Focus on the 2016 National Conference LTCP in Spain

Logroño – November 16-19

From November 16 to 19, 46 teachers, 23 administration technicians and 12 facilitators from 10 networks of sustainable schools from Spain participated to the 3^rd National Youth Conference “Let’s Take Care of the Planet”.

Youngsters from 9 autonomous communities (Albacete, Canary Islands, Catalonia, La Rioja, Madrid city and community, Murcia, Navarra, Basque Country and Palencia) representing 300 schools implicated in the LTCP Project during 2016 gathered in Logroño in order to exchange on their experiences, to debate and to reach an agreement allowing them to establish the “Keys for a more sustainable life inside the school and out”.

For three days, the youngsters divided in work groups to draft collectively a manifesto which could serve as a reference document summing up the responsibilities taken by the students and the actions they want to implement within their own schools to guide them along the path towards sustainability.

Other ways of expression have also been used during the educommunication workshops to valorize their commitments: rap music, news report or comics. The high point of these workshops materialized in a giant flash mob on Logroño’s central square where the youngsters played percussions on plastic bottles and retook their motto “Being ecofriendly is not an obligation, it’s a way of life”.

The Conference ended with a general assembly of all the participants. The youngsters red their manifesto and elected the delegates in charge of representing Spain for the next European Conference.

Feedback on the « Let’s Take Care of The Planet » National Youth Conference in Spain

Barcelona – November 12-15, 2014

Monde Pluriel participated to the 2^nd Spanish National Conference “Let’s Take Care of The Planet” which was held in Barcelona from November 12 to 15 in 2014.

120 students from age 12 to 17, representing 72 schools and 60 adults (experts from Autonomous Communities –Regions and teachers) were present.

10 Autonomous Communities (Canary Islands, Castilla La Mancha along with Albacete, Castilla and Leon along with Palencia, Catalonia, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra and Basque Country) on the 13 ones involved in the project that Spaniards call “Confint” were represented.

Organised by the « green schools » Catalonian network, this event was held in a working atmosphere but also with joy and good spirit, thanks to dynamic and skilled facilitators.

The « Let’s Take Care of the Planet » dynamic is highly represented in Spain. If 200 schools were involved in the regional conferences, there were 20 000 schools which had organized a local conference. Regional conferences took place in many regions. This “network of networks” receives the support of the Ministry of Education from Spain, especially to finance the delegates’ trip to the National Conference.

The methodology developed with the youngsters is interesting; it is especially based on “participatory maps” and the issues identified by youngsters on their territory. Each student represents an issue identified on his/her territory and exposes the situation to his/her other classmates.

Youngsters then participated to educommunication workshops to collectively produce posters, songs, choreographies, newspaper articles and a Manifesto. The National Youth Conference coincided with the 13^th International Congress on Educational Cities which was held at the same time (November 13-16) in Barcelona, a delegation representing the EsEnRed network (Escuelas Sostenibles en Red – eco-responsible schools in network) and youngsters handed in this Manifesto to Jordi Marti, Environment officer for Barcelona municipality and congress organiser.

Finally, Josep Planas Cisternas –Director of Environment Policies, Catalonia Generalitat- made the closing speech. Monde Pluriel opened doors towards European and international perspectives evoking the European Youth Conference “Let’s Take Care of The Planet” as well as COP 21. Indeed, youngsters elected the delegates who will represent them at the Brussels European Conference in May 2015: the adventure continues!

In 2013-2014

School projects and local conferences

Several hundreds of schools are participating this year again, in the Let's take care of the Planet project. Local meeting are being organized, along with and inter-regional conference, that will probably take place in Galicia. The national coordination Commission decided to organize national conferences every two years, so the next one will be next year.
Also, the creation of a national ESD 'network of networks' has recently been created, which will reinforce the already efficient project national coordination!

Feel free to visit the Spanish version of this page to read the news of the project blogue and other information... in Spanish of course!

Activities in 2013

Regional conferences are organized in 6 regions (Catalonia, Rioja, Canarias, Galicia, Bask Country, Albacete - Madrid) this year. A national conference is organized every 2 years (next will be next year in Barcelona,, on Autumn 2014). During the year, we make links between the regional conferences. Last 19th, June was organized the Regional conference in Galicia: young people from all the other regions were invited (150 from Galicia + 40 from other regions).