From 9 to 12 June, Salamanca hosted the final international mobility of the Safe and Proud project, a European journey born with an aim as simple as it is essential: to help create safer, more inclusive and welcoming spaces for LGBTQIA+ people, through practical tools designed for youth workers.

For participants from Trieste, Bilbao and Salamanca, this meeting was not only the last stop of an Erasmus+ project, but also the moment to look back at the work done over the past months and realize how much had been built together.

During the working days in Salamanca, participants were tasked with testing the document from a practical perspective. Through collaborative sessions, participatory activities and moments of exchange, each section of the guide was analysed, discussed and improved. Some groups focused on the clarity of the content, others worked to make the language more accessible and inclusive, while others contributed practical examples, educational activities and tools that can be used in different contexts.
 

One of the most interesting aspects of the training was precisely the comparison between different realities. Each organisation involved works in different cultural contexts and faces specific challenges when it comes to inclusion and support for LGBTQIA+ youth. This exchange of perspectives made it possible to verify that the guide was truly applicable in different European countries, while at the same time maintaining a practical approach that is close to people’s real needs.

Talking about inclusion also means creating spaces where everyone can feel heard, respected and valued. In these days, participants did not just talk about safe spaces: they experienced them first-hand, discovering the value of mutual listening, empathy and collaboration.
 

With the end of the Salamanca mobility, the international training path of the Safe and Proud project officially comes to a close, but the work does not end here. In the coming months the guide will move into the final editing and layout phase before publication and the dissemination of results.
 

The hope is that the work carried out by participants can keep generating impact well beyond the project’s duration, offering youth workers, associations and communities useful tools to build ever safer, more inclusive and welcoming environments for everyone.

Because creating safe spaces is not a goal to reach just once, but an ongoing process that grows through dialogue, training and collaboration among people who share the same vision of a more inclusive society.