{"id":239479,"date":"2026-10-06T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danilodolci.org\/?p=239479"},"modified":"2026-10-05T15:42:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T13:42:36","slug":"sos-future-young-people-rural-areas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danilodolci.org\/en\/news\/sos-future-young-people-rural-areas\/","title":{"rendered":"Some leave, some stay. And some learn to ask \u2018why\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Should I stay or should I go?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a question that many young people in rural and remote areas of Europe ask themselves when they think about their future and the opportunities their local area can offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staying means trying to build one\u2019s future in the area where one lives; leaving, on the other hand, means seeking elsewhere those opportunities that often seem to be lacking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this choice is not merely an individual decision. Every departure, every return and every decision to stay helps to shape the future of a region<\/strong>: communities that change, opportunities that seem to shift elsewhere, but also connections, resources and possibilities to be recognised, nurtured and transformed into new prospects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOS \u2013 Should I Stay Or Should I Go?<\/a> was created to try to answer this question, by involving young people in the revitalisation and sustainable development of rural and remote areas across Europe<\/strong>. To achieve this, SOS begins by listening to and involving local communities, with the aim of building skills and creating new opportunities to envisage and shape the future of rural and remote areas, so that they can become places where people choose to stay, return to or put down new roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning to listen to local communities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is precisely why the SOS Community Activation Camp<\/strong> was launched \u2013 SOS\u2019s first international training programme, hosted by the Danilo Dolci Centre for Creative Development \u2013 ETS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the training, 24 young people<\/strong> from Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Greece and Spain explored tools and methodologies which they will take back to their own communities<\/strong> in the coming months, directly involving the people living in those local areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The programme was developed on the basis of Danilo Dolci\u2019s reciprocal maieutics and participatory action research<\/strong>, two approaches that emphasise listening and participation and recognise that communities play an active role in identifying needs, resources and possible solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, during practical activities and discussions,<\/strong> participants explored a form of leadership based on facilitating collective processes and worked on tools to gather experiences and viewpoints, interpret them and identify common themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The programme also introduced storytelling,<\/strong> used not only to describe a local area but to give space to the experiences and perspectives of the people who live there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Community Activation Camp to the SOS Booklet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What was learnt during the training does not remain solely with those who took part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Methods, tools and activities have been compiled in the SOS Booklet,<\/strong> a practical guide designed to support anyone wishing to promote processes of listening, participation and community engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The booklet contains guidance and practical examples relating to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n