aMbassadors to prOmote sustaiNability in leiSure through parTecipativE appRoach

Start Date: 01\09\2024
End Date: 31\08\2026
Website: www.monsterproject.eu

MONSTER project is an initiative funded under the European Union’s CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) programme, and the main objective is to promote environmental sustainability through sport, actively involving European citizens — particularly young adults — to define and implement virtuous behaviors during major sporting events and in daily life.

Coordinated by LINKS, the consortium brings together the expertise of CRN (Germany), CUS Torino (Italy), MESE (Hungary), and ADCS Carvalhais (Portugal) to integrate research, social engagement, and sports practice into a single ecological vision.

The initiative adopts a participatory approach starting with the creation of a network of approximately thirty young ambassadors aged between 18 and 30. These young people receive specific training on how to promote sustainable behavior, how to identify the needs and ideas of civil society, and what possible sustainability measures could be implemented during events. In this way, they acquire the necessary skills to lead local communities toward more sustainable practices and become the protagonists in organizing the subsequent phases.

The heart of the project lies in the pilot actions carried out in Italy, Portugal, and Hungary: here, theory is translated into practice through thematic workshops and concrete activities such as plogging during sporting events. On these occasions, the public is involved through surveys and interviews to gather data, suggestions, and insights directly from citizens.

The results achieved in the field then flow into a Position Paper, a policy document that serves as the main tool for institutional dialogue with political decision-makers at both local and European levels regarding the project’s themes. Through dedicated meetings, MONSTER seeks to influence political agendas, calling for concrete measures to make the leisure sector less impactful and more participatory.

Finally, the results are disseminated in schools and summarized in the “Lessons Learned Book“, a technical manual that documents methodologies and successes while also analyzing the challenges overcome and the best engagement strategies, to facilitate the replicability of the model in other contexts. MONSTER, therefore, aims to generate long-lasting impacts, using sport as a vehicle to reconnect young people with democratic processes and environmental protection.