On September 12th, young volunteers from across Europe arrived in Nuremberg to embark on a new adventure co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Eighteen youth workers and volunteers participated in this first training session organized by SCI Germany and learned a lot about the impact flying across the world has. 

The point of project M.O.V.E. is to make mobility a priority peace issue. This first exchange experience enabled the participants to discover the subject and to see the acute need to raise knowledge about the impact of flying. They also talked about the current mobility choices made for international volunteer projects. 

It was made clear that flying to get to this project was not the best choice. The participants were able to see and experiment traveling in an eco-friendly way. They witnessed firsthand how hard it is and pointed out how time-consuming and uncomfortable taking the bus or the train can be. Some volunteers explained that when organizing their trip, they had trouble finding options that did not include flights. Though some participants pointed out how nice it was to see the countrysides during their bus travel.

Different activities were held to talk about the different issues linked with flying, such as silent exhibitions, simulation games, theatre, etc. 

The participants were asked to write a letter as a young volunteer from 2035 and describe the world they lived in and how they traveled. Some letters were very positive and looked back negatively at the “Old Days” when people did not care about the environment. Others were less joyful and presented a darker future with an even more declining environment.

During their free day, the volunteers visited the Nuremberg Climate Camp where activists have been fighting for more efficient environmental rights since September 2020. They were able to exchange with one of the representatives that answered all of their questions.

 On Sunday 19th, everyone went back to their everyday lives with a more open mind and with ideas on how to increase awareness around eco-friendly mobility. Volunteers are now “On the Move” Implementation Period and will organize workshops or information campaigns in their home countries. Everyone will meet again in February or March 2022 in Austria for the “Landing and Spreading” Seminar, in order to create a Mobility Toolkit for future volunteers.