The panel discussion on the topic "Healthy Habits - the Connection between Health and the Environment" held on 23th June, 2025 concluded the planned activities of the project "Run for a Green Future", which is implemented by the AKKA Skopje Athletic Club in partnership with the Green Society Association - Greener.
With it, we rounded off the multiple messages about the need for greater investment in urban infrastructure that will support the development of healthy habits, but will also offer balanced and inclusive development of the city. This will create the prerequisites for raising public awareness and improving behaviour towards both the environment and personal health.
The discussion showed the citizens’ need for greater education at all ages, but also the revolt against the recklessness of citizens that leads to huge amounts of waste everywhere. Several discussants shared the opinion that we need continuous and well-planned action for a better quality of life, as opposed to short-term project work, which would mean regular investment and maintenance in sports opportunities, greenery, and a waste collection system.
The panel discussion was the last in a series of activities that have been organised since the beginning of March, with which we promoted healthy habits and the development of environmental awareness among the residents of Skopje. We organised two tree planting actions, near the top of Vodno and in the Gazi Baba Park - Forest, where more than 240 seedlings were planted, increasing knowledge about the benefits of running and regular sports in general, but also the selected locations enabled all participants to have time filled with physical activity.
We also set an example by organising three plogging run events – running/recreation with waste collection along the way, which we implemented in the central city area and in the City Park. Through these events, we promote sports as an activity for everyone, presenting through personal example how small actions can support our health. During the waste collection, we had the opportunity to get to know the habits of citizens and the largest polluters in terms of volume. This is a very important aspect through which in our future work we will be able to directly work on creating solutions for dealing with and minimizing waste generation. We highlight that packaging waste is in the lead, followed by waste from fast food and refreshments, and after them are wet wipes.
We also successfully implemented a humanitarian race with which we wanted to make a positive environmental impact through self-organisation and donating funds for future similar activities. With the event, we sent a message about personal responsible behaviour and finding opportunities for reuse through a call for donations of used, clean and healthy sports equipment and props that can be very useful for young people at social risk and with fewer opportunities.
Each of the activities carried a specific message, but it is clear that we want a city that breathes in a sporting spirit and nurtures the environment, offers us a green future and enables us to have a quality life. At every opportunity, we promoted that a combination of a healthy and active life and green habits is needed if we want a sustainable future.
Through the project, we animated more than 200 people and spoke directly with 73 people who we surveyed about their habits. Through the activities, we cleaned up more than 500 kilograms of waste from public areas and through more than 100 posts on social networks, we reached a large number of citizens. Until the end of September, when the project is officially completed, we continue to implement our “Campaign to Raise Awareness for Healthy Habits and Environmental Protection” online and to advocate for the establishment of sustainable practices at all levels.
“Run for a Green Future” is implemented by the AKKA Skopje Athletic Club in partnership with the Association for a Green Society – Greener, received as a sub-grant within the project “EU Support to the Civic Resource Centre – Phase 2” funded by the European Union.
