PRESS RELEASE

On 2 February 2024, the initial transnational meeting of the PeakED project, an initiative aimed at promoting the conservation and sustainable development of mountain ecosystems, took place in Larissa. Led by Innovation Hive and co-funded by Erasmus+ KA2 Youth, PeakED brings together a consortium of five partners from Greece, Bulgaria, Jordan and Poland, including AENOL. SA, WELLGROW, BALKAN BRINGE, Desert Bloom and DANMAR. This effort seeks to highlight the importance of mountain areas as critical elements of global biodiversity and sustainable development efforts. 

The meeting marked the start of a mission to promote socio economic progress in mountain landscapes through innovative methodologies, with a focus on live workshops (LL). These LL serve as platforms for collaboration and experimentation, enabling the co-creation of solutions to address the diverse challenges faced by mountain communities. By harnessing the collective expertise and cultural capital inherent in these areas, PeakED aims to unlock the full potential of mountain landscapes, enhancing resilience and promoting sustainable development for future generations. Stakeholders from each partner organization shared insights into their profiles, and roles within the project, setting a solid foundation for collaborative action. The meeting showcased the main pillars of the project and outlined the working framework to guide future endeavors. In an atmosphere of  openness and enthusiasm, participants assessed the progress achieved through online collaboration and drew up plans for the next stages of the project. Looking ahead, the PeakED project is about to launch a series of workshops, starting with an impressive session in Jordan in autumn 2024. These workshops will bring together partners to create frameworks tailored to the unique characteristics of mountain ranges involved in the project, including Mount Olympus, the Carpathian Mountains, and Rila. Through these efforts, PeakED aims to serve as an incubator for environmental citizenship, empowering individuals to actively participate in the management and preservation of mountain ecosystems, while aligning with global initiatives such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.