The Euromed Heritage IV programme

THE EUROMED HERITAGE IV PROGRAMME
 
 
Protecting our future
We are taking care of our past in order to protect our future. We are encouraging the preservation of fountains, wooden doors and ancient dialects, the restoration of ancient manuscripts and the restoration of modern buildings and theatres dating back thousands of years, in order to safeguard the identity of future generations and contribute to a shared understanding of them. By enhancing the cultural heritage, the Euromed Heritage programme underpins dialogue between different cultures in the Mediterranean region. Euromed Heritage 4 (2008-2012) is creating new opportunities to raise the awareness of citizens, to enable them to reappropriate their extraordinary common cultural heritage.
 
Historical background
Since 1998, the regional programme Euromed Heritage has allocated a total of €57 million to the financing of partnerships between heritage institutions in the Mediterranean region, and heritage conservation experts. Some 400 partners in member states of the European Union and MEDA countries (Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey) have benefited from this programme in its earlier phases. 
 
Euromed Heritage IV
Euromed Heritage IV represents a further stage in the process leading to the recognition of “culture” as a catalyst for mutual understanding between peoples in the Mediterranean region. Now forming part of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and granted a budget of €17 million, Euromed Heritage IV (2008-2012) is intended to help populations appropriate their own national and regional cultural heritage, by facilitating access to education and to knowledge about their own cultural heritage.
It is with this aim in mind that twelve projects have been funded over a 3-year period. Each of the projects is based on a major organisation teaming up with various partners of the European Union and Mediterranean partner countries. For the projects selected, Euromed Heritage IV offers a framework for the sharing of experience, a network for the dissemination of best practices, and new prospects for the development of the institutional framework of culture at the national and regional levels.
 
What does this mean in practice?
The programme facilitates interdisciplinary cooperation, the exchange of best practices, training, the creation of networks, initiatives to stimulate and reinforce the social and economic impact of the cultural heritage, and finally, the improvement of the institutional and legislative frameworks of the cultural heritage in the partner countries. A regional management and support unit (RMSU) provides its technical assistance to twelve projects:
· ATHENA: Ancient theatres enhancement for new actualities;
· ELAICH: Educational linkage approach in cultural heritage;
· FOUNDATIONS FOR A STRONG FUTURE: Youth in Lebanon and Jordan promote cultural heritage;
· HAMAMMED: Raising awareness for the hammam as a cultural heritage;
· MANUMED II: Of manuscripts and men;
· MARE NOSTRUM: A heritage trail along the Phoenician maritime routes and historic port-cities of the Mediterranean Sea;
· MEDLIHER: Safeguarding Mediterranean living heritage;
· MED-MEM: Sharing our Mediterranean audiovisual heritage;
· MONTADA: Forum for the promotion of traditional architecture in the Maghreb;
· MUTUAL HERITAGE: From historical integration to contemporary active participation;
· REMEE: Rediscovering together the water heritage in the Mediterranean region;
· SIWA & TANGIER: Cultural heritage for a better life.