Spain: ESC: The Solidarity Shores – Empowering Communities for Sustainable Fish and Seafood Resources

About the local hosting organization

ASSOCIACAO INTERCULTURAL PARA TODOS (Intercultural Association For All) (IAFA) is a non-profit organization that initiate several projects based on equal opportunities, social justice, economic growth and interculturality. It has important national and international partnerships with public and private entities and working together by including different expertise and experience of the partners. The mission of the organization is to actively contribute to unemployment, to decrease and promote Europe as an opportunity since its economic interdependence. Social justice and economic growth are essential keys to guarantee strong peace, it is really important to have a united Europe so that we can ensure equality, union, social progress and the eradication of poverty. IAFA’s main goal is to support local development in order to raise its patterns to European levels. Composed of a specialized team in different areas, IAFA intends to mobilize its resources, knowledge and skills to job’s creation, vocational and civic training in order to create equal opportunities for all. It intends to ensure that in a global strategy of economic and social development, economic and social policies should be mutually supportive in order to create a sustainable development. IAFA’s major activity is to promote different European programs in the cultural and social spheres to contribute to a more cohesive knowledge as well as become closer to the European Union’s different countries‘ realities. It seeks to promote intercultural cooperation among young people with dynamic programs, approaching themes such as human rights, equal opportunities, migration, refugees and entrepreneurship, being aware of a major collective voluntary solidarity needs and social inclusion. It is intended to help people understand the idea of volunteering, to educate young people about alternative ways of spending spare time and help others. It promotes the mobility of young people and professionals from various fields of training and business. Area of Work (1) Social Cohesion - Community development - Inclusion and equality - Integration of refugees - Migrants’ issues - Reception and integration of third country nationals - Social dialogue (2) Fundamental Human Rights - Access for disadvantaged people - Disabilities - special needs - Equality and non-discrimination - Gender equality / equal opportunities - Home and justice affairs (3) Entrepreneurship - Creativity - Dijital skills - ICT - new technologies - dijital competences - Employability and entrepreneurship - Label market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment - Enterprise, industry and SMEs - Entrepreneurial learning - entrepreneurial education - Social entrepreneurship / social innovation (4) Social and Financial Education - Citizenship and democratic participation - Civic engagement / responsible citizenship - EU citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy - EU identity and values - Early school living / combating failure in education - Economic and financial affairs - Financial education and financial awareness (5) Education and Youth Mobility - Education and training - Intercultural / intergenerational education - International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation - Key competences - basic skills - Open and distance learning - Reaching the policy level / dialogue with decision makers - Recognition, transparency, certification - Skills development - Support the mobility of volunteers - Youth work - Youth policy The main commitment is to promote European mobility to all the people who want to get inspired and want to learn with the exchange and good practices with other European organizations. It is supposed to be the best way to learn more about cultures and learning standards and economic and social growth. At all levels, such sort of European exchange offers the opportunity to practice English language, increase specific subjects‘ knowledge, have new interdisciplinary and multicultural experience, also find out about the problems‘ resolution, initiative spirit and creativity. It stimulates hands-on experience exchange, which is crucial to the Europe’s future growth and provokes intelligent local growth, making it more inclusive and sustainable. Target audience is primarily young people who wish to gain new intercultural skills. It also gives youth and adults the possibility of being active part of society, community members, exploring and developing their artistic, creative and leadership abilities. IAFA pays special attention to people with social needs; in particular young unemployed, young entrepreneurs and emigrant workers. It intends to mobilize and promote international, national and regional efforts to solve these problems, promoting effective practice for job creation and social inclusion. These principles confirm the need for the IAFA to promote and defend solid social policies, entrepreneurship, job creation and equal opportunities.

Presentation of the programme

‘SOLIDMAR – Solidarity Shores: Empowering Communities for Sustainable Fish and Seafood Resources’ strives to empower young people and coastal communities by strengthening learning and engagement around marine protection, pollution prevention, and sustainable use of sea and coastal resources. The project aims to address climate and environmental challenges affecting coastal areas while fostering meaningful learning experiences and outcomes related to environmental sustainability, active citizenship, and social inclusion through hands-on beach clean-ups, awareness-raising actions, community activities, and non-formal education workshops carried out in an international team setting. “Candidates must be 18 to 30 years old and reside in one of the eligible countries. When adding together this new volunteering opportunity and any previous participation in EU volunteering programmes, the total duration cannot exceed 12 months.”

About the accomodation

Volunteers will be accommodated in shared rooms in a volunteer house in Cambados, Galicia (Spain), with access to common areas such as a kitchen, bathrooms and living spaces. Food will be supported through a daily allowance and/or a food budget so volunteers can cook together and organise meals as a team. Local transport related to project activities will be arranged by the host organisation, and volunteers will receive guidance on moving around the area. Travel to and from Spain will be reimbursed according to the European Solidarity Corps distance-based rules.

About the leisure activities

Volunteers will take part in an onboarding programme at the beginning of the activity, including an introduction to the host organisation, the local context, and the weekly plan. Throughout the project, they will receive non-formal learning sessions and practical guidance on topics such as marine and coastal protection, waste management and recycling, safety procedures during outdoor actions, teamwork, communication, and intercultural learning. Regular reflection meetings will support learning progress, wellbeing, and group dynamics.

Requirements

The Participant profile: We are looking for motivated young people who are interested in environmental sustainability, marine and coastal protection, and community-based action. Participants should be open-minded, respectful, and willing to live and work in an international team, sharing responsibilities in a communal setting (e.g., cooking, cleaning, and coordinating daily routines). A positive attitude, flexibility, and readiness to take part in outdoor activities are essential, as many tasks will take place on beaches and in coastal areas. No specific qualifications are required, but volunteers should be proactive, reliable, and eager to learn through non-formal education and hands-on experience. Basic English for daily communication in the group is recommended. Participants are expected to follow safety guidelines, contribute to group reflection sessions, and actively support awareness-raising activities with the local community.Deadline: 31/08/2026 12:00