From October 8th to 10th, youth and project leaders gathered in Riga, Latvia, for an exciting start to the Active Solidarity Youth (Jovenes Solidarios Activos) project, funded by Erasmus+ KA210. Hosted by Zelsirdibas Misija Dzivibas Ediens (ZMDE), this was more than just a meeting—it was the beginning of a collaborative mission to tackle social issues in Europe through the energy and passion of young people.
Why We’re Here: The Purpose of Active Solidarity Youth
Our project was born from a growing need to address social disparities across Europe, including homelessness, food insecurity, and limited access to social services. Active Solidarity Youth (JSA) aims to create a network of youth-led initiatives focused on supporting the most vulnerable communities, while also empowering young people with skills to make a difference. This meeting in Riga was all about coming together, organizing our goals, and building the foundation for a united approach to social service across borders.
Key Highlights from the Riga Meeting
1. Creating a Strong Network of Partners
The event started with defining roles for each partner: Food For Life Madrid, with its background in volunteer projects, leads training on youth engagement; Food For Life A.P.S. (Italy) will manage digital storytelling and content; and ZMDE (Latvia) bridges local government relationships and resource support.
2. Planning for Youth Training
We mapped out the curriculum for future trainings, focusing on project management, digital literacy, and collaboration with local policies. The goal is to provide our young volunteers with practical skills they can use in real social service work.
3. Meeting with Riga Officials
A big highlight was meeting Riga city representatives to learn about the city’s social programs. It was inspiring to see how much is already being done at a local level, and it gave us ideas for how our project could link with municipal initiatives for greater impact.
4. Sustainable Plans for the Future
We discussed ways to keep our network active and growing, inviting more organizations to join us in the future and setting plans for ongoing collaboration beyond the scope of the project.
What’s Next?
With plans laid out, our next steps are to:
• Finalize training materials for youth participants.
• Develop a digital hub to keep our collaboration flowing.
• Host virtual meetings leading up to the next major training session in Spain in March 2024.
Reflecting on the Power of Cooperation
This first meeting proved that when passionate organizations come together, we can inspire real change. By empowering youth and learning from each other’s strengths, we’re setting a foundation for a more connected, supportive Europe.
Our weekend in Riga wasn’t just about planning; it was a meaningful start to a journey of solidarity and action. Stay tuned as we continue to build and grow, one step at a time!
Check some of the pictures of our meeting :)
Glad to you some of you commenting!
Riga was the perfect place to celebrate everything we’ve achieved! Amazing to look back and see the difference we’ve made for youth across Europe. Mijana.
The final meeting in Riga was incredible. Reflecting on how far we’ve come and the impact we’ve made as a team. Couldn’t be prouder! Rikesh
Being back with everyone in Riga reminded me of just how much we’ve done together. So many memories!
Grateful to have been part of this project from start to finish! Riga brought us together one last time, and it was a powerful reminder of our shared mission