Month: August 2022

Hello everyone 😊! My name is Salwa, I’m from Italy and it has been two months since I started this amazing experience as an IVY volunteer! These past two months have been amazing and I have learnt so many new things! First, let me tell you something more about myself and the project I’m participating in 😊 I’m participating in the Thematic project which is the acronym for ‘’tourism founded on innovation capacities’’ in collaboration with the University of Basilicata (Italy). The main objective of the project is to promote the development of a sustainable and accessible tourism economy in the ADRION region, based on natural, cultural, and historical resources. The ADRION region, in fact, is home to numerous natural and cultural heritage sites, many included in the UNESCO world heritage list that are needed to be protected from the risks of over-exploitation and the loss of cultural diversity. Another main objective of Thematic project is to increase the accessibility for tourists with special needs. Since I was at University, I always have been interested in the tourism field and the study of our historical and cultural resources in our territory, so I’m very glad to be in the right place. I studied foreign languages and foreign cultures and thank to my language skills I’m actively contributing to the project by translating a touristic guide on Matera and Pietragalla (Basilicata), dedicated to tourists with motor disabilities. This activity is called GATHER (guide for accessible tourism of cultural heritage in Basilicata) and it is promoted by University of Basilicata as part of THEMATIC Interreg Adrion Project. The aim is to promote the growth of cultural tourism in minor locations of the Basilicata Territory, improving the accessibility of all resources of cultural heritage, for all categories of visitors. Matera is a unique town in Basilicata (South of Italy) which is considered the world’s third-longest continuously inhabited human settlement. Matera is called ‘’The city of Stones’’ because it was built from the tufa stones and since 1993 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. My contribution to this pilot project also concerns the collection of data to analyse the level of accessibility of the main touristic points in Matera, which in my opinion is one of the most exciting parts of the project! I also participate in national events for awareness raising about sustainable and accessible cultural tourism and create digital content for the promotion of sustainable cultural tourism in historical and naturalistic locations, addressed to local communities and to the international tourists visiting the region. So far, my experience has been motivating and inspiring. This volunteering experience is giving me the opportunity to put in practice my language and translation skills that I gained during my studies and contribute actively to the project. Since the University of Basilicata is the lead partner of the Thematic project, which involves other partners from different countries, I am also learning new things about European project management and cross border cooperation which are for me new fields to study better and to be further explored. Here in Potenza I have found an amazing team that supports me to get familiar with the different tasks and activities and teach me new things every day! I can’t wait for the next coming months! – Salwa, IVY Project Partner for Interreg Adrion THEMATIC project at the University of Basilicata

I am Hana Jemli and I’ve been a part of the Interreg youth volunteer for about a month now, I have joined the Joint Secretariat of Interreg France Wallonie vlaanderen based in Namur, Belgium, as an Interreg reporter. The program stems from the desire to promote exchanges between the territories on both sides of the Franco-Belgian border, in the Regions Hauts-de-France and Grand Est., in Wallonia and in Flanders. I was born and raised in Tunisia, one of the Europe neighbor countries, that’ why this experience represents for me a completely new and different professional and personal endeavor. Unlike most of the young people who joins IVY who have a European background and was raised on the principles and the structures of the European union and European funded projects. Therefore these programs have always been a theoretical concept for me, but through IVY I am now discovering the world of UE and specifically the cross-border cooperation programs directly and practically. So far, I’ve had a very warm welcome from the team of the joint secretariat in Namur, and I have felt very lucky to be able to work closely and gain the knowledge of many experts in this field. Everyone here has been generous with sharing their valuable expertise and including me fully in all aspects of the program and taking the time to assist and teach me about the projects, activities and programs. As an Interreg reporter I ‘am associated with disseminating information about the program to help increase the visibility of the results and activities of Interreg FWVL and the cross-border cooperation programs,, in order to promote and enlarge its impact and visibility towards the European institutions and the general public and to be a channel of information and reporting successful Interreg projects via interviews, newsletters, events and social media platforms. So far, I have learned and participated in the communication of some of the projects and mini-projects and this has allowed me to discover the missions of Interreg and its structures and operations. After completing my first month with interreg, I have learned that the programs and projects are dedicated to the citizens of the territory and that they contribute to the development of these territories on several levels. I still have exciting missions ahead of me to embark on with Interreg and great opportunities to discover, and many many reporting to be done on the achievements of the Interreg France-Wallonia-Vlaanderen program and its projects. Hana – Interreg project reporter at Joint Secretariat of Interreg France Interreg France Wallonie vlaanderen

