Belgian Group About Circular Economy

Interview of Jessica Escobar Coronado from Belgium after the Training Course "Circular and Save" in Berlin

Can you give us your opinion about the training course "Circular & Save"?

The training course ¨Circular and Save¨ was the first kind of Erasmus training program that I have ever participated in. I did not really know what to expect, what would happen, how it would be carried out especially in times of a global pandemic. Thus, I did not have any real expectations and was just open to anything but I have to admit this project exceeded any expectations I could have had. For a first timer, I believe everything fell into place for a smooth, entertaining, and interactive week in Berlin. The group I was a part of was very active, wanting to learn, meet people, share their ideas, and of course have a good time. Then the organizers, Copernicus together with facilitators planned, in my opinion, a perfect balance for learning by splitting inside ¨theory lectures¨ together with outside teambuilding activities. I think it was managed very well and allowed everyone to participate and get involved.

Why is promoting the circular economy so necessary and why we must move towards it?

Promoting circular economy is crucial especially in the 21st Century because of how many inhabitants there are on planet Earth. Every day we are more and more people, and only by applying concepts and working towards achieving a circular economy can we look forward in leaving resources to the generations to come. More importantly, moving towards it can also greatly contribute to helping the environment by putting less pressure on it, allowing for job creation, competitiveness, stimulating innovative ideas that can truly have an impact in our society. More importantly, we now live in a very interconnected world, and whatever one organization or government does has an impact on the rest of the world. This is why it is also important to work together towards this goal, because not one single person can work alone on this but it requires the cooperation of various entities, governments, NGOs, IGOs, etc. 

What is the most important thing you have learned during the training? How do you plan to share and use your knowledge?

The most important thing I learned is that it does not matter how big or how small one is to make an impact in the world. One small action can have an effect in your street, and that can extend to your neighborhood, and then maybe even city or country. Also, I did not learn but I was reminded of the importance of our natural resources and that they are not going to exist forever if we keep on treating the earth the way we have been doing so far. We are not exactly at the point of no return, but we need to work and collaborate together to prevent reaching that point. I think we are still on time to save the planet and make a difference that can impact everyone. In a way, like I was saying everything is interconnected, so we can potentially alleviate other world problems if we at least start acting on this matter.