Hello everyone! My name is Solène Sanchez, and as part of the IVY Initiative, I am currently volunteering for the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg Euro-MED programme. This is a transnational territorial cooperation programme that aims to make the green transition happen in the Mediterranean by financing impactful projects in the area! Olga (IVY mentor) – Me – Fahrettin (IVY Volunteer) – Céline (IVY mentor) Interreg Euro-MED programme During my first weeks at the JS, I had to understand what the programme was about. The cooperation area includes 69 regions from 14 countries, all located in the northern shore of the Mediterranean Sea: 10 of them are EU countries and 4 are IPA countries (Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania). Organisations coming from these 14 countries can be part of a Euro-MED project, or even be the lead partner! The entire programme, down to the smallest detail, is built to create a lasting change in the region. To do so, four missions have been identified: Strengthening an Innovative Sustainable Economy Protecting, Restoring and Valorising the Natural Environment and Heritage Promoting Green Living Areas Enhancing Sustainable Tourism All the financed projects are part of one of these missions. In addition, there are several types of projects. Thematic projects directly contribute to the programme aim, looking for solutions for a greener and smarter Mediterranean. Then, there are Governance projects, 2 per each mission: Community projects, which focus on transferring and exchanging the results obtained by the thematic projects; and Dialogue projects, which work to improve the governance at the Mediterranean level. I discovered the programme structure, and even if it is pretty complex, I find it relevant because a project does not stand alone: they are all linked to their mission, to other projects part of the same mission and to governance projects. Moreover, the programme is in contact with Mediterranean organisations such as PRIMA or the Ufm. All these connections and links are conceived to create a real change in the region. The Team in Marseille! The Joint Secretariat is one of the programme bodies, but it’s a central one! The JS is in charge of the day-to-day operational administration and is hosted by the French region Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur in Marseille. 24 people work in the JS plus an IT intern, and we are 2 IVYs. The JS is divided into several units: the Communication unit that makes information available, the financial unit that manages money, the resource unit in charge of the relation with the region, the project unit that works with the partners and their project. My volunteering experience so far… As an IVY volunteer, I joined the JS to help with the Post 2027 consultation. The European Commission asked Interreg programmes to conduct a consultation among their stakeholders and citizens to gather feedback for the future of Interreg. Regarding the stakeholder consultation, the MED programme joined forces with five other programmes to have a common survey. Therefore, I attended the different transnational meetings and prepared the input from our part. It’s an ongoing exercise and it’s interesting to see how programmes can work together. The citizen consultation is rather different because we had to work on the target differently. However, I’m happy to be involved in both consultations. On the other hand, I also support the communication unit in their daily work. I made the information available to stakeholders regarding the calls, European news and upcoming events. I wrote several articles and learnt the communication rules of the programmes and for the project. I also attend several meetings organised by the JS for the partners and Monitoring Committees with national authorities. Thanks to the IVY initiative, I have the opportunity to deepen my knowledge on territorial cooperation and to understand how a Joint Secretariat works. It also gives me insights about what I would like to do after this experience. – Solène, IVY Reporter at the Joint Secretariat Interreg Euro – Med Discover more about Interreg Euro-MED Click Here

