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Hi there, I am María Belén Benzaquén, an Italian Argentinian. I started my journey as IVY in the “Dialogue 4 Living Areas” project two months ago. Since then, I have had the unique opportunity to deepen my understanding of Interreg Euro-MED and actively contribute to the aim core’s project to the transformation of Mediterranean territories into resilient Green Living Areas at Metropolis Nice Côte d’Azur, the project’s lead partner in Nice, France. The essence of Dialogue4LivingAreas lies in its commitment to transferring policies by fostering dialogue among policymakers and public stakeholders. This approach is centered on continual policy refinement and transformation, with a primary focus on establishing long-term cooperation at the Euro-Mediterranean level, for an improved quality of life of citizens. Our collaborative efforts with Community4LivingAreas run in parallel, providing concrete and effective implementation of policies across various aspects of Green Living Areas (Environment, Energy, Mobility, Water & Waste Management, and Buildings). In my capacity as IVY Project Partner, I am actively involved in the meticulous management process, working closely with the Dialogue for Green Living Areas Mission Consortium on a peer-to-peer basis. One of our course activities involves developing a comprehensive methodology roadmap and databases for policies that support the Thematic Projects of the Community4LivingAreas. How do we proceed? Designing criteria, and indicators, and assessing the adaptability of policies at the Local, Regional, and National Mediterranean Levels. Our goal is to contribute to the prioritization and capitalization of Thematic Community Projects by comprehensively understanding and addressing their impact. As I pursue my Master’s Degree in Journalism and Digital Communication, my focus is on efficiently fostering cooperation within the project, gaining expertise in strategic research, and enhancing communication strategies to shape the capitalization of essential steps collaboratively. – María Belén B, IVY Project Partner at Metropole Nice Cote d’Azur for the Interreg Euro-MED project Dialogue 4 Living Areas Discover more about the Interreg project Dialogue 4 Living Areas Click Here Discover more about the Host Organization Click Here

Hello, my name is Moritz and I am 25 years old. After completing my Master’s degree in Border Studies in the Greater Region on the border between Luxembourg, Saarland and Lorraine, I am now a volunteer at the joint secretariat of Interreg Saxony-Czech Republic in Dresden. The border region here is characterized above all by rural areas, but also by increasingly close ties, mutual support and great commitment on the part of the neighbours. The programme’s joint secretariat receives ideas and applications for numerous projects that aim to strengthen cross-border cooperation. The applicants receive all the necessary information and advice for a successful application and implementation of the project. The secretariat also ensures that all regulations are adhered to. To ensure that as many people as possible learn about the opportunities for cross-border projects and that the results are widely shared, the secretariat is also responsible for public relations work for the programme. This is also my main area of responsibility: I support my colleagues in disseminating information via the website and am mainly responsible for ensuring that it is up to date and looks good. I also make sure that information on the project cycle is presented in an understandable and accessible way in guidelines or flow charts. At regular intervals, the Monitoring Committee also takes place, where various stakeholders with voting rights from Saxony and the Czech Republic decide on the funding of new projects. I play an active role in its organization and running. During this work, I have become aware of how many procedures and processes take place in the background of the Interreg programme. These are often lengthy and bureaucratic. This makes it all the more important for me to support the projects through the joint secretariat, so that nobody has to be afraid of the project cycle and all citizens of the border region have access to it. Many people can benefit from the project ideas and often disadvantaged regions receive the necessary attention and resources to implement innovative projects. The IVY experience is great for me as I studied borders and cross-border cooperation before. I knew many projects, their goals, problems and outcomes. But I never had insights into the perspective of the administrative organizations. Thanks to IVY I could broaden my horizon under this aspect. It also enabled me to get to know a great team and exciting stakeholders. I am pleased that I will remain part of the team in the future and can continue to support the cross-border cooperation. – Moritz Schneider, IVY Reporter for the Interreg Germany/Saxony-Czechia Discover more about the Interreg Programme Germany/Saxony – Czechia Click Here

