Last month, Révfülöp, Hungary hosted the Green Matters: Speak, Film, Influence training course, an international learning experience designed to strengthen environmental advocacy skills, civic engagement competences, and digital storytelling for sustainability.
Bringing together youth workers and young leaders passionate about environmental protection, active citizenship, and digital creativity, the project explored how pressing environmental challenges can be addressed through multimedia advocacy tools and evidence-based communication.
Through non-formal learning methods, workshops, and practical exercises, participants deepened their understanding of key environmental challenges at local and international level, while developing the capacity to connect environmental awareness with public policy, sustainable development, and responsible civic participation.
A central component of the training was strengthening participants’ understanding of how environmental policy and sustainable development frameworks influence real-world decisions. The programme placed strong emphasis on evidence-based advocacy, enabling participants to formulate clear, research-informed messages and engage constructively with decision-makers and wider communities.
By linking environmental issues and civic participation, the project supported young leaders in understanding how they can responsibly influence public opinion and contribute to policy dialogue at local, national, and global levels.
The training course had a strong practical focus. Participants worked in teams to design and produce tangible multimedia advocacy outputs, including:
Through these activities, participants strengthened their multimedia skills for advocacy, learning how to use video, photography, and social platforms ethically and strategically.
By the end of the project, participants not only enhanced their environmental and civic competences, but also developed concrete advocacy materials and a clearer understanding of how to use digital tools for environmental awareness and influence.
The Green Matters: Speak, Film, Influence training course was designed with the following objectives:
The learning journey was guided by Tudor, an experienced trainer in youth advocacy, non-formal education, and public policy, who has facilitated more than 20 Erasmus+ projects across Moldova and several other European countries. With a strong background in policy analysis and active involvement in youth representation processes, he brought both strategic perspective and practical advocacy expertise to the training.
When asked about the most rewarding part of being involved in projects like this, he highlighted the power of collaboration across borders:
“The best part is the engagement with people from around Europe and discussing together solutions for the challenges communities face in terms of the environment. It’s also about exploring what we can do together to minimise the impact of climate change and global warming.”
His reflection captured the core spirit of the Green Matters: Speak, Film, Influence training course - collective responsibility, cross-cultural dialogue, and action-oriented learning.
Participants also experienced personal and practical growth throughout the programme. Lou, a participant from Munich, Germany, shared how the project influenced her perspective:
“This project gave me a better understanding of the environment and how I personally can help reduce my climate footprint - by using less water, showering less, and being more conscious. I also valued sharing my culture and learning from others, because we had so many people from different countries. That’s something I will take with me for the rest of my life.”
Her experience reflects how environmental advocacy training, when combined with intercultural learning and digital storytelling, can create lasting impact - both at community level and in participants’ everyday lives.
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