Local activity of implementation of the youth activity planned by the three Italian youth workers who participated in the online staff training event "Fostering youth active involvement".
On the 21rst May 2021 it has been implemented the activity Green youth for a green future with a group of 7 young people with disability (all of them had a learning disability and some of them a physical disability too) who where guided by a youth worker and two volunteers who played the role of facilitators in order to stimulate the active participation of the young people with disability.
The actvity started with the energiser tuk tak: they had to play some figures inspired by nature (butterfly, mushroom, tree, flower, sun or creek) following the instructions of the youth worker, who then passed the lead to each of the participants.
This fun warming up activity has been followed by a brainstorming about what people can concretely do to reduce the environmental impact: after the participants had no other ideas they were introduced to some flsh cards that could promote the sharing of other contributions for the brainstorming.
To clean rivers, streets, beaches, green areas
To use clean energy
To walk and ride a bike instead of other non ecofriendly means of transport
To avoid plastic packaging
To close the windows when the heating/air conditioning is on and to turn it on only when really needed
To encrease the checks on people's compliance with environmental protection regulations
have more plants on the balcony
To recycle clothes, oil and batteries
To use the pubblic transport
To buy biological food
To not to buy more things than needed
To respect the animals
To prune trees properly
To fix things
To throw out the garbage in the appropriate bins
To separate your waste
These are the things that came from the participants contributions.
After that the participants wher divided into 2 groups and it was asked them to create a case study about about their city and its “green” services: each group received a a grid with some aspects to discuss after 20 minutes of discussion each group shared its analysis:
About the use and type of public transport used in their city the two groups had an opposite view: the "cats" reported how the several means of public trasport (bus, tram, taxi, train, scooters, shared bikes, airplanes, boats, subway)are used several times by people while the "dogs" reported that the available means of public trasport are not enough.
They had different opinions also about the existence of cycle paths and pedestrian aread: "cats" reported that they are present in their city but not used properly or not in good shape while the "dogs" were not aware of their existence in their city.
About the presence and usage of shared transport services, both the groups noticed that they are used in Palermo and the "cats" highlited that they are mostly used in the way from the central station to Mondello and that who use them the most are young people, and people with middle-eastern and afrikan origin; the dogs highlited the large usage of scooters.
As regards the differentiated waste collection service, both the groups agreed on the fact that it is provided only in some areas of the city.
The case study showed that the city is particularly rich in green areas: both the groups listed more than 10 green areas.
Both the groups agreed that the city is particularly dirty with all kinds of waste in street even bulky waste as washing machines and mattresses. The "cats" reported as some streets are regularly cleaned but later people make them dirty again.
About the deployment of renewable energy, both the groups mentioned the presence of wind turbined in the lands surrounding the highway from Palermo to Catania or to Agrigento; the "cats" highlighted the presence of solar pannels on the roofs of the shopping molls.
The next step of the workshop, was a role game: the dogs where asked to suppose to be the city councellors of Palermo and the dogs the managers of a detergent factory and they had to discuss some ideas to reduce the environmental impact respectively of the city and of their factory. From these ideas they had then to choose the 3 better ones (ibterms of costs and benefits) to be applyied.
The town counsellors decided to install surveillance cameras to catch people who who throw the garbage outside from the bin; to improve the services of mainteinance of gardens, and to improve the differentiated waste collection service.
The managers decided to move in the direction of using biological products or products without alcol or parabens but using materials obtained recycling plant products and products made of green tea and Aloe; to use electrical means and eco-bus for the transport of people and goods; to install more windows to use the natural light and to use solare panels to produce electricity and use low energy led lights.
The participants were really partecipative and enjoyed all the steps of the project, most of all the last activity where they felt the power to take decisions and they experienced a team work meeting.
After the debriefing we had a traing evaluation for all the steps of the workshop.
Below some photos of the day :)
