EUROPEAN YOUTH ALLIANCE FOR A GREEN FUTURE PROJECT OPENING MEETING WAS HELD IN BALIKESIR
The opening meeting of the European Youth Alliance for a Green Future Project was held on 12 November 2021, hosted by Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality, at Adrina Hotel. In the event, where the mayors , as well as senior EU and UN representatives, came together, both the content and objectives of the Green Deal were discussed, and the questions of university students on this subject were answered through the e-parliament application.
Speaking at the opening of the event, WALD Chairman of the Board Mehmet DUMAN underlined that the Development Revolution is an environmentally friendly model that protects the air, water, and soil, and respects the rights of other living things. Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Yücel YILMAZ expressed their satisfaction with hosting the event and expressed that he hoped the project would raise environmental awareness, especially among the youth. Uğur İbrahim ALTAY, Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality and Chairman of the International Union of Agricultural Cities, stated that they continue to implement many projects compatible with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, green energy management, increasing the bicycle path network, recycling of wastewater, and climate change.
Another speaker addressing the audience at the opening was Balıkesir University Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet NARLI, on the other hand, underlined the importance of young people's participation in activities related to environmental awareness and underlined that the main implementers of global agendas such as the Green Deal are youth. The last speaker of the opening session was T.C. Deputy Chairman of the Presidency Local Government Policies Board Prof. Dr. Şükrü KARATEPE, on the other hand, stated that young people should have a purpose, and said that only a young person with a purpose and goal can create change.
In the thematic sessions held afterward, different aspects of the Green Deal were discussed. Tsvetana STOYCHEVA, Program Manager of EU Policies of the Delegation of the EU to Turkey, who was the first speaker of the main theme speeches of the program, emphasized that the Green Deal is not just an environmental agreement, but a development strategy. Alvaro RODRIGUEZ, UN Deputy Resident Coordinator of Turkey, who spoke at the session, emphasized the importance of the steps to be taken by developing countries such as Turkey in terms of environmental awareness, emphasizing that Turkey has passed the Paris Agreement through the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.
The first of the session was European Academy of the Region (Belgium) Vice President Dr. Touching on the key elements of the Green Deal, Oncioiu stressed that this document combines a limited environment in a wide-ranging area that touches the field from energy to social inclusion, from transportation to agriculture. President of Associate STANCU (Associate) President of Ana-Maria STANCU Taking part in a project that consists of taking part in Ana-Maria STANCU. Participant Jovana GJEKANOVIKJ representing the ZIP Institute (North Macedonia) to the program is characterized by the Green Accords for her contribution to the preparation of the Handbook. Uludag University Faculty Member Assoc. Dr. Efsun DINDAR is starting with this project by talking about it. Dindar, who is also the academic coordinator of the project, is the last activity in the preparations for the Green Deal.
