Yesterday, at the Auditorium Comunale “E. Toto” in Campoli Appennino, the inaugural event of the European project MOVES - Mountain Voices for Engaged and Sustainable Democracy, promoted by ANCI Lazio as part of the CERV programme.
The initiative represented a first public discussion dedicated to the challenges and opportunities of mountain areas, with the aim of strengthening civic participation and dialogue between citizens and local institutions.
Opening the proceedings was Luca Masi, Secretary General of ANCI Lazio, who illustrated the aims of the project and the Association's role in its implementation. This was followed by institutional greetings from the Mayor of Campoli Appennino, who kicked off the day.
The MOVES project, implemented in partnership with European organisations, was set up to combat democratic disengagement and promote more inclusive participation in inland and mountainous areas, which are often characterised by depopulation, difficulties in accessing services and exclusion of certain sections of the population .
During the event, the project initiative was presented in detail, followed by a central moment of active involvement of the participants through a real-time interactive digital survey, which allowed for the collection of opinions, critical issues and perceived needs in mountain territories.
A number of key issues emerged particularly clearly from the participatory activity, including difficulties in accessing essential services - particularly health and infrastructure -, employment opportunities and prospects for young people, the issue of quality of life and combating depopulation, as well as the role of civic participation and representation in local contexts.
The forum was attended by citizens, local administrators, representatives of the associative world and young people, encouraging a direct and structured discussion on the main challenges facing mountain communities.
This was followed by the presentation of the research “Local Ecosystems between Tradition and Transformation”, carried out by the Frosinone-Latina Chamber of Commerce and the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, which offered a further contribution to analysis on the development of inland areas.
The day ended with an open discussion on the results of the questionnaire, which will form the basis for the next stages of the project.
The event was in fact the starting point of a broader path that will lead to the co-design of concrete solutions, developed together with citizens, institutions and local stakeholders, with the aim of strengthening participatory governance and supporting the development of mountain areas.
