The Summer Academy for Strengthening Democracy in the Euro-Med Region is an initiative of the Bulgarian School of Politics “Dimitry Panitza” and is organized in cooperation with the Tunisian School of Politics and the Citizenship School of Political Studies in Morocco. The central theme of this year’s Summer Academy is “Democracy and education”.

The Academy is supported by the South Programme II “Towards a Strengthened Democratic Governance in the Southern Mediterranean” (2015-2017), funded by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe. This year’s Summer Academy follows the successful inaugural events that took place in the summer of 2014 and 2015.

The main goal of the Summer Academy is to reinforce the democratic reforms and the establishment of democratic governance in the Southern Mediterranean through experience sharing and cooperation among active participants in the political life of the countries in the region and the EU. The Summer Academy brings around the same table prominent young leaders, aged 25-40 from Morocco, Tunisia and Bulgaria and aims to promote cross-border constructive dialogue and establish transnational networks among democracy practitioners, activists, thinkers, political parties and civil society from North Africa and Europe. All participants are alumni of the National Programmes of one of the three schools and are members of the global alumni network of the schools of political studies under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

The event was held in Pravets, Bulgaria, from 25th to 30th May 2016.