and OECD countries, from 'choosing a career' to 'constructing a career', from 'psychological testing' to 'tasting the world of work', and from 'external expert support' to 'career self-management skills'. Therefore, the underlying definition of career guidance used in the analysis was the same as adopted by EU Ministers of Education in 2004 (EU Council Resolution on Lifelong Guidance): 'services to assist individuals and groups of any age, at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers.' Special thanks to Carmela Doriana Monteleone and Jens Johansen (ETF) for preparing and advising on the statistical tables. The cross-country report is based on 10 country reports and profiles (see Annex B) prepared by the following local experts: Abdul Majid Abdul Ghani (Lebanon), Khayri Abushowayb (West Bank and Gaza Strip), Fusun Akkök (Turkey), Aboubakr Badawi (Egypt), Benny A. Benjamin (Israel), Abdassalem Bouaich (Morocco), Améziane Djenkal (Algeria), Issa Maldaoun (Syria), Nader Mryyan (Jordan), and Saïd Ben Sedrine (Tunisia). The report takes into account developments reported by the 10 countries and territories up to the end of 2006. Both the analysis and the network of career guidance policy-makers covered the whole region. By early 2007 the work had already stimulated interesting follow-up initiatives, for example in Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. We believe that this cross-country report will allow both policy-makers and practitioners to further develop national career guidance systems and structures, as well as to better relate and benchmark their activities within the international context, based on a shared vision within the Mediterranean region and with the European Union. The ETF will actively seek opportunities for further support to Mediterranean Partners on the topic of career guidance, both at institutional level and by creating synergies with other donor activities. Meanwhile the current virtual community on career guidance, hosted by the ETF, will continue to assist in networking between Mediterranean Partners to ensure the exchange of expertise and views. ; peer-reviewed

The World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) includes 22 countries.1 It is a 1 region rich in natural resources but with marked variation in socioeconomic wealth and health 2 system capacities and coverage.2 It has also recently been plagued by social and political instability, 3 civil unrest and conflict, and mass displacement of people.3 As a result, health in the EMR has failed 4 to improve in recent years.3 As other papers in this series highlight, there is now an increasing 5 burden of many preventable health problems including HIV, mental disorders, and intentional self-6 harm. There is a risk that without urgent action, the health status of this region will only deteriorate 7 further, with both regional and global consequences for health, the stability of civil society, and 8 economic development.

This book aims to provide an overview of crucial aspects related to the interconnection between the political economy of energy security and national security, which is of great importance globally due to high volatility and complexity. In this book, contemporary energy issues in relation to the energy security are examined, along with main vulnerabilities and challenges that have appeared lately with an impact beyond country borders and with a particular focus on the Eastern Mediterranean region. Energy security is studied on both International and European level and finally the Eastern Mediterranean region with special reference to the countries of the State of Israel and the Republic of Cyprus. The rapidly changing geopolitical environment makes energy security one of the critical areas of immediate interest that need a holistic approach. The importance of energy security in the Eastern Mediterranean region is constantly growing and requires the proper vision to enhance security in the region. Energy is now linked to the issues of sustainable development and tackling climate change, which is also taken into account. Finally, this book is expected to contribute to the existing literature and provide an in-depth study that gives a fresh approach to the academic and political community. Floros Flouros is an Assistant Professor in International Political Economy: Energy, Environment and Climate Change at the University of Neapolis Pafos, Cyprus.

The Institute for European Studies is organizing the second Jean Monnet Chair Conference on the 5th of May at Dar l-Ewropa, Valletta from 8.30 to 17.00. This forms part of the activities led by Professor Roderick Pace, Jean Monnet Chair and Director of the Institute focusing on research and teaching on the changes taking place in the EU and the Euro-Mediterranean region. Supported by the EU Lifelong Learning Programme, the conference hosts resident academics from the University of Malta, from foreign universities, research professionals, experts and scholars. The speakers include: Dr Fadeel Lameen, Chairman Libyan National Dialogue; Prof. Michelle Pace, Roskilde University, Denmark; Prof. Dr. Aylin Güney, Jean Monnet Chair, Yaşar University, İzmir, Turkey; Prof. Dr. Hasret Dikici Bilgin, Okan University, Istanbul, Turkey; Dr Adeel Malik, Oxford University; Prof Ahmed Ghoneim, Cairo University; Mrs Berta Fernandez, Intra-ACP Migration Facility, Brussels; Mr Claus Folden, European Asylum Support Office; Prof. Manfred Weissenbacher, University of Malta; Dr Arsalan Alshinawi, University of Malta; Dr Marcello Carammia, University of Malta;Mr Milan Pajic, Korean Embassy to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Duchy of Luxembourg and the European Union, Brussels; Mr Stefano Moncada, University of Malta. TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED INCLUDE The EU Mediterranean Challenge - Time for a new Paradigm? –The EU's Interpretation of the "Arab Uprisings": Understanding the Different Visions about Democratic Change in EU-MENA Relations – Is Turkey a Model for State building in the Arab World? – State Building in Iraq Since 2003: Challenges and Lessons – From Resource Curse to Rent Curse: Toward a New Political Economy of the Middle East – Understanding the Roots of Economic Challenges Facing Egypt in The Aftermath of 25th January Revolution - The Movement of People in the Mediterranean Region: Future Scenarios and the EU Response - The Growing Scope of the EU Migration Policy Agenda - The Geopolitics of Energy: Global Transitions and Euro-Med ...

