The Centre for Cooperation in the Mediterranean supports actions to promote youth leadership; youth engagement at operational, strategic and decision-making levels, based on a culture of non-violence and peace and peer-to-peer collaboration.

The Mediterranean Youth Camp of the RC/RC - Atlantis - is its greatest exponent. As annual encounter for young people, Atlantis aims to build capacity, facilitate the exchange of experiences, strengthen competencies and encourage the commitment of young people as agents of social change.

Main activities

• Youth as Agents of Behavioural Change (YABC) project. YABC is an IFRC’s flagship initiative on the promotion of a culture of non-violence and peace which stimulates a personal reflection and positioning on thematic issues as discrimination, empathy, resilience, critical thinking, and horizontal leadership. YABC is rooted in a participant-centred, experiential learning approach. It also relies on a non-cognitive methodology. The Centre also supports the network of trainers in the Mediterranean region and is currently in the process of digitalisation, with the development of gamified tools.

• Development of leadership skills training through interpersonal relationships based on communication, cooperation and trust

• Exchange of experiences for the promotion of youth-led actions on different topics such as climate change, awareness raising on human trafficking, gender and diversity, design thinking, digitalisation and communication.

• Networking, in particular with European and MENA youth networks.

History of Atlantis

Atlantis was first conceived in 2004, during the 9th Mediterranean Conference held in Cairo, when the 25 member National Societies agreed on the proposal of the Italian Red Cross regarding the establishment of a common space where young volunteers from the Mediterranean could meet, exchange ideas, propose initiative, and discuss humanitarian issues.

Since the first edition in 2005, 848 young people have participated, and Atlantis has consolidated itself as a referential meeting point to bring together young volunteers from across the Mediterranean region and empower them to promote cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and counter stereotypes and discrimination.