Last June 2023, the first event of the COGREENEU project, funded by the European Union under the Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme’s call for the promotion of citizen participation, took place. This event marked an exciting starting point for an initiative to address the challenges of climate change and sustainability in Europe.
This first event, under the name ‘Multicultural workshop about European Green Deal and sustainability in Europe‘, took place in Alcoi, Spain, and was the central activity of the international meeting of the COGREENEU project partners held in the lead country of this consortium formed by entities from 6 different countries: Cyprus, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Lithuania and the hosts. As mentioned above, the event was organised by the consortium leader, ASEID, and its main objective was to promote multicultural inclusion and raise awareness of the European Green Pact and sustainability in Europe.
The specific objectives of the event were the following:
- Foster Civic Participation and Social Inclusion: The event sought to raise awareness about the importance of civic participation and social inclusion in Europe, especially in the context of the European Green Pact.
- Increase Knowledge about the European Green Pact: Activities and discussions aimed at increasing knowledge about the European Green Pact, the Global Agenda 2030 and other international strategies related to sustainability were carried out.
The event attracted a total of 77 participants from 7 different countries, highlighting the cultural diversity and intergenerational dynamics present. During the morning, an open debate was held with university experts and decision-makers on civic participation and social inclusion in the current situation in Europe. This debate, which took place in the Auditorium of the Centro Cervantes Joven, was attended by representatives of the Alcoi City Council and young people from the city.
The event began with a warm welcome by Inma Sancho, Local Development Agent of the Mancomunitat de l’Alcoià i el Comtat, and Francisco Expósito, president of ASEID and representative of the Chamber of Commerce of Alcoi. This was followed by a panel of experts that included a detailed explanation of Alcoi’s local strategy in relation to the green transition. The successful experience of the “Alcoi BioUP” project, which focuses on the green renaturation of parks, public spaces and dry rivers in the urban area of Alcoi, was shared.
In addition, an open debate was held on the 2030 Agenda, in which experts from the Chair of Equality and Agenda 2030 of the UNED (National University of Distance Education) participated and discussed European and global green strategies, as well as their adaptation to local environments.
In the afternoon, a multicultural workshop was organised in the Urban Gardens of Alcoi, which also represent an ecological initiative of the City Council of Alcoi. Participants had the opportunity to visit this space and learn about its contribution to the revitalisation of urban environments, the promotion of ecological transition and social inclusion and civic participation.
During the workshop, the experts who participated in the morning debate led working groups on three themes: Agenda 2030, Green Pact and Sustainable Mobility, and Green Pact and Inclusive Transition. Active participation of participants was encouraged, who from a local perspective generated ideas and projects to address the challenges identified.
This first event of the COGREENEU project was an important step towards achieving its objectives and a sign of the European Union’s commitment to fighting climate change and promoting sustainability.