The Formentera Office of Youth Affairs is pleased to report that the third "Vívete: Lives Inspiring Lives" will take place 25 October at the Sala de Cultura-Cinema in Sant Francesc. Roughly 300 students from IES Marc Ferrer will take part in this seminar designed to promote values and positive attitudes and help participants manage their emotions. According to Vanessa Parellada, councillor of youth affairs, young people at the event "will hear new stories of inspiring, emotional and stimulating lives".

This year's seminar welcomes adventurer and explorer Nacho Dean (the first person in history to walk around the world and swim across 5 continents), Afghan writer and refugee Nadia Ghulam (who for years posed as her late brother to evade the Taliban regime's rigid restrictions on women) and Menorcan swimmer Tita Llorens (the first woman to swim, without a wetsuit, from the Balearic Islands to the mainland).

Vívete director Carlos Ramón says the conference "grew out of a desire to work with leading experts in the field to promote human values, personal empowerment and the tools that lead us to a solid and conscious personal development in a fun way".

The Consell de Formentera collaborates with this event to make it accessible to local youth.

20 October 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

This week marks the start of the Consell de Formentera-backed New Period campaign by Rezero to normalise and promote the use of healthier, environmentally friendly, and fair menstrual products. To that end, this morning at the Casal de Joves, Consell de Formentera employees, Susana Labrador, vice-president and councillor of education, and Vanessa Parellada, councillor of youth affairs and citizen participation, took part in a workshop concerning options in existing menstrual products shaping awareness about critical and responsible consumption.

 Over the next two weeks, the campaign will be disseminated among years four, five and six at IES Marc Ferrer through an educational programme about the different possibilities of menstrual products. Tomorrow, Thursday 20 October, there will be a session for teachers, and Friday, a session for the players of the Cosmitos women's football club. In the words of Vice President Labrador, "the initiative aims to involve local schools, associations and sports groups in strengthening and amplifying the strategy of menstrual education on Formentera".

Public workshop
Wednesday 26 October, a session will be held for associations of the island and the general public at 5.00pm in the Consell de Formentera auditorium (Sala d'Actes; Plaça de la Constitució, Sant Francesc). Next week an additional workshop will be held for adult students.

This campaign is piloted by Rezero, a non-profit foundation which emerged in response to persisting taboos and stigma around menstruation. "A lack of adequate information and education perpetuates poor accessibility to safe (toxin-free), fair (tax-free and produced in respectful conditions) and circular (reusable) products for female-bodied individuals and others who menstruate", said Rezero project manager Marta Beltran.

In fact, according to Rezero, the vast majority of menstrual products on the market are single-use items like pads and tampons with environmental, economic, health and social impacts from production to disposal and beyond.

This initiative is backed by the Offices of Education, Equality, Citizen Participation and Environment of the Consell de Formentera.

17 October 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera