The second experience exchange of the last quarter of 2018 took place in La Seu d'Urgell, Lleida, on December 19 and 20. These exchanges, convened by the National Rural Network , facilitate inter-territorial cooperation between Local Action Groups with the clear objective of weaving and creating a network that allows them to work together to solve common problems shared by different territories . During this event, the Consorci GAL del Alt Urgell-Cerdanya presented the ODISSEU project, which aims to highlight the existing problems caused by the phenomenon of rural youth migration to urban areas. It presents a complex reality with many factors involved in the process, but also outlines concrete actions aimed at mitigating the problem of depopulation and attracting the talent of the youngest population to the municipalities.

Cristina Simón, representative of the National Rural Network Management Unit, participated in the opening of these exchanges. She presented these sessions as an opportunity for Local Action Groups in a similar situation, facing the growing problem of land abandonment and the migration of young people from rural areas, to discuss and debate different alternatives, promoting cooperation between the groups. The mayor of La Seu d'Urgell also participated in the opening ceremony, where he used the sessions to emphasize the need to focus on competitiveness, given that young people are the most vulnerable group, but also the most proactive in launching business projects that invest in rural areas. Furthermore, the president of the Catalan ARCA Network directly linked cooperation between territories with strategic projects, highlighting the need to identify with the territory, supporting the local population and integrating young people, Local Action Groups and all the technicians from the regional Administrations and youth offices, as key axes to promote cooperation within the framework of LEADER projects.

ODISSEU , the central axis of this exchange of experiences, is a project that supports young people interested in learning more about the opportunities available in rural areas to develop their professional projects. This initiative promotes entrepreneurship through various activities, connecting rural businesses and the talent of young people. The goal is to raise awareness of professional opportunities, facilitate job placement, contribute to improving knowledge about rural areas, and raise awareness among businesses about the added value of incorporating young talent into their businesses. One of the key lines worth highlighting in this context is the ODISSEU PRACTICUM, a program whose objective is to bring young people into the professional world through a paid internship program in companies located in rural municipalities, facilitating job placement and increasing business competitiveness with the creative and innovative talent of young people.

The ODISSEU project has been presented as an initiative stemming from a LEADER cooperation project in which more than 1,300 young people from across the region have benefited from the measures adopted. It underscores the relevance and importance of the values championed by the project, which has been committed to the region since 2011. Furthermore, ODISSEU and young talent are working together to present, within this shared framework of cooperation, the Cowocat_Rural project, whose main objective is to create employment and economic activity in rural areas through the values of coworking. To this end, one of the key and fundamental elements of this commitment is the need for communication networks and quality internet access that foster teleworking habits and promote coworking as a way of working through ICT in rural areas.

Rootedness, a sense of belonging to the land, and cooperation are presented as key elements for undertaking a successful project that, in addition to everything else, offers quality of life. This is the vision of Albert, one of the invited entrepreneurs who presented his rural tourism project. During his presentation, he emphasized that "the greatest opportunity of all is being young." He acknowledges that the path has not been easy and that there have been many obstacles to overcome, but that, like his colleagues Laura and Meritxell, they have trusted their village, their origins, allowing them to combine their passion for their land with the opportunity to build a future close to what they hold most dear. Other entrepreneurs, such as Päivi , a Finnish woman who opted for coworking; Helena , a textile designer who left Barcelona for the Alt Urgell region, taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the territory and the intrinsic value added by the Pyrenees brand; Nina , a lover of architecture and nature who traded her hectic city life for the peaceful Seu region; and Isabel, with a beautiful project that aims to showcase the area's dairy products with the region's most distinctive flavors. These are just a few of the many examples in rural Catalonia that have enriched these days, sharing experiences and serving as points of reference for believing that "change is possible"; that the current trend can be reversed; and that, by working together and networking, we can grow personally and professionally, giving value to the territory and achieving the development of rural areas.

Regarding LEADER, the participation of two of the Galician Local Action Groups that want to undertake a cooperation project, as well as the presentation of the Young Rural Dynamizers project , promoted by the Government of Aragon and presented by Maite González of ADEFO-Cinco Villas , served to put the representatives of the LAGs in contact and lay the foundations for a future inter-territorial cooperation project.