BRUSSELS -- The European Commission has selected 178 new projects for funding under the framework of the youth and Euromed youth programs, with the aim of promoting intercultural dialogue in the Mediterranean region and in Southeastern Europe.

The funding for the selected projects will be worth 4.2 million euro and many projects will go ahead with the cooperation of international organizations such as the United Nations, the European Commission announced Monday.

"The new selected projects will increase the opportunities offered to young people and contribute to a better dialogue between cultures" European commissioner for education and culture, Viviane Reding, said.

Amongst the 178 selected projects, 76 aim at promoting a better understanding of the respective environments and cultures of young people, mutual understanding and tolerance as well as different forms of democratic participation in society.

23 selected projects linked to Southeastern Europe address specific challenges in the region. Themes for youth exchanges and training activities with the region vary from health care and intercultural understanding to peace building.

For example, 25 youngsters from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Serbia and Montenegro will participate in an exchange on the theme of minorities and the protection of their rights.

The European commission kicked off a series of eight regional human rights workshops across the world on Monday, with an event concentrating on the Middle East, taking place in Amman, Jordan.

Further workshops will be held in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Southeastern Asia.

The aim of this initiative is to present EU policy and programs for promoting human rights and democracy worldwide.

The first workshop will focus on the regional role of Arab civil society in fostering democratization and human rights.

About 100 participants will attend the first workshop in Amman.

The participants represent a wide spectrum of the arab world ranging from the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean to those of the western Persian Gulf (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza & West Bank, Persian Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen).

This series of eight workshops will draw attention to recent developments in eu thinking on promoting human rights and democracy in third countries, the EU announced today.