- Egypt, Siwa: Siwa Community Development and Environment Conservation
The project will be implemented in the city of Tangier, in Morocco, and in the oasis of Siwa, in Egypt. Tangier, with its historical Medina, and Siwa, an oasis in the western desert of Egypt, are both characterized by their important cultural heritage and the absence of strategic planning; they will be linked together in the framework of this project through the preservation and enhancement of their centuries-old cultural specificities, which are undergoing a process of progressive marginalization.
The project aims to improve the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, in this case, the old architecture of Medina and the old Berber Siwi language; to raise awareness and share knowledge on cultural heritage by involving schools and other public institutions; to enhance socio-economic opportunities for the marginalised women and youth living in the Medina of Tangier and the oasis of Siwa by investing in their handicraft traditions and handmade work; to empower local authorities and non-governmental organizations; and finally, to exchange best practices throughout the Mediterranean area. The expected results of the project will contribute to enhance the technical and managerial capacities of the target groups and local partners, namely of the two local development associations, Association Al Boughaz in Tangier, and the Siwa Community Development and Environment Conservation Association, as well as of the local authorities directly involved in the project implementation, through capacity-building, technical trainings, seminars, exchanges, visibility of activities and dissemination of results.