Santiago de Compostela, 26th December. Last December a meeting took place between the IVY volunteers of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce and the Foundation, in which each participant could present the main ideas of the projects they are working on and share their experience as volunteers. In our case, we talked about the Rural Youth Future project, which aims to improve the effectiveness of youth employment policies for sustainable rural development. It was an opportunity to learn about the projects in which the other volunteers collaborate, to share experiences and to take initiative in the elaboration of upcoming events that we can be part of. One of the activities we will attend as volunteers will take place in the first four months of 2024. This international event is part of the Rural Youth of Europe (RUYOU) project, and will be a platform to share best practices and exchange ideas. As an IVY volunteer, my main focus has been in the field of communication, although I have also been able to be present at project launch meetings and other tasks that fall within the Foundation’s remit. Our active participation as IVY volunteers demonstrates the commitment to foster the collaboration of young people in European projects such as Rural Youth Future. RURAL YOUTH FUTURE RuralYouthFuture is a European initiative dedicated to improving the effectiveness of youth employment policies for sustainable rural development. This ambitious endeavour unites municipal, regional and national entities around a common objective: to address the unique needs of young people in rural territories. By reducing inequalities and combating ageing and depopulation, RuralYouthFuture aims to build a better future.   This project is supported by the following partners: Fundación Galicia Europa (ES) Dirección General de Juventud, Participación y Voluntariado (ES) Association Centre for Sustainability and Economic Growth (Asociación Centro para la Sostenibilidad y el Crecimiento Económico) (BG) Municipality of Peshtera (Municipio de Peshtera) (BG) Smart House, Institution For Research And Sustainable Development Martjanci (Smart House, Institución de Investigación y Desarrollo Sostenible Martjanci) (SI) University of Latvia (Universidad de Letonia) (LV) Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth, IP (Instituto Portugués del Deporte y la Juventud, IP) (PT) Association of Municipalities of Tartu County (Asociación de Municipios del Condado de Tartu) (EE) – Carla, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Europe project “RuralYouthFuture” at Fundación Galicia Europa Discover more about the Interreg project RuralYouthFuture Click Here Discover more about our host organisation Fundación Galicia Europa Click Here

Hello everyone! I am Sara, I am 25 years old, and I am currently an IVY Volunteer at the Interreg Italy-Croatia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme. I have finished my studies in Intercultural Development of Tourism Systems at the Ca’ Foscari University in Venice and I am really motived in my current experience at the Managing Authority of the Programme. I started my volunteering just two months ago, but I had already done my internship at the same programme so I already knew that it was a great place to learn. However, in this new experience I have different tasks, more connected to the Communication field, and I am really loving every moment of it! /*! elementor – v3.19.0 – 28-02-2024 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=”.svg”]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} But, what about the Programme? The Interreg IT-HR program aims to strengthen cross-border cooperation between the coastal regions of Italy and Croatia to address common challenges and exploit opportunities for sustainable development. The Programme finances cross-border cooperation projects that focus on innovation in the blue economy and it capitalises previous projects, creating stronger synergies with EUSAIR. In particular, it focuses on five thematic priorities: blue innovation, security and resilience, natural and cultural heritage, transport and connectivity, and governance. Partnership projects are identified and financed to reach the Programme objectives: all applicants who wants to participate are invited by public calls for proposals and their applications is assessed on the basis of selection criteria formally approved by the Programme Monitoring Committee. In the programme, I specifically try to ensure higher visibility and communicating about Operations of Strategic Importance (OSI) and their achievements. Moreover, I try to prepare supporting documents to be published on the site of the Programme in a way that may be easy to understand for all, especially young people and citizens. What I love most about this experience is the possibility to attend meetings with the Monitoring Committee or with other programmes to create synergies: these events are a great opportunity to learn more about different realities that can be found in Europe. I think that IVY is a great chance to venture in the world of work: it provides you with the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills; in addition, it is very important to me to be involved in the communication field because I want the Programme to be as famous as possible among the youth since it is a great opportunity that cannot be missed! – Sara, IVY Reporter for the Managing Authority Interreg Italy-Croatia Discover more about the Interreg programme Italy – Croatia Click Here

