For a green, collective and intercultural entrepreneurship
YURI – Intercultural urban-rural youth dialogues for collective entrepreneurship
The YURI project, funded by the Erasmus+ program in the field of youth, aims to promote innovative forms of green, social and collective entrepreneurship among young people living in rural and urban contexts. To achieve this, they are actively involved in the fight against climate change from an intercultural, systemic and skills development perspective. This 18-month project involves 7 organizations from 6 European Union countries: CEPAIM (Spain), CESIE (Italy), Élan Interculturel (France), KMOP Policy Center (Belgium), La Xixa Teatre (Spain), XWHY (Lithuania) and YEU (Cyprus).
Why was it created and what needs does it respond to?
During the first months of 2021, the consortium conducted a study on the situation of young people in the different partner countries. The high percentage of NEETs, i.e. young people who neither study nor work, and the high rate of youth unemployment, with increasing rates in rural areas, drew attention. This situation, already complicated in itself, was aggravated by the escalation of the climate crisis and the consequences of Covid-19, further highlighting the need to promote new forms of youth entrepreneurship.
The objectives of the YURI project are:
- Foster dialogue between young people living in rural and urban areas;
- Actively involve young people in the fight against climate change from an intercultural, systemic and skills development perspective;
- Promote innovative collective green self-employment strategies through urban-rural collaboration among young people.
How will these objectives be achieved?
Between July and September 2022, all partner organizations have carried out a first training called “Belief systems and intercultural rural-urban youth dialogues”, to foster dialogue among young people, working critically on belief systems, prejudices and stereotypes related to rural and urban environments from an intersectional point of view.
But this is not all. The partner organizations are already organizing the next activities of the project. On the one hand, between November 2022 and January 2023, a second training entitled “Competence development for collective green entrepreneurship” will be held in each country to work on the socioemotional competencies and skills needed to successfully undertake collective green social entrepreneurship projects.
On the other hand, from June 5 to 9, 2023, an international training will take place: the “YURI training for young people”. All partner organizations and young participants from each country will meet in Brussels (Belgium) to create and present a forum theater play based on the topics worked on throughout the project, using theater as a tool for political advocacy.
The final result of the YURI project will be the “The rural-urban youth handbook for collective and green entrepreneurship”. The objective? To address, critically and with a practical approach, the junction between climate action, social economy and youth inclusion from a holistic, systemic, skill-building and proactive perspective. More specifically, it will include:
- The theoretical framework based on desk research conducted in each country and at the European level.
- Good practices related to existing green and social initiatives in the partner countries.
- The learning path and activities carried out by the partners in the different trainings.
- A set of policy recommendations.
To learn more about and participate in our future activities, visit the project page www.yuri-project.eu, as well as the social networks @yuriprojecteu on Instagram and facebook.com/yuriprojecteu
