The winners of MAJALAT video contest were announced during the project’s Brussels Civil Society Forum last week.

Rabee Karzoun, a young Syrian film director, won the first prize (5,000 euros). His film Anahon gives voice to the people of Tripoli and the wider region, highlighting the country’s current unprecedented protest movement. Ghassem Gacem won the second prize (3,000 euros) with his report Plaisir d’être, which reveals the commitment of young people involved in a remarkable street theater project in a disadvantaged region of Tunisia. Areej Abouj won the 3rd prize (1000 euros) with her film Life Line, which shares the fight of young women victims of violence in the region of Ghouta, devastated by the war in Syria.

In view of the quality and diversity of many other finalist candidates, the Majalat Jury awarded three additional mentions. Wafa Harouri introduces us to the Youth Village experience, which supports young people in occupied Palestine. Fatima Moujammou highlights the Entrepreunariat project for civil society in Morocco. While the youngest laureate of the contest, Yasmina Manai (15 years old), shares the story of young Tunisians who have been engaged in raising awareness of the risks of illegal migration, following the loss of their friend Boff.

“Majalat” is a regional initiative supported and financed by the European Commission. This unique initiative led by civil society organisations from the North and South of the Mediterranean aims to build a continuous exchange between the EU and Civil Society from ten countries from the South of the Mediterranean in continuity with previous EU structured dialogues. Each year, through an annual cycle of activities, civil society organisations will gather to discuss and exchange on 5 themes that are central for the relations between the EU and countries in the region (Governance and Rule of Law, security and countering violence, migration, economic and social dialogue, social and climate justice). The results of these discussions will be brought from the field into structured (policy) dialogues with the European Union.

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