ABOUT

THE ASSOCIATION

ACCENT SUD – Association for Cultural Cooperation and the Digital Economy with Southern Europe, is a young and dynamic French non-profit association, founded in 2021 with the mission of supporting and implementing international and cross-regional projects that contribute to a more sustainable and respectful way of life—both on land and below water. Our focus is on vulnerable areas and communities in Southern Europe.

Based in Talence, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the association brings together members from across Europe, working remotely and on-site when traveling for our missions.

We believe in the transformative power of knowledge, science, art, culture, and innovation in tools and methodologies as key drivers of positive change.

Together, we facilitate and enable transnational projects, offering a range of tailored services to foster meaningful impact. Our work is built on cross-sector partnerships, cultural cooperation, creativity, collective intelligence, scientific outreach, and a strong dialogue among key stakeholders.

We collaborate with private and public entities, national and European institutions, research centers, universities, NGOs, and engaged citizens eager to contribute to our causes and projects.

Our actions are guided by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

BOARD MEMBERS

Silvia CIBIEN (she/her)

Silvia Cibien is a Senior Consultant in Europlanning and International Project Management for the cultural and creative sectors, with almost 20 years of experience—particularly in the film and screen industries and in the Creative Europe Programme. She worked as Training Coordinator for CICAE (International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas) from 2007 to 2015, and as General Delegate of EUROVOD (Association of European Video-on-Demand Platforms) from 2018 to 2021. Since January 2023, she has been the General Delegate of ACCENT SUD, and President since October 2024, focusing on supporting, disseminating, and managing scientific and innovative projects aimed at climate change adaptation and sustainability. Driven by projects with social and environmental impact she is particularly motivated to contribute to initiatives promoting animal welfare and protection. Silvia holds a Master’s degree in Science of the Performing Arts and Multimedia Production plus a Bachelor’s degree in Techniques of the Performing Arts (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), along with several professional training certificates.

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Enrichetta BATTISTA (she/her)

Enrica Battista is an Arabic translator, researcher and cultural mediator specialising in Arabic language, literature and publishing. She studied Arabic Language and Literature in Naples and also trained at the Scuola Superiore per Mediatori Linguistici di Vicenza. Her professional career has developed around languages, translation, publishing and intercultural exchange. In 2007, she founded Arabook, a project dedicated to promoting contemporary Arabic publishing in Italy, with a particular focus on children’s and young adult literature, multilingualism and intercultural education. Her experience also includes bibliographic research, editorial consultancy, cultural activities and workshops for schools and libraries. As a literary translator from Arabic into Italian, Enrica has translated a number of published works, including Mohammad Sabaaneh’s Racconto Palestina and 30 Seconds from Gaza, as well as works of Arabic children’s literature. She also develops educational content and leads workshops on Arabic literary translation. Enrica is currently Project Coordinator of the DAR – Didattica dell’Arabo in Ricerca (Teaching Arabic through Research) Laboratory at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. She also works as primary school teacher in Venice. At ACCENT SUD, she brings extensive expertise in Arabic language and culture, translation, intercultural communication and cultural mediation, contributing to projects that foster cultural cooperation, inclusion and dialogue. 

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Visiana SHAMO (she/her)

Visiana Shamo is a finance and accounting professional with a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Tirana, where she previously completed a Bachelor’s degree in Finance. Her academic background covers advanced financial management, financial statement analysis, public finance, investment and risk management, as well as financial and cost accounting, taxation and banking. She has several years of professional experience across the public and private sectors. From 2019 to 2021, she worked as a Budget Analyst at the Albanian Ministry of Finance and Economy, analysing State budgets allocated to sectoral programmes and contributing to the effective management of public funds, including EU-funded projects. Her experience also includes accounting and administrative responsibilities at Uji Qafshtama and accounts receivable management for Touch Support and SNF Back Office. After moving to France in late 2022, Visiana also worked as a freelance French–Albanian and French–English interpreter, notably providing simultaneous interpretation during civic training sessions for newcomers to France. At ACCENT SUD, she serves as Treasurer, bringing her expertise in budgeting, accounting, financial analysis and reporting to the association’s financial management. Her experience in public finance and EU-funded programmes is particularly valuable in ensuring sound financial monitoring, regulatory compliance and transparent management of the association’s resources.

