Jávea Neighbourhood Forum shortly begin a new phase. The imminent creation of the House of the Mediterranean, which the Forum will form part; the celebration of the Second Euro-Mediterranean Meeting, hosted by European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and the programming of new and interesting activities are projecting the name of Jávea Forum in Spain and in the the world. Its president, José Ribes, leads a team that prepares and finalizes various activities to encourage collaboration among the youth of the Euro-mediterranean area. The first one is the political conference next May.

The "Jávea Declaration”, Jávea Neighbourhood Forum constitutional document served in July two years. Have you achieved the objectives?

Yes, although it has been hard work. But in these two years we have focused our activities to consolidate as a foundation whose main objective is to promote and encourage dialogue and understanding between young professionals from both sides of the Mediterranean. Not only in the events themselves, but participation in other international forums and institutions such as the European Institute of the Mediterranean  (IEMED) or the Anna Lindh Foundation, which recently have become more integrated as a member of its international network and we are establishing lines of collaboration at this time.

Among the activities at this time what stress?

All have been important, although I like some Euro-Arab meeting, who sponsored the Commissioner for External Affairs of the European Union Benita Ferrero-Waldner and attended by executive members of the Mediterranean; or Mediterranean Youth Encounter Lawyers, in which lawyers, judges and university professors from around the world have marked our tendency. But I must emphasize that other events such as the presentation of last book of the journalist Agustín Remesal or the Salma Kadiri conference, head of an NGO dedicated to microcredit in Morocco, have shaped the spirit of our founding.

Next month of May you prepare a Second Euro-Arab Encounter, a political conference, dedicated to renewable energy. Can you specify the content of this event?

We are finalizing the details, but I can assure you it will be a key activity for the Foundation. And I would like to emphasize several things: the first is that it is an event that will also be chaired by Commissioner Benita Ferrero, who was the person who sponsored and encouraged the creation of the Jávea Forum. This activity will be financed by the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation and Development (AECID). We decided to devote this meeting to the world of energy, in particular renewable energy, because they are fundamental not only for the development of our countries, but also to improve understanding and collaboration between regions on both sides of the Mediterranean. Moreover, as already noted all world leaders, including the Spanish president, renewable energy will also be a clean and sustainable industry in key economies.

What form will this II Euro-Arabic meeting?

It will be an event that will discuss the three parties involved in the debate: politics, science and business. And we hope to have personalities in every area of debate. Its conclusions will be fundamental.

What other activities are planned for this year?

Our team is also finalizing the programming of other interesting activities that will lead directly, not just for the prestige of the Foundation, but for the benefit of all Jávea. By next summer we plan to bring in Jávea an interesting photo exhibition in collaboration with Casa Árabe and Agencia EFE funds, which will see both the people of Jávea as tourism that visits us in the holiday period. For after the summer we are preparing a workshop on sectoral international young architects, but I can not move further details. And we have other surprises up, especially targeting young people, which will catapult the prestige of our Foundation and Jávea, not only in Region of Valencia and in Spain but also internationally.

Have achieved its objectives in the "Club of Friends of the Forum?

Gradually the Jávea and our country residents are realizing the importance of having them around this foundation and are slowly being incorporated into our project. While it is true that far too slow. The Friends Club is created to facilitate the access of people in Jávea to our activities, to participate in our discussions, to have first hand information of what we do and we want to do. We know that 2008 has been a difficult year in which we ended up going to move forward with the activities, and perhaps that is why it has taken people to visualize the importance of the Forum. But we hope that the programming of new activities and encourage our neighbors would come to this Foundation, which is the foundation of all Jávea.