It’s Time for Your GREEN Step! Be informed and make a change!

First green step is made!

On Saturday, November 10, 2018, Young Researchers of Serbia organized a workshop ‘It’s Time for Your GREEN Step! Be informed and make a change!’.

This workshop was organized as a part of the project Active Youth-Better Environment initiated by the international organization Youth and Environment Europe.

The aim was to introduce environmental science students to the regulations of the Aarhus Convention and to familiarize them with the ways in which they can achieve their rights and be involved in decision-making processes related to environmental protection.

Participants of the workshop, students of the University of Belgrade, were introduced to the basic principles of the Aarhus Convention and the role of the Aarhus centers in the fight against climate change. They learned how all citizens can be involved in decision-making processes, referring to participating in public debates, round tables and writing comments. They have also learned about the procedure of participating in such events and how and where they can find an open calls for these events.

All participants agreed that if we want some change to happen, we need to be more active about it and start to plan local activity. On this course, some general tips were pointed out about how to organize a petition, a campaign, an event with the goal of raising awareness, educational workshop etc.
Students had a chance to practice their negotiation skills in a simulation of a public debate through a case study with the actual topic.

Highly motivated after the workshop, participants decided to make their second green step – planning the actions on environmental issues in their city that will be implemented together with Young Researchers Serbia and Aarhus center New Belgrade.