THIS ARTICLE SUGGESTS THAT IF ONE LESSON IS TO BE LEARNED FROM THE GULF CRISIS, IT IS THAT WE MUST MAKE SURE BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE NEED TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC SECURITY THAT THERE IS POLITICAL AND MILITARY SECURITY. THIS NEED NOT BE ACHIEVED BY AN ARMS RACE. DISPOSING OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, REDUCING CONVENTIONAL ARMS, AND STRICTLY ADHERING TO SOLVING INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES BY PEACEFUL MEANS ARE MORE CERTAIN MEANS TO SECURITY--POLITICAL, MILITARY AND ECONOMIC. THIS SHOULD BRING ABOUT SIZABLE SAVINGS IN MILITARY EXPENDITURES, ALLOWING THESE FUNDS TO BE DIRECTED TOWARD ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the synagogue developed as the central identifying institution and physical building for Jews, replacing the still yearned for but increasingly distant Jerusalem Temple as the focus of Jewish identity. Equally important, the synagogue became the symbol par excellance of the Jews and their community for the Christian (or Muslim) majority populations in the countries where Jews were settled. For Christians, the synagogue was a Jewish church, but much more so, it came to symbolize in opposition all that the church represented. Though relatively little known today, medieval synagogues were not symbolic abstractions to the men and women of the Middle Ages. They were at the very center of their religious, social and political lives. These synagogues, which were once omnipresent across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa are now, however, sparsely preserved, and in most localities their former presence is entirely forgotten. With the exception of a few buildings that still stand, such as the so-called Rashi Synagogue in Worms, Germany; the Altneushul in Prague; and the former Great Synagogue and Samuel Abulafia Ha-Levi Synagogues in Toledo, medieval synagogues receive little attention other than from a few dedicated scholars, except when their long-buried remains are uncovered. Until recently, such discoveries were mostly accidental, but a new generation of researchers is now seeking out these remains to reveal a hidden past. In the past two decades much more evidence has become available to enhance our knowledge and understanding of medieval synagogues. Some of this information is archaeological, and even more derives from the close study of documentary evidence – in Hebrew and local languages – by historians such as Yom-Tov Assis in Spain and Ariel Toaff in Italy, to whose work I am indebted. This information, often collected in the course of other research, can be assembled to present a fairly detailed picture of synagogue architecture, decoration and use in some places for some periods of the Middle Ages. We know the general and specific distribution of medieval synagogues, and we have physical evidence for perhaps a few dozen. This paper focuses on evidence from the Mediterranean region, especially from Southern Europe. Until the 15th century, hundreds of Jewish communities populated the Iberian and Italian peninsula, and there were Jewish communities throughout the Balkans. These places had synagogues, and many had more than one. While still little physical evidence of these buildings is known (exceptions are Trani and Sermoneta in Italy and Toledo, Cordoba and Segovia in Spain), we can reconstruct much of their appearance and some aspects of their use and significance. In Spain and Italy there were synagogues of many sizes and plan types. Many were richly decorated. There were community synagogues, private synagogues, and synagogue organized by charitable societies. The locations of synagogue were well known, but the entrances to most synagogues were often protected by exterior courtyards, rather than face directly onto the public street. Synagogue were usually imbedded into the physical as well as the social fabric of their surrounding (Jewish) communities, and prayer halls were often part of larger complexes which includes spaces for other religious and communal functions. While the synagogue was not a distinct architectural type, it was a functional one, and the architectural and liturgical adaptations needed to produce and protect the medieval synagogue were influential in subsequent centuries. Many of our modern notions of what a synagogue looks like, how it functions, and what it signifies are present in the Middle Ages.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the synagogue developed as the central identifying institution and physical building for Jews, replacing the still yearned for but increasingly distant Jerusalem Temple as the focus of Jewish identity. Equally important, the synagogue became the symbol par excellance of the Jews and their community for the Christian (or Muslim) majority populations in the countries where Jews were settled. For Christians, the synagogue was a Jewish church, but much more so, it came to symbolize in opposition all that the church represented. Though relatively little known today, medieval synagogues were not symbolic abstractions to the men and women of the Middle Ages. They were at the very center of their religious, social and political lives. These synagogues, which were once omnipresent across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa are now, however, sparsely preserved, and in most localities their former presence is entirely forgotten. With the exception of a few buildings that still stand, such as the so-called Rashi Synagogue in Worms, Germany; the Altneushul in Prague; and the former Great Synagogue and Samuel Abulafia Ha-Levi Synagogues in Toledo, medieval synagogues receive little attention other than from a few dedicated scholars, except when their long-buried remains are uncovered. Until recently, such discoveries were mostly accidental, but a new generation of researchers is now seeking out these remains to reveal a hidden past. In the past two decades much more evidence has become available to enhance our knowledge and understanding of medieval synagogues. Some of this information is archaeological, and even more derives from the close study of documentary evidence – in Hebrew and local languages – by historians such as Yom-Tov Assis in Spain and Ariel Toaff in Italy, to whose work I am indebted. This information, often collected in the course of other research, can be assembled to present a fairly detailed picture of synagogue architecture, decoration and use in some places for some periods of the Middle Ages. We know the general and specific distribution of medieval synagogues, and we have physical evidence for perhaps a few dozen. This paper focuses on evidence from the Mediterranean region, especially from Southern Europe. Until the 15th century, hundreds of Jewish communities populated the Iberian and Italian peninsula, and there were Jewish communities throughout the Balkans. These places had synagogues, and many had more than one. While still little physical evidence of these buildings is known (exceptions are Trani and Sermoneta in Italy and Toledo, Cordoba and Segovia in Spain), we can reconstruct much of their appearance and some aspects of their use and significance. In Spain and Italy there were synagogues of many sizes and plan types. Many were richly decorated. There were community synagogues, private synagogues, and synagogue organized by charitable societies. The locations of synagogue were well known, but the entrances to most synagogues were often protected by exterior courtyards, rather than face directly onto the public street. Synagogue were usually imbedded into the physical as well as the social fabric of their surrounding (Jewish) communities, and prayer halls were often part of larger complexes which includes spaces for other religious and communal functions. While the synagogue was not a distinct architectural type, it was a functional one, and the architectural and liturgical adaptations needed to produce and protect the medieval synagogue were influential in subsequent centuries. Many of our modern notions of what a synagogue looks like, how it functions, and what it signifies are present in the Middle Ages.

