About Us

"Go Zero, Danube!" is a youth project that contributes to a clean and healthy Danube region, involving the affected countries. In four international youth meetings, the youth dive into the topics of waste prevention, upcycling and zero waste and learn practical solutions developed to protect the planet.

The Danube is the "most multinational" river in the world and is constantly threatened by new sources of pollution. According to a recent Austrian study, one of the biggest sources of pollution is microplastics, which above all threaten fish and fish larvae. It is estimated that about 40 tons of microplastics are transported annually through the river.



In this project, participants learn how to produce less damaging waste and how to reduce plastic consumption in the daily life in order to actively protect the natural surrounding.

 Finding solutions together

 

In four meetings with 15- 20 young people from the Danube region, the participants discuss current problems of waste reduction and try to tackle the challenge.

They get to know green start-ups and young entrepreneurs in the field of environmental protection and sustainable consumption. The meetings include experiential educational elements, Zero Waste self-sufficiency, workshops, an open event and social media activities. Together with the participants, a website and a toolkit with the results will be developed and published.

 

 Promoting European citizenship

The topic of environment and waste prevention affect everyone and may be an opportunity to break down intercultural barriers and to meet with young adults from different European countries at eye level. It is about exploring new ways of sustainable coexistence, regardless of origin and language.
The groups will be accompanied by experienced team leaders who are already experienced in the field. The young people are encouraged to participate in networks on long term perspective and to participate in educational work beyond the project as multipliers.

 

 

THE PARTNERS

 

 Starkmacher e.V. (founded in 2006) is a civil society non-profit organisation and accredited stakeholder for youth support and extracurricular youth education in Germany. It is an organisation
run by and for people, who carry the promotion and development of young people‘s potential close to their hearts. The main function is to empower primarily young people and disadvantaged children and to enable a positive reaction to lacking orientation, missing values and increasing violence.
The main areas of work cover non-formal education, Global learning and youth work in various social and ethnic contexts.
Starkmacher e.V. has implemented two other projects in the Danube region before: The youth proejcts "Let's Bridge Danube" and "Future Lab" contributed to youth participation and intercultural learning.

OZERO is an NGO based in Kiev that focuses on raising awareness on waste reduction and educate about sustainable alternatives to waste. Its main activities include educational events (e.g. lectures, workshops) in schools, universities, businesses, and youth exchanges. The aim of the NGO’s activities is to protect the environment and human health by promoting the zero waste movement and responsible consumption as well as the creation of educational informational materials and educational programs for the purpose of dissemination of up-to-date information on the state of the ecological situation in Ukraine.
Ozero gives workshops and holds events informing about alternative ways of consumption and waste reduction.

D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics is a leading higher education institution of economics and business in Bulgaria with more than 80 years of history, 145 000 alumni and a well-established reputation in education and science. The sustainable development concept is incorporated in most of our initiatives, projects and study programmes. The partnership has come up in 2016 when the German-Ukranian project group 'Let's Bridge Danube' visited the academy in Svishtov to find out more about Bulgarian youth's challenges and perspectives. The academy was an important partner in the past project 'Future Lab' bringing together youth from various Danube countries to develop sustainable and entrepreneurial ideas.

 

D'Avent is a Romanian Non-Profit Organization working on promoting sustainable living  by growing and supporting successful active communities. We act towards promoting a Circular Economy and becoming a flagship for the upcycling movement in Romania by empowering communities to act for sustainable development and responsible consumption.

Creative recycling means for D'Avent passionate people transforming objects, materials and all kinds of stuff into interesting and useful things, or simply to create pure art and craziness ... as a manifestation of one’s own creativity. The partnership has come up through the project network of 'StartUpcycling' in 2016 developing several youth programmes on alternative waste reduction and creative recycling.

 

The Association UEZ (founded in 2004) is a non-profit organization creating programs for human and sustainable development in various social fields. The basis of all the activitities is to highlight the co-existence and dignity of man as well as to promote the principles of Economy of communion, a new model of sharing economy. The NGO is actively promoting the construction of ethical goals and values in business and a culture of peace in society. UEZ is thus organizing educational and creative workshops, lectures, congresses, seminars and other events co-operating with state, civil and international institutions that strive for similar objectives.
Since 2016, UEZ has become a Croatian hub in an International Incubation Network of  Economy of Communion - (www.eoc-iin.org), a global project for incubating new businesses that want to work for an alternative economy system - more just and fair to society and environment. UEZ was partner in the past Danube project 'Future Lab' and further European projects with Starkmacher e.V..

 

THE FUNDERS

 

This project is supported by the Baden Württemberg Stiftung and the Erasmus+ programme.