From June 8th to 13th, a very special event took place in Castelo de Vide, Alentejo, Portugal: the seminar ‘Sailing for the Future.’
It brought together 26 people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, representing non-profit and non-governmental organizations from 14 Mediterranean countries.
The aim was to create an informal, horizontal, participatory, inclusive, and sustainable network of organizations to strengthen collaboration and foster new initiatives in mobility, training, exchange, volunteering, and more, within a geographical and cultural area that is a priority for the FCV.
The group worked to identify and unanimously agree upon the network's key elements - its values, operating principles, general objectives, target, possible partners, etc.- in record time, collaboratively and participatively, listening to and considering the contributions of all participants.
Once the key elements of the network were identified, the group dedicated the final morning to designing no fewer than six initiatives focused on raising awareness and disseminating ecological practices, addressing the challenges of AI, promoting mental health, and strengthening structures and capacities for policy participation. Naturally, the breaks and free time provided ample opportunity to continue conversations and explore the city, despite the heat.
Other concrete outcomes of the seminar include the organizations' commitment to participate in an online meeting in July and to organize another meeting next year in Kosovo, promoted by the Turkish organization.
The activities took place at the city's municipal center. The group spent an afternoon visiting Marvão and participating in the school's closing ceremony, and on the final day, they had the opportunity to share questions and answers with the mayor in the City Hall's main hall.
The seminar, organized by the association ‘Jograis Audazes’ and the Fundació Catalunya Voluntaria, is the result of a partnership with organizations in Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Morocco, North Macedonia, Tunisia, and Turkey, thanks to the support from the European Commission's Erasmus+ program and the Portuguese national agency.
For more information about the event, please email projectes@catalunyavoluntaria.cat
