Transformative Mindset for Sustainable Development
- a professional development training for youth workers & youth leaders -
- in Vienna, Austria from 9 to 16 November 2024 -
GENESIS OF THE TRAINING:
In a world grappling with multifaceted conflicts like climate change, poverty, and inequality, the concept of sustainable development (SD) has become paramount. However, SD has been hindered by the adverse outcomes of rising conflicts which emerge as natural phenomena across various levels—interpersonal, within communities, or between cultural groups. Such adverse outcomes have environmental, social, economic, and global dimensions on SD. They include damaged relationships, heightened violence, and deepened exclusion which leads to acts that affect sustainability such as overfishing, unequal distribution of resources, and causing harm to ecosystems such as biodiversity. This reality is exacerbated by global dynamics, including cultural diversifications and the aftereffects of crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, which have intensified stress, tensions, and social injustices. A striking manifestation of such social dilemmas is the increased risk of deprivation and social exclusion among Europe's youth, with up to 45% in some regions facing barriers to personal fulfilment and active societal participation. This scenario underlines the critical need for effective conflict transformation strategies to mitigate the impacts on vulnerable populations, particularly the youth, and foster sustainable development. To achieve lasting progress, it is imperative to engage communities in shaping and executing initiatives that drive sustainable development. To do so, we need community-driven initiatives and these are best realised through the Conflict Transformation Approach because it informs strategic programming of initiatives that can foster comprehensive sustainable development. Hence, our training for 30 participants from Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and France with the support of ERASMUS+ of the European Union, aims to provide youth workers with the Conflict Transformation Approach and its elements such as conflict analysis, planning of initiatives, dialogue, design thinking, and negotiation for resolutions.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE:
The core activity of this initiative is a specialized training course designed for 30 participants, aimed at fostering a transformative learning environment where they can explore the essentials of sustainable development. This includes understanding foundational concepts of conflict transformation and sustainability, with a particular focus on equipping youth workers with actionable strategies that address local challenges and promote sustainable practices. This journey takes place within an intercultural setting that encourages shared learning and perspective-building.
Participants will engage with key theories, tools, and methodologies, including design thinking and conflict analysis, to develop practical initiatives that address sustainable development in youth work. Through hands-on, small-group collaborations, they will devise strategies and activities that bring these concepts to life, ultimately creating resources that inspire sustainable actions within their communities.
The course culminates in an opportunity for participants to present their initiatives, allowing for constructive feedback and practical evaluation. This process fosters a collective reflection on sustainable development in youth work and paves the way for actionable follow-up plans, tailored for local implementation, to deepen community impact and inspire future sustainability initiatives.