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Reorganising Economies Around Social and Ecological Needs

2022-3-FR02-KA153-YOU-0000954732022Mobility of youth workersfinalized
Countries: FR|EL|SE|NL · Grant: €30,064
Entrepreneurial learning - entrepreneurship educationEqual access and transition to labour marketEnvironment and climate change

Objectives

From global to european and local level, economic dynamics are recognised as key drivers of sustainability issues, both ecological and social. More effective ways of viewing the economy, business and profit such as the circular economy, doughnut economics (https://doughnuteconomics.org/), social and solidarity economy are evolving and ushering in a new era. Among existing alternatives, an, as yet, underrepresented but critical angle on addressing business activity in line with sustainability is the theory and model of relationship-to-profit. The training course "Reorganising Economies Around Social and Ecological Needs" (REASEN) aimed to improve the agency of the participants to: differentiate and define characteristics of regenerative organisations; understand how organisations and businesses can be redesigned and/or created to foster true prosperity and abundance. It answered the need for a training course based on non-formal “learner-centred” participatory methods that combined theory with best practices, designed in such a way that participants are capable to put into practice the training outcomes in the projects that they are involved in and to transmit efficiently the experience and skills gained to the audiences they work with, and especially youth, young people facing work precarity, at an early stage of career development, or within organisations and businesses seeking to adopt more sustainable practices. Importantly, REASEN training was framed with a long-term perspective, and conceived as a springboard for future larger-scale projects that build up on the accumulated knowledge and momentum for local, regional and global action to shift the global economy towards sustainability and regeneration. Thus, its long-lasting impact both on participants and organisations involved constitutes a priority. To this effect we have incorporated at least 2 project outputs (the NFP handbook and professional audiovisual material by Cinergies coop). Driven from our conviction that youth workers and leaders are in a perfect position to disseminate the relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes so that a growing number of young people could be inspired, regain confidence this training offered them a powerful toolbox with which to carry through bold visions so that long-term prosperity, human dignity, social equity, and planetary wellness can be viably sustained worldwide. Hence, we proposed to enhance and reinforce the competences of 20 youth workers and youth leaders from 4 different organizations and countries so that they are equipped to put into practice the training outcomes in the projects they were involved in and to transmit efficiently the experience and skills gained to the audiences they work with, and especially youth, young people facing work precarity, at an early stage of career development, or within organizations and businesses seeking to adopt more sustainable practices. Guided by two internationally recognized trainers, hosted in the lively space of CoLab House social cooperative (Greece), this training course encompassed a multitude of non-formal learning activities, seeking to prepare youth workers to work for economic systems that has a regenerative impact on communities, societies, and the environment by learning to: - become better acquainted with the legal, financial, and strategic considerations that are important for the creation of successful regenerative enterprises and sustainable business models - support youth workers to take local, regional, and global action to shift the global economy towards sustainability and regeneration - understand methods and models currently emerging in the field of new economics to support collaborative consumption and peer-to-peer collaboration. They had access to systems and tools that promoted greener living, social dialogue, living together, and intercultural encounters, thus also strengthening their sense of European identity and their participation in democratic processes.

Project partners (4)