Words of Change

Fanni

"Through the Erasmus+ programme, I had the opportunity to participate in the youth exchange “Words of Change II – Simplifying Climate Change” in Chaves, Portugal. The main themes of the seven-day programme were the role of young people in social change, climate change, and environmental protection. From the very beginning, I was excited and curious, as I had never participated in a similar international project before, and I was interested to see what it would be like to work together with young people from different countries.

The programme brought together young people from Portugal, Spain, Poland, and Hungary, giving me the chance to learn about different cultures and perspectives. During the first few days, the icebreaker and team-building activities helped us get to know one another better and created a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. At first, it was challenging to adapt to so many new people and the constant group activities, but day by day I felt more comfortable and confident. The organisers played an important role in helping us quickly build a strong community and work effectively together on the tasks and activities that followed.

Throughout the programme, I gained a great deal of knowledge about climate change, biodiversity conservation, and the importance of awareness and active community involvement at the local level. We participated in several interactive workshops where we not only discussed these topics but also brainstormed ideas on how to engage young people more effectively in environmental protection. In addition, we learned communication and storytelling techniques and created video campaigns aimed at raising awareness about the challenges of climate change.

For me, it was incredibly inspiring to see that although we came from different backgrounds and cultures, we shared similar views on the importance of environmental protection. The joint activities, discussions, and evening gatherings were enjoyable and created a positive atmosphere, and several new friendships were formed. The highlights of the week for me were the cultural evenings. Each national group presented its own traditions, local specialties, food, drinks, music, and dances. We laughed, talked, and celebrated each other’s cultures together. I feel that these activities not only brought us closer to one another but also helped us become more open-minded and accepting of different people and customs.

Overall, this Erasmus+ project was a truly meaningful and memorable experience for me. In addition to gaining valuable knowledge about climate change and environmental protection, I was able to build new international connections and friendships. I am very grateful for this opportunity, and I would encourage everyone to take part in a similar international programme."

Zsombor

"My journey to Chaves was quite long. I first flew to Lisbon and then, after what felt like an endless bus ride, I finally arrived in Chaves around midnight. Unfortunately, there had been a misunderstanding with the organizers, so I had to walk from the bus station to the accommodation, which turned into quite a hike in the middle of the night. When I finally arrived, I fortunately ran into one of the organizers, who immediately handed me my room key card and welcomed me to Portugal. At that point, I was alone in the room, as my roommate only arrived on the third day.

The next morning, since I was new to the city, I asked the Hungarian group if we could go together to the café where breakfast was served. The rest of the group had already been there the previous day, and I was the last one to arrive. They were happy to help, and we walked there together. Along the way, we had the opportunity to get to know each other better, and new friendships began to form. At the café, I also met members of the Polish group, which led to even more new friendships. Everyone was excitedly waiting for the programme to begin.

Naturally, the first part of the programme focused on getting to know one another. We played various games designed to help us connect and learn more about each other. This was also when I met the Portuguese and Spanish participants. Afterwards, we were asked to assess our own knowledge of environmental protection. As I later discovered, I had greatly overestimated my level of understanding, because throughout the programme I realized there were many topics I had never even heard about before.

In the afternoon, the organizers took us on a guided tour of Chaves. I learned that the city has been inhabited since Roman times, as the Romans discovered thermal waters there and decided to establish a settlement in the area. The day ended with a delicious dinner at a local restaurant.

The second day of the programme started in a similar way. Once again, we played games and then received a very interesting task. We were given pictures related to environmental protection and had to arrange them in the correct order on a long table, showing how one event or issue leads to another. Solving the task involved long but constructive discussions, as everyone had different ideas about the correct sequence. I feel that this activity taught me the most about environmental issues and also helped me understand how different people think about them. The day ended with Hungarian, Polish, and Spanish cultural evenings, where we had the opportunity to taste a variety of Spanish and Polish delicacies.

On the third day, despite the rain, we drove into the mountains where we took part in a symbolic environmental action. Chaves is surrounded by high mountains and dense forests, but unfortunately a significant part of the forest had burned down the previous year. Together with the group, we planted several trees. The work was difficult because we had to dig and plant in heavy rain, but the experience was absolutely worth it. The day concluded with the Portuguese cultural evening. The Portuguese participants truly outdid themselves, bringing a wide variety of food and drinks, sharing stories about their country’s history and geography, and even performing traditional folk songs for us.

On the fourth day, we participated in a role-playing activity. Only later did we discover that we had unknowingly reenacted a real-life situation. The debate centered on whether a lithium mine should be opened near the city. My role was to act as a biased journalist who created news stories designed to influence decision-makers in favor of opening the mine. Later, I learned that this was actually based on a real issue in Chaves. Significant lithium deposits have been discovered in the mountains surrounding the city, and plans to open a mine have become the subject of intense public debate.

