YouthCARE4planet organised a YouthCARE Day in Tunisia to debate about how youth, associations and local authorities can better engage for a more sustainable Mediterranean

The day was full of interactive sessions that highlighted the importance of equitable distribution of responsibilities, adoption of alternative consumption patterns and promote a more collective and community life.

Publication Date
07/04/2026
Reading Time
4 minutes

The YouthCARE Day, organized by COSPE Tunisia, took place on March 31, 2026, at the Campanile El Mechtel for the in-person component, and online for remote participants.

 It brought together over 80 participants — youth, local associations, partners, and representatives of local authorities, including the municipalities of Jendouba, Gabès, and Casapesenna. 

This hybrid event celebrated youth engagement and highlighted the role of local and regional actors in environmental protection, within the framework of the Interreg NEXT MED program, which promotes Mediterranean cooperation and sustainable, inclusive solutions to climate change.

Program Presentation and Project Impact

The morning session showcased the YouthCARE4Planet project  and presented its expected outcomes:

  • 60+ youth organizations mobilized across the Mediterranean
  • 8 Local Adaptation Plans (LAPs) co-designed
  • 16 green actions implemented at the local level
  • 1,100 youth trained in co-creation processes
  • 350 youth supported in implementing green actions
  • Awareness raised among 800,000 youth through consortium activities

These targets reflect the project’s ambition to strengthen local capacities, foster trans-Mediterranean collaboration, and promote youth civic and environmental engagement. Each partner also shared their motivation for joining the project, the challenges they aim to address, and how the initiative aligns with their strategic priorities.

Environmental Challenges and Youth Engagement

Greenish, the Egyptian partner of YouthCARE4planet, facilitated a debate on the environmental challenges facing the region. Participants shared local issues encountered in their territories, including industrial pollution, waste management, water scarcity, limited resources, air quality, and deforestation. The discussion highlighted that responsibility for these challenges is collective, yet shared awareness and lack of resources remain major obstacles. Youth observed that similar challenges recur across different areas, emphasizing the need for coordinated Mediterranean-wide initiatives.

MIO-ECSDE, partner of YouthCARE4planet, introduced the CARE methodology, adopted in the project, which is based on the individual and collective capacity to provide conditions that allow both people and the planet to thrive. Its principles include recognizing interdependencies, equitable distribution of responsibilities, alignment with sustainability and ecological transition, adoption of alternative lifestyles, promotion of collective and community life, and intergenerational and intersectional approaches. This methodology enables the design of inclusive and sustainable youth projects, actively involving young people in every stage of planning and action.

Concrete Actions and Youth-Led Co-Creation

The morning concluded with videos highlighting the fieldwork of Enactus and GIOSEF, partners of YouthCARE4Planet, showcasing their local climate and sustainability initiatives as well as youth co-created actions in their communities. — inspiring participants to take concrete action. Following this, the event also featured a youth contest, inviting young people to demonstrate how they contribute to positive change for the planet by sharing their creativity through short films, articles, or photos/photo-reports. Participants could explore themes such as environmental protection and public spaces, waste management and recycling, biodiversity conservation, water preservation, climate change mitigation, and youth-led environmental initiatives. This contest provided a unique opportunity to showcase youth ingenuity and commitment, while inspiring tangible actions for a greener and more responsible Mediterranean.

IDEBATE, one of the Tunisian partners in YouthCARE4planet, presented the association mapping and Youth-Led Research Group (YLRG), a strategic tool that maps local organizations and enables youth to actively co-design project initiatives. The YLRG fosters collaboration between youth, associations, and local authorities, ensuring structured follow-up and amplifying youth-led projects on the ground.

Communication and Mobilization

Communication is a strategic pillar of YouthCARE4Planet. Six partners across four Mediterranean countries collaborate closely, each with a specific role, to create coherent and impactful communication. The aim is to give youth a voice, highlight local initiatives, and connect the Mediterranean shores.

During the event, participants were actively involved through interactive tools like Mentimeter, sharing ideas and words that represent the Mediterranean they envision: equality, justice, impact… These contributions reflected youth engagement and highlighted priorities for a more sustainable, just, and inclusive region. Communication in the project goes beyond informing: it inspires, connects, and engages all actors around a shared vision for the Mediterranean’s future.

Afternoon: Mediterranean Workshops

In the afternoon, a workshop led by IDEBATE strengthened the sense of Mediterranean community and explored common solutions to environmental challenges. Discussions emphasized on:

  • Equitable distribution of responsibilities among individuals and societies
  • Alignment with ecological transition and sustainability
  • Adoption of alternative lifestyles and consumption patterns
  • Promotion of collective and community life
  • Intergenerational and intersectional approaches

This collaborative reflection demonstrated that youth creativity, participation, and cooperation are essential to develop sustainable solutions that respond to local and regional realities.

Conclusion: A Collective Movement

The YouthCARE Day demonstrated that youth, local associations, and local authorities can work together to create real impact on environmental challenges. Through Interreg NEXT MED Programme, the CARE methodology, and active participant engagement, the project contributes to:

  • Strengthening local action
  • Connecting territories
  • Building a sustainable and inclusive Mediterranean dynamic

The enthusiasm and mobilization of participants show that, when supported and involved, youth can become real drivers of change for a more sustainable, just, and resilient Mediterranean.

 

Last Update

07/04/2026