Information and Awareness Campaign on the National Strategy for Sustainable Development, the 2030 Agenda, and Global Citizenship

This survey is part of the broader framework of relevant national and international strategies—particularly the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the National Strategy for Sustainable Development, and the National Strategy for Global Citizenship Education—and serves as an analytical tool to support the planning and implementation of potential future actions.

The overall objective of the research is to systematically analyse how key stakeholders—citizens, civil society organizations, for-profit businesses, and institutions—understand and interpret the concepts of sustainability and global citizenship education, as well as the extent to which these issues are integrated into daily practices, policies, and decision-making processes.

The report depicts the findings of the survey, which aimed to examine the level of knowledge, awareness, and participation regarding the issues of sustainability and global citizenship education in the Italian context.

“Let’s Gather Ideas!” (Raccogliamo le Idee!) is an initiative part of a broader framework of actions focused on Global Citizenship Education and Sustainable Development, with a particular emphasis on engaging younger generations and highlighting their role in national processes, thereby strengthening forms of active citizenship that promote the values advocated by Global Citizenship Education.

Through an online questionnaire and the opportunity to share insights, the “Let’s Gather Ideas” platform invites girls and boys—aged 6 and up—to reflect on the three dimensions of sustainability—environmental, social, and economic—and to propose projects, solutions, or initiatives to improve their schools, local areas, or communities.

The contributions collected were an integral part of the Youth Voluntary Review that Italy presented to the United Nations in July 2026 and may be used in future initiatives carried out by AICS and MASE.

“Let’s Gather Ideas!” is thus designed as a space for expression, listening, and active participation. It is an opportunity to raise awareness, strengthen the bond between schools and their local communities, and make a concrete contribution to building a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future.

To support schools and participants, the initiative has planned a rich program of activities: a national launch event, four regional events featuring workshops tailored to different age groups, and a final event. The workshop activities—ranging from creative activities for young children to design thinking challenges for teenagers—have been intended to help young people transform their ideas into structured proposals that can be immediately uploaded to the platform.

On March 23, 2026, the launch event for the “Let’s Gather Ideas!” initiative, promoted by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), took place at the MASE Auditorium and online. With over 140 participants, the meeting—aimed specifically at teachers, school administrators, educators, trainers, and local organizations working with young people—marked the start of a national initiative aimed at strengthening youth participation.

The institutional remarks by AICS Director Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director General Alessandro Guerri—Directorate General for European, International, and Sustainable Finance Affairs (AEIF) of MASE—and Dr. Laura Virli —Coordination Office for the Management of the PNRR Task Force at the Ministry of Education and Merit (MIM)—highlighted the importance of structured collaboration between institutions, local communities, and civil society. During the morning session, technical presentations by AICS and MASE outlined the initiative’s operational tools, while testimonials from local governments—the Metropolitan City of Rome, the Umbria Region, and the Metropolitan City of Milan—demonstrated how the initiative can have a concrete root in local communities.

Video extracts:
Presentation Video
Remarks by AICS Director Marco Riccardo Rusconi
Remarks by Alessandro Guerri, Director General of the Directorate General for European, International, and Sustainable Finance Affairs (AEIF) at the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security

Raccogliamo Le Idee. Roma Mase 23 Marzo 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

Raccogliamo le idee. MASE Roma 23 marzo 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

Raccogliamo le idee. MASE Roma 23 marzo 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

Raccogliamo le idee. MASE Roma 23 marzo 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

The “Let’s Gather Ideas!” initiative kicked off with the support of the Metropolitan City of Rome. The first event, dedicated to schools, took place in Velletri on April 14, 2026, at the Clemente Cardinali School of the “Gino Felci” Comprehensive School District, with the active participation of the “Paolo Borsellino” Comprehensive School District in Monte Compatri.

The event on April 14, 2026, engaged approximately one hundred students in a process of discussion, creativity, and participation, providing a space dedicated to listening to and valuing the ideas of the younger generations. Through workshop activities and opportunities for dialogue, children and teenagers were invited to reflect on their own futures and on issues of sustainable development.

