Building the Future of Mountain Communities Together

HiCoMa – Final Key Lesson 25 October 2025
Building the Future of Mountain Communities Together

On 25 October 2025, the HiCoMa project — Highlands Community Manager, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme — celebrated its final Key Lesson, marking the conclusion of a six-month journey dedicated to strengthening the skills, connections, and creativity of professionals working in Europe’s rural and highland areas.

Moderated by Fabio Malfatti, Project Manager of the Centro Ricerche EtnoAntropologiche APS, the event gathered participants from across Europe for a dynamic reflection on this month’s theme: Youth Engagement & Social Inclusion.

“Our goal was ambitious yet simple: to empower professionals to help communities help themselves,”
said Malfatti in his opening remarks. “HiCoMa was built from the ground up — through field research, interviews, and collaboration with people who live and work in the territories we aim to support.”

From Leadership to Inclusion: A Journey Across Five Key Themes

Since its launch in May, HiCoMa has explored five interconnected dimensions of community management:

• May – Community Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement
  Building trust and shared governance for resilient territories.

• June – Entrepreneurial & Economic Development
  Promoting cooperative models and social innovation to generate local opportunities.

• July – Digital Competence & Remote Work
  Using technology to connect professionals and attract new residents to mountain areas.

• September – Environmental Sustainability & Climate Resilience
  Balancing livelihoods and ecosystems in the face of climate change.

• October – Youth Engagement & Social Inclusion
  Designing new ways to involve young people and migrants in shaping the future of their communities.

Each topic was explored through round tables and key lessons, connecting experts, students, and practitioners from Italy, Spain, Romania, and beyond. The result: a vibrant learning network where practical examples became catalysts for innovation.

Highlights from the Final Lesson

The October session featured speakers Patrizia Loiola (For Coop Cora, Italy) and Anamaria Moisa (Asociatia Se Poate!, Romania), who shared concrete experiences of education, creativity, and participation as drivers of social regeneration.

Participants reflected on how local art, non-formal education, and volunteering can build self-esteem, autonomy, and a renewed sense of belonging among youth in both rural and urban contexts.

Special guest Arisara Jaktreemongkol from the Mae Fah Luang Foundation (Thailand) also attended as an observer, sharing documentation on the Foundation’s educational tools such as the Sustainable Settlement Game, a creative example of how learning through play can inspire community development worldwide.

What Comes Next

The HiCoMa journey does not end here.
Participants can still complete the training path asynchronously and obtain the official Europass Certificate of Highlands Community Manager by 20 January 2026.

Two online Job Fairs will follow in December:

• 3 December: Institutions & public sector

• 10 December: Entrepreneurs & private initiatives

Finally, the closing event will take place in Italy at the end of January 2026, gathering all partners and learners to share outcomes and future collaborations.

A Community That Continues to Grow

The final Key Lesson closed with a shared conviction: the future of Europe’s highlands depends on collaboration, creativity, and care.
What began as a small Erasmus+ partnership has now become a transnational community of practice — a network of professionals ready to co-design the next generation of sustainable, inclusive, and resilient mountain territories.

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