HiCoMa Online Job Fair 2025
“New Professional Profiles for the Sustainability of Rural and Mountain Areas”
📅 2 December 2025 – 11:00 CET
🌐 Working language: Spanish
💼 Final event of the HiCoMa professional training course

🎯 About the Event

The HiCoMa project is pleased to present its official Online Job Fair, bringing together rural development practitioners, local authorities, community managers, and organisations working across Europe’s mountain and rural regions.

This Job Fair is part of the final training phase of the HiCoMa – Highlands Community Manager project, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, which aims to train professionals capable of managing participatory processes, local development initiatives, and innovative territorial governance models.

🔍 Key Topics Discussed

• Emerging professional profiles for rural and highland development

• Competencies required for modern community managers

• Innovation and sustainability in remote territories

• Digital tools and remote collaboration

• Youth engagement, social inclusion & participatory governance

• Networking between learners and organisations

• Labour market needs in rural Europe

👥 Participating Organisations

This Job Fair featured insights and interventions from organisations active in rural innovation:

• CREA 360 SL (Spain)

• Mancomunitat El Xarpolar (Spain)

• University of Alicante – Master’s in Local Development and Territorial Innovation (Spain)

• ADICOVER – Cáceres (Spain)

• FEMUR / GAL Tierras del Cid – Segovia (Spain)

• CREA Centro Ricerche EtnoAntropologiche (Italy) 

• A2030 Social Innovation Designers (Italy) 

• SE POATE (Romania) 

learners from Spain, Italy, Romania, and other countries attended the Job Fair as part of their official HiCoMa training pathway.

🧭 What is HiCoMa?

HiCoMa – Highlands Community Manager is an Erasmus+ project (2023–2026) designed to strengthen professional skills for rural development practitioners.
It focuses on:

• Multi-stakeholder governance

• Participatory design & civic engagement

• Sustainable rural development

• Digital tools & remote collaboration

• Cultural heritage & local economies

• Skills for labour market integration in rural areas

HiCoMa develops:
✔ A complete online training course
✔ A Handbook & Toolkit for professionals
✔ A transnational network of rural development experts
✔ A certification pathway through Europass

📘 Learn more in the official Project Summary www.hicoma.eu

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS

00:00 – Opening & Technical Instructions
02:30 – Welcome by Fabio Malfatti (CREA APS)
05:20 – Introduction to the HiCoMa Project
10:15 – Presentation of Participating Organisations
22:40 – Panel 1: New Professional Profiles
38:50 – Panel 2: Skills for Rural Sustainability
52:10 – Q&A Session
58:30 – Final Remarks & Call to Action
59:45 – Closing

📣 CALL TO ACTION

👉 Register for the HiCoMa online course & Europass certification:
www.hicoma.eu

👉 Follow the project updates on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
👉 Contact the partnership to join as a student, stakeholder, expert, or media partner.

 On 25 October 2025, the HiCoMa project — Highlands Community Manager, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme — held the Round Table “Youth Employment and Rural Entrepreneurship”, the final live meeting of the 2025 training cycle.

Moderated by Fabio Malfatti from the Centro Ricerche EtnoAntropologiche APS (Italy), the session brought together experts, youth trainers, and community practitioners to explore how to create employment, innovation, and long-term opportunities for young people in Europe’s rural and mountain areas.

During the discussion, speakers shared practical examples and strategies related to:

• Youth entrepreneurship & territorial regeneration

• Social enterprises and cooperative models

• Training, mentoring and participation

• Digital tools & European networks

• The role of creativity, volunteering and non-formal education
  
  

With contributions from Patrizia Loiola (For Coop Cora, Italy) and Anamaria Moisa (Asociatia Se Poate!, Romania), the Round Table highlighted how art, storytelling and community-based learning can help young people build confidence, autonomy and a sense of belonging.

The HiCoMa project — which has followed five key themes (Community Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Digital Skills, Environmental Sustainability, and Youth Inclusion) — now opens its asynchronous participation phase, with all recorded Round Tables and Key Lessons available on the Learning Platform:
👉 https://www.hicoma.eu/learning-platform

📅 Upcoming Events

• 3 December 2025 – Job Fair with Public Institutions

• 10 December 2025 – Job Fair with Entrepreneurs & Private Sector

• January 2026 – Final Closing Event in Italy

🎓 Participants can still complete the course and obtain the Europass Certificate of Highlands Community Manager by 20 January 2026.

