Right Challenge launches a European project to give a voice to young people in rural areas
A Right Challenge – Association is launching a new European Erasmus+ project, SOS – Should I stay Or Should I go?, which aims to give a voice to young people in rural and remote areas and to involve communities in shaping the future of their regions.
Against the backdrop of an ageing population, depopulation and the exodus of young people from many rural areas across Europe, the project aims to work directly with young people and local communities in six countries – Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria and Lithuania. The overarching aim is simple and clear: not to “tie” anyone to the place where they were born, but to ensure that young people are not forced to leave due to a lack of opportunities, services or prospects.
To this end, SOS combines training, fieldwork and content production. In each region, a team of young people will be set up to organise community listening workshops, where stories and perspectives on leaving, staying, returning and arriving in these regions will be gathered. Based on these narratives, the young people will develop geopodcasts – audio tours linked to digital maps – which showcase people, places and memories, both within and outside the communities. In parallel, a document setting out policy proposals and actions will be produced, aimed at local, national and European decision-makers, with recommendations developed with and by young people.
The project also includes international training sessions: a community engagement camp, focusing on participatory methodologies and leadership, and an “On Air” camp, dedicated to geopodcasting, audio production and digital communication. These experiences will enable participants to develop personal skills (leadership, teamwork, civic engagement) and technical skills (social research, storytelling, audio editing), enhancing their personal and professional development.
Throughout its implementation, SOS aims to strengthen youth organisations, build networks of cooperation between rural areas in different countries, and engage young people in public decision-making processes. Through the stories it collects and the resources it creates, the project seeks to contribute to a new way of looking at rural areas: not merely as places people leave, but as places to live, create and build a future.
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CALL TO ACTION
If you work with young people, communities, schools, sports or cultural groups, or if you represent a local organisation interested in enhancing and revitalising your parish or rural area, the project SOS – Should I stay Or Should I go? could be an opportunity for practical collaboration. A Right Challenge is looking for local partnerships (parish councils, youth associations, cultural movements, sports clubs, school groups, NGOs) that wish to:
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To facilitate and support community listening workshops and young people’s participation in their communities.
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co-create local initiatives based on the stories and proposals developed by the youth teams
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Use the project resources (geopodcasts, training materials, policy proposals) for the strategic development of the region.
By getting involved in SOS, you help to strengthen youth participation, promote intergenerational dialogue and highlight the identity of your local area within a European network. If you would like to know how your organisation or parish can get involved in this project, please contact us by email at dianaborges@rightchallenge.org or by telephone +351 225372769 (call to a national landline) and let’s explore possible ways of collaborating together.
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