Having completed their programme of study and adventure in the Autonomous City of Ceuta, the 50 young people from across Ibero-America taking part in the ‘Vuelta al Mundo’ expedition return to Madrid today. This ambitious educational, cultural and adventure programme is sponsored by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and supported by the Spanish Senate, the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Commission for the Fifth Centenary of the First Circumnavigation of the World and the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI).
The expedition, led by Jesús Luna Torres, a lecturer in the Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement at the Autonomous University of Madrid, has brought together around 50 young people since late July. Through a journey of discovery, they have been exploring the shared history of the Ibero-American peoples while working on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations (UN) as part of the 2030 Agenda.
“This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Magellan-Elcano expedition, and we wanted to commemorate it with a very special programme,” explained the programme director, Jesús Luna, who is joined in organising the expedition by the well-known television director and cameraman Carlos Pecker, as well as Rodrigo Ruiz, a specialist in solar energy and sustainability.
Starting in Madrid, the VaM 2022 expedition has travelled through towns and cities in Castile and León, Navarre, the Basque Country, Galicia, Extremadura, Andalusia and Ceuta, as well as the Portuguese cities of Lisbon, Monsanto and Porto. “Our expedition is based on experiential learning and is fundamentally a programme that instils values such as equality, friendship, respect, personal development and intercultural understanding,” Jesús Luna explained.
“The expedition is also a journey designed to foster an understanding of the importance of human coexistence with nature and the surrounding environment,” added the director of the VaM 2022 project, which incorporates adventure activities designed to promote sustainability in social, economic and environmental management.
The expedition will conclude at the Autonomous University of Madrid with the presentation of academic certificates. Tomorrow, from early in the morning, the participants will return to their home cities and countries after completing 23 intensive days of learning about values, living together and overcoming challenges.
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