News from the Middle East and North Africa often paints a picture of a crisis zone dominated by political and economic uncertainties. However, both the overall conditions and the lived realities in the region are far more complex and multifaceted than this stereotype suggests. This becomes evident through the more than 100 projects that the Goethe-Institut, funded by the Federal Foreign Office, has implemented since 2011 under the Ta’ziz Partnership program in Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. The contribution varies from country to country, as the contextual factors differ greatly across these nations.
The projects primarily target young people as well as key actors from the cultural and educational sectors. In doing so, the Goethe-Institut creates spaces for discussion, exchange of opinions, and skills development. Furthermore, the projects train and connect cultural actors with relevant partners in Germany and with each other within the region. Because more than implementing fixed concepts, the Ta’ziz Partnership is about envisioning future prospects, encouraging social participation, enabling exchange and self-efficacy, and creating space for creativity and innovation.
The depiction of the Middle East and North Africa in the news is often unflattering in that it paints the picture of a region ridden by crisis and overshadowed by political and economic turmoil. Overall conditions and lived realities are, however, much more complex and multi-layered than this stereotype suggests. This is well reflected in more than 100 projects that the Goethe-Institut, funded by the Federal Foreign Office, has been supporting in Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt since 2011 and until today under its programme of Ta’ziz Partnership. The contribution differs from one project country to the next, taking into account their widely differing contexts.
The projects’ primary target groups are young people and key actors in civil society and education, seeking to create spaces for discussion and exchange of opinions, as well as opportunities for qualification. The Goethe-Institut further trains and connects cultural actors in the region with each other and with relevant partners in Germany. Ta’ziz Partnership aims for more than just the implementation of fixed concepts; it enhances future prospects, strengthens participatory decision-making, exchange, self-efficacy, and provides room for creativity and innovation.
