On 10 October 2025, ALDA hosted an event in Marseille, France to bring together all the partners of the RISE project (Resilience, Inclusion and Sustainability through Empowerment in Climate Advocacy). The gathering included our first Transnational Partner Meeting and a public event focused on youth engagement in sustainability.
RISE is an Erasmus+ project that began in June 2025 and will run until May 2027. It is led by ALDA, with partners from Spain (Extremadura Agency for International Development Cooperation – AEXCID), Poland (Fundacja Merkury), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Centar za izgradnju mira), Croatia (Regional Foundation for Local Development ZAMAH), and Ireland (Inishowen Development Partnership).
The meeting in Marseille offered a valuable opportunity to meet all partners in person for the first time and to begin preparing the Youth Training, which will take place in Spain’s Extremadura region. In the afternoon, we held a public event to present the RISE project and had the pleasure of hosting two Marseille-based organisations – Les Têtes de l’Art and L’école Buissonnière – who shared their inspiring practices. L’école Buissonnière led a workshop on slow fashion and the opportunities it offers, while Les Têtes de l’Art showcased how art can foster youth inclusion in society. Both activities sparked engaging discussions and thoughtful reflections among participants, concluding an inspiring and eventful day.
The RISE project aims to empower young people aged 18 to 30, particularly those in vulnerable situations, to become leaders in climate advocacy.
A group of 30 young participants from the six partner countries will be selected to take part in a four-day training on environmental literacy and advocacy in Mérida, Spain, at the end of February 2026.
Beyond the in-person training, participants will also benefit from webinars led by experts in the field. These experts will act as mentors, guiding young people as they design and implement their own local climate initiatives. By the end of the project, participants will have the tools and knowledge to launch impactful environmental actions in their communities.
Following this successful kick-off in Marseille, the selection process for the young changemakers training will begin soon. We are excited to continue this journey with our partners and look forward to meeting the young participants in Mérida. Stay tuned to ALDA news for our upcoming open call for participants!