The Interreg project Down to Earth, under the Interreg Europe programme, aims to address one of the most critical issues of our time: climate change and its impact on rural communities. The primary goal is to enhance the resilience of rural areas across Europe in the face of climate-related disasters. Climate change affects everyone, but it hits rural regions particularly hard. For example, recent floods in Thessaly, Greece, from increased extreme weather events including heavy rainfall resulted in severe damage to infrastructure, hundreds of homes, and agricultural land and the displacement of residents for an unknown amount of time. The area will take years to recover. Such floods or disasters in general, are expected to intensify and become more frequent due to climate change. Adding to this reality, the depopulation of rural areas may lead to further deterioration of the situation, since the limited human force may lead to inadequate maintenance of key strategic systems like drainage systems etc, and the reduction of the overall resilience to natural disasters. Therefore, I am happy to volunteer in the Down-to Earth project that takes immediate action and addresses the climate crisis. Our project has been actively involved in both research and policy development. Over the past few months, we have collaborated with researchers, experts, and stakeholders to find innovative solutions to the challenges facing rural communities acknowledging that any solution to climate change should be more of a hybrid strategy, that involves both government and their administrative agencies as well as the rural population and communities, rather than a top down system that is broadly applied. Recently, our team organised community outreach events in the affected rural areas of Kalavryta, Thermo and Xiromeno in Western Greece. The events facilitated constructive dialogue among stakeholders and the rural communities’ representatives. In a broader plan, over the next four years, the programs agenda focuses on three key themes: addressing environmental risks linked to depopulation, overcoming access barriers for young farmers in depopulated areas, and developing policies to empower farmers and land managers in the fight against climate change. Each year, the program aims to compile regional and thematic reports to share insights, fostering mutual learning and collaboration to create a bidirectional communication channel between agencies and rural communities. Rural communities are the primary beneficiaries. By strengthening their resilience to environmental disasters, we not only protect livelihoods but also create economic and social opportunities that can revitalize rural areas.  Moreover, a decentralized strategies empower local communities to take ownership of their resilience-building efforts while simultaneously allowing for the customized and adaptive strategies to address specific local needs, such as strengthening infrastructure against specific types of climate-related disasters or implementing sustainable agricultural practices suited to the local ecosystem. Teamwork is of essence and a shared vision is necessary among project partners. Each partner coming from a different background brings insights—whether in research, policymaking, or community engagement. Teams consisting of members from diverse backgrounds, researchers, and volunteers, such as climate science, engineering, social sciences, economics, policy, and humanities, can offer a wide range of perspectives and expertise. This diversity allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the complex issues surrounding climate change, local policies, legislation etc. and enables the development of holistic solutions that address various aspects of the problem. By incorporating multiple perspectives and methodologies, teams can conduct more robust analyses and mitigate potential biases, leading to, more reliable and credible research outcomes and eventually more successful policies and strategies. In this diverse scenery it is important to create clear channels of communication, that are essential for effective cooperation among teams. Regular meetings physical or online, email updates, phone calls, and collaboration platforms carry the exchange of information, updates on project progress, and coordination of activities. Organizing open events in local communities has proven to be a successful practice. Locals feel more comfortable sharing their problems and their ideas in a less formal yet familiar environment. Also, such events strengthen the relationships between researchers and locals by mutual respect, trust and building positive relationships though interpersonal exchange of ideas and feedback. In conclusion, by fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders and implementing hybrid strategies that combine top-down policies with grassroots initiatives, the project aims to enhance resilience and empower local communities. Through research, policy development, community outreach, and ongoing communication, the project strives to address the multifaceted impacts of climate change on rural areas. By prioritising the needs and perspectives of rural residents, the project not only mitigates environmental risks but also fosters economic and social opportunities for revitalisation. The programs’ structure and extroversion create a great environment for volunteer work and provide a well-rounded understanding of climate change issues. – Stavroula , IVY Project Partner at the University of Patras, for the Interreg EUROPE project Down to earth Discover more about the Interreg Europe project Down to Earth Click Here Discover more about the Host Organization University of Patras Click Here

Hello everyone, I’m Romane! I’m nearly halfway through my experience as an IVY volunteer for the SOLPYR Interrreg Poctefa program led by the CTP-OPCC, in the heart of the Pyrenees, and I’d like to share some of my experiences with you, who read me. The Working Community of the Pyrenees (CTP) is an interregional body for cross-border cooperation, created at the initiative of the Council of Europe in 1983. It is based in Jaca and comprises the Principality of Andorra, the Spanish autonomous communities of Aragon, Catalonia, the Basque Country and Navarre and the French regions of Nouvelle Aquitaine and Occitania. The main objective of the CTP is to contribute to the development of the Pyrenees area, taking into account its challenges and preserving its strengths. It also seeks to promote exchanges between the territories and actors located in the Pyrenees massif, to jointly address their problems and seek common solutions, and to implement cross-border actions. The CTP also created the Pyrenean Climate Change Observatory (OPCC) in 2010 with the aim of better understanding the consequences of climate change and reflecting on how to adapt to these effects. It’s within this entity that I now have the chance to carry out my IVY volunteer work. The SOLPYR project is about promoting climate change adaptation, disaster risk prevention and resilience, taking into account ecosystem-based approaches. Specifically, I’m working at the Pyrenean Climate Change Observatory on the management of the SOLPYR project, which was launched recently. In particular, we’re in charge of governance, which means I have to organize meetings between partners, seminars and documents that are useful for transferring and replicating knowledges’ projects that are taking place in the bioregion and that could feed into other initiatives. Cross-border cooperation is a long-term undertaking, but one in which many synergies emerge when scattered efforts come together. SOLPYR is the first Pyrenean project that will focus on cross-border mapping of soils and to draw up an action plan in the Pyrenees to help their protection and resilience to climate change, and I’m very happy to be able to be part of this adventure! It is such a pleasure to be supporting European Territorial Cooperation and Solidarity across pyrenean borders! – Romane, IVY Project Partnerat the Working Community of the Pyrenees (CTP), for the Interreg POCTEFA project SOLPYR Discover more about the Interreg POCTEFA project SOLPYR Click Here Discover more about host organization Working Community of the Pyrenees (CTP) Click Here

