There is an urgent need to address the escalating ecological crises and their interconnectedness with other forms of oppression, such as racism and classism. Young people today face a world in which environmental degradation and socio-economic inequalities are accelerating at unprecedented rates. However, mainstream narratives often simplify these crises as isolated environmental issues without acknowledging the systemic roots and interdependencies that perpetuate them. This project aims to fill that gap by fostering a deeper understanding among young people of the interconnected nature of ecological and social issues, equipping them to think critically, act effectively, and envision transformative futures beyond the current growth-centric paradigm.
During this training, participants will expand their understanding of the deeper root causes that lie beneath ecological breakdown. They will learn to identify patterns of our current system and explore alternative economic systems. At the same time, participants will become familiar with already existing utopias and develop skills of imagining alternative pathways for our societies and economies beyond growth. The training combines theory with embodied methods of critical pedagogies (such as Theatre of the Oppressed). Through this combination, we want to create not only a deeper theoretical understanding but also an embodied understanding beyond cognitive dimensions.
What can you expect from this training?
- To understand the root causes of ecological breakdown, through thinking in systems;
- Build capacities to imagine alternative utopias beyond growth;
- Create cognitive and embodied understandings about ecological breakdown;
- Getting to know other (young) people around Europe who are interested in these topics.
For whom is this training?
- Youth workers and educators who are interested in working on the topics covered in these training;
- Activists, organizers and generally everyone with a baseline understanding of the climate crisis who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of ecological breakdown.