Local Voices for a Sustainable Future

In October 2025, young people, residents and grassroots leaders met for Local Voices for a Sustainable Future, a dialogue circle where the community could discuss, imagine and plan sustainable solutions together. More than 20 people from different backgrounds took part, with one shared goal: to understand local environmental challenges and find solutions led by the community.

Listening to the community

The workshop started with a round of personal stories about each person's connection with nature, from planting a tree to joining a clean-up. Then the group mapped local environmental problems on a large “community wall”: water pollution, plastic waste, the loss of trees and too little awareness of recycling.

Finding the roots of a problem

The highlight was a Participatory Action Research method, the “Problem Tree”: participants mapped the root causes of a problem (no proper waste infrastructure, little environmental education, low civic engagement) and its effects (litter, blocked drains, local flooding). Seeing the whole picture helped the group move from frustration to solutions.

From dialogue to action

In small groups, participants turned their findings into mini action plans, supported by the Youth+ team, with goals, responsibilities and possible partners such as schools, environmental clubs and the city:

• a recycling awareness campaign for households and schools;
• a monthly clean-up combined with an eco-art fair;
• community composting to reduce household waste and support gardening.

Results

• Three community action plans, ready to start within three months.
• A core youth sustainability group to follow the progress and involve more residents.
• More awareness of how dialogue can lead to real environmental change.

Local communities feel environmental problems first, but they also have the knowledge and creativity to solve them, one dialogue circle at a time.