Through the project, we wanted to show that the encounter of young and older adults in a European context with a common Christian-spiritual background actually leads to empower-ment in the area of environmental and climate protection. This expectation is fundamentally based on the "dialogical principle" (see "Ökologie der Schuld", Oekom, Munich). By confirming this in practice through this project using the example of younger and older adults from different European countries, the aim is to recognise personal intercultural encounters as a real driving force in climate protection. This realisation should encourage people to understand the "encounter" approach as a strategically effective instrument and to integrate it more strongly into adult education (with a focus to environmental and climate protection) in the future.
With regard to the challenges of environmental and climate protection, it can be observed that in recent years, destruction and degradation are still progressing faster than effective progress in protection, including at supra-regional level. Some problems have already been solved in the past, but the major socio-ecological change has not materialised. Two questions therefore arose for us. Firstly, is a Christian background conducive to the necessary change and does it provide addi-tional incentives and approaches? Possible approaches include linking activities back to spiri-tuality and a different language (themes of longing, reconciliation and healing as counter-points to the usual language of business, ownership and performance). A need for reconcilia-tion triggers different thought patterns than CO2-certificates. The second question that arose was whether the personal encounter between younger and older adults from different European countries with a Christian-spiritual background triggers a mutual inspiration to feel like a community and to face the challenges of environmental and climate protection as such a community of solidarity. This addresses the need to act together successfully and effectively to pursue common goals.