From December 11th-16th 2023, the ISW-SWE will welcome the 22 skilled and motivated young participants of the 2023-2024 Youth for Water and Climate (YWC) Programme, from Hungary, Lithuania, Greece, Romania, France and the Netherlands, in Strasbourg, France for the 1st in-person workshop.
Water plays a pivotal role in achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is a crucial instrument for effective climate mitigation. The opportunity to gain insights into addressing these challenges as a young individual through mentorship, peer engagement, and online courses inspired my participation in the YWC Programme. (Rebbeca Nambooze, from Hungary)
Implemented for the first time in 2022 by a consortium of water and climate organizations and led by the ISW-SWE, the YWC Programme was developed to bridge the gap regarding youth employability in the water sector and equip young water professionals to effectively tackle the most pressing water & climate issues. The 2022 YWC Programme was a great success with 100% of participants securing either a job opportunity or pursuing their graduate studies in the water sector.
The first in-person workshop of the 2023-2024 YWC Programme, was designed to be both holistic and cross-disciplinary. The participants will be offered an employability-focused skills development program, through workshops, networking and discussions with key players in the water sector. In this respect, we are delighted to welcome key speakers such as David Bourmaud, international relations officer at the French water agency “Rhin Meuse”.
Gathered in the heart of Europe’s capital, at the Council of Europe European Youth Center, the participants will get the chance to address the issue of Europe’s commitment to water and climate through conferences and discussions.
The debate is expected to be rich in insights, as we are happy to host key speakers from the European institutions such as Pernille Weiss, Danish MEP and Chairman of the MEP Water Group, and Eoghan Kelly, program coordinator for the Council of Europe Bern Convention.
Finally, special attention will be dedicated to meeting local actors and professionals from the water sector during field visits such at the ENGEES (National School of Water and Environmental Engineering in Strasbourg) and the SDEA (Alsace Moselle Water and Sanitation Syndicate).
I was eager to join the Youth for Water and Climate Programme because this program offers a unique opportunity for young minds to connect, collaborate, and make a tangible impact regarding climate change. It’s not just about learning; it’s about taking real action. (Mihaela Ilie, from Romania)
We’d like to thank all our partners who have contributed to the program including the partners having helped developed the initial YWC Programme concept (Cewas, GWP, GWP-Hungary, GWP-CEE, Good Planet Belgium) & those who have most recently joined the consortium: GWP Hungary, Vilnius university, GEYC, Earth forever, GWP Med and Wavemakers.
We’d like to address a special thank to the European Youth Center of the Council of Europe where the programme will be hosted throughout the week.
We can’t wait for this adventure to finally begin, and if you would like to follow the progress of this project, take a look at our social media, where we regularly share exclusive content!
Participants from France
Camille Daligaux
Clara Surroca
Ayend Daou
August Kinglo
Auriane le Tonquèze
Issam Souassi
Samira Ben Ali
Participants from Romania
Dragos Grigore
Georgiana Nutu
Mihaela Ilie
Tihon Oleg
Andreaa-Alexandra Suciu
Participants from Bulgaria
Petur Petrov
Alexandrina Tsvetkova
Participants from Hungary
Anna Mirko
Martin Robert Kiss
Rebecca Nambooze
Sharon Lee Vizcarra
Participants from Lithuania
Rytis Veverskis
Rimantas Stanaitis
Participants from the Netherlands
Rachana Mattur
Johanna Gutierrez
This programme is realised with the support of “Agence de l’eau Artois Picardie” and the Swiss Agency for development and cooperation SDC.
