Young people on their impressions from Greece

Activities of the “Environmental Mobility By Raising Awareness on Changing our Earth – EMBRACE” project continued in Greece, where Development Center for Youth was represented by a five-member delegation.

In addition to them, more than 30 young people from 7 different countries participated in this activity, representing Serbia, Greece, Italy, France, Peru, Vietnam and India. Young participants stayed on the Chalkidiki peninsula, in the historic town of Arnaia.

Arnaia is a city located about 70 kilometers from Thessaloniki and has a population of 7,000 people. It is surrounded by mountains, forests and meadows, representing an oasis of healthy and clean air, and it is said that the largest number of centenarians in Greece live precisely here. Due to its well-preserved traditional architecture, the town was declared a historical place and a traditional settlement by the Ministry of Culture. Arnaia is also known for the production of high-quality honey, which year after year wins awards wherever it is presented. There is a number of shops where you can try and buy award-winning cottonwood, chestnut, orange blossom honey, as well as standard pine, meadow or forest honey.

Considering the vividness of the city, one of the activities that participants had was exploring Arnaia, which gave them the opportunity to get to know the tradition, life, population and culture of the place where they were located. Guests enjoyed the beautiful nature, good and friendly hosts, as well as the peaceful way of life of this place.

In addition, during the daily meetings, important topics in the field of ecology and environmental protection were discussed – how to prevent global warming, air pollution and the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere, water protection, animal protection, world hunger, medical waste, mining, but also many other topics important for the preservation of the planet Earth. Numerous workshops aimed at expanding the knowledge of participants about the recycling process itself, about the use of paper and how it was made, were also an integral part of every meeting and discussion.

Youth exchanges and projects like this aim to raise awareness of global problems, but above all – to gather young people in order to expand their horizons and make new acquaintances and friendships through educational programs. Seven days of all-day workshops, different tasks, lots of talk, laughter and exchange of experiences are behind us. Over thirty participants from all over the world had the opportunity to get to know the most diverse cultures and customs, as well as to taste national specialties. Also, the various activities contributed for each participant to find his/her place in this project, coming out of it with much more experience, empowered and confident to change the world around them.

Youth exchange was conducted from August 2 to 9 as part of the EMBRACE project, whose coordinator is USB association from Greece, being implemented with the support of the ERASMUS+ program in the field of youth in the period 2021-2023.