Leader: Alen Mujcinovic (BHA)

This WG will focus on how the three pillars of sustainability (natural, social, and economic) can and should be combined in order to promote rural development, thus creating future prospects for vulnerable rural youth, including NEETs. This WG will be inspired by the Green Deal initiative, to creatively discuss overlapping topics such as new avenues for agriculture development, social innovation aiming at NEETs and other groups of vulnerable youths in rural communities or new businesses and economic activities emerging from a sustainability paradigm, including social economy initiatives. The WG will focus on the following questions: (a) How can a more sustainable agriculture sector contribute for NEETs prospects, while solving problems such as workforce rejuvenation? (b) What are the new economic activities inspired by the Green Deal and a sustainability paradigm that can represent an opportunity for NEETs prospects? and (c) Are there social initiatives and best-practices (local policies, programs, projects) that can help to improve rural NEETs to stay and prosper in rural communities?