Hi, I’m Irene, a 25-years-old IVY volunteer for the Interreg Alpine Space project “Beyond Snow” at “Metropolitan City of Turin” and here are some highlights of my experience up to now. During my internship at “Metropolitan City of Turin”, I discovered the opportunity to be an IVY volunteer for an European project connected to rural and mountain development, issues which I’m really interested in. In fact, the project “Beyond Snow” aims to face climate change challenges in ski mountain areas in 6 Alpine Region (Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Slovenia). Regarding the Metropolitan City of Turin the pilot area is formed by the municipality of Ala di Stura and Balme, in the Valli di Lanzo. And so, at the end of February, I started my IVY experience! As Interreg Project Partner, I supported my mentor in mapping territorial data useful for the project, in particular tourist, cultural and human resources to be valorised in the pilot area of the project. After that, I cooperated in designing a participative involvement of the local communities, to discuss strategies for a sustainable development of the area. I took part in those workshops and was so interested in discovering local dynamics, following and participating in the discussion. At the same time, we analysed the data collected with the winter tourist survey, in order to discover what they need more to develop tourism in that area. Furthermore, I supported in writing down questions for the summer survey that will be launched on 17th may. What I learnt thanks to this experience? As a IVY volunteer, I had the opportunity to know how a European project is built and how it works and the opportunity to meet the lead partners. I learnt how to improve tourism in mountain areas and to select what is important for a tourism development, such as cultural and historical heritage, and not only trekking trails. I liked to meet local people when we spread the winter survey among the territorial stakeholders (e.i. owners of farms and local stores, tourism operators): in this way I could know their ideas about the project and their willingness to cooperate to develop tourism valley. What I appreciated most about this experience? Definitely the opportunity to coworking in the development process of this project, to exchange opinions and ideas to empower the mountain areas and the cooperation between project partners of different areas but with common problems. All the activities that I described until now, in my opinion, are functional to promote the cooperation between different European countries and to enhance the power of local communities that have to be involved in the local development. – Irene, IVY project partner for the Interreg Alpine Space project “Beyond Snow” at “Metropolitan City of Turin”. Discover more about the Beyond Snow project Click Here Discover more about the host organisation Click Here

Since 3 months, I have been volunteering as an IVY Reporter for the Interreg Italy-France Maritime Programme  in Florence and I am very satisfied and enthusiastic about the experience. Interreg Italy-France Maritime is a cross-border Programme co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), under the European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) objective of the EU Cohesion Policy 2021 – 2027. The main objective of the Programme is to contribute to strengthening the economic and social cohesion of the cross-border area by reinforcing sustainable growth, resilience, connectivity, social inclusion and institutional and social cooperation in the European and Mediterranean context. Moreover, the Programme pursues its commitment to support cooperation between the territories of two Member States: France (Corsica and the French departments of the Alpes-Maritimes and Var) and Italy (Tuscany,Liguria and Sardinia). Furthermore, the interventions of the Italy-France Maritime Programme directly affect almost 7.5 million citizens living in the cooperation area. However, the Programme’s objectives are far-reaching and long-term. The actors who can participate in the Programme’s resources are numerous. With five different intervention priorities, Interreg Italy-France Maritime addresses a vast and articulated system of potential beneficiaries, such as: research centers, universities, associations, trade unions, public authorities, small and medium-sized enterprises, transport companies, port authorities, employment services, training organisations, etc… Currently, I am actively involved in supporting the programme through communication activities, helping to promote the objectives and results of the programme at national and european level. In addition, I actively participate in meetings and territorials events, where I have the opportunity to learn more about the Interreg Programme initiatives and projects. This direct involvement enables me to fully understand the complexity and importance of European territorial cooperation. – Niccolò, IVY Reporter for the Managing Authority Interreg Italy-France Maritime Discover more about the Interreg Italy-France Maritime programme Click Here

Hello everybody! My name is Anna, I am 27 years old, and I am doing my IVY experience as a Project Partner in the Interreg Europe project GREENHEALTH in the offices of the EUROPARC Federation. /*! elementor – v3.21.0 – 08-05-2024 */ .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} GREENHEALTH objectives GREENHEALTH project aims to make EU regions more biodiversity-resilient by improving the management of European Protected Areas through strengthening links as well as strategic & operational collaboration between biodiversity protection and human health & well-being. This objective will be reached through removing environmental barriers and designing friendly spaces, encouraging people to take care of nature and of their own health, and incorporating human health initiatives into Protected Area Programmes. The final goal of the project is to improve regional public policies and to create the right regional contexts to maximize the links between Protected Areas and health and well-being. The Partnership and its role The project partnership is composed of 7 partners from 7 different countries: Spain, Poland, Croatia, Ireland, Slovakia, Sweden, Germany. Each regional partner creates “Local Living Labs” to engage with other entities that can support them achieving the project objectives. They include the biodiversity and medical / public health professionals primarily, including academia. Social sector as well as sports, and sustainable tourism are equally important to create an “enabling system” in support of the policies we aim to achieve. EUROPARC role My host organisation, EUROPARC, covers the role of advisory Partner, supporting the partners through the Healthy Parks, Healthy People Europe Commission. The latter provides subject matter expertise, which includes the use of the Healthy Parks Healthy People Toolkit, which represents a methodological compass to identify good practices and areas that can help supporting public health and conservation outcomes through appropriate use of natural assets. … and finally: My role! I am in charge of the communication and dissemination activities, both through our project’s website and our social media channels. I decided to apply for this opportunity because I was interested in discovering how an Interreg project works from the inside, and I think that thanks to IVY I am gaining a lot of professional expertise, while improving my skills. Plus, I grew up in a Protected Area and I am passionate about sustainable development and nature conservation and restoration, therefore having the chance of being part of the EUROPARC team has been very inspiring and empowering! – Anna, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Europe project “GREENHEALTH” at EUROPARC Federation Discover more about GREENHEALTH project Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here