Youth exchange project Fast Fashion – be the Change!

On 10 June to 19 June 2019, the European Association “World-our Home” organised a youth exchange project “Fast Fashion - be the Change!” from 10 June to 19 June 2019. (Quick Mode - Change must be!), which took place in the Rēzekne municipality at the Inboarding School of Inboarding. 33 participants from six European countries – Latvia, Italy, France, Greece, Hungary and Turkey – took part in the project. Latvian participants were young people from Rezekne, who were very active and gained much new international experience, new knowledge and new friends from different European countries.
The aim of the project was to raise awareness among young people of the “fast fashion industry” and its impact on the environmental, social and economic problems caused by the overproduction of clothing. All project activities focused on reducing the negative environmental and human health effects of the massive fashion industry.
The fashion industry is the second largest pollutant after the oil industry, if it takes into account the greenhouse gas emissions from the production process of the garments, ranging from the production and processing of raw materials from the fibres to the fabric, to the embroidery and transportation of the clothing to the consumer, as well as after the use of the clothing to the disposal of the waste to the waste dumps.
The exchange project ran for 10 days. In the first days, activities took place to get to know each other, to work in a team to find out the situation of other countries in the fast fashion industry, how it affects the environment and the ecology, how human rights are respected and what real measures are being put in place to reduce overproduction and use the clothes used. During the project, young people formed their own battleshirts, acquired new knowledge of the fast fashion industry, and also participated in the Marta ball in Rezekne. The second part of the project was designed to prepare for the final event - a fashion view that took place in THE “Zeimuļs” Rēzekne. Young people prepared clothes from used clothes and performances, according to the 20 th-30 s models of the 20 th century, the 40-50 s models, the 60-70 s models and the 80-90 s models. The main objective of this activity was to inform local residents about the fact that when buying large quantities and buying cheap clothes, it would be necessary to think about what is behind it and how enormous the overproduction of clothing is. The idea of the main project was to invite everyone to think about their clothing purchasing habits, as well as what happens to clothing when we don't need it anymore.
The European Association “World-our Home” has been active in Rezekne since 1999, enabling local young people to acquire non-formal education, develop their skills and competences, participate in international projects, youth exchange programmes, seminars, training courses and provide opportunities for the successful selection of their careers as well as the integration of young people in Rezekne and Rezekne in European processes.
 
Dace Decsne,
Project coordinator,
Sakstagala parish youth affairs specialist