On March 13th Palermo Local Working Group started Digging Deep project activities. The project is co-funded by European Commission in the framework of Youth in Action Program, action 3.2. CESIE is involved in DDEEP as applicant, along with three partners from three different continents: KID PiNA (Slovenia), CANGO (China) and YEC (Ghana). By developing international and local activities, the project aims at raising awareness towards different issues such as local, sustainable and organic food, respect for nature and intercultural relations.
Each partner coordinates the activities of its own LWG, which consists of different actors: 1 Youth leader, 1 cartoonist, 2 youth trainers, 2 young agronomists, 2 youths from migrant or disadvantaged backgrounds. Together with their local coordinator, 8 youths would work towards making one or more urban gardens, aimed at becoming public spaces suitable for social inclusion and active participation of local communities.
Our local DDEEP urban garden is located in the CODIFAS shared garden in via PV 46 (in the Velodromo area). Until September 2014, several workshops will be organised by the Italian LWG, by making use of methods of non-formal education.
Throughout the three meetings which have already taken place, youths had the chance to get to know each other and to take notice of those roles and tasks which they would carry out in the upcoming months. Along with sharing their competencies and passion for nature, Palermo LWG has been discussing materials, schedules and eventual issues related to a urban garden open to local community.
Four LWGs, their local coordinators and the general coordinator will meet up for the first international workshop – out of the two scheduled in DDEEP framework – from April 13th till April 18th at CESIE office. Each LWG will share the outcomes of the researches, which have been carried out about urban gardens, recycling and reusing materials for gardening and the use of urban gardens as a tool for non-formal education, social inclusion and the promotion of an healthy lifestyle. Moreover participants will visit existing urban gardens and will also have the chance to talk to experts. In the end a practical activity has been scheduled, as youths will work at DDEEP local garden. During this action, they will be portrayed by cartoonists. These comic strips will be featured in the illustrated handbook on urban gardening, which will be developed within the project.
On April 26th the Italian LWG will held the first local workshop called “ticipORTO: small paths of horticulture” at Botanical Garden in Palermo in the framework of the Earth Day. Youths will present the project and will illustrate the development of a urban garden through a plastic model. The public will have the chance to project, plant and transplant by using the material given by the LWG.
To learn more about the project and to participate in local activities, please contact: giuseppe.lafarina@cesie.org
You can also follow us on Facebook
This project has beenfunded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