 📅 Thursday 23 october 2025 – 🕕 18:00 CEST
💻 Link to Zoom recording: with automated synthesis and translation. 

Link to YouTube recording Round Table: Youth Employment and Rural Entrepreneurship 

 Language: Italian (with translated subtitles) 

About this session

The final roundtable meeting for the Highland Community Manager Erasmus Plus project focused on training and certifying community managers for rural areas, with discussions centred on youth engagement, social inclusivity, and rural entrepreneurship. Three experts shared their experiences in rural innovation, youth entrepreneurship, and technology implementation, highlighting successful initiatives and strategies for connecting young people with rural development opportunities. The conversation ended with discussions about leveraging technology and innovation to revitalise rural areas, including ideas for tourism enhancement and creating networking opportunities between rural communities.

Our Panelists

🎙️ Speakers: 

• Marina Milanović, (Serbia)  EU Projects Consultant & President of Digital Decanters | Promoting rural innovation and youth entrepreneurship across Europe

• Simone Klinkon, (Italy)  Technology Consultant, Founder of SMAS APS and creator of the Fiera dell’Innovazione di Sovramonte, promoting tech innovation in rural and mountain areas.

• Javier Expósito: (Spain) Founder of Exportory & Alvacor | President of ASED NGO | Expert in Internationalisation, Vocational Training & Rural Innovation

 📅 Thursday 16 September 2025 – 🕕 18:00 CEST
💻 Zoom HiCoMa: Cultural programs to promote diversity Recording with multilingual subtitle  

 Language: Italian (with translated subtitles) • Participation: Free (registration required)

About this session

The meeting focused on the Highland Community Manager Project, a training program funded by Erasmus+ that emphasizes youth engagement and social inclusion through participatory processes. Presentations were given by Marco Basi and Lorenzo Chi discussing the importance of social science in managing highland areas and the role of Indigenous communities in conservation efforts, along with examples from the Transistor project in Italy. The discussion explored challenges and strategies for connecting different age groups and perspectives in rural and urban areas, with emphasis on sustainable involvement and monitoring, while also announcing the reopening of student enrollment for the Europass Highland

Our Panelists

• Lorenzo Ci – Lorenzo designs and leads collective projects that connect culture, environment, and social innovation—from “Valdisieve in Transizione” to Disco Soupe Firenze (community kitchens to reduce food waste) and FacilitArte (creative facilitation). He uses storytelling, grassroots facilitation, and collaborative governance to empower young people, migrants, and underrepresented groups—helping communities to “take care” of their spaces and relations as common goods. Lorenzo also documents these experiences as a filmmaker, amplifying voices from below and showcasing the power of collective action.

• Marco Bassi –ICCA Consortium (www.iccaconsortium.org) is a global network working to recognize, support, and defend territories and areas conserved by Indigenous Peoples and local communities (“territories of life”), promoting governance of common goods for the benefit of both people and nature.  Marco has researched and taught in Europe, Africa, and America—including at Addis Ababa University, Bologna, Oxford, and Johns Hopkins. He is a leading advocate for the rights of minority and pastoralist communities, and for participatory governance of biodiversity and rural heritage.  Former President of the Italian Association for Applied Anthropology (SIAA) and co-director of the journal Antropologia Pubblica, Marco currently brings a European perspective to community-led conservation and social inclusion through his work with the ICCA Consortium.

 📅 Saturday 27 September 2025 – 🕕 18:00 CEST
💻 Environmental Sustainability & Climate Resilience: Renewable Energy and Ecological Transition  Recording with multilingual subtitle 

 Language: Italian (with translated subtitles) • Participation: Free (registration required)

About this session

The conversation ended a month-long Erasmus+ project focused on energy and ecological transition, featuring interactive discussions about renewable energies and environmental sustainability initiatives. Experts presented on various aspects of forest management, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable practices, with particular emphasis on the challenges and opportunities in balancing human needs with ecological considerations. The session concluded with discussions about landscape changes, historical perspectives on eucalyptus plantations, and plans for future youth engagement initiatives focused on traditional ecological knowledge and sustainability.

