Youth Exchange “Green is the new gold” in Spain

The “Green is the new gold” project took place in a rural coworking and coliving space in Sende, North Spain on 28.March-4.May 2022. A total of 20 people from 5 different countries took part in the project. Countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, and Estonia were represented. The purpose of the project was to broaden participants' knowledge about environmental protection and sustainable development. 

We learned about the current threats to climate and environment, how to make more sustainable and healthy choices and how to create a future in which both people and nature can thrive. Not only we learned about environmental problems the world faces in general, but we got to discuss each country separately that was represented in the project, about what are the things that are not so environmentally friendly in their own country, and also what are the solutions. We also had the opportunity to learn about transmedia. About what is transmedia and transmedia storytelling, the reason why media producers are increasingly embracing such strategies, and how one is created. In the end of the project, we created our own transmedia pieces about one environmental problem in our own country. 

In addition to the main topic, we got very creative. We learned how to make kokedama(moss ball) and candles, how to cook ravioli from scratch, and played with sun and shadow using the cyanotype technique, where we received wonderful postcards with our own made images. 
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Overall we got to spend a week in a magical natural setting. The atmosphere was very supportive, positive, and full of good energy. Sende was a place for creation and self-expression. A place to take on new challenges. A place to just be and relax. We had a lot of free time, which could be spent in the way we wanted. Whether we went hiking, explored the nearby villages, spent time at the natural swimming pool, danced, immersed the sun, or chatted- everyone found something to enjoy. Also, the food to say the least was amazing with ingredients coming from the village gardens and local markets. In conclusion, the project was productive, surrounded by other-wordly nature, interesting development of the theme and many new acquaintances. We definitely had a wonderful time.