Blue Communities
The Blue Communities project, coordinated by CeVI – Centro di Volontariato Internazionale and co-financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, began on January 1, 2023.
It aims to promote youth mobilization to support the creation of Blue Communities, which are territorial networks of actors – schools, institutions, citizens, civil society organizations, water managers, local administrations, and economic operators – collaborating actively and responsibly to reduce direct and indirect water consumption in response to worsening water scarcity.
The initiative is therefore aimed at young people aged 14 to 30 in the regions of Piedmont, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, and Sicily.
Partners of the Project, in addition to CeVI, include: Acquifera APS, AWorld benefit company, Cittadinanzattiva APS, Coordinamento Agende 21 locali italiane CA21L, Fondazione La Locomotiva onlus, Gruppo Missioni Africa GMA, H4O Help for Optimism, Navdanya International, People Help the People APS, Solidarietà e Cooperazione CIPSI, DPIA of the University of Udine.
The Blue Communities Project is dedicated to mobilizing young people in the establishment of Blue Communities, which are networks of social actors collaborating to promote concrete behaviours and raise awareness about water conservation as a response to water scarcity’s worsening. This initiative impacts a wide range of stakeholders, including students, institutions, citizens, civil society organizations, water managers and local administrations.
Originating in Canada 13 years ago, the Blue Communities Project emerged through citizen mobilization under the auspices of the Council of Canadians, an organization dedicated to safeguarding human rights and the environment. Since its inception, the Blue Communities movement has expanded beyond Canada, reaching the United States and Europe, and has now extended its reach to Italy.
The project was established with three primary objectives aimed at fostering municipal-level water management as a common resource:
About the Blue Communities project
Key info
- Project location: Torino
- Sector of intervention: Sensibilizzazione sul consumo dell’acqua
- Dates: Da gennaio 2023 a dicembra 2024
- Target: Alunni di istituti scolastici torinesi, tirocinanti universitari, docenti e cittadinanza
- Skills development: Sensibilizzazione sul consumo dell’acqua, consapevolezza trasversale sulla risorsa idrica
e sull’impronta idrica, concetto di acqua virtuale.
For who
Beneficiaries
The project ultimately benefits the entire targeted community, as it is structured as a public intervention. More specifically, the main beneficiaries are:
- High school students
- University students
- Teachers and Professors
- The local citizens
ll progetto ha la durata di 24 mesi ed è finanziato dall’Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (AICS) con codice AID 012618/04/1.
Description of the project
Why? For whom and through which interventions?
About the context
H4O’s involvement in the Blue Communities Project draws from its extensive experience gained through water provision projects initiated in Madagascar since 2018. These initiatives aim to address the critical issue of clean water accessibility. Utilizing this expertise, H4O is equipped to offer training on water conservation and exemplify the collective impact of individual actions, tackling the pressing challenge of water scarcity in Madagascar.
In practical terms, H4O conducts interactive educational programs within select schools in Turin. These programs target high and middle school students, imparting an understanding of the global significance and value of water. Special emphasis is placed on topics such as the water footprint of food and the promotion of sustainable practices.
For these educational initiatives, H4O collaborates with professionals both within the organization and academic institutions like the Politecnico of Turin. Additionally, H4O intends to establish internship opportunities for four university students, two from scientific disciplines and two from humanities backgrounds. These internships aim to familiarize participants with the organization’s values, sustainability themes, and the most innovative methods to promote the growth of the Blue Community and the dissemination of best practices.
The goal is to cultivate a community of students who, through participation in project activities, develop a heightened awareness of water resources and the environmental impact of food production
Core activities
- Collaboration in defining the content and educational objectives of the courses and organizing an in-person workshop in Turin.
- Participation in the development of common guidelines for promoting the proposal in schools, designing the educational pathway, monitoring, and evaluation.
- Promotion of the involvement of teachers and target schools in the Turin area.
- Organization and management of educational pathways in selected schools in Turin.
- Activation of internship programs for university students.
- Creation of two events at the end of the educational program involving local stakeholders, interns, major stakeholders in the water sector, and the community.
- Participation in the development and dissemination of the Civic Consultation in Piedmont.
- Dissemination of thematic reports in Piedmont.
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