Sustainability

In our projects, SwIdeas focuses on promoting sustainable practices that have a direct positive effect on health and well-being. Through initiatives that focus on inclusive education, bio-economy in farming, circular economy, and media and information literacy (MIL) on topics on health and well-being and sustainability, SwIdeas aims to enhance well-being in terms of personal, social, and environmental aspects.

The projects are designed to ensure inclusive and accessible educational opportunities for various target groups. SwIdeas develops specific learning resources and pedagogical tools to enhance education and skills development, especially through non-formal, informal, and digital methodologies. SwIdeas promotes equal access to quality education by offering free trainings on relevant skills. The goal is to promote lifelong learning and personal growth among diverse learners.

SwIdeas actively challenges unequal power dynamics and fosters gender equality. Projects that focus on intercultural dialogue, freedom of expression, and women's rights provide platforms for female activists and supporters to express themselves freely through collaborative initiatives such as mentorship programmes and training experiences. By promoting intercultural dialogue, collaboration, and sustainability, SwIdeas supports women to act as change-makers and to participate fully in decision-making processes.

SwIdeas focuses on providing opportunities for economic inclusion, especially for groups with fewer opportunities. Through our projects and trainings, we offer employment skills and training while also promoting entrepreneurial mindsets. Additionally, SwIdeas supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives into their business models, contributing to sustainable operations.

Our projects specifically target groups facing challenges, such those with disabilities or that face obstacles to enter the labour market. SwIdeas provides support and opportunities for these individuals to access the labor market, enhancing their socio-economic integration. By co-designing integration strategies, SwIdeas develops material and delivers trainings that address the needs of these groups and that reflect what they want to learn about. As a result, SwIdeas promotes social, economic, and political inclusion.

SwIdeas actively promotes responsible consumption and production. Most of the snacks and food provided in our activities and meetings are 100% plant-based. Our projects explore sustainable business models and strategies. By empowering VET practitioners and learners to adopt eco-friendly behaviors and attitudes, SwIdeas encourages responsible consumption through activities such as repair and upcycling workshops, podcasts on zero-waste and permaculture, and events organized with community-based organisations that upcycle pieces of textile to make zero-waste bee-wax wraps.

SwIdeas supports climate action throughout its whole operations. We are aware of the impact our work on the climate and make active efforts to minimise it by reducing the number of travels within our projects, offering mostly 100% plant-based snacks and food during activities, and delivering awareness-raising and mindset-changing educational opportunities. Our projects address topics such as the circular economy, zero-waste, climate denialism, sustainable rural development, and digitalisation. SwIdeas contributes to climate action by emphasizing sustainable resource management and efficient use of natural resources.

SwIdeas is locally based, yet it operates through international partnerships. We collaborate with partners based throughout Europe to develop projects, activities, and material. We integrate perspectives, good practices, and experiences from different countries and from people from all over the world in the work we develop and deliver. With our international team, the result is the offer of different trainings and material that include a multicultural and global approach that promote sustainability goals and community development in a culturally sensitive and inclusive manner.