Among the several participatory processes ALDA is implementing throughout Europe, a special place is taken by the project carrying on within our very neighborhood in Vicenza (Italy): the “Spark” (Scintilla) project.

Started in April 2019 with the objective of regenerating the urban area surrounding the train station, the so-called “Viale Milano area”, the project enters now a new phase. Thanks to the active involvement of a wide group of citizens, in only one-year time we succeeded in achieving a participatory process, which shed light on the priorities and served to identify the immediate and practical actions to start the transformation of the area.

On September 25th, a dedicated event was organised to present the second stage of the project, called “The Place to Be”, which inaugurates a whole set of activities to give a new impulse to the whole neighbourhood and a renewed alliance between the Neighbourhood, its citizens and the local administration. Part of a street (Via Napoli) was closed to traffic and an outdoor party was arranged, accompanied by great food and sound music, all in compliance with the anti-covid19 regulations in place.

“The Place to Be” will transform the Viale Milano area into a greener and friendly hood

Among the proposed actions, the “Place to be” will transform the Viale Milano area into a greener and friendly hood with spaces dedicated to coworking and smart businesses, entrepreneurs, play areas for families and children, as well as a general greenwashing of the district. As a result, the event was sold-out, and it was very much appreciated by the whole citizenry.

A special thanks to the local administration, associations, and all the single citizens who contributed to its successful outcome!

Interested in inclusive tourism? This fall 2020, starting from November 4th, a series of five workshops will take place within the context of the GATE project  – Granting Accessible Tourism for Everyone where ALDA serves as a consultant, in presentation of the outcomes of the project as well as of a number of other best practices for all to adopt in the field.

In order to allow everyone to attend despite the ongoing Covid-19 situation, the workshops will take place online, maintaining however a highly interactive structure so to encourage active participation and knowledge exchanges among the audience. Each event, held either in English or in Italian, will consist in a 45-50 minute presentation by a GATE project partner and by other expert guests, followed by an allotted time for questions, answers, and other contributions.

While the workshops will be particularly helpful for all those who are specifically involved in the field of tourism, everyone is invited to join and guaranteed to gain useful insights on inclusion and accessibility! The series will unfold as follows:

1. [ENGLISH] November 4th, 3pm CEST | Accessible tourism: four case-studies
2. [ENGLISH] November 18th, 3pm CEST | Handicap, disabilities & inclusion
3. [ITALIAN] November 25th, 3pm CEST | Handicap, disabilità & inclusione
4. [ENGLISH] December 2nd, 3pm CEST | Best practices on inclusive tourism
5. [ITALIAN] December 9th, 3pm CEST | Buone pratiche di turismo inclusivo

Have a look at the AGENDA and don’t forget to register to as many workshops as you want through this link!

All workshops are free upon registration. Click above to book your chance to learn more and discuss about accessible, inclusive tourism for everyone… and invite friends!

An interactive webinar to learn practices on accessible tourism and get inspired

The GATE project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Interreg V-A Italy-Austria 2014-2020 with the aim to collaborate on a cross-border level to make sure that inclusive tourism is no longer just the “highlight” of certain alpine and pre-alpine areas, but rather expands all over, becoming a true strength and an inspiration for further practices of inclusion everywhere. Get to know the GATE project partners here. 

At the beginning of September 2020, Local Democracy Agency Tunisia coordinated a two-week training on psychomotor activities as part of the project Ricomincio Da Te, i.e. “I Start With You” in Italian. Sponsored by the Italian Agency for Cooperative Development and carried out in partnership with COPE Italy, Cope Tunisia, and care centers for people with disabilities, this 3-year project aims to consolidate the rights of people with disabilities in Tunisia and help them access services as well as create a culture of inclusion, acceptance, and tolerance.

The trainers were Cirque de Soleil experts Tommaso Negri and Leonardo Varriale, while the participants to the training were mostly professionals who work in specialized care centres, students, and workers from the sport and education fields, who belonged to different age groups (from 20 to 50 years old) and had different physical abilities (including football and basketball national team players; people with disabilities who were champions in javelin, shot put, or discus throw; and normal people who don’t usually exercise…).

Over the course of the two weeks, the learning atmosphere was dominated by joy, fun, interaction, participation, cooperation, and inclusion, and the participants were extremely eager to learn the new movements and psychomotor activities, how to adapt them and implement them to different contexts and people. Indeed, the occasion constituted an extraordinary and fortunate discovery and a delightful learning experience for all, as the adaptation from the circus offered innovative approaches to teaching that cherish diversity and encourage openness to change according to the needs and abilities of the learners, while also aiming to engage, spread joy, increase self-confidence, and value participation over competition.

