My name is Chiara, and I am currently an IVY Project Partner at the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia-Giulia in Trieste, Italy, within the framework of the project MARLESS.
MARLESS, acronymous of “MARine Litter cross-border awarenESS and innovation actions”, is part of the Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme and it aims at implementing a concrete and joint action to address the issue of marine litter in the Adriatic Sea.
The Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme indeed supports cross-border cooperation among the territories overlooking the Adriatic Sea; particularly, the current Interreg Italy-Croatia CBC Programme 2021-2027 is focused on the blue economy, and it capitalise on previous cooperation experiences for creating stronger synergies with EUSAIR.
Being an IVY Volunteer within the project MARLESS has been exciting and gratifying since the first day. Indeed, I am learning a lot about the EU Cohesion Policies and the extent to which they play a vital role in our daily life as European citizens.
Moreover, this experience is raising my awareness about the relevance of interregional cooperation for effectively facing current and future challenges.
However, being an IVY Volunteer is not just about being immersed in a daily learning process confined to the EU interregional cooperation and European Cohesion Policies, it is even networking, acquiring essential skills, and feeling part of a vibrating IVY community.
Personally, I have found not just colleagues but friends, and every day I have the opportunity to exchange interesting ideas with the project partners and know more about their amazing works and experiences. In addition, I am acquiring knowledge and skills that might boost my future career as well as contribute to my personal growth.
Indeed, I am currently working on several different tasks, such as communication tasks, data revisions, drafting reports, and social media content creation. Accordingly, I am becoming confident with communication, the project management cycle, the functioning of the European Regional Development Fund, and the overall intricacies of the EU Cohesion policies.
After just one month of being involved in this exciting journey, I can say that I am glad to be part of this programme, which allows youth to concretely experience the EU cooperation system within a stimulating environment, empowering our chances to actively take part in the future of Europe along with increase our consciousness about European citizenship which does not know any borders!
– Chiara, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Project MARLESS, under the programme Interreg Italy-Croatia, at the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region
