“Bridges for Plastic” in France

YOUTH EXCHANGE IN FRANCE!

Title: “Bridges for Plastic”

When: 10 th – 24th August 2023

Where: Catfarm community in Poussan, France

Who: 7 participant from Praxis Greece / current residents of Greece

( pax: 18-30)

Travel reimbursement up to 275 euros

Context

We want to carry out this project to strengthen the links between Catfarm and the inhabitants of Poussan, Sète, Balaruc, and Méze to work together for the same purpose, to carry out a project together, to exchange information, and to establish deep ties with the surrounding associations. We want to build strong relationships and work collectively with them by raising awareness about one of the biggest local issues: plastic!

The main goal of this project is to bring people from different cultures together with locals to increase plastic awareness and provide a long-term social consciousness. Educating people with presentations, collecting plastic from the local people, using recycling machines, and making small plastic object altogether will strengthen solidarity. We aim to reduce plastic consumption and

increase the use of recycled plastic objects with the joint responsibilities of the team members and the cooperation of the locals. As a result, we will create positive social and environmental change.

Objectives

• Raise awareness about climate change and plastic waste issues and foster critical thinking around the topic of the exchange
• Collecting and recycling plastic waste while helping reduce environmental pollution around the local area
• Share knowledge and tools about the possibilities offered by innovative technologies to find new solutions to reducing plastic waste
• Immersion in an experimental way of life within an eco-place that offers creative solutions to current challenges
• Share cultures, exchange international perspectives about the topic, develop intercultural competence, understanding of different cultures and appreciation of diversity
• Improve social and civic competence of participating youth
• Foster communication of youth and stakeholders while establishing a social bond between people living in the immediate neighbourhood
• Develop the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship and increase the social and civic engagement of young people as eco-responsible citizens of Europe while becoming more active in their communities
• Raise awareness on the practices of policies and systems in matters of non formal education of youth in the European Union

Workshop & Activities

Mindfulness: What are the individual, environmental and global effects of plastic? What happens to the trash we throw in the recycling bins? How can we contribute to recycling at the individual level?

Handy Skills: We will implement every step of the plastic recycling process at Catfarm: collecting plastic from the local, separating it according to the type and color, cleaning without chemicals, making small pieces with the shredder, melting and shaping with the injector and Catfarm’s alternative machines.

Community Life: Participants will be fully emerged in an eco- friendly place, living together with the Cats and will become part of the community, the Catfarm will be their home. They will witness and experience what usually happens in the space and what is possible when collaboration is the norm. We will be sharing about consent and boundaries, community work, cooking, holacracy, community meetings, greener ways of travelling, waste management, upcycling, food waste in markets, vegan diet, community life, being in nature, living with happy chickens and cats, non-violent communication, connecting with others on a deeper level, being in service and kind, taking care of nature and others.

Participant profile

Age for participating is between 18 – 30

• Have no or very little experience of participating in international youthexchanges;
• Appreciate differences and enjoy a multicultural environment;
• An open mind to an alternative lifestyle at the Catfarm eco-community;
• Willing to open up and share their vulnerability with others;
• We search and prioritize participants with fewer opportunities;
• Motivated to participate in all stages of the project, from the beginning till the end;
• Motivated to disseminate project results and get involved in future follow up projects;
• Being motivated to deepen their values of sustainability, cooperation, creativity, active citizenship, solidarity, and community life;
• Being able to understand and communicate in English;

Participants must read our “Welcome Page”

https://catfarm.net/trainings/erasmus-youth-exchanges/

It is mandatory to stay the full duration of the Erasmus+ project and attend all activities.

Each country team has 6 participants, including a group leader.

Good luck!