Fotoessa had the privilege to participate as a partner in the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange Project “ACT FOR A BETTER FUTURΕ!” designed to raise awareness among young people about environmental protection and sustainable living and -most importantly- to turn young participants into actors and leaders who will work for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This 7 days project took place in Bodrum, Turkey, 23 to 29 September 2024, and combined a unique blend of theoretical and practical training contributing to a “sustainable intercultural interaction”. Young participants from 3 different countries (Greece, Belgium and Turkey) and different cultural backgrounds, engaged in various activities, including:

• basic concepts and politics of sustainability
• exploring the environment
• hands-on training from NGOs and best practices addressing climate change and sustainability issues
• the role of Civil Society in sustainability
• struggles in urbanization and tourism: the Bodrum example
• restoration of our ocean and water: combating water pollution in the Mediterranean
• the role of women empowerment and gender equality in achieving sustainable living

Greek participants Aristea Tzima, Dimitrios Antonogiorgos, Dimitra Tsiltikli, Nikolaos Rafail Kavouras, Ioulitta Soureli and Ilias Konstantinos Lazaridis were escorted by the group leader Michael Kavuklis, President of The House of Europe Rhodes.  

Participants were accommodated at Gümüşlük Academy in Bodrum, a unique ecological premise designed to immerse participants in nature and deepen their understanding of sustainable living. 

The “Act for a Better Future!” project was organized by the International Studies and Security Studies Association (ISSR-UÇGA), Bodrum Institute, Sustainable Development Association, European Neighbourhood Council (ENC – Belgium), and FOTOESSA IKE (Greece).