Taking part in Green Is the Future was not only a process in which I learned new things about the environment. It was also a very special week where I experienced working with people from different countries, becoming part of a large team and getting to know different cultures more closely.

From the very first days of the project, a strong team spirit quickly formed within our group. The workshops and activities we carried out together did not remain limited to our own team; they also inspired other groups to organize similar activities. Some participants from other countries even came to ask us how we had managed to connect with different groups so quickly.

First encounter with Thessaloniki

On the first day, we arrived in Thessaloniki early in the morning. Since we had to wait before checking into the hostel, we used that time to explore the city. Walking through the streets of Thessaloniki gave us the chance to get to know the city for the first time and to start communicating with our teammates from the very beginning.

Even on the first day, I had already started wondering what kind of experience it would become to bring together so many people from different countries.

Introductions, cultural nights and shared learning

On the second day, after breakfast, we started with icebreaker activities prepared by the Greek team and the coordinators. Through games, we learned each other’s names, where everyone came from, and shared our expectations and concerns about the project.

In the evening, we held our first cultural night. As Türkiye, Croatia and North Macedonia, we introduced our countries. We offered our traditional food to other participants, tried food from different countries, performed dances and organized a question and answer activity about Türkiye.

Introducing our own culture to people from different countries and discovering theirs showed me from the beginning how valuable cultural exchange is.

Thinking together about sustainability

Throughout the project, we took part in many activities on recycling, global warming, waste management and eco-friendly lifestyles. In the presentations prepared by the French and Latvian teams, we discussed what recycling means, what the effects of global warming are and how these issues are approached in different countries.

Taking part in activities instead of only listening to presentations helped me understand the topics more easily. Seeing how young people from different countries approach issues such as sustainability, which are already part of our daily lives, was very instructive.

Spending time together, learning together

In the following days of the project, we strengthened our connections not only through workshops but also by spending time together during our free hours. We explored Thessaloniki, went to the seaside, ate together and started to communicate more naturally with people from different groups.

People who had stood apart in separate groups at the beginning of the project gradually became one large team, walking around the city together, talking and spending time with each other. This was a beautiful example of how quickly the bonds we built during the project developed.

What did this project bring me?

Green Is the Future became much more than a project where I learned about sustainability. I learned how to live in the same environment with people from different cultures, how to become part of a large group and how to work with different teams every day.

There were times when we had pronunciation difficulties because of language differences. Over time, however, we learned to understand each other better. This showed me that speaking a different language is not only about pronouncing words correctly.

We explored Thessaloniki, tasted Greek food and, as a Turkish participant, I had the chance to visit Atatürk’s museum. This visit was especially meaningful for me. During the cultural nights where we represented Türkiye, we also tried to introduce our country in the best possible way.

As I left Thessaloniki, there was one thought in my mind: when we are able to create together, our differences do not separate us; they make us a much stronger team.