PURER WATER

A two week program created to foster knowledge exchange between EU partners to promote a sense of “Eco-Stewardship” in young people. We aim to develop an interest in monitoring and caring for the environment in their local area in a sustainable and economically viable way.
The Challenge: Can we create an initiative between our international groups that will foster simple cures for local environmental damage - as opposed to complaining or wondering about them.

Ireland’s particular ecological needs. We hope to develop a way to carry out basic water monitoring and remediation, in key under-tested areas such as; single domestic dwellings in remote, peripheral locations.

Our key tasks: (i) Identify likely contaminants that results from single domestic dwellings in remote peripheral locations (ii) to develop an affordable and user friendly means of testing for the presence of these contaminants using open source technology (iii) instructing our program participants in the use of the testing equipment and (iv) As a group, figure out how to relay this information to young people and develop their interests in environmental matters and Eco Stewardship.

The program is comprised of talks, group discussions, field trips and technical workshops, all lead by Gyreum staff and external guest speakers. The final day will culminate in taking stock of individual group abilities, potential barriers and weaknesses. Then we will create a working plan for the next few months of the Eco Campaign – creating a formula for Eco Stewardship initiatives inspired by the Irish Gyreum model, but usable in any country. Thus fostering a “help us help each other” ethos and developing ideas that are genuinely useful for all parties.