Transnational Youth Initiative
Check “GO Alive” project results here
Project Summary
It is commonly accepted that the international economic crisis the past few years has hit the southern European countries to a greater extent, with important economic and social consequences. The victims of this reality were mostly young people, who were challenged to face social, family and personal challenges. In many cases, research for personal identity, separation from the true self, lack of purpose, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual disorientation, violence, dropping out of school or university and the increasing amount of NEETs has led to anxiety, depression and even suicide. Based on the above mentioned framework of all the above, the aim of this Transnational (Greece, Portugal and Italy) Youth Initiative “GO Alive", with duration of 2 years, is the self-empowerment of young people with fewer opportunities in Siatista, Rio Tindo and San Cesario di Lecce, using Mindfulness, Leadership, and Community Building tools of non formal education, in order for them to discover their true selves and their role in their community.
In order to achieve that, this Transnational Initiative was inspired and initiated by the young people of the three partners Greek Odysseuses, Pista Mágica and VulcanicaMente, using the structure of three main pillars, which include the following objectives of the project:
- Mindfulness and self-development:
1/. to motivate 15 young Initiates, 5 from each country, in order to find or define the purpose of their lives and self-identify themselves with conscious
2/. to actively involve additionally 20 young people from each of the three local communities and familiarize them with the concept of Mindfulness
- Development of leadership skills:
3/. to identify their needs as well as the skills of the 15 Initiates in order for them to become leaders and role models in their community
4/. to train them using non-formal education and peer learning by acquiring leadership, organizational and business skills
5/. to apply the skills they have acquired in their local community by organising local workshops
- Building the community:
6/. to create conscious communities in each country of the project
7/. to exchange good practices and experiences, while promoting the Erasmus+ program and the Transnational Youth Initiatives
8/. to establish a non-profit organization in Siatista so as to support these communities and the local young by promoting personal development and mindfulness.
The target group of the project is the young people of our three regions aged 21-28, as anthropology, spirituality and psychology support that our life is divided into circles of 7 years.
We focus on young people going through the 4th cycle "Maturity" (21-28 years), because at this age, many of us feel the need to leave our family, make our own decisions and live our own life, so we often have to deal with everyday problems related to independent living, building of important interpersonal relationships and the conflict of our desires, ideas and expectations with our reality, the labor market and our financial obligations. Primary attention is given to youth belonging in socially vulnerable groups, especially NEETs, as well as to young people with fewer opportunities due to economic difficulties and geographical criteria.
During the 30 months of the project (September 2018-February 2021) many local activities have been planned to be implemented, as well as 4 transnational meetings:
1/. Initial Transnational Project Meeting in September 2018 in Greece, with the participation of 6 young people (2 by each partner) in order to finalize the last details of the project’s implementation
2/. Physical mobility in Italy of the 15 Initiates under the coordination of the Italian partner VulcanicaMente for 6 days in November 2018 in order to exchange good practice among young people on Mindfulness, in the context of a blended mobility
3/. Short-term joint staff training event (4 days) under the coordination of the Portuguese partner Pista Mágica in Portugal in April 2019 for the 15 Initiates so as to develop leadership and volunteering skills and be introduced to social entrepreneurship
4/. Final Transnational Project Virtual Meeting in February 2021 of the 15 Initiates through the Social Media to exchange good practices and experiences, to create future projects and to promote Erasmus+.
The impact of the "GO Alive” Transnational Youth Initiative is not limited to local participants but will have, also, a sustainable positive national and European impact through the NGO set up in Siatista by the members of the informal youth group of "Greek Odysseuses".
The Transnational Youth Initiative is financially supported by the European Erasmus+ Program.
What is a Transnational Youth Initiative?
