The Moment My Voice Was Called: My Journey to ALForum 2025

The Moment My Voice Was Called: My Journey to ALForum 2025

It was an ordinary day when I received the email that would change how I see my own journey and purpose. An invitation to be a panelist at the Anna Lindh Foundation Forum 2025 in Tirana, Albania. As I read the words again and again, disbelief mixed with an overwhelming sense of pride and excitement. After years of quietly working to empower women, to build bridges between communities through dialogue and storytelling, this invitation felt like the world was finally listening to the whispers I had carried in my heart.

For me, the journey to this moment was never about recognition. It was about hope, resilience, and the unwavering belief that meaningful change begins with conversations — conversations where every voice, especially those often unheard, is valued. Being chosen to represent my community and share my experiences on an international platform is a humbling affirmation that those small steps, those stories of struggle and success, matter.

The Anna Lindh Foundation Forum is no ordinary event. Bringing together nearly 1,000 participants from 43 countries across the Euro-Mediterranean region, it is a powerful space for dialogue, innovation, and collective action. This year’s theme, “From Knowledge to Action: Redefining Dialogue in the Euro Mediterranean Region,” perfectly captures the urgency and promise I feel. It is a call to not only listen and learn but to turn understanding into practical solutions that foster peace, resilience, and shared prosperity.

The forum will take place in Tirana, a city that itself symbolizes change and hope — honored as the Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue for 2025 alongside my hometown, Alexandria. This shared recognition deepens my connection to the event and fuels my excitement to be part of this transformative moment.

I will take part in the session titled “Learning from each other: Peer to peer-based campaigns and community projects.” This is where stories become catalysts for change, where experiences shared in honesty and openness inspire others to take action. I am eager to share my journey — the challenges I faced as a woman navigating social and cultural barriers, the lessons learned in fostering dialogue among diverse groups, and the small but impactful projects that grew from seeds of hope and determination.

Preparing for this session has already been a journey of reflection. I see clearly now how every conversation, every encounter, has shaped my path. I think about the women who inspired me, the moments of doubt that almost silenced me, and the triumphs that reminded me why I must keep speaking.

This opportunity is more than a personal milestone. It is a symbol of progress — proof that women’s voices, once hushed or ignored, are growing louder and stronger in spaces where decisions are made, where futures are shaped. It reminds me that the work I do is part of a much larger movement of women and men committed to dialogue, understanding, and change.

As June approaches, I feel a mixture of nerves and excitement. I am ready to step onto this international stage with confidence and humility, knowing I carry with me the hopes of my community and the spirit of countless women whose stories deserve to be told.

This is not the end of the journey — it is a new beginning. The whispers are no longer just mine; they belong to a rising chorus of voices across the Mediterranean and beyond, all united in the belief that through dialogue, we can build bridges where walls once stood.

I am honored, I am proud, and above all, I am ready.