Hi 😊! I am Sarah, I am from France and it has been two months since I joined the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CPMR) as an IVY ! It has been one of the best experience so far and I am very excited for the next coming months ! Within the Intermediterranean Commission, I mainly participate in the follow-up of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection Community (MBPC) project, funded by the Interreg-MED program. This project aims at conserving and protecting biodiversity in the Mediterranean basin through several actions and modular projects, such as POSBEMED2 which raises awareness regarding the Posidonia Oceanica in the Mediterranean, oxygen factory and beach guardian. The MBPC project is also a way to gather several Mediterranean actors and overcome the territorial boarders towards a better management and decision making in terms of biodiversity protection. The project is now coming to an end, so my main missions have been to participate in the capitalization of the project’s results. For instance, I helped in the launch of an e-learning program on Marine Spatial Planning, teaching the importance of using “MSP” as a cross-sectoral tool for a sustainable use of marine resources and biodiversity conservation. More recently, within the scope of the project, a workshop in Dubrovnik gathered countries’ representatives and scientific experts from the South Adriatic Region to discuss about the next steps to protect this biologically fragile and riche marine area. This project is truly important in a context where the challenges are several in the Mediterranean basin; climate change, mass tourism, overfishing, maritime traffic, litter, pollution, collisions… Each step counts. Water sports enthusiast, I had the chance to grow up and currently live by the sea in the Brittany Region. I studied the Law of the Sea during my Master and specialized in International and European cooperation with the desire to participate in projects focused on the protection of seas and oceans (and I am even more sure now!). Create dialogue, raise awareness, and join forces between EU Member States, especially to fight the environmental crisis, is crucial and urgent. So far, this experience has been extremely empowering and filled with valuable encounters. The IMC-CRPM team is patient, supportive and inspiring. I am surrounded by passionate people! As well, I feel lucky to be able to discuss and meet with various MBPC partners such as scientists, policymakers, EU project officers, from different organizations and Mediterranean countries; it is a great way to truly understand the way European projects work and the positive impacts they can have. It is the opportunity to be part of something ‘real’ and important, and learn about sustainable development but also the EU cohesion and maritime policies. I would like to thank the Interreg Program and the AEBR for including European youth in such projects and for allowing me to gain confidence, experience and to learn a lot. It is a true privilege! As well, thanks to Lise and Jordi for their constant support! Sarah, IVY Project Partner at Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR/CRPM) for the Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection Community

Hello everyone! My name is Anna and I am from Italy, the country where I am currently volunteering as an Interreg project partner. It has been a month and a half since I started my experience at my host organisation, the Metropolitan City of Turin, a public administration involved in many Interreg proposals including EcoRIS3, the main project I am collaborating for. EcoRIS3 is an interregional initiative developed in the framework of Interreg Europe, its general aim is to support innovation ecosystems within the regional strategies of smart specialization (RIS3), which leads to the implementation of several actions in peripheral areas in order to connect them to the urban core of innovation and knowledge. As an interregional project, EcoRIS3’s partnership is diverse and geographically wide. In detail, we cooperate with local partner organisations from Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland with the aim of creating a large community for a fruitful exchange of best practices. We are now jumping into the last semester of the project, which will be unveiled by the final partner conference in Riga (Latvia). Currently, most of my tasks have been related to the preparation for this event, but I also had the opportunity to have a look at the future projects submitted in the first call of application of the new Interreg Europe programme period (2021-2027). That means being able to take an overview of the different phases of the construction and implementation of an Interreg project. So far, my experience has been enriching and inspiring. During my Master’s studies, I had the possibility to focus on cohesion policies and territorial cooperation programmes but only from an academic point of view, while this volunteering opportunity is opening my eyes to the concrete management of an European project and to the importance of collaborating with the partner network. Here at Metropolitan City of Turin I have found a young and supportive team that helps me everyday to get familiar with the different activities they are involved in. Recently I have also met another IVY volunteer, this organisation is involved in so many projects that there is room for more than one volunteer! Days go by and new and challenging opportunities still await me, hope to learn and grasp as much as possible! Anna – Interreg project partner at Metropolitan City of Turin for the Interreg Europe EcoRIS3 project.

