The new school year has just started but for us it is also time for endings and reflection. Joining the reports of our EVS volunteers who are finishing their project in this period, we would like to share the results of another succesful project of this year: Think Global, Act Local. #throwback #march2019 #erasmusplus

In the youth exchange Think Global, Act Local young people from four countries, Malta, Hungary, Czech Republic and Italy joined forces to think about the topics: how to keep alive old places, preserve cultural heritage and rural environments, deal with the issues of aging communities and sustainability.

They were curious how (slow) life is present in the Italian countryside, make comparison to their local realities and find together possible ways of presentations for their stories and solutions for the challenges. They observed Sermugnano and its surroundings wandering around with open eyes and open heart which opened (literally!) doors for them. They talked to the habitants who shared personal stories with them. One of the best moments of the week, the intercultural evening became a real meeting between local old people and our “young storytellers”. They exchanged typical national dishes in an apericena which was followed by the presentation of the videos, photos, projects and short stories created by the participants throughout the week.

In the followings we are proudly presenting a few of these stories created by the participants in international groups:

• Stories in the details: In the participants’ short stories seemingly everyday details, doors, city lights and the landscape itself have come to (a very curious!) life. Fantasy or reality? A great literature example of how the same place can inspire different interpretations. Read the misterious and atmospheric stories here and here, you will feel like walking on the streets of Sermugnano personally.
• MR NOBODY Creativity, research and ideas for improvement. In the two projects of “MR NOBODY” participants studied the relationship between Sermugnano, the nearby towns and bigger cities. After analyzing needs and potential of the places they came to the conclusion: a signed, colourful and well designed viewpoint in Castiglione in Teverina could attract more attention to Sermugnano. Secondly, the peaceful environment of Sermugnano could create a real idyll in a busy, urban context. And where is the place where people could not avoid noticing it? In a public toilet! We can imagine the Belvedere on the walls, cicada and birds singing in the background. After this experience, city people may want to escape to Sermugnano for a relaxing weekend.

• Interview with Sauro The video interview with Sauro, the barman of the local “community space” is definitely one of the best examples of using digital for telling personal stories. The participants after the interview was ready went to visit him, showed the video to him and to his wife: it was an emotional moment.

The upper projects are a few good examples of the fruitful, inspiring work done by the participants of the youth exchange. The means and approach may differ but one point was definitely in common: cooperation. Everybody participated and added his/her best knowledge and expertise: journalistic skills, digital competence, foreign languages, translation, communication, writing, editing, public speaking, presentation etc. We hope that through this teamwork everybody could take home a part of Sermugnano, a deeper understanding of the importance of rural communities and a few ideas for how to preserve them.

written by: Lilla Gosi