We are excited to announce the successful completion of the TC SustainAble in Action training course held from May 13th to 17th, 2024, in Sofia, Bulgaria. This course brought together passionate youth workers from Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, and Albania, all committed to taking significant actions towards a sustainable and inclusive society. Youth workers explored various environmentally friendly approaches such as reducing waste, minimizing carbon footprints, and opting for sustainable food and mobility choices. These practices are essential for creating a greener future.
The SustainAble in Action training course successfully equipped youth workers with the knowledge and skills to drive sustainable and inclusive development in their communities. Emphasizing the EU Youth Strategy (2019–2027) #10 Sustainable Green Europe Youth Goal, the course focused on fostering environmentally friendly practices and empowering participants to lead social movements and advocacy campaigns. By promoting sustainable practices and civic engagement, the training aimed to create a new generation of youth leaders capable of implementing socially and ecologically responsible behaviors, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future for Europe.
The first day began with an interactive game to get to know each other. By assembling all the pieces of a puzzle they created a narrative about the relationship between environmental factors and human behavior. Additionally, they explored sustainable practices and locations in Sofia. After discussing the value of empathy and the different aspects of eco-friendly behaviour such as EU labels, circular economy, and greenwashing, each participant gave a presentation on responsible sustainable practices in their own countries. The youth workers created projects on environmental, economic and social sustainability.
The participants had the opportunity to better understand the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by performing a role play. Each youth worker chose two of the SDGs and presented them non-verbally to the others so they could guess the goal. A discussion on different aspects of environmental protection followed the role play.
Jane Dimitrova, the co-founder of foodObox, gave a presentation on her inspiring journey of starting an app that tackles the global problem of food waste. Did you know that roughly 1/3 of the food produced in the world for human consumption is lost or wasted? The UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 aims to halve food waste at the retail and consumer level and to reduce food loss across supply chains. FoodObox is one of the successful practices fighting this global problem.
As a result of the two intensive days of the programme, green protocols were gradually developed, emphasizing the significance of our everyday activities. The last day was focused on active participation as various instruments were explored. The youth workers were involved in a simulation game of the European Parliament and received an introduction to the sustainable possibilities of the Erasmus+ programme.
Through TC SustainAble in Action, participants have gained invaluable knowledge and skills that will enable them to make a positive impact on their communities. As active members of the European youth community, they are now empowered to become true actors of change, driving the progress towards a sustainable and inclusive society.
Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria
Duration: 13 – 17 May 2024
Countries Represented: Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Albania
Participants: Youth workers from 4 European countries
The project is funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ program.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.