COMM.ON HERITAGE. Community Manager for Inclusive Development of Vulnerable Areas based On Heritage

The project develops around cultural heritage recognized in specific context: mountain, (semi-)peripheral and rural area. These areas are vulnerable contexts due to the demographic, social and economic changes that they are facing. The presence of cultural heritage offers opportunity, but the marginality of the area prevents the community to benefit from it. These areas need specific hybrid competences (merging heritage expertise, community building skills, business modelling, design thinking, new media and social networks, system thinking) aimed at mobilizing community members to make use of their common resources and promoting cultural heritage focusing on the community and with a dynamic approach. In this view, heritage is understood as a catalyst not a barrier, and especially valued for its contribution to the social innovation process for its creative and innovative capacity, identity and attractiveness generation capacity, and catalysation capacity.As a Strategic Partnership supporting Innovation, the project has the primary goal to allow partners to design and test innovative intervention methodology, aimed at improving the competences of community managers promoting local heritage-based and inclusive development in vulnerable areasSpecific Objectives-To create economic development opportunities, giving value to cultural heritage (VALUE)-To renew motivation of local communities, promoting participation and entrepreneurial approach (ENGAGEMENT)-To promote inclusive local development, enhancing social and cultural diversity (INCLUSION)The project involves 1 Italian social cooperative, 1 Slovenian association, 1 Portuguese Ngo, 1 Greek Ngo, 1 Maltese Foundation, committed in initiatives and services addressed to vulnerable persons, aimed at their inclusion (in particular migrants, refugees, prisoners, drugs-addicted, mental and psychiatric disables); projects in the field of community management of vulnerable area, aimed at promoting the cultural heritage; design and management of participatory processes.Activities- 1 kick-off meeting on skype- 4 in-presence meetings with representatives of the partner organizations- 3 mobility experiences (18 persons - partners' staff)- peer-to-peer national training activities (at least 70 persons - partners' staff)-3 participatory processes/country-4 Surveys on experts, staff, community leaders, citizensOutputsO1 - Guide addressed to Community Managers working in mountain and rural areas in order to create heritage-based and inclusive development opportunities O2 - Community Heritage GeoTrail in vulnerable areasO3 - Innovating Cultural Heritage Toolkit O4 – Collaborative digital platform Impacts- Staff of partner organizations and of similar organizations acquire new methodological skills and competences, aimed at producing concrete and entrepreneurial proposal based on common heritage specifically focused on vulnerable areas (community building and management; inclusive participatory processes; stakeholder engagement principles; increase their motivation and satisfaction in daily work- Community Leaders present in vulnerable areas characterized by specific cultural heritage transform their leading attitude into specific competences supporting an active and aware citizenship- Local Communities of vulnerable areas characterized by specific cultural heritage benefit from the project at several levels: a wider awareness concerning local heritage; develop a sense of belonging to the community; renewed motivation; inclusion of their point of view in local heritage-based and inclusive development opportunities design (entrepreneurial citizenship)- Vulnerable groups of vulnerable areas characterized by specific cultural heritage, thanks to a concrete involvement in local heritage maintenance, develop life-skills, create new relationships crucial for their re-integration, develop a sense of belonging to the community, overcome social stigma by which they are usually affected.- Organizations promote their previous experiences enhancing efforts and sharing competences already acquired, establish themselves among stakeholders as promoters oriented towards innovation, activate new relationships at European level, acquiring knowledge and competences which will innovate their approach and practices.Dissemination plan3 multiplier events/country and several dissemination channels: newsletters, intranet, social media, blogs, meetings, 1 dedicated website; wide network of associate partners; Epale network; academic and scientific journals; experts networks; events connected with Industry 4.0; local, regional and national media; specialised publications and journals on social innovation; conferences on social innovation and citizen science.