EUcovillages

<< Background >>Often, sustainability is discussed in various contexts, and there are numerous initiatives aimed at promoting the importance of adopting sustainable lifestyles. However, it is true that sustainability often faces limited practical implications and is predominantly associated with small and less structured organizations that have limited access to European funds. Consequently, these organizations struggle to disseminate sustainable best practices to others already active in the Erasmus+ program.EUcovillages is born with the aim of creating new opportunities for the exchange of best practices, ensuring that the green knowledge and skills held by ecovillages and sustainable entities can circulate and reach other organizations. The project also seeks to empower ecovillages to access project opportunities offered by the European Union. Therefore, the project is designed not only to practically and widely disseminate the necessary green skills but also to increase the number of entities capable of accessing numerous European opportunities.<< Objectives >>EUcovillages has facilitated an exchange of practices between organizations involved in European programs and entities dedicated to promoting alternative lifestyles and ecovillages. Thanks to this exchange, organizations active in European project management have learned sustainable and communal practices to implement within their own organizations and European projects. On the other hand, ecovillages and organizations focused on alternative lifestyles will learn how to present a European project.<< Implementation >>The implemented activities include: the EU Green Practices Training Course as a meeting and knowledge exchange platform among partners; the Green Vademecum as a tool for disseminating the knowledge acquired during the training course; and the EUcovillages.net Online Platform as a meeting place for organizations and ecovillages to foster new collaborations and projects.<< Results >>The results include the dissemination of skills and knowledge on sustainability and European project management through a dedicated Training Course and the creation of a Green Vademecum that compiles sustainable and communal practices. There has been increased European visibility for sustainable entities through the Online Platform, along with the implementation of new projects and the establishment of collaborations among organizations involved in European projects, ecovillages, and entities promoting sustainable lifestyles.