This event marked a crucial step in bringing the initiative into local and school settings, promoting participatory learning and fostering active citizenship. Through the direct involvement of schools and educational communities, the initiative fostered a closer relationship between the local community, institutions, and young people.

Video extracts:
Paola Faleni, Docente dell’Istituto Comprensivo Gino Felci di Velletri
Loredana Di Tommaso, Dirigente Scolastica dell’Istituto Comprensivo “Paolo Borsellino” di Monte Compatri
Lorenzo Tonnarelli Grassetti e Vincenza Di Malta, Città Metropolitana di Roma
Giovanni Santulli, Dirigente Scolastico dell’Istituto Comprensivo Gino Felci di Velletri
Le voci dei ragazzi
Quale superpotere scegli?
Le attività della prima giornata di “Raccogliamo le Idee!”

Mase. Raccogliamo le Idee. Frascati 14 aprile 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

Mase. Raccogliamo le Idee. Frascati 14 aprile 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

Mase. Raccogliamo le Idee. Frascati 14 aprile 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

Mase. Raccogliamo le Idee. Frascati 14 aprile 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

The second event of the series of meetings part of the “Let’s Gather Ideas!” initiative, took place on 20 April 2026 in Perugia, organised in collaboration with the Umbria Regional Government and with the support of FELCOS (Association of Local Authorities for Sustainable Development and International Cooperation).  Held at the Regional Council’s headquarters in Palazzo Broletto, the event saw the active participation of several schools (the ‘G. Marconi’ Scientific, Artistic and Sports High School in Foligno, the ‘L. da Vinci’ Technical Institute in Foligno, the Assisi 3 Comprehensive School and the Foligno 1 Comprehensive School), each with their groups of pupils involved in innovative, sustainability-focused educational programmes.

The meeting provided an important opportunity to bring the project into local and school contexts, promoting participatory learning and encouraging forms of active citizenship amongst young people. The workshops provided food for thought, to which the pupils responded by thoughtfully interpreting the themes of Planet, People and Peace and translating them into concrete visions for their towns and their everyday lives, linking environmental protection to the need for a more cohesive and inclusive community, with a focus on values such as dialogue, mutual respect and psychological wellbeing.

Video extracts:
La giornata di attività
Matteo Severini, docente IC Assisi 3
Thomas De Luca, Assessore all’energia, all’ambiente, all’adattamento e mitigazione dei cambiamenti climatici, alle politiche del paesaggio e alla programmazione urbanistica Regione Umbria

In Milan, the themes of sustainable development have provided an opportunity to gather ideas and identify shared priorities for the future. The main participants in this third event were the pupils who, on 6 May, brought to life the third chapter of “Let’s Gather Ideas!”– an initiative aimed at the younger generation to encourage active reflection and participation.

Organised in collaboration with the Metropolitan City of Milan at the historic Palazzo Isimbardi, the event involved four schools: the Thouar Gonzaga Comprehensive School, the Vittorio Veneto State Scientific High School, the Stanislao Cannizzaro Technical Institute and the Umberto Boccioni State Art School, all of which helped to enrich a shared journey aimed at transforming ideas and proposals into a common heritage.

Following the meetings in Velletri and Perugia, the pupils in Milan worked together to develop proposals for action on sustainability issues capable of making a real impact: from the school to the local area, from the city to the planet.

Video extracts:
Le idee delle giovani generazioni diventano patrimonio comune: tappa a Milano
La Strategia Nazionale per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile
La missione dell’Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo
L’impegno di Città Metropolitana di Milano
Il coinvolgimento del Liceo Artistico Umberto Boccioni
L’educazione ambientale e il Liceo Scientifico Statale Vittorio Veneto
Quale superpotere scegli?
Le idee delle giovani generazioni diventano patrimonio comune: tappa a Milano
Come rendere un mondo più sostenibile?

