Day 1
The first day of the Training Course “Participation days” is finished.
On this day, participants had a chance to learn about the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the European Green Deal.
The 2030 Agenda part covered a bit of history, presenting many participants the predecessor of the SDGs – the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) and how has that affected the creation of the Agenda and why it is presented as it is and the need for it to yield positive results. This session also shed a light to the 2015 Paris Agreement and the particularities around it’s signing.
The second session was devoted to the European Green Deal and focused on key areas of it, namely: 1) Targets for Greenhouse gas emission reduction (mainly focusing on the participants’ understanding of the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) and the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) concepts); 2) Targets for renewable energy; 3) Energy efficiency; 4) Taxation and greenhouse gas emissions pricing (of fuels, in the maritime industry, in the built environment and transportation sectors) – this part also covered the newly introduced C-BAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and its implementation) as well as the Social Climate Fund. 5) Cars and light commercial vehicles; 6) Alternative Fuels Infrastructure (for vehicles across the TEN-T and the maritime and aviation industries) and finishing with 7) Land use, forestry and agriculture and it’s role in the carbon capturing part of emissions reduction and offsetting.
The third session focused on the SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and analyzed this SDG in the context of Novi Sad, a city hosting the Training Course. The participants had a chance to get familiar with urban development of the city, particularly on the aspect of urban cultural capacities, developed in the city preceding to the Novi Sad European Capital of Culture 2022.
The day was engaging and involved all participants into fruitful discussions, laying the ground for tomorrow’s Sessions and Workshops revolving around Circular Economy.
Stay tuned…
Day 2 of the Training Course “Participation days” is over
We were delighted to present to young people the concept of Circular economy. The day was full of workshops and group work – presented with linear economy business models, the participants made their case studies, creating circular business models.
In addition to this, we connected those Circular economy business models with particular SDGs, and discussed ways Circular businesses can contribute to certain SDGs.
The day was finished with the presentation of a new phone app PS Lifestyle, that calculates one’s carbon footprint with high accuracy, leading the conversation towards personal responsibilities in tackling climate change and achieving the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Next days, we’ll delve into the area of Climate activism, by exploring an impactful NGO and hearing their stories regarding initiation of ideas and community engagement for tackling climate change.
Day 3
On the third day of the Training Course “Participation Days” participants embarked on a journey of exploration and reflection. The day began with an insightful visit to the renowned NGO “Vojvodina Environmental Movement” located in the picturesque town of Sremski Karlovci. Here, attendees delved into the remarkable work of this impactful organization, which has been at the forefront of environmental preservation and activism.
The highlight of the morning was a tour of the Eco Center run by the NGO, offering a hands-on experience of their innovative environmental initiatives and sustainable practices. Participants gained valuable insights into the intersection of local activism and environmentalism, aligning with the overarching theme of the EY-DGF project.
In the afternoon, the program took an exciting turn as we boarded a catamaran on the Danube River. This journey provided the perfect backdrop for in-depth discussions about the NGO’s outstanding contributions to preserving and cleaning the river’s shores. As we cruised along the Danube’s, participants shared their thoughts and ideas, fostering a deeper appreciation for the critical role of our natural surroundings in the Digital Green Future.
Day 4
The fourth day of “Participation days” was all about the role of the EU in various parts of people’s lives.
Firstly, the participants were introduced to the core institutions of the EU, their work and relationship in delivering action for all dimensions of European life. Participants were introduced with the European Commission, European Parliament, and the Council of Europe as three pillars for delivering legislation and action as well as with the core values those institutions and people who work in them base themselves on.
Second Session delved into real-world examples that Mrs. Bulc had in shaping policies that impact all of us. This Session was about inspiring the participants to take action towards the policies that are implemented in their communities, and to open the eyes of individuals to the flexibilities that the EU can provide for ideas that come from real necessities of communities around the Continent.
Finally, participants were divided into groups who had a task to develop their own EU initiative, identifying relevant stakeholders and possible mechanisms through which those ideas can become standard EU practice in the future.
Day 5
Day 5 of the “Participation Days” training course in Novi Sad, Serbia was an exciting and informative day dedicated to the topic of “Making an Impact with Your Initiatives through Social Media.” This day’s session was conducted by Vladimira Dorčova Valtnerova, an expert in social media strategies.
The primary focus of the day was to educate participants on the significance of disseminating their initiatives effectively on social media and to empower them with the skills needed to create engaging content for their target audiences. The day was structured around a series of engaging activities and discussions.
The day began with an insightful exercise where participants were asked to describe their “ideal avatar.” This concept involves creating a detailed persona of a typical person whose needs the initiative aims to address. Understanding this ideal persona is crucial for tailoring content to resonate with the target audience effectively.
Following this exercise, participants were organized into groups, each representing different initiatives. Their task was to develop engaging social media content, with a particular emphasis on creating compelling videos for their respective ideal avatars. This hands-on activity allowed participants to put into practice the concepts they had learned, such as understanding the preferences and interests of their target audience.
The participants’ creativity and skills were put to the test as they brainstormed and crafted videos designed to capture the attention and engagement of their ideal avatars. This exercise encouraged them to think strategically about content creation, visual elements, and storytelling techniques to deliver their messages effectively.
At the end of the day, all the groups reconvened to review and share the videos they had created. This collaborative feedback session provided an opportunity for participants to offer constructive comments and suggestions to help improve each other’s content. It was a valuable learning experience, as it allowed everyone to gain insights from different perspectives and refine their social media content.
