Seminar on Green & Inclusion

Theme and rationale

Environment and climate action were added as a horizontal priority within the Erasmus+ Programme. By this, the Programme is considered a key instrument for building knowledge, skills, and attitudes on climate change and supporting sustainable development within the European Union and beyond. While this focus is crucial, it also draws attention to the challenges that young people with fewer opportunities (YPWFO) are facing. For example, young people with fewer opportunities are the first to feel the consequences of climate change, while they are often the last to be heard. Also, mainstream solutions to fight climate change are more easily available for well-off people, while young people with fewer opportunities often lack resources to use them. In the context of the Erasmus+ Programme, measures to make projects greener might raise barriers or even exclude YPWFO to participate. In short, there’s a clear need to connect the fields of green and inclusion.

If you want more information on the theme and rationale, download the additional information and documentation.

Aim and objectives

This seminar aims to explore the field of green and inclusion and develop awareness about the lived realities of YPWFO regarding green transitions and climate change. Also, it will explore how the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programmes can make a positive change for young people with fewer opportunities, considering environment and climate action. The seminar will take an intersectional approach on climate justice and sustainability, and question the mainstream perceptions of sustainable behaviour.

General aim: to set the scene of ‘Green & Inclusion’ in order to develop a line of activities (in various forms) in the framework of the EU Youth Programmes Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps.

Objectives:

• Identify common ground and create a common understanding on ‘green inclusion’ by exploring the concepts inclusion & green from an intersectional perspective;
• Understand the broader themes that are connected to green & inclusion and climate justice (for example post-colonisation, poverty, gender differences, identity, disability, etcetera);
• Develop awareness in green organisations, movements and initiatives about lived experiences of young people with fewer opportunities and find ways of making a positive change together;
• Collect struggles that green organisations, movements and initiatives are facing when it comes to including young people with fewer opportunities and find ways to reach out to them and engage them through Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps;
• Explore how Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps can amplify the voice and participation of young people with fewer opportunities in the green transition and in climate action;
• Create connections and provide a space for networking and collaboration according to overlapping fields of interest.

For more information, download the draft programme.

Profile

We are happy to welcome youth workers, representatives of organisations or informal groups, with experience/expertise in at least one of the fields below:

• Working with young people with fewer opportunities and motivated and interested to tackle green topics;
• Active in a green movement and/or experienced in climate justice/social and environmental sustainability and interested in reaching out to young people with fewer opportunities;
• Engaged young people that are empowered and motivated to bring in the experience of young people with fewer opportunities into the seminar (e.g. peer counselors, youth representatives and youth experts).

In addition, participants must:

• Have some knowledge in implementing projects in the framework of the EU Youth Programmes Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps;
• Be able and ready to present practices during the seminar;
• Have a good level of English.

If you want more information on the measures we take to make this seminar inclusive, please download the additional information and documentation.