The Project

Objectives

• Develop a European Identity based on common values, history and culture

• Promote a sense of belonging to the European Union among the citizens of the two Cities

• Unite people from local communities of Europe in order for them to share experiences, opinions and values and bring home elements to build their future in reference to their history

• Promote initiatives, seminars and reflection meetings on the subject of citizenship and democracy, shared values, history and culture thanks to the cooperation of the civil society at a European Level.

• Experiment cultural diversity and discover the common European heritage (through traditional culture, food and land protection).

Cross-cutting values

• European Values

• Formal and Informal learning in favour of a European Active Citizenship

• Voluntary engagement – as an expression of a European Active Citizenship

• Transnational and local dimensions

• Cross Fertilization

Practical Activities

The bigger group (25 people per country) participating in the twinning, will be divided into two thematic mixed groups (Italian + Finns) that will take part into two workshops and bring back in plenary their results.

Group 1 – Common Heritage – Far Villages, Close Foods

The members of the group will experiment how food and wine culture belongs to their culture, and realize what they do have in common and what is different. The preparation of food will be a good starting point for experiencing multiculturality.

The preparation of the European Day will be a good occasion to extend the workhop to the entire community. During the Day there will be a traditional event in the “Finnish” style by side of one in “Langhe's” style. Both events will be lead by mixed nationality groups, so that everybody can experiment each other's attitude.

During the event there will be little laboratories open to citizens for the preparation of traditional food of the two countries.

Group 2 – Rural Areas and New Technologies.
How to reduce digital divide in favour of participation, local development, local entrepreneurship, young people.

• Presentation of the activities regarding the wide-band experience of Kristinestad (in particular the Free Fibre Optics initiatives, the local Community Television, the problems of connections and the risks of isolations. Which problems, which solutions.

• Presentation of the Telecentre of Novello and of the activities of the Time Bank in order to link generations, and to promote active citizenship, digital culture and participation to the activities of the city.

• The use of Web 2.0 tools in order to promote aggregation of spread communities. Creation of the Website of the Twinning and of main social project “channels” in order to give sustainability to the groups.