The third and final Jean Monnet Conference was held on 12 May 2015 at Dar l-Ewropa, Valletta. Fourteen scholars and a number of students as well as members of the public participated in the conference. It was chaired by Prof. Roderick Pace, Director of the Institute for European Studies and Jean Monnet Professor. The speakers at the Conference were Prof. Alfred Tovias from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Prof. Susannah Verney, from the National and Kapodistrian Univeristy of Athens; Dr. Alexander Apostolides from the European University of Cyprus; Prof. Baldur Thorhallsson from the University of Iceland; Dr. Dana Lusa from the University of Zagreb; Prof. Andrew Geddes from the University of Sheffield; Prof. Panayotis J. Tsakonas from the University of the Aegean, Rhodes; Dr. Stelios Stavridis from the Univeristy of Zaragosa; Prof. Gilbert Achcar, from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; Dr. Charalambos Tsardanidis from the University of the Aegean, Rhodes; and Dr. Angelos Katsaris, from the College of Europe, Natolin, Warsaw. Prof. Pace opened the Conference by introducing the theme of 'An Evolving EU Engaging a Changing Mediterranean Region' and the sub-themes which were presented in the rest of the conference. The presentations covered a variety of current topics including the economic and political crises on both sides of the Mediterranean and the rise of euroscepticism (Prof. Tovias and Prof. Verney); region-specific issues in Cyprus, Nordic countries and the Western Balkans (Dr. Apostolides, Prof. Thorhallsson, Dr. Lusa); the EU's asylum and migration policies in relation to the Mediterranean (Prof. Geddes, Dr. Carammia and Prof. Tsakonas); the dynamics of challenges posed by the Arab uprisings for the EU (Dr. Stavridis, Prof. Achcar). Other presentations tackled specific issues such as energy security (Dr. Tsardanidis) and climate change policy (Dr. Katsaris). Prof. Roderick Pace concluded the Conference with a final address and discussion. A Workshop was held the ...

This book highlights the various cultures and religions of Mediterranean countries, and discusses issues related to managing diversity and minority rights, and the role of intercultural and interreligious dialogue. It centers on the interconnectedness between culture, politics, religion, gender, race, migration, and language. To promote a fruitful exchange, the volume considers approaches that integrate social, economic, cultural, religious and political dimensions, and surveys the theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of multiculturalism. The contributions gathered here also debate issues relating to history, modernity, cultural specificities of the region, and their role in the consolidation of peace, democracy, social justice, and development. The book uses an analytic framework coupled with a synthetic method, while providing a roadmap to achieve a better management of pluralism in the Mediterranean area, which will help different populations to live together in harmony and to continue their battle for broadmindedness, acceptance, and coexistence.