Ricomincio da te: a project to consolidate the rights of people with disabilities in Tunisia

Though the start of the training was filled with uncertainty due to the unexpected difficulties imposed by the second wave of Covid-19, besides, its success was ensured by the unwavering devotion of the LDA team, its partners, the trainers, and the participants: due to travel restrictions, in fact, the trainers had to lead all activities online, which was clearly exceptional as these were based on sports and body movements that normally require the physical presence of the trainer to ensure the safety of participants and their precise application of the techniques and instructions. This was however overcome by strong team work, and by the presence of helpful and energetic sportspeople among the participants who voluntarily co-facilitated the training and ensured that participants follow the instructions.

All in all, the project offered a golden opportunity to delve even deeper into the local Tunisian community and explore people’s needs and aspirations, just like LDA Tunisia aspires to do at the core of its scope of intervention. It was also a precious chance to collaborate with dedicated centres and energetic participants who will now be a future asset for the organization, as most of them are expected to take part in future events and activities, too, and contribute to the LDA’s efforts to create a powerful and authentic platform of communication, inclusion and civic engagement.

For more information, contact ldatunisia@aldaintranet.org.

Enjoy all photos of the event HERE and HERE!

At the beginning of September 2020, Local Democracy Agency Tunisia coordinated a two-week training on psychomotor activities as part of the project Ricomincio Da Te, i.e. “I Start With You” in Italian. Sponsored by the Italian Agency for Cooperative Development and carried out in partnership with COPE Italy, Cope Tunisia, and care centers for people with disabilities, this 3-year project aims to consolidate the rights of people with disabilities in Tunisia and help them access services as well as create a culture of inclusion, acceptance, and tolerance.

The trainers were Cirque de Soleil experts Tommaso Negri and Leonardo Varriale, while the participants to the training were mostly professionals who work in specialized care centres, students, and workers from the sport and education fields, who belonged to different age groups (from 20 to 50 years old) and had different physical abilities (including football and basketball national team players; people with disabilities who were champions in javelin, shot put, or discus throw; and normal people who don’t usually exercise…).

Over the course of the two weeks, the learning atmosphere was dominated by joy, fun, interaction, participation, cooperation, and inclusion, and the participants were extremely eager to learn the new movements and psychomotor activities, how to adapt them and implement them to different contexts and people. Indeed, the occasion constituted an extraordinary and fortunate discovery and a delightful learning experience for all, as the adaptation from the circus offered innovative approaches to teaching that cherish diversity and encourage openness to change according to the needs and abilities of the learners, while also aiming to engage, spread joy, increase self-confidence, and value participation over competition.

Ricomincio da te: a project to consolidate the rights of people with disabilities in Tunisia

Though the start of the training was filled with uncertainty due to the unexpected difficulties imposed by the second wave of Covid-19, besides, its success was ensured by the unwavering devotion of the LDA team, its partners, the trainers, and the participants: due to travel restrictions, in fact, the trainers had to lead all activities online, which was clearly exceptional as these were based on sports and body movements that normally require the physical presence of the trainer to ensure the safety of participants and their precise application of the techniques and instructions. This was however overcome by strong team work, and by the presence of helpful and energetic sportspeople among the participants who voluntarily co-facilitated the training and ensured that participants follow the instructions.

All in all, the project offered a golden opportunity to delve even deeper into the local Tunisian community and explore people’s needs and aspirations, just like LDA Tunisia aspires to do at the core of its scope of intervention. It was also a precious chance to collaborate with dedicated centres and energetic participants who will now be a future asset for the organization, as most of them are expected to take part in future events and activities, too, and contribute to the LDA’s efforts to create a powerful and authentic platform of communication, inclusion and civic engagement.

For more information, contact ldatunisia@aldaintranet.org.

Enjoy all photos of the event HERE and HERE!

Nell’ottica di promuovere l’inclusione sociale tra i più giovani, la creatività, la coesione e la contaminazione tra culture diverse e forme artistiche atipiche, giovedì 1° ottobre 2020 si è tenuto ad Arcugnano in Piazza Rumor il laboratorio artistico di pittura “I fiori di Europa” come attività del progetto STAR.

L’evento ha riscontrato un ottimo successo, con la partecipazione di circa trenta bambini, di età compresa tra i tre e i dieci anni e provenienti da tutte le scuole del Comune, che si sono dilettati con le attività ludiche proposte. A disposizione dei partecipanti al laboratorio, una grande tela orizzontale di 160mq realizzata dall’artista Jerico, filippino d’origine e romano di adozione. Dopo un primo momento di esplorazione della tela, guidati da Jerico i bambini presenti hanno giocato con vivida immaginazione ed hanno poi dipinto utilizzando i colori dell’artista ed i loro stessi corpi per dipingere.

Coinvolti anche gli adulti presenti, dal momento che nell’occasione sono stati inoltre raccolti 27 questionari di indagine cittadina al fine di trovare un’intesa sul luogo in cui realizzare il murales che sarà l’output del progetto STAR.

