This is the story of a project we organized in the middle of June 2024. It was called Sustainability in E+quality and took place in Kaluža, Slovakia:

The ever-lasting problem of inequality: between different genders, between different age groups, between majorities and minorities, and even between nationalities. And the ever-lasting solution that lies in the edification of society.

Sure, we can tackle it, and we can change things for the better. We know how. But what happens when we get there? There is 49/51, and yes, there can be a 50/50 state. But after that, there is 51/49 again, and so on. The hardest thing about achieving equality is sustaining it. With that in mind, we gathered over thirty youth workers and trainers from 9 countries, all well-experienced in the topic of achieving equality, and faced them with the question: how do we sustain it?

The project started as usual, with some ice-breakers and get-to-knowers, before we moved on to the more serious discussions. We brainstormed. A lot. We explored the difference between equity and equality, and brainstormed again. We played a little, then, we brainstormed some more. Our discussions were rich, filled with different perspectives on the problem and a variety of solutions being proposed by everyone.

So many people, so many cultures, and so many backgrounds were revealed to each other during our “Gender Equality in My Life and Community” session. The problems of gender imbalance followed, leading to even more brainstorming and collaborative group work throughout our workshops. Which we, at that point, really wanted to show the world. We wanted to spread out work results. And what better helper to do it with than the hottest topic of 2024 – artificial intelligence?

We taught youth workers how to leverage the capabilities of AI to spread their knowledge, and they responded with stunning visuals, texts, and videos. This effort resulted in the creation of tangible materials such as project booklet and a promotional video.

One of our last days was spent at a local high school in Snina, where the youth workers met with local students to understand their perspectives on inequality and their way to deal with it. The participants themselves held workshops with the students and did very well, of course due to all the prior brainstorming.

Storms take a lot of energy out of brain, which is why we spent two days relaxing and exploring eastern Slovakia, visiting the Morské Oko lake and the city of Košice. There is no functional group without “fun”, so we thought of this as well when making the programme. We dedicated each evening to one of the countries, and they presented their culture.

What a lovely way to start the summer, and what a lovely way to hop on new, meaningful paths that would lead to equality. A sustainable one.