Eco Workshops with high school students in Bor (YAFE)

Maja Stojanović with the students at the Technical School in Bor - Tanja Drobnjak

A group of students from the Technical School in Bor made the most of their days off during the school's celebration by contemplating the future of their city and trying to understand how they can contribute to the development of their community. Within the framework of the "Youth Art for the Earth" project (YAFE), they worked with lecturer Aleksandar Vajzner and project coordinator Nebojša Glišić. Glišić shared how the three days of workshops on sustainability and environmental protection unfolded:

"We opened the workshop with a task for the students: tell us what your vision of Bor in 2050 looks like. The point of this exercise was to encourage them to think more abstractly and, in groups, determine what Bor should look like in a quarter of a century, thereby placing themselves in the role of local decision-makers.

The groups had various ideas, some playful with fantasy and futurism, like teleportation to solve pollution problems due to traffic, to designing a vision of a modern city with a lot of green spaces to help cool the city, purify the air, and bring back flora and fauna to urban areas.

It was essential that, by the end of the first day, students identify the major environmental problems globally and in their local environment. Based on their responses, we observed that the choice of topics and the way they understood them were greatly influenced by the school curriculum and media coverage. Therefore, the students from the Technical School in Bor mostly talked about recycling, fossil fuels in transportation, and energy supply. We came to the conclusion that we need to use more green energy and renewable energy sources such as wind, sun, and water, and reduce the use of fossil fuels in transportation.

The next day, we introduced them to the principles of environmental conservation, focusing on recycling, which they themselves identified as one of the essential means to combat environmental issues. Using documentary and animated videos, we explained the process of creating recyclable materials, their use, and their disposal and storage. In contrast, we discussed well-known situations when these different materials are not recycled, where they end up, and how they affect the environment.

Across the world, there are various ways different materials can be used following the principles of sustainable development. The students, who are future designers and creatives, were eager to learn about them. For example, we talked about bamboo, which we usually associate only with decorations and food for pandas. Still, it is an extremely renewable material that grows very quickly and has a high carbon absorption capacity, making it an excellent alternative to wood and steel. Its import has a smaller carbon footprint compared to the import of heavier materials such as wood and can be used to make furniture, flooring, and utensils.

A vital aspect of the workshop was to put all these topics into the context of the local environment, Serbia, and Bor. So, within the context of recycling, inspired by bamboo, we discussed local species that are also invasive and fast-growing and pondered how they could best be used in Serbia.

We insisted that the students reflect on whether and how recycling is done here, whether resources are used reasonably, and since the answers were generally negative, we aimed to stimulate their thinking about how this affects the environment in which they live, from both an ecological and a social perspective. We wanted to bring the established connections between natural wealth, pollution, corruption, poverty, and socio-economic development to the students' attention. Through the story of the "rich North" and the "poor South," we encouraged them to think about the established path of development of prosperous countries or regions, which includes the uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources.

We learned from conversations with the students that although there are environmental organizations in Bor, citizens rarely get involved in their activities for fear that their participation might be politicized. To encourage the students to participate more frequently in the environmental activities of these organizations, we invited their representatives to come and talk to the group about their work. Unfortunately, it was not possible at that time due to their heavy workload. Therefore, we made an overview of the organizations and their activities, focusing on unity and the power and potential for change that it brings.

This perfectly aligned with the artist Maja Stojanović Zmaja, who worked with the students on a mural sketch. The mural will be painted on a public building in Bor at the end of the month. It seemed that this part of the workshop was the most interesting to the young designers. We noticed that most of their sketches on the topic of environmental protection were somewhat fatalistic, focusing on the consequences of various types of pollution, rather than on the future that, with a little effort, can be brighter, cleaner, and healthier.

During the workshop, Maja introduced them to her work and through the story of the DUK Festival, painted a warm and optimistic picture of a group of people who self-organize in a small town and achieve incredible things. The DUK team has created 125 murals over ten years and found various ways to involve the local community in their activities. The community is thrilled with the initiative and the artworks produced by the DUK team.

The third and final day of the workshop was reserved for reflection: what they were encouraged to think about more than usual, what they had learned, which of their views had changed, and which had taken on a clearer form, and how all of this had affected their motivation to become part of the change.

Throughout all three days, we wanted to make them aware that whatever they do or don't do today will be part of their future and will affect it. We looked at the transnational nature of environmental problems and the fact that there is no escaping them, at least not in the long run, as everything is connected. When one part of the planet suffers from climate change and pollution, it will inevitably spill over to the rest of the Earth, to a greater or lesser extent.

However, we concluded the discussion on a positive note, with the idea that it is not only environmental and other problems that follow people wherever they go, but also their abilities and skills. Developing these skills now, ideally with the help and support of local organizations, will help young people be more prepared for future changes and equip them to make good decisions that will positively impact the entire community."

The "Youth Art for the Earth" project (YAFE), supported by Creative Europe and the Ministry of Culture and Information, is being carried out in Serbia, in Bor and Pančevo, Slovenia, and France, and will continue until the end of 2024.