On our last full day, we had to create a video about environmental protection, which was later evaluated by a local jury. During the filmmaking process, I realized just how challenging it is to produce a high-quality and meaningful video.

The following morning, I went to the bus station early together with the Polish group. Just like on my arrival, I faced another very long bus journey back to Lisbon. Fortunately, this time I had some free time to explore the city before my evening flight. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed, and after a lengthy journey I finally arrived back in Budapest in the early hours of the morning.

Throughout the programme, I learned many new things about environmental protection, including what individuals can do to contribute to positive change and how people in other European countries approach these issues. Organizing the trip and creating the video were both challenges for me, as I had little previous experience in either area.

If I had to highlight the three most memorable moments of the programme, they would be the Portuguese cultural evening, the tree-planting activity, and the game in which we had to arrange environmental issues and consequences in the correct order to understand how different processes are connected."

Roberta

"On May 6, I departed from Budapest early in the morning on a direct flight to Porto to participate in the “Words of Change” youth exchange. During the day, I had the opportunity to briefly explore Porto before arriving in Chaves, a charming small town in northern Portugal, later that evening. On the very first night, an ice-breaking activity helped participants get to know one another. The project brought together young people from Portugal, Spain, Poland, and Hungary, and the diverse group guaranteed a lively and enjoyable atmosphere.

On the first full day, we continued getting to know each other and then explored the town through a short guided walk. Chaves turned out to be a true hidden gem for me. It has a rich historical heritage, is famous for its thermal waters, and is also crossed by the Caminho Português Interior de Santiago, one of the lesser-known but historically significant routes of the Camino de Santiago that connects Portugal with Spain. Its proximity to the Spanish border further adds to the town’s unique character. Every evening, we took part in shared activities that greatly contributed to building a strong group spirit.

On May 8, we focused on an important topic in smaller groups under the title “The Power of Youth: What Can I Do for Change?”. We explored practical actions that individuals can take in their everyday lives to support sustainability and environmental protection. Together with the Hungarian team, we presented several initiatives from Hungary that encourage people to become more active, including school paper collection campaigns, plastic cap collection drives, organizations working in these areas, and nationwide bulk waste collection programs.

One of the most exciting parts of the day was an interactive card game in which we had to estimate the carbon emissions of various everyday activities. This exercise helped us better understand the environmental impact of our choices. In the second session, we worked in groups to analyze the cause-and-effect relationships behind environmental changes and natural disasters.

That evening, we took part in the Cultural Night, where the Hungarian, Spanish, and Polish teams presented their cultures. We shared traditional foods, music, and dances, creating a wonderful opportunity to learn about one another’s customs and traditions.

On the fourth day, we participated in a tree-planting activity in the hills surrounding Chaves, combined with a short hike. This experience was particularly relevant to the environmental theme of the project. In the afternoon, we had some free time to spend as we wished. Later, we attended the Portuguese cultural evening, which was one of the highlights of the week for me. Our hosts prepared traditional Portuguese dishes and introduced their country’s history and culture through fun and interactive activities.

On May 10, we started the day with a role-play debate, which was my personal favorite activity of the entire programme. The exercise focused on a proposal to mine a lithium-rich mountainous area. Each participant represented a different stakeholder group, such as local residents, investors, or environmental activists. The goal was to understand different perspectives and debate the potential opening of the mine using well-founded arguments.

The activity was based on a real-life issue. Near Chaves, in the Barroso region, preparations are underway for a large-scale lithium mining project. The project is considered strategically important for the European Union because lithium is a key component in electric vehicle batteries. However, the proposed open-pit mine has sparked significant social and environmental controversy, as local communities and civil society organizations argue that it could threaten the region’s water resources, biodiversity, and traditional rural way of life. I found it particularly interesting that the exercise was based on a real local conflict, providing us with practical insights into the complexities and dilemmas of sustainability.

In the afternoon, we began planning a short video project that would summarize the knowledge and experiences we had gained throughout the exchange. We worked in small groups, and the evening concluded with a game night that further strengthened our sense of community.

On our final full day, we completed and presented our videos, after which we received feedback from the other participants. My group focused on the topic of fast fashion, highlighting its environmental impact and the importance of conscious consumer choices. The evening ended with a farewell party, where everyone celebrated together as friends, despite having met as strangers only a few days earlier.

Overall, I spent an incredibly enriching and memorable week in Chaves. The Inspira! Association provided excellent educational activities and thoughtfully designed workshops. Compared to many youth exchanges, the schedule was quite intensive, with activities generally running from 9 a.m. until late evening, although there were sufficient breaks throughout the day.

I would highly recommend this youth exchange to anyone interested in environmental protection and eager to experience the atmosphere of rural Portugal. The organizers — Esther, Ema, Renato, and João — were exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic hosts who played a key role in making the programme such a success."