Mase Raccogliamo le Idee Milano © Francesco Vignali

Mase Raccogliamo le Idee Milano © Francesco Vignali

Mase Raccogliamo le Idee Milano © Francesco Vignali

Mase Raccogliamo le Idee Milano © Francesco Vignali

The event took place on 14 May at the Pietro Mennea Comprehensive School and provided pupils with a new opportunity to discuss the themes of sustainable development and global citizenship, with the support of the Puglia Region.

The Barletta meeting was attended by pupils from the Pietro Mennea and Musti-Dimiccoli Comprehensive Schools in Barletta and represented a fresh opportunity for listening and start a collaborative development, with workshop activities and spaces for dialogue designed to encourage active participation from the schools and foster discussion among students.

This event also reaffirmed the primary objective to transform the experiences, questions and proposals of young people into a shared resource, helping to shape the Youth Voluntary Review which Italy presented, for the first time, in July at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum.

Video extracts:
Nuovi cittadini globali crescono a Barletta
Sostenibilità e ambiente nel percorso didattico delle giovani generazioni
Il commento dell’Assessore Dileo
Le parole di Debora Ciliento
Costruire un futuro più sostenibile: il ruolo della scuola
Quale superpotere scegli?
Nuovi superpoteri in arrivo

On 29 May, the feedback and reporting event of “Let’s Gather Ideas!” initiative took place, thanks to the collaboration of the Metropolitan City of Rome. The event was designed to present the initial results of the initiative and highlight the contribution of the younger generations to the participatory process of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development.

Over the past few months, the initiative has engaged schools, local authorities and educators, gathering ideas that now form a shared wealth of reflections and inspiration. Local experiences have highlighted the importance of starting from the places where young people live and study, recognising their active role in processes of change and in shaping public policy.

The event on 29 May served as an opportunity to present and celebrate the findings from the initiative’s early months, through the voices of the pupils who took part in the ‘Let’s Gather Ideas!’ workshops, as well as the teachers, headteachers and representatives from local authorities who supported the initiative. The event also provided an opportunity for open discussion between schools, institutions and local organisations on how to translate the contributions into concrete actions and more structured pathways for collaboration.

This work is part of a broader framework and aims to strengthen young people’s participation in sustainable development policies. It also contributes to the processes of representing Italy’s commitment at an international level, including within the context of the Youth Voluntary Review, by recognising younger generations as key players in achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Download the Agenda

Video extracts:
Primi esiti del progetto “Raccogliamo le idee!”: evento di presentazione a Roma
Agenda 2030 e Sviluppo Sostenibile: il ruolo dei giovani
La condivisione come motore di Raccogliamo le Idee!
Come dare seguito a tutte le idee raccolte
Nuove soluzioni per un futuro sostenibile
Out of the box: idee dei ragazzi per un futuro sostenibile
La voce dei protagonisti di Raccogliamo le Idee!
Lavinia e Micheal presentano il loro lavoro
Il futuro comincia quando…

agenda_29_maggio_2026_def

Mase Raccogliamo le Idee. Roma 29 maggio 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

Mase Raccogliamo le Idee. Roma 29 maggio 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

Mase Raccogliamo le Idee. Roma 29 maggio 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

Mase Raccogliamo le Idee. Roma 29 maggio 2026 © Francesco Vignali Photography

During this initial phase (between April and May), thanks to participation in local events and responses submitted directly via the online platform, over 700 questionnaires were completed, and more than a hundred ideas were collected. The platform is still active and you can still contribute.

The initial results of ‘Let’s Gather Ideas!, including the trends and priorities identified by young people, are already available to be consulted.

This component of the Initiative aims to strengthen, through an information and awareness-raising campaign alongside events held throughout the country, the widest possible dissemination of information and awareness regarding the issues of sustainable development and global citizenship, as well as to promote participation in the processes of implementing the Strategy for Global Citizenship Education (and its National Action Plan) and the National Strategy for Sustainable Development.