It has been a couple months since I stepped into the communication office at the Italian National Contact Point of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme, and here’s a glimpse of what I’ve had the chance to experience up to now. The Interreg Euro-MED Programme brings together 16 countries of the Mediterranean region with the aim of contributing to the transition towards a climate-neutral and resilient society, while improving governance between its stakeholders. It does so by providing funds to projects which focus on 4 different missions, namely Strengthening an innovative sustainable economy, Valorising the natural environment and heritage, Promoting green living areas and Enhancing sustainable tourism. Project partnerships necessarily have to involve at least 4 different countries, in the spirit of cooperation and transnationality. This results in unique projects drawing together far away but similar territories that share common challenges and make a joint effort to find sustainable solutions. Providing representative examples of Euro-MED projects is not easy, as they really operate in multiple and diverse fields and involve different partners and beneficiaries (research institutes, universities, entrepreneurs, civil society and many others). Euro-MED is the new sustainable public transport in your city, it is behind the new floods risk prevention strategy of your region, it is a project on wind marine energy, but also on restoration of seagrass, carbon removal, and the driving force of the new Renewable energy community in a marginalized neighborhood, and possibly an innovative platform to manage tourism flows on your favorite beaches, just to name a few. Here at the Euro-MED National Contact Point Italia, in Florence (Regione Toscana), we provide support and guidance to Italian applicants and project partners, and we are involved in every strategic step of the programme. But who am I and how do I contribute? My name is Maya and I’m a 24 years old graduate in International Relations, with a strong passion for climate justice and environment protection, who aspires to work on climate change governance, storytelling and hopefully soon take part in significant initiatives that take concrete action to bring about a needed paradigm shift. My role as an IVY Reporter here at the Euro-MED NCP Italy is to contribute to the communication activities and support the capitalization process. Actually, before entering this world I didn’t even know what capitalisation (which is the transfer and sharing of knowledge and good practices/solutions) was, while now I believe it is one of the most fascinating aspects of cooperation. Communicating on the programme means I need to be aware of everything that is going on, from decisional processes, ‘high level’ seminars, citizens consultation and projects description; which enables me to constantly learn something new on communication tools and strategies but most of all about how European cooperation works, while discovering the latest innovations and projects to tackle climate change. I manage social media accounts and website, write newsletters, prepare summary documents and take part in programme initiatives, such as the Multiprogramme mechanism, which we are currently shaping together with other Interreg Programmes. Moreover, my colleagues are young people I can relate with but also learn from, and I am so lucky to be doing my IVY experience together with not 1, not 2 but 3 other IVYs that are deployed here at Regione Toscana working on other Programmes. Interreg Volunteer Youth gave me the hands-on experience I was looking for and enabled me to put in practice skills learned during my study years and work in an enriching environment. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, which I believe to be an empowering, affordable and most of all needed and unique way for every young person willing to take the first steps in the field of cooperation and the working world. I’m looking forward to the months to come! – Maya, IVY Reporter for the Italian National Contact Point of the Interreg Euro-MED programme  Discover more about the Interreg programme Euro-MED Click Here

A glimpse into the aims of the Ar2CorD programme Concrete is paradoxically both one of the most polluting materials on Earth, and one of the wonders of human architecture across history. Prehistoric forms of its use have been dated back to the Syrian and Yugoslavian Stone Ages, and archeologists have suggested that concrete floors were commonplace in the Chinese Bronze Ages. You may be familiar with the structure of the Roman Pantheon, still standing almost 2000 years after its construction, as evidence of the sturdiness of early forms of lime-based mortars! Unfortunately, modern day Portland cement, birthed in 1871 out of the Industrial revolution in the U.S., has exhaled disastrous amounts of CO₂ onto Planet Earth: its recipe is no longer viable for a sober, sustainable way of life. The Ar2CorD programme was born out of an Interreg partnership between researching entities in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions who recognise that, if concrete cannot be replaced, it must be improved. The project involves new mix designs, using byproducts of local industries as alternative cementitious materials, for example, to provide a form of low-carbon concrete that is resistant to freeze-and-thaw cycle. Cost-efficient, more durable, and environmentally-friendly, Ar2CorD’s low carbon concrete aims to strengthen climate adaptation and resource efficiency for its communities across Finland, Sweden, Norway, Greenland, and Iceland. Volunteering for the project A little about me and my experience as an IVY volunteer: my name is Pauline, I am French and I am fascinated with the concept of environmental storytelling. I’ve been volunteering as a Project Partner to the Ar2CorD project for a little over two months, now, and have found it a truly purpose-generating experience. This initiative is as interdisciplinary as it is international. There are so many lenses to look at ecological concrete from. There is a very technical side to it, a very scientific approach to determining the optimal combination of materials for a sustainable result. There is a very interesting historic and artistic aspect to it, too: concrete is a very long-lived, ever-changing material. And there is a very idealistic, futuristic take on its applications. What could a green, environmentally-friendly city look like?  I am based at Luleå Tekniska Universitet, in Sweden, a beautiful place where I assist the project wherever I can. My missions are varied: between writing pop science articles, organising events, occasionally assisting in the lab and working on disseminating results, I am part of a truly cooperative ecosystem. “Cohesion” is the main keyword of this experience. Each branch has its own expertise and its own goals, but all these research entities (and their shared landscapes, weather, values and history) come together under the banner of sustainability. It’s a beautiful display of interregional cooperation policies, and I am grateful to be a part of it! – Pauline G., IVY Project Partner at the Lulea University of Technology for the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic project Ar2CorD  Discover more about the AR2CORD project Click Here Discover more about UiT Click Here