Exploring Climate Realities: From the Streets of Thessaloniki to Mount Chortiatis
Date: Friday, October 9 – Saturday, October 10
Our journey began with Climate Walk: Listening to the City, an invitation to slow down and experience Thessaloniki through our senses. We explored the urban landscape, paying attention to the presence of greenery and water, the sounds of the streets, the warmth of the pavement, and the existing green spaces . Along the way, we reflected on how climate change shapes our everyday lives and how the design of our cities can influence our well-being.We finished the walk inthe Youth Center.
There, we brought our observations together through the photographs we had taken during the walk.We compared our local snapshots with images shared by a facilitator who had participated in a climate justice project in Madagascar, in the Global South. Examining these different realities side by side opened up a deep conversation about how climate change impacts communities in contrasting ways, how inequalities shape lived experiences and why climate justice requires looking beyond our immediate surroundings.
The following day, we continued our journey on Mount Chortiatis, stepping away from the busy urban environment to reconnect with nature. Surrounded by a new landscape, we had the opportunity to observe natural ecosystems, reflect on biodiversity, and explore our relationship with the environment beyond the city.
From the streets of Thessaloniki to the mountain, and from our own photos to the realities of communities in Madagascar, each experience invited us to look closer, ask questions, and connect local experiences with global challenges.
The activities took place within the framework of the #GlobalDistricts European programme, co-funded by the European Union through the DEAR programme and implemented in Greece by ActionAid Hellas and the ActionAid Youth Center.
Photo Credits: Georgia Tsiakmaki (Γεωργία Τσιακμάκη)
