The gates of the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa in Palermo have opened once again to welcome the Sabir Festival, which reached its tenth edition this autumn 2025.
The Sabir Festival is not merely an event, but a vital and essential forum that for a decade has gathered civil society from across the entire Mediterranean basin. Organisations, active citizens and professionals working in the education sector meet in Sicily for a frank and constructive discussion on crucial issues: human rights, migration, social justice and the search for a truly transformative peace.
In a complex geopolitical context, the Sabir Festival stands confirmed as a space for intellectual and practical resistance. Here, the debate moves beyond superficial narratives and is rooted in the daily practices of care, equality and participation. Through panels, workshops and testimonies, the objective is to redefine the Mediterranean not as a sea of separation and externalised borders, but as a bridge uniting communities in the construction of a fairer future.
This year, the Youth for Peace in the Mediterranean project was proud to be part of this vibrant event. Thanks to the solid local network that CESIE ETS has cultivated over time in Palermo, Antonina Albanese and Giulia Tarantino led a highly participatory panel within the festival. The session explored the mechanisms of resistance developed by communities in Lebanon, weaving together personal testimonies, collective experiences, and critical reflections on how young people can actively shape processes of positive peace and social transformation within their local contexts.
The project’s journey over the past two years has taken us to numerous places — from universities and youth centers to the Borgo di Dio of Danilo Dolci and several grassroots associations. These collaborations have been fundamental in promoting active citizenship and inclusive education both in urban and rural areas. Each encounter, workshop, and dialogue has strengthened our belief that peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but the ongoing construction of justice, dignity, and opportunity for all.
At the Sabir Festival, our participation went beyond sharing project results: it became a moment of collective reflection and network-building. Engaging with organizations from across the Mediterranean — from Morocco, Tunisia, and Lebanon to France, Spain, Italy, and Jordan — allowed us to expand the conversation on how peace education can respond to local needs while maintaining a decolonial and intersectional perspective. The discussions emphasized that peace must be rooted in everyday practices of care, equality, and participation, particularly in a region as diverse and complex as the Mediterranean.
We also presented some of the educational tools and manuals developed through the project, which integrate Amartya Sen’s capability approach, intercultural dialogue, and methods of non-formal education. These resources aim to empower youth workers, educators, and community leaders to create spaces of learning that foster empathy, critical thinking, and social responsibility.
The Sabir Festival thus represented, for our team, a moment of synthesis and renewal — a place where ideas meet practice and where the voices of Mediterranean civil society resonate together in envisioning a more just and peaceful future.
We are deeply grateful to all those who took part in our session and to the many young participants who shared their insights, hopes, and local experiences. Their contributions reaffirmed the essence of our work: that peace begins with people, in their capacity to listen, connect, and act collectively.
As the Youth for Peace in the Mediterranean project concludes, we hope that the results, tools, and connections we have built will continue to inspire new initiatives and collaborations across borders — making the Mediterranean not only a sea that separates, but a space that unites communities in the pursuit of peace and justice.
About the project
YxP – Youth for Peace in the Mediterranean Sea is a project funded by Erasmus+, KA2 Capacity Building in the field of Youth.
Partners
- Association Initiativa Internacional Joven (Spain, coordinator)
- Foro Para La Paz en El Mediterraneo (Spain)
- Institut Méditerranéen de Formation, Recherche, Et Intervention Sociale (France)
- CESIE ETS (Italy)
- Association Solidarité, échange et developpement Ased (Tunisia)
- Jovesolides Egypt (Egypt)
- HR180 Business Solutions (Jordan)
- Youth Development Organization (Lebanon)
- Forum de la Modernité et de la Démocratie (Morocco)
For further information
Read more about the project.
Contact Antonina Albanese: antonina.albanese@cesie.org.
