The event was held at Ocak İzi Derneği, Balıkesir, Türkiye, on the 28th September 2022. 

In particular, the steps below followed:

– presentation of the project and the particular activity
– introduction of the participants
– providing draft orientation tool and asking them to complete it
– questions (brainstorming)
– closure
– goodbye coffee and snacks

Stakeholders represented different organisations, namely:
1. Kepsut Municipality
2. Social Sciences College
3. NGO -Yağcıbedir Turkoman Nomads
4. Ministry of Youth and Sport – Balıkesir Youth Center
5. Provincial Directorate of Ministry of Tourism
6. Merlin’in Kazanı (Online Game Newspaper)
7. Balıkesir 24 Saat (Online Newspaper)
8. NGO – 4Youthwithyouth – Youth Leader
9. Provincial Directorate of Ministry of Education
10. Faculty of Science and Literature – Department of Geography

Melek Ergul explained the aim of the project:“The MP4s project aims to support students to tackle their emotional difficulties through mindfulness practices and training, fostering compassionate care of self, others and the planet within higher education institutions. This will be achieved by promoting soft skill competencies and with the endeavor to accelerate social and climate transition. The project will provide an open access set of resources for students, teachers, and faculties, allowing mindful practices and training to be weaved into any course, supporting students’ well-being and enabling them to act for and on behalf of the planet and others.”

For the most of the stakeholders, mindfulness practices were appealing but most of them do not have a lot experiences. What is concluded in the end: such an orientation tool to start practicing can be really helpful for the people who have a wish to do it or it can trigger a wish to do it.

Besides, this year, the Global Observance of World Habitat Day took place in Balikesir, Türkiye, (3rd October, 2022) under the theme Mind the Gap: Leave No One and No Place Behind. The United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our habitats, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. The day is also to remind the world of the power and responsibility to shape the future of our habitats.

The World Habitat Day was a good opportunity to spread MP4s project’s survey on students’ perception about SDGs.