From 16 to 18 April last, the international event of the YOUNGDEAL project, ‘Youth responses to COVID19 by Green Deal’ was held in Cervia, within the framework of the CERVIA Programme ‘Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values’ in which the Municipality is a partner, whose objective is to encourage debate among the new European generations to reflect on the future of Europe, focusing especially on the green transition and the Agenda 2030 sustainable development objectives.

The event kicked off at the IIS ‘Tonino Guerra’ where partner delegations from Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovenia and Lithuania, together with a group of students from the Institute, took part in two interactive English-language workshops on two topical issues facing the European community.

During the first session, the topic tackled was climate change with Prof. Sandro Fuzzi Dirigente di Ricerca – Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Bologna), who illustrated the ‘Brief history of climate change: causes, effects, current conditions and possible counteracting actions’.

The speech provided the elements for discussing and reflecting on the cornerstones of the European Green Deal, set down at the local level to counter this global challenge. The workshop was an opportunity to involve students in order to understand, through their valuable testimonies and awareness, what actions can be taken also in everyday activities to foster the green transition.

The second part of the morning instead saw the participation of Librazione in coordination with Europe Direct Romagna, which held an informative session on voting in view of the forthcoming European elections. They explained the European institutions, their role, and what it is for to go and vote. It was an opportunity to shed light on the importance of the right/duty to vote, with the intention of raising the awareness of the students present, who are being called upon for the first time to cast their vote in this very important matter. The session then included a simulation of potential candidates in the race to become the new members of the European Parliament, who prepared their programmes on a number of common issues and then presented them to the audience, which was then called upon to vote on the most convincing proposal.

During the second day, the delegations visited the Cervia Social Food project in the Cervia artisanal area, where volunteers have been supporting various activities in the field of solidarity and reception for more than two years. In particular, the delegations were able to get a close look at the various actions that fill the Cervia community, which has always been sensitive and willing to feel a sense of community also through helping others, with pride. They could not miss a visit to the Radio Social Coast where, in view of Europe Day, a video recording was made in which the project partners read the Schuman Declaration in their mother tongue. The video recording will then be broadcast via web radio on 9 May.

Another reality evaluated equally positively was Scambiamenti – Cultural Space, a place for the dissemination of culture, the exchange of ideas and experiences, where operators and volunteers organise activities to support and disseminate knowledge in all its forms: from Italian and foreign language lessons, to the presentation of books, to the exhibition of modern and contemporary works of art by local artists.

‘Having the opportunity to host such an event represents a prestigious showcase at international level in which Cervia proves itself to be an entity that recognises itself in the values of solidarity and cooperation, of active citizenship, and is committed to young people and the environment,’ commented the municipal administration, through the implementation of these projects, aims to ‘constantly modulate its support towards the involvement of citizens, especially young people, in order to promote the tools to stimulate everyone’s civic sense as part of an active community that looks to European good practices to improve its own’.