URGENT!: The world according to turtles

This project is a trilateral exchange between groups from Fuerteventura, Turkey and Sweden.

The reason for the title is given by the program of activities and the theme and meanings it has: living in the countryside and in the city, isolated areas of Europe, being migrants or refugees and where the environment is a relevant factor in life Of young people. Places where there are turtles.

We propose creative methods to get deep into the matter. We will use games as a knowledge tool. We will do urban and rural trekking, there will be seminars, debates and workshops. We will constantly analyze what has been learned through systematic reflections. The workshops will be done with the help of some experts and ourselves.

This exchange is a set of activities to understand the differences in our continent where the common nexus is the environment, putting in value the role of youth (regardless of our personal circumstances) in the conservation of an environment victim of unsustainable tourism.

The aim of this project is to promote a better understanding of the diversity of European and global citizenship in those who will participate in it, putting in value the natural heritage shared by all Europeans. Thus, we will value the local natural heritage, the landscape and the effect of human presence. We want to see the influence this has had on us and us. With the help of the magnificent local nature, we can get to better interpret an important element of the diversity of European culture, the richness of our natural environment.

We understand that this project promotes the active citizenship of young people in general, and our European citizenship in particular using as a vehicle the environment and the young role in its valorization. Thus, it fosters solidarity and promotes tolerance among young people in a changing context and in a crisis situation, so we give importance to the fact that we create a space to strengthen cohesion in the European Union. This project favors mutual understanding between young people from different countries and personalities as demonstrated in the program of activities.

The participation of the young people in an active and at all times is one of the keys of this project: From the preparation to the execution of the activities and the later activities in each local community, each group has its already assigned task.

This project is full of cultural diversity present due to the fact that they are young participants from EU ends, geographically distant, but also in environmental, cultural and social, as well as personal, characteristics (migrants and refugees in many cases).

This project promotes the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities, such as the case of the Canary Islands (EU outermost regions, in addition to some refugees) and a large part of the Swedes (children of immigrants with serious integration problems and identities) A Turkish group with serious economic difficulties and refugee status.

We emphasize the evaluation we will make of the environmental challenges to which we are subject today and young Europeans and the effect of climate change as a transversal part of this exchange.

This exchange will increase our awareness, in positive terms, of other cultures. But we say "ours" in the broadest sense. We are not only talking about who we are going to participate directly in the activities (partners), but we are including the local societies, the groups with which we will contact, the institutions and their representatives, our families and friends.

We are convinced that, with the proposed set of activities, which the parties have agreed upon after a process of constant dialogue, we are promoting dialogue between young people from different backgrounds and cultures (something quite obvious), but we are also promoting meetings Intercultural relations in the youth sector, something that seems particularly relevant to us. By executing this project, we bring the experience closer, arouse curiosity and interest, create a multiplier effect.

In a more personal way, we contribute to preventing and combating prejudice (which we are not going to give a chance thanks to the constant dynamics and games), racism and any attitude that leads to social exclusion for any reason (all activities that Involve the organization in groups will have members of all nationalities and will be gender balanced).

With such an exchange we are fostering tolerance and, something we like best, understanding diversity and mutual understanding. Expressing our ways of life and our feelings, we generate assertiveness and rapprochement.