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Rayan KLOUL (he/his)

Rayan Kloul is a business and retail management student currently pursuing a BTS in Management Commercial Opérationnel (MCO) at ISTEF, where he is developing skills in operational management, economics, customer relations, team management and commercial operations. He previously studied Techniques de commercialisation at Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, with a focus on marketing, communication, negotiation, economics and business strategy. Alongside his studies, Rayan is gaining professional experience as a work-study Sales Advisor, allowing him to apply his academic knowledge to day-to-day business operations and customer relations. At ACCENT SUD, he serves as Vice-Treasurer and supports the association’s financial management, including budget monitoring, annual budget preparation and invoice tracking. This role enables him to further develop his skills in accounting, financial administration and non-profit treasury management while contributing to the organisation’s day-to-day operations.

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MANIFESTO AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION POLICY

ACCENT SUD is a young non-profit organization. We want to build our daily work on a set of values, beliefs and principles. We want them to guide us in the choices and decisions we make. This is the foundation of our culture. 

Our purpose

We want to make a real and meaningful impact in the following areas:

Knowledge Economy & Digital Transformation

ACCENT SUD contributes to a society that resolves problems and ensures growth through knowledge which entails highly specialized skills and competences in specific areas. It capitalizes on digital technologies that have a potential to optimize many industries and processes, making them more inclusive and more sustainable.

Culture and Art

ACCENT SUD uses culture and art as powerful tools of societal transformation. Very often, solutions to complex problems do not lie in technology only but in changing societal attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that are not always logical and rational. Art has a power to communicate without words. Its place must not be in art schools, galleries and journals, but everywhere in our society.

Climate Change and Environmental Protection

However, there is no purpose in any endeavours unless we secure the wellbeing of our common home planet Earth and that of the human beings. ACCENT SUD is dedicated to development and deployment of sustainable solutions that would allow the economy to flourish without damaging the climate and harming the environment, end the unbounded exploitation of natural resources and careless pollution.

Cross-sectoral Cooperation

ACCENT SUD seeks to change the world where science is left in journals and academic conferences, business seeks ever growing profits, governments make undeliberate policies and the art lives in a world apart. We want to unite and align all the actors, because together they have infinite potential for powerful and lasting change.

Our values

Trust

We believe to be able to consistently demonstrate actions which align with our vision and values, and this is how trust is born. It means for us freedom and encouragement to put our imagination, creativity, and passion to work. It also means responsibility and accountability. 



Transparency

As a team we have no secrets and we do not hide anything under the carpet. When we disagree, have concerns and uncomfortable topics, we discuss them. This is the attitude we hold with our partners, clients and sponsors. 



Equality and Inclusion

We are a small and so far, 80% female team. However, gender has not been a parameter of choice for our team members: we are open to all kinds of profiles, regardless of gender, colour, diet, religion, or anything else that makes a person feel different. We seek to never judge and stereotype anyone. The two things that matter to us are adherence to our vision and values, and good performance. 

How we work

Mind & Heart

We understand that the world dominated by logic and reason alone cannot evolve in a balanced and healthy way. That is why we use the heart in everything we do: empathy, compassion and imagination. It makes our work much more meaningful and more substantial. 


Pursuit of Growth and Learning

At ACCENT SUD, we want to ensure that every employee is at the right place, finds enough meaning and purpose in their work and feels both fulfilled and challenged. We seek to provide maximum opportunities for professional growth and learning. 



Work-Life Balance

At ACCENT SUD, we do not support the philosophy of success defined by “hard work” that comes at the cost of sacrificing personal well-being and other commitments and priorities we have in life. We seek to work “smart”: prioritizing tasks that require limited investment of time but provide maximum impact, using the rule of 80/20. We combine it with a clear vision and regular communication. It does not mean that peaks of workload never happen to us. They do, and then we give extra effort and make sacrifices, however we see them as exceptions to the rule, and we allow ourselves to rest.

Full Remote (so far)

We made this choice both out of necessity and our own preferences. While we benefit from the freedom and convenience this way of work brings, we are conscious of its disadvantages as well, such as lack of communication, a feeling of disconnection, and blurred limits between personal and professional life. We compensate for it through regular online meetings and occasional physical meetings and setting our personal rules and boundaries.

Full Flexibility

Because we trust that each of us has self-discipline and understand that what is productive and convenient for one is not necessarily such for another, we adapt collectively to our individual needs, leaving maximum space for personal freedom. 



Flat Structure

As a small organization we enjoy flat organizational structure. We give autonomy and voice to each other, with each of us participating in decision-making processes when it is needed and appropriate. Because much of our work relies on and at the same time directly or indirectly contributes to Democracy, we support it at the heart of our organization.