From the 16th to the 24th of September 2024, 25 people, with 18 to 30 years old, from Italy, Spain, North Macedonia, Sweden and Portugal, joined the youth exchange« Transforming Tomorrow Together » within the ECA project. It was held in Viana do Castelo, Portugal and the main topics discussed were the Green Deal and well-being.
The week started with team building dynamics, getting to know each other, and getting participants comfortable. We did activities, using non-formal education, about the European Union and the Green Deal; we reflected on our emotions related to climate change and analyzed how we can work on our resilience towards it, we had a workshop about sustainable recipes and did some sports (walk to the beach, surf and body board class); we discussed about the initiatives and opportunities for youth that the EU offers at the moment and participants got to give their recommendations and improvement suggestions.
There was also the opportunity to visit the city. The group did an interactive peddy paper, visited a museum, had free time and was welcomed at the town hall by the youth counsellor. There was time for reflections, games and a visit to a local “green” festival.
During the 5 intercultural nights, the group got to taste traditional tasty meals and beverages. We had the chance to learn traditional dances, listen to traditional songs and play games during which we got to know more about the country.
The place was surrounded by nature. It was possible to see both mountain and the sea at the same time and we had some friendly animals around. It was a good place to reflect on the topics and connect with each other, with ourselves and with nature.
We believe important personal, social and professional skills were developed during this experience and that the exchange had a positive impact on the group, as well as on AJD.
