At the end of October 2024, FRDIS student Pavel Crha had a unique opportunity to participate in a prestigious project organized by the European Students’ Union (ESU) in the city of Chania, Crete. This project focused on sustainable development in Europe, with a particular emphasis on the 17th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) – “Partnerships for the Goals.” In the following text, the student shares his experiences from this international event, which offered not only theoretical insights but also practical challenges and interactive activities.

“At the end of October 2024, I participated in a project organized by the European Students’ Union (ESU) in the Greek city of Chania on the island of Crete. The theme was sustainable development in Europe, focusing on collaboration and new insights into the 17th SDG goal, ‘Partnerships for the Goals.’”

I decided to travel to Chania a day earlier, on Sunday, October 27, to give myself the opportunity to acclimate to the new environment and explore the local culture. My initial nervousness about being the sole representative of the Czech Republic at this project quickly disappeared after meeting the other participants. The primary goal of the project focused on the previously mentioned 17th Sustainable Development Goal, “Partnerships for the Goals.” Most activities were designed to foster mutual collaboration among the participants.

The program also included a visit to the Technical University of Crete and a biofarm, where I had the opportunity to gain valuable insights into European projects, the sustainability of cultural heritage on Crete, and details about permaculture. Midway through the main program, we dedicated an entire day to presenting individual projects that each of us had selected prior to our arrival.

In the final phase of the project, a simulation of a United Nations meeting took place. In this fictional scenario, we found ourselves in the year 2030, where all previous measures had failed, and “the world was on the brink of collapse.” Each participant was assigned a specific country along with accompanying documentation to better understand that country’s development preferences. Our task was to collectively agree on 10 new common goals despite the significant differences in priorities among the countries. After several hours of discussions and negotiations, we managed to achieve this challenging objective. This experience proved to me that, despite vast differences, it is possible to find common ground in almost any situation—a truly valuable lesson for me.

Chania?

At first, the city felt slightly chaotic and overwhelming to me. However, its historical beauty and stunning location gradually turned it into a source of wonderful and unforgettable memories. Even though I was already familiar with the individual Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from my studies at FRDIS, I was grateful for the opportunity to put one of these goals into practice. The amazing group of participants and the fully packed program transformed my participation in this project into an incredibly valuable life experience.”

PHOTO: Pavel Crha (student of FRDIS)