Topic

The main topic of the exchange is “Living and working in the natural and rural areas” to stimulate the awareness of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats linked to the development of rural areas and to the wealth of the territory. The young people motivation was connected to their interest in creating an alternative to the drain from their own territory.

Partnership

 The Coordinator

The Municipality of Mormanno, located in the Province of Cosenza (Calabria Region, Southern Italy), is a mountain town with about 3.100 inhabitants in the Pollino National Park.

The Park was founded in 1988 and it is between the two Regions of Calabria and Basilicata, representing the largest nature reserve in Italy and one of the largest in Europe.

The Eu.R.Y.D. project gets in different actions of the Local Administration in order to enhance and promote the natural and cultural resources of the territory linked to belonging to a nature reserve and  a rural area:

−     sporting and green tourism;

−     multifunctional agriculture;

−     diversification of rural economy;

−     recovery of local crops that contribute to protection of the biodiversity of the territory.

 The Sending Organization

The Foundation Instytut Współpracy Regionalnej of Antoniów−Poczta Mykanów, located in the Province of Silesia (Southern Poland), is a no profit organization whose objectives are to:

−     promote and facilitate the training development of the young people;

−     encourage  the daily sporting practice as an healthy lifestyle;

−     support local initiatives and projects for the young people about the sustainable development and their participation to democratic life;

−     coordinate training activities in the field of creativity and entrepreneurship.

 For more information visit the website of the Instytut Współpracy Regionalnej

 Objectives

The objective of the project is to facilitate the sense of identity of the young people towards their own territory in order to increase the economic and social attractiveness.

Through a path of rediscovery and knowledge of resources and professional opportunities linked to the rural development, participants  were stimulated to take on an active role in the process of the local development.

The Eu.R.Y.D. project further aimed at to:

−     facilitate the opportunities of dialogue and transnational exchange encouraging the european citizenship and reflect on the development of territories;

−     promote the sustainable sports that can be played in a National Park fostering the respect for a natural environment;

−     stimulate a business start up in one’s own territory through a positive and innovative approach to the rural world.