Context
“The way in which we deal with climate change now will have a decisive impact on the world that today’s young people and their children will inherit.” - Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action
There is a strong relationship between society and natural environment. In a rapidly developing society, where the world’s population is increasing, the environmental concerns are becoming more and more pressing. From water and air pollution to global warming and greenhouse effects, environmental issues affect every person, animal, community, and nation on the planet.
A questionnaire-based pilot survey was conducted in Pune city of Maharashtra to assess awareness about climate change among the college going youth. About 98.5% respondents said global climate is changing, 95.5% of the respondents also commented that human activities contribute to climate change. Almost 54.5% of the respondents believed that youth could play a major role in combating climate change.
The solution for finding sustainable and efficient solutions for current environmental issues will lie in next generation, the young people who will inherit the responsibility to protect the planet, in fighting the complex scientific problems presented by climate change. Youth should therefore be given a chance to take an active part in the decision-making process and to support their initiatives we should offer them the chance to improve their skills, to develop methods and non-formal activities, to cultivate an international understanding among members of the next generation.
Green ID is a training course, organized by P.O.D. Association where youth workers will join with the purpose of improving the quality of their work in the field of environmental education for youth. During the training course participants will discover new tools and methods that they can use to raise awareness about the need to protect the environment. Green ID TC is also design to increase the connection of the participants with nature, to get them more motivated and open to adopt sustainable practices and to promote it in their work.
Objectives
The project will bring together 24 participants from different cultures and aims to :
- Raise awareness among the 24 participants about environmental issues and increase active participation to effective combat the climate change
- Develop communication and team work skills for youth workers in a non-formal setting in order to encourage them to be open to new methods that can be transferred to other youth groups from local or European communities
- To strengthen participants in becoming youth leaders, through outdoor activities in the local communities of the Danube Delta
- Presenting outdoor activities that facilitates participants engagement in environmental issues in a proactive and present way
- Encourage creativity and initiative among participants in dealing with ecological issues
- Boost civic responsibility and commitment for sustainable development;
- Consolidate the relationship between youth workers and the nature through direct contact with the natural environment from the Danube Delta
- Networking between organizations who works with young people and promotes environmental education in EU countries presented in the project
Project´s implementation period
01.02.2013 - 31.08.2013
Beneficiaries
24 youth workers from Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Hungary
Activities
1.Training course - 11.06. - 18.06.2013 in Danube Delta (a UNESCO Natural Monument), Romania
- site seeing of the Danube Delta, which is a UNESCO Natural Monument
- workshops – connection with nature and local people, understanding the natural eco-system, eco-practices, eco-responsibility
- other activities: relaxation workshops, learning to learn, knowing each other, intercultural evenings, parties, etc.
2.Dissemination and raising awarness public event – Wednesday, August 21, 2013, in Iasi, ArtHouse Central
to promote the results of the project and sustainable practices
regarding environmental education, to increase awarness of how bad destroying
nature affect us and encourage responsible behavior among the population; watching
videos and pictures made in the training course, which took place in Danube
Delta during 11 to 18 June 2013; projection of the documentary Wild Carpathia.
Partners
Občanské sdružení Point-podpora a sociální integrace, Czech Republic
Balkani Wildlife Society, Bulgaria
Opus Humanum Association, Poland
Youth and Civil Initiatives in the Rose Valley, Bulgaria
Asociación Cultural Barrios de Luna, Spain
Agrupamento de Escuteiros 516 Bombarral – Corpo Nacional de Escutas, Portugal
Organizer
P.O.D. Association is a new non-governmental association with the mission to promote, sustain and evaluate activities of volunteering and active participation for the society's sustainable development, in accordance with national guidelines and examples of good practice worldwide in the following fields:
a. continuing professional education and training
b. promote health, sport, science, arts, traditions, culture and preservation of monuments of national heritage
c. environment and nature protection, agriculture and tourism
d. economic, cultural and social development
e. supporting public works and infrastructure
f. assistance and counseling individuals and companies
g. youth education.
Financer
Youth in Action is the EU Programme for young people aged 15-28 (in some cases 13-30). It aims to inspire a sense of active citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping the Union's future
