PUENTES

Puentes: Youth Empowerment and Social Cohesion in Los Rosales

What is the Puentes Project?

It is a Youth Participation Activity designed and implemented with the support of European funding, focused on the Los Rosales neighbourhood in the district of El Palmar (Murcia).

The project aims to create a space for active coexistence and non-formal learning for young people aged 18 to 30 living in the neighbourhood. Our main objective is to transform an environment facing socio-economic challenges and intercultural coexistence issues into a model of social cohesion and youth-led civic participation.

The project will be carried out over 9 months through monthly educational, sports and cultural activities, culminating in a large national-level exchange event.

The Pillars of the Project

The project is built upon three fundamental pillars that guide all our activities:

• Inclusion and Intercultural Coexistence: Promoting interaction and mutual understanding among young people from diverse backgrounds through an approach based on respect and the appreciation of diversity.
• Youth Empowerment and Leadership: Giving participants a voice and the tools they need so that they do not only attend activities, but also design, manage and implement actions. This fosters the development of leadership, decision-making and event management skills.
• Non-Formal Education and Awareness-Raising: Using non-formal education methodologies to address key topics such as human rights, environmental protection, gender equality and civic activism, preparing young people to become future agents of change.

Why Do We Do It?

We do it because we believe in the transformative potential of youth and in the power of non-formal education.

The Los Rosales neighbourhood presents a clear need to:

• Improve Social Cohesion. Reduce intercultural tensions and prejudices, and foster a sense of belonging and community among young people.
• Combat Exclusion. Provide young people at risk of socio-educational exclusion with a pathway to acquire key competences that are essential for their personal development and future employability.
• Promote Active Citizenship. Motivate young people to move beyond being passive recipients and become active participants in society, engaging in social and environmental causes.

We aim for this project to be not just a series of activities, but to serve as a sustainable model of youth participation that can be replicated in other communities facing similar challenges.