News
Twinning for Change
From 27 to 29 July 2025, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), in partnership with the Al Hurriya Liberal Network (AHLN), convened the Twinning for Change regional workshop in Tunis, Tunisia, bringing together 16 emerging political leaders from six MENA countries. The initiative provided a dynamic platform for cross-border collaboration, political reflection, and the co-creation of forward-looking youth-led initiatives.
Unlike traditional political trainings, Twinning for Change was designed as an immersive, participatory experience that placed young people at the center of the learning process. Through a combination of storytelling, peer exchange, simulation exercises, and project design labs, participants engaged in a structured exploration of their political identities, local realities, and shared regional challenges.
Under the expert facilitation of Myrna Mneimneh, President of AHLN and a prominent Lebanese political actor, the workshop moved from individual reflection to collective strategy. Sessions such as “From Witness to Actor: My Journey through a Decade of Change” and “Local Realities, Shared Struggles after the Arab Spring” encouraged participants to critically examine the evolution of youth engagement and democratic participation across different national contexts.
A key highlight of the program was a virtual exchange with Rami Hafez, Chair of the AHLN Youth Committee, who presented the committee’s vision and extended an open invitation for participants to assume active leadership roles within the regional network.
At the heart of the workshop were the Twinning Projects, cross-national initiatives co-designed by participants in response to pressing regional priorities, including youth political participation, civic education, climate action, digital governance, and media freedom. These collaborative projects, referred to as Twinning Pacts, will be finalized and officially adopted in an upcoming follow-up session, representing a concrete mechanism for continued engagement beyond the workshop.
The program also marked the foundation of a sustainable regional youth network, supported by FNF and AHLN, which will include a dedicated digital space for coordination, knowledge-sharing, and future joint action. This network aims to overcome the fragmentation that often characterizes political engagement in the MENA region and instead foster a culture of democratic solidarity led by youth.
In her closing remarks, Yasmeen Alnajdawi, Regional Project Coordinator at FNF MENA, emphasized the long-term vision of the initiative:
“This workshop was not an endpoint, but the beginning of something bigger, one rooted in political agency, creativity, and lasting commitment.”
Indeed, Twinning for Change demonstrated that when young leaders from diverse contexts come together with purpose and support, they do not merely exchange ideas, they build the political culture of tomorrow.
