Our aim was to provide diverse opportunities for addressing environmental issues, climate change and strategies to combat them. We wanted to create spaces where young individuals could engage in discussions about climate change, deepen their understanding of the topic, establish connections and enhance their abilities for active participation in society. Our intention was to empower existing activists to sustain their efforts and motivation by organizing a camp and offering opportunities for knowledge exchange and the exploration of techniques/self-care practices to bolster resilience. Additionally, we aimed to engage young people who may not have been previously involved in environmental activism but held sympathies towards the cause, by providing information on avenues for active participation and everyday decisions that contribute to environmental protection. The glacier camp served as a tangible platform for activism and a demonstration of climate-neutral sports. Events beside and at Kick-off (movies, discussions), were an opportunity to reach & contemplate climate issues with broader audience. With international activities we created opportunities for personal growth and the cultivation of shared European values.
We applied for this project with the wish to rejuvenate the climate movement among young people, which had lost momentum due to the pandemic and other distractions. The initial surge of enthusiasm from activist movements had namely waned and weekly climate stikes/activism became just sporadic. Many (young) people who occupy themself with the topic of climate change, feel drained and disheartened. Recognizing the need in the pre-project (Alpine Climate Action, 2021-2022), we aimed to create a project that would combine the topics, that are intertwined and important for a better future: self-care, promotion of climate-healthy lifestyles (e.g. sport, food), building community, empowerment and (concrete) climate actions. We also addressed the topic/corelation between climate and mountains (carbon-neutral outdoors). We wanted to create international opportunities for young people, where they could gain some experiences, skills, confidence (for example communication in various languages), friendships and new contacts and an idea about european identity and common values.