Hello! My name is Jade, and I have been volunteering as an IVY for the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) for 2 months (already!) in the beautiful Mediterranean city of Marseille. More specifically, I work with the Inter Mediterranean Commission (IMC) of the CPMR on two projects funded by the Interreg MED program: Blue Growth Community and Blue Bio Med. These two projects are both related to Blue Growth and the Blue Economy, but as I was starting my volunteering, I soon realised that their scopes were quite different: Blue Growth Community is a horizontal project aiming at capitalising on the results of other projects that are part of its community. In other words, it wants to make sure that the work of Interreg MED projects is visible and exploited to their full potential. On top of capitalisation, the Blue Growth Community also produces its own results related to Blue Growth, such as the Interreg Med Academy, a MOOC on Blue Growth that was launched on May 16 for a duration of 5 weeks. Blue Bio Med is a strategic project focusing on the niche sector of blue biotechnologies that recently launched a Mediterranean Innovation Alliance for Sustainable Blue Bioeconomy. This Alliance is special because it is co-designed by many different stakeholders during dedicated workshops. To be fair, I had never heard of the field of blue bioeconomy before starting my volunteering, so I am learning a lot! I feel extremely lucky be an IVY for the CPMR for several reasons. First, the IMC-CPMR team is very supportive and inclusive, and I am learning new things every day. Second, I started this IVY mission during a “momentum” of the Interreg MED programme: many projects (including the ones I am working on) are closing, while the first call for the new programming period (2021-2027) was just launched. Third, since the sanitary measures have slackened, I was able to travel for work two times already: first in Bari for the final event of the B-BLUE project, then to Barcelona for the capitalisation event “Fostering Circular Blue Economy in the Mediterranean” co-organised by my host organisation. The diversity of projects, stakeholders, and initiatives around the Blue Economy in the Mediterranean is impressive. Before my volunteering, I did not realise that so many actors and people were working daily to make the sea and coastal areas more sustainable places. Working in our Marseille office makes cooperation projects feel more “real” since our offices are part of the premises of Région Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur located at the heart of the euro-Mediterranean district. Before volunteering here, I thought that the programme officers of the Interreg MED programme were in Brussels. In fact, we are in the same building. Jade, IVY Project Parter at Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR/CRPM), for the Interreg Project BLUE BIO MED

Hi! I am Marco, an IVY Reporter at the Joint Secretariat Interreg South Baltic in Gdansk, Poland! As IVY, I support office communication in promoting the work of the Joint Secretariat and the projects financed by the organization. As a graduate of Eastern European studies, I already had a certain knowledge of this area. However, what the Interreg Reporter experience has given me so far is a first-hand perspective of how the EU supports different regions of our continent. In particular, the diversity of projects focused on different branches of sustainable development – green technologies, sustainable tourism and infrastructure, SME development – that the programme funds makes my role in this organization extremely stimulating! What is unique about Interreg South Baltic is its multinational dimension. The programme backs projects coming from very diverse EU member states – Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Lithuania – that enhance cross-border cooperation in different fields: SME development, sustainable tourism and transport, green technologies, and cooperation capacity. Coming from a different European region certainly increases my curiosity about what kind of projects are developed through this programme across this region. For instance, I have recently taken part in the final conference of the ArchaeoBalt, an innovative project aimed at establishing a network to promote the touristic potential of archaeological sites along the coastal regions of Poland, Sweden and Denmark. The project gives a particular focus on the involvement of young people in both the excavations activities and the audience to reach, which was evident in the field trip we had to the archaeological sites in the Pomerania region of Poland. Marco – IVY Reporter at the Joint Secretariat of Interreg South Baltic