The project was designed with four main objectives: • To foster the leadership of young people from rural areas of Spain, North Macedonia, and Turkey by equipping them with language skills, social and intercultural competences that enhance their employability and enable them to participate in local decision-making. • To increase the culture of volunteering and strengthen the sense of European citizenship among young people. • To promote the ecological transition in the participating areas through practical actions in permaculture, reforestation, and selective waste management as replicable models. • To encourage green entrepreneurship in rural areas as a means to curb depopulation and generate both economic and social value. The implementation of the project aimed to develop co-designed community action plans, environmental microprojects led by participants, open training materials, and a greater involvement of young people in social, civic, and political life. We aimed to demonstrate that sustainability, driven by empowered youth, can be a force for cohesion, innovation, and a brighter future for Europe’s rural areas.
We applied for the project after identifying a series of common shortcomings in three rural areas of Spain, North Macedonia, and Turkey: Firstly, due to the low level of youth participation in community life. Secondly, due to the limited cultural, educational, and intercultural opportunities that could improve the skills and employability of rural youth. Thirdly, due to the need to promote and encourage sustainability and sustainable practices to combat climate change. The project addressed these issues by organizing three international mobilities, debates, surveys, meetings, and conversations with representative bodies to exchange good ecological practices, permaculture concepts, recycling strategies, and initiatives to foster green entrepreneurship.