Al termine dell’evento, la grande tela di Jerico è stata ritagliata in 14 pezzi suddivisi in regalo tra i partner di progetto, il Comune e le sue scuole; mentre sabato 3 ottobre si è poi tenuta l’inaugurazione della mostra temporanea “I fiori di Europa”, introdotta da un discorso del sindaco di Arcugnano e aperta al pubblico fino al 10 ottobre p.v.

Una manifestazione unica per celebrare la STreet ARt.. con una tela di 160mq!

Il progetto STAR – STreet ARt, nel cui ambito è stato organizzato l’evento, ha l’intento di promuovere l’amore per l’inclusione e di trasmettere ai più giovani i valori dell’unione e della solidarietà. Co-finanziato dal programma dell’Unione europea “Europa per i cittadini”, il Comune di Arcugnano ne è capofila, accompagnato nel consorzio da organizzazioni e Comuni europei appartenenti a 14 paesi tra cui Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Repubblica Ceca, Francia, Germania, Italia, Kosovo, Lettonia, Polonia, Portogallo, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia e Paesi Bassi. 

BRIGHT’s Community of Interest is finally complete! Five European actors have joined the Community, through which BRIGHT is creating a wide network of local stakeholders across Europe for the protection of the rights of women seasonal workers who are employed in agriculture in their hosting communities. The members of the Community will now have the chance to participate in the most interesting activities that are organized by the project partners, such as technical and awareness-raising webinars and capacity building training.

Who are the CoI members? Let us present them!

URBAN2020, Romania is a Bucharest-based NGO that stands up for the improvement of citizens’ quality of life in Romania and across Europe, by supporting good governance, promoting sustainability and equity, and creating partnerships between the public, academic and private sectors. URBAN2020 strives to reduce the gap between Romania and Western Europe and between the rural and urban dimensions by fostering development through urban planning and architectural services. It also encourages the active participation of citizens and youth in decision-making and city life, as well as the redevelopment of urban spaces and the integration of disadvantaged groups through training and educational services.

IPRES, Italy, i.e. the Apulian Institute of Economic and Social Research was founded in 1968 as an Association of public bodies, expression of the local and functional autonomies’ system of the Puglia region in the South of Italy. In July 2018, IPRES was turned into a Foundation: its members are the Puglia Region; the Municipalities of Bari, Taranto and Brindisi; the University of Bari; the Chamber of Commerce of Bari; and ISPE Association. The mission of the Institute is first and foremost to support the designing, adoption, implementation and evaluation of regional development policies and the multilevel institutional relationships; within this context, the Puglia Region is involved in promoting participatory governance systems under the regional law n. 28/2017. As a technical body, the IPRES Foundation is strictly concerned with training to support participatory processes and to provide recognition to best practices on participation methods.

The Bolyarovo Municipality, Bulgaria is situated in Southeastern Bulgaria in the Yambol District. It consists of 20 settlements, of which one city, i.e. the municipal center of Bolyarovo, and 19 villages. The goals of the Bolyarovo Municipality are to develop local conditions for economic development; improve the quality of life, healthcare, educational and social services; improve the quality of administrative services; and create conditions for the improvement of the climate for the development of the local economy, together with increasing employment rates and higher income for the population.

Soffa, Greece – Social Fashion Enterprise is a circular production studio that targets the social inclusion and empowerment of women who have been victims of human trafficking as well as refugees. Using zero-waste processes and circular fashion principles with recycled, natural, vegan and plant-based textiles that support environmental regeneration, they support their female beneficiaries in becoming self-reliant, motivated, and using their own resources to achieve their long-term goals: (1) by offering training, mentoring and the creation of job positions to restore their dignity and self-reliance; (2) by adopting a gender-inclusive approach; (3) by organizing events to sensibilize consumers on these issues.

APDHA, Spain is a non-profit, pluralist, secular and independent association founded in 1990 and based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UN, 1948). Their field of action is the Andalusian territory, although their activity also reaches a universal scope as human rights are the heritage of all humanity! In APDHA, the full validity of the Universal Declaration is reclaimed as an instrument for transforming consciences and society itself, denouncing its non-compliance with all the tools at their disposal. The NPO develops its work through four main actions: awareness raising; social complaint; elaboration of alternatives and work proposals; support, accompaniment and solidarity.

Want to join BRIGHT? The CoI might be full, but there are many other ways to join forces! Contact martina@aldaintranet.org to learn more!

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During the last few months, the Covid19-related containment measures have highlighted the strong dependency of several Italian sectors on foreign labour – first on the list, the agrifood sector. Most of the seasonal workers employed in the agricultural sector in Southern Italy come from Bulgaria (55.000) and Romania (1.2 million). Of these, 57% are women. The migration of these workers is accompanied by dangers ranging from the lack of protection that would be provided only by a regular employment contract, to situations of psychological, social, economic and physical violence. Being a woman should not make you especially vulnerable. Read more about the BRIGHT for Women project – Building RIGHTs-based and Innovative Governance for EU mobile women!