About project
The project will involve small communities – the Municipality of Aquileia and the City of Tarcento (Italy), the Municipality of Bač (Serbia),the Municipality of Čapljina and the Municipality of Stolac (Bosnia-Herzegovina), the Municipality of Piran (Slovenia), the City of Rab and the Municipality of Rakovica (Croatia), that have been preserving their cultural and natural heritage, already recognized as UNESCO "World Heritage" or under the attention of UNESCO, or have a heritage of European significance in terms of historical, social and natural values; that have ancient roots in history, geography, demography and culture; that share a common "small town" dimension characterized by richness of local cultural and natural heritage. Their territories have preserved traditions and customs that contribute to the multicultural richness - peculiar characteristic of Europe and which at the same time represent the cradle of our common European culture and history.
After several years of collaboration in different civic projects, they have established Small European Towns Cultural Network "I Care for...Europe" aiming to enlarge the partnerships to other small cities & communities with similar characteristics in Europe.
Project aims at involving local communities – members of the Network „I Care for…Europe“ , especially youth associations, local schools & cultural organizations, in participatory activities in order to prepare documentation on local heritage to be shared, discussed and ultimately approved during a joint event in Rakovica, when contents and materials useful for the realization of a transnational European campaign "Small, Great Europe" will be defined.
The main result of this project will be to launch the "Small, GREAT Europe" campaign on the role of European small communities as "Custodians" of European culture and values, which will be the first joint activity generated by the Network "I Care for Europe" (composed of the project partners).
How project fits in with the objectives of the Programme Europe for Citizens 2014-2020* (general and specific), themes and features:
General objectives:
- To contribute to citizens' understanding of the Union, its history and diversity: the project fits in with this general objective by the involvement of citizens from small local communities (from 5 different countries: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia) rich in cultural and historical heritage in activities aiming at sharing the cultural and historical tradition of each community with the others. In this way, the participants and the communities they come from will have a greater understanding of fellow European communities and their peculiarity, gaining a broader picture of the multiculturality of Europe and, at the same time, of the underlying similarities
- To foster European citizenship and to improve conditions for civic and democratic participation at Union level: the project fits in with this general objective by involving, starting from its preparatory activities, the participants in participatory activities at local and international level. This will give the participants an hands-one experience of active citizenship, making them primary actors in cultural, educational, and promotional activities involving their peers from different European countries. This will at the same time improve the conditions for their civic and democratic participation since the activities will also be attended by representatives of European municipalities, that will experience activities in which European citizens share content, ideas and suggestions for future activities, i.e., bottom-up policy-making.
Specific objectives:
- Raise awarness of common history & values & EU's aim to promote peace, its values & well-being of its people: the project fits in with this specific aim by the debates and reflections which will be stimulated at local level in the preliminary activities and by project events, during which the participants will share educational content about each participating municipality that will ultimately form the contents and ideas for the common campaign "Small, Great Europe"
- The project fits in with the second specific aim of the Programme (Encourage democratic and civic participation of citizens at Union level [...]) by:
a) providing a specific workshop during the event hosted in Rakovica about the EU policies & opportunities for societal & intercultural engagement
b) promoting the participation to the project & to the final event of voluntary youth and cultural associations in each involved community.
Annual priorities*:
- "Debate on the Future of Europe"; the project fits in with the annual priority by:
a) raising the awareness of having a common history
b) fostering the sense of belonging to a common EU identity
c) focusing on the future and the importance of European small communities as "custodians of European Heritage" for a better future development of Europe
d) launching the campaign "Small, GREAT Europe" that will have a European dimension.
Activity plan / work programme of the project:
Starting from the previous experience and cooperation, the partners have jointly programmed this project to enlarge the European network "I Care for Europe" for the promotion of active citizenship, culture, sustainable development and tourism, peace and human rights. So they identified the project contents: participatory processes, European networking activities in rural areas, intercultural dialogue, European identity and citizenship rights. The base of working methods is the participatory strategy, developed by the following program:
a) sharing the program and details of the project between all partners
b) preliminary local public meetings in each country to discuss the 2015 priorities defined for the Programme "Europe for Citizens", involving local citizens, stakeholders and policy makers, to deepen awareness of European active citizenship principles (volunteering and promotion of the participation), to enforce "bottom up" strategy and creating a shared sense of European citizenship
c) Final event in Rakovica, which will include:
- meetings for the presentation of each local community,
- workshops involving stakeholders to discuss on the future & the importance of European small communities as "Custodians of European Heritage" & the need to launch a European campaign on their valorisation
- cultural activities: joint exhibition realized by the schools of all involved towns; sightseeing the UNESCO World Heritage sites; focus groups for CSOs & youth delegations
- general meeting involving all participants to discuss on final document requesting support of EU Commission and Council of Europe for the campaign "Small, GREAT Europe"
The European dimension of the project is ensured by the participation of communities from five countries (of which 2 are still not in EU) and by the promotion of a transnational European campaign "Small, GREAT Europe" about the role of European small communities as "Custodians" of European culture and values, as the result of the final event, detailed further in the timetable.
Program of the International Event:
Venue of the International Event: Rakovica
Country: Croatia
Arrival date: Friday, May 13, 2016 at 17:00
Departure date: Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 13:00
May 13, 2016 - Friday
15.00-16.00 Arrival of participants
17.30: Workshop for local stakeholders from each community (seat of DVD Drežnik Grad, Drežnik Grad)
- Importance of local communities as "Custodians" of European Heritage – presentation of the draft document prepared for EU & CoE
- Suggestions from "Faro Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society" and opportunities based on examples of good practice
special guests: ISIG Institute of International Sociology Gorizia/Italy and Ms. Julie de Muer from Marseille/France
- Possible joint activities and projects for the Network „I Care for…Europe“
19.00: Opening of joint Exhibition "Small, GREAT Europe" made by schools with the presentation of each delegation – max 10 minutes for each town (seat of DVD Drežnik Grad, Drežnik Grad)
20.30: Welcome dinner with the cultural presentation (dinner prepared by members of local associations in the seat of DVD Drežnik Grad, Drežnik Grad)
May 14, 2016 - Saturday
Sightseeing of Plitvice Lakes National Park for all participants
10.00: Start of sightseeing for the first 2 groups (50 participants/group)
11.00: Start of sightseeing for the other 2 groups (50 participants/group)
13.30-14.00 Lunch break
17.00: Departure from Plitvice Lakes National Park and return to accommodation
20.00: Common dinner in the restaurant of AC Korana, Čatrnja (during dinner delegated small group will define the final document in details)
May 15, 2016 - Sunday
10.00: Sports competitions in traditional sports between youth delegations in teams of mixed genders (school playground of Primary school in Rakovica)
10.00: General Meeting (Primary school in Rakovica):
- Official approval of the letter with proposals on the future & the importance of European small communities as "Custodians of European Heritage" and request for support of EC & CoE for the European campaign "Small, GREAT Europe"
- Opportunities of Council of Europe for our Network of small towns: City to City Diplomacy
special guests: Ms. Alina Tatarenko, Deputy Head of the Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform, Council of Europe and ISIG Institute of International Sociology Gorizia
- Presentation of the webpage and Dissemination plan activities
12.00: International Press Conference
13.00: Closure of sports competitions and the exhibition – snack/refreshement
13.30: Departure of each delegation