Challenge Europe project

Slovenian Climate Advocates' Profiles 2010/2011

Iva GRUDEN, 26, a freelance photojournalist

Iva, 26, is a freelance photojournalist, travel enthusiast, avid cook and to some of her friends an eco freak. Sustainable lifestyle attracts her personally as well as professionally, as she is delivering stories on sustainability, ecology and social responsibility for the Slovenian media. Simple things and random encounters make her happy. With the Challenge Europe project, she would like to bring at least some of her ideas into practice in her hometown and country.

Ivanka BRAJOVIČ, 34, a postgraduate student ofElectrical engineering

Ivanka, 34, is a Montenegrin living in Slovenia and that defines her temperament well, as she is direct, sentimental and unwilling to speak about herself. Friends describe her as hardworking, resourceful, easygoing and dreamy. She is an Electrical engineer, continuing her studies on a postgraduate level. She would like to see people use cars less.

Katarina TRSTENJAK, 24, a student of geography at the University of Ljubljana

A 24 year old student of geography, Katarina hopes to meet new people and learn a lot by joining the Challenge Europe project. She likes to travel and getting to know different cultures and countries. She also loves nature, especially the oceans and seas. Her dream is to become an oceanographer.

Katja POZDEREC, 24, a student of International relations at the University of Ljubljana

Katja, 24, is a student of International relations at the University of Ljubljana. She would like to see a general change in attitude towards the environment in Slovenia, especially in politics where she believes amore proactive approach in dealing with climate issues is needed. She believes that even one person can make a difference.

Katja TURK ESCOBAR, 27, a publicist in the PR department of the Slovenian Tourist Board

Katja, 27, works in the PR department of the Slovenian Tourist Board. She would like to be remembered as someone who has contributed ideas for better living and she would like to share her ideas with experts who have the capacity to implement them. Her friends describe her as a communicative and open minded person. She sees Challenge Europe as a good platform for meeting people and exchanging ideas.

Maja ZAKOTNIK, 26, student of English and German language at the University of Ljubljana

26 year old Maja is currently finishing her studies and working as a teacher of English language. She is good with people and so enjoys working in this field. She has had a passion for the environment since childhood and whilst her parents were mushroom picking, she was cleaning the forest from litter. She is the co-funder of an association of young people for environmental issues called EKOSOK. Her aspiration is to work in the area of preserving sea life.

Matej DOBRAVC VERBIČ, 24, a pharmacist

Matej, 24, is a pharmacist. Whilst a student, he was active in the Slovenian pharmacy student association, participating in many international projects. He works as a volunteer at the University Clinic, Golnik. He wants to promote a fossil free society and to encourage the use of alternative sources of energy.

Nina TOME, project manager at Umanotera

Nina is a young graduate of Political science and now works as a project manager at Umanotera the Slovenian foundation of sustainable development. She tries to live her life under sustainable laws. Her passion is travelling and discovering new places. Nina is very goal oriented and likes action - not just talking about stuff, but going out and doing it.

Petra ČARMAN, 25, a student of the Faculty of Criminal Justice at the University of Maribor

Petra, 25, is a student of the Faculty of Criminal Justice at the University of Maribor. She is soon to finish her internship at the United Nations Environmental Programme in Kenya. People would describe her as a complex person, very motivated, lively and ambitious. By joining the Challenge Europe project she hopes to learn new ways of looking at the world in terms of climate change. She also wants to meet many like-minded peers and experts.

Roman MEDVED, 24, lawyer

Roman, 24, describes himself as a very positive person and very goal oriented. He recently graduated at the Faculty of Law at the University of Maribor. He finds himself involved in many different fields as an activist for different NGOs. By joining the Challenge Europe project Roman hopes to achieve a better understanding of everyday ecological problems and to contribute to finding the right paths to solve them.

Sanela SINANOVIČ, 30, journalist, publicist and project organiser

Sanela is a 30 year old journalist, publicist and project organiser. She is very proud of everything she has achieved in her live and she’s especially proud of her 3 year old son. Her friends describe her as ambitious, creative, charismatic and successful. She has actively participated on an EU Greensproject Tree fife.

Tomislav TKALEC, 25, postgraduate student of Environmental protection

Tomislav, 25, is doing his post graduate studies on Environmental protection. His biggest ambition is to change the world for the better by small, but important efforts. He believes that making people aware about climate change is not just an opportunity, but also a responsibility. The next important step is to make people act. He hopes joining the Challenge Europe project willv give him the opportunity to share his experiences, knowledge and enthusiasm with other team members.

Vesna GRANDO, 25, student of Biosciences, University of Ljubljana

Vesna, 25, is a graduate from the Faculty of Environment Science at the University of Nova Gorica. She is continuing her studies at the University of Ljubljana, where she has undertaken a study programme in Biosciences. She feels a huge sense of responsibility towards nature and she would like to be remembered for her contribution in preserving the natural world.

Ana KLENOVŠEK, 24, a student of Criminal Justice and Security at the University of Maribor

24 year old Ana studies within the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security at the University of Maribor. She has spent one semester in Australia whilst taking part in an exchange programme between Europe and Australia. Her studies have a particular focus on green criminology. Her friends would describe her as a stubborn and independent person and she is determined to dedicate her life to climate change issues.

Blaž GASPARINI, 22, a student of Physics at the University of Trieste in Italy

Blaz, 22, is a Physics student at the University of Trieste in Italy. He is an active member of a youth organisation called No Excuse, where he leads the environmental projects. His friends describe him as a broad minded person who is always full of energy.He has had an interest in environmental topics for as long as he can remember.

Ina KUKOVIČ, 27, a lawyer and entrepreneur

Ina, 27, is a qualified lawyer. She is, however, also an entrepreneur owning and leading a company that mainly deals with building an innovative framework for Slovenian companies and organisations to exchange ideas and experiences in the area of sustainability. She is a proactive person that believes that every small step counts.

Mitja ANČIK, 30, computer specialist

30 year old Mitja lives in Kranj. Although his work is currently in computers, his profession is based in biotechnology. As a Climate advocate Mitja would like to change people’s way of thinking about climate change, animals, plants and the natural environment in general. He would also like the opportunity to persuade others to take action to protect nature, something he is passionate about doing himself. Mitja believes being part of Challenge Europe is one such step he can take in his mission to protect our world.

This grass-roots project aimed to be the first step in helping a densely populated Athenian community to make lasting changes towards sustainability in a socially and historically important area of the capital. The project focused on changing behaviour through a series of workshops which informed people about energy efficiency and ‘greening’ initiatives in buildings.