Our Panelists

• Greca Natascia Meloni – Environmental Anthropologist and researcher at the University of Vienna. Her doctoral work focused on beekeeping and environmental identity in Sardinia and Europe. She investigates relations between humans, pollinators, and plants, and studies how energy projects and invasive species (such as eucalyptus) reshape landscapes and communities.
  
  

• Cristiano Foderi – Researcher at the DAGRI Department, University of Florence, and co-founder of the innovative startup Bluebiloba. He is an expert in wildfire risk management, GIS and drones, and developed Forest Sharing®, a European best practice for collective and sustainable forest management. His work bridges science, technology, and communities.
  
  

• Dragoș Paraschiva – Forest Engineer from Romania, currently with Silvador. He manages large-scale forest properties, including 2,300 hectares under a carbon credit project. He specializes in sustainable forestry, carbon sequestration, and stakeholder engagement, involving communities from beekeepers to sawmills in participatory audits.

 📅 Thursday 18 September 2025 – 🕕 18:00 CEST
🎥  Zoom recording with Smart Chapters: 2025.09.18-RT: Community projects for the conservation of the environment
🎥  Youtube recording with AI Dubbing  2025.09.18-RT: Community projects for the conservation of the environment

 Language: English (with translated subtitles) 

About this session

This HiCoMa Roundtable, brought together experts to discuss environmental sustainability and climate resilience in mountain and coastal systems. The discussion explored interconnected environmental challenges across different landscapes, including the impact of climate change on forests, wildfire management, coastal ecosystem services, and the importance of balancing traditional knowledge with scientific approaches in community engagement. The participants emphasised the need for interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and local communities to address complex environmental issues and promote adaptive strategies for resilience.

🌳 Forests – how shared forest governance, wildfire prevention, and digital tools can help restore and protect ecosystems.
🌊 Marine & Coastal Systems – how mapping ecosystem services reveals nature’s value for communities, from the sea to the highlands.
🌍 Anthropology of Landscapes – how memory, culture, and governance shape community resilience in the face of climate change.

Our Panelists

• Andrew S. Mathews – Professor of Anthropology, UC Santa Cruz. Environmental anthropologist specialising in forests, wildfires, and rural landscapes.

• Silvia Rova – Ecologist & Program Manager, International Centre for Climate Change Research and Studies; researcher at Ca’ Foscari University. Specialist in ecosystem services and climate change scenarios.

Round Table Community Resilience through Agroecology, Food Heritage, and More-than-Human Relations” 

Language:  IT with translated Subtitles

Alessandra Guigoni: emphasized food as a “total social fact”: a cultural totem that shapes identity, cohesion, and sustainable local economies. Through her Sardinian research, she showed how traditional food products and agro-biodiversity can counter depopulation and create new community-based opportunities in tourism and gastronomy.

Greca N. Meloni: introduced the concept of More-than-Humans, stressing the agency of bees and landscapes in co-producing resilience. Beekeeping, she explained, is not just about honey but about regenerating ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, and creating shared landscapes. Bees exemplify cooperation and adaptation in climate-affected territories.

Francesco Di Iacovo: focused on multifunctional agriculture and social farming as tools to strengthen resilience. He highlighted participatory governance, integration of vulnerable groups, and the role of universities as public resources. Community resilience, he argued, depends on inclusive models where institutions, farmers, and citizens cooperate effectively.

Quick summary

The roundtable revealed how agriculture, food, and bees are interconnected pillars of resilience. Guigoni highlighted food heritage as identity and economy, Meloni showed bees as key actors in biodiversity and regeneration, and Di Iacovo stressed participatory social farming. Together, they offered a vision of resilient communities built through human and More-than-Human cooperation.

Recordind Round Table 04/09/2025 Sustainable agricultural practices and agroecology

Language:  IT with translated Subtitles

🌱 Viola Di Tullio led a deep reflection on the relationship between humans and non-humans, highlighting how plants and other elements of the landscape actively shape our ecological and communal vision. A compelling invitation to rethink urban greenery and how we care for it.

🐝 Sara Spissu brought to the table the urgent need for dialogue between biology and society: starting from the case of invasive wasps in Sardinia, she showed how poor environmental communication can spark collective hysteria. A strong call for more ethical and informed science outreach.

🌲 Paolo Varese shared his experience across Italy and France in forest management. He challenged the dualism between "wild" and "domesticated," proposing a vision where traditional practices and innovation work together to protect ecosystems and revitalize local economies.

Quick summary

the meeting focused on environmental sustainability and climate change, with participants discussing agricultural practices, urban greenery, and the impact of invasive species. Experts shared their research and experiences in environmental anthropology, biology, and forestry, exploring the role of community managers in promoting sustainable practices and engaging local communities. The discussion highlighted the importance of participatory projects, active citizenship, and effective communication in addressing environmental challenges, with participants reflecting on the need for shared decision-making processes and ongoing dialogue. 

Round Table 17/07/2025 Round Table AI and Data Management

Language: EN with subtitles

Tamta Mumulaidze, expert in digital tools and founder of innovative agri-tech initiatives in Georgia;

Tamta Mumulaidze Slide

Alfiya Cayumova, CEO and founder of Green Growth, with experience in data-driven decision-making for sustainable agriculture;

Adrian Olteanu, Student in AI engineer and researcher from Romania and the Netherlands, with a focus on applications of AI for autonomous farms and rural support systems."

Quick summary

The Roundtable focused on exploring AI and data management applications in rural agriculture, with participants from Georgia, Romania, and Latvia sharing insights about various technological solutions and their implementation challenges. The discussion covered demographic challenges in agriculture, including an ageing workforce and the need to attract younger generations, while addressing concerns about traditional farmers' resistance to technological changes and the importance of preserving local knowledge while adopting modern innovations. The conversation ended with discussions about developing AI-based solutions for polyculture agriculture and the need for collaboration between different expertise areas to create inclusive and accessible digital platforms for farmers.

Full Summary

The Tuesday 17th Roundtable for Highland Community Manager Project began with Fabio welcoming participants and explaining that the session would be recorded. He noted that this was the third roundtable of the month and mentioned that the next key lesson would take place on the 26th. Participants were reminded to turn off their cameras if they did not want to be recorded and to change their names if necessary, as this was an informal session.

AI for Rural Agriculture Innovation

The meeting focused on AI and data management in rural agriculture, with speakers from Georgia, Romania, and Latvia sharing insights. Tamta from Georgia presented Agronapsis, a platform developed by the Georgian Farmers Association to support farmers with AI-driven crop suggestions. Adrian from Romania discussed the use of AI in small-scale farming, highlighting crop monitoring, soil management, and smart machinery. Alfiya from Latvia, who has experience with autonomous driving systems for agriculture, emphasized the potential of AI to improve efficiency and reduce costs in farming. The discussion aimed to explore how these technologies can benefit small family farmers in rural areas.

AI in Agriculture: Challenges and Solutions

Alfiya discussed the challenges of implementing AI in agriculture, emphasizing the need for data collection and analysis to develop practical tools that address farmers' specific needs. She highlighted the importance of gathering yield data from various crops to create effective AI solutions. Fabio agreed with Alfiya's perspective, adding that climate change requires integrating traditional and new knowledge, as well as improving digital literacy among farmers. Tamta suggested involving the youth generation in modernising agriculture through digital tools, given their familiarity with technology, which is particularly relevant in Georgia's ageing agricultural workforce.

AI Integration in Traditional Farming

The group discussed strategies for integrating AI and technology into traditional farming methods, with Adrian suggesting a hybrid approach that automates certain processes to minimize direct interaction with older farmers while preparing for future AI adoption. Alfiya highlighted the demographic challenge in European agriculture, noting that 35% of farmers are over 65, and shared EIT's research findings about young people's reluctance to enter the sector due to perceptions of hard work, isolation, and limited financial opportunities. The discussion concluded with Alfiya emphasizing the need to transform the older generation's mindset to view agriculture as a business rather than a heritage practice, leveraging climate change as a driver for adopting more efficient methods.

Italian Agriculture Demographic Challenges

The group discussed demographic challenges in Italian agriculture, where Fabio explained that in 30 years, there will be approximately 300,000 people over the age of 60, leading to an aging population and abandoned landscapes. Tamta suggested mixing traditional and modern sectors like green tech and agritech to attract younger generations, while Adrian raised concerns about traditional farmers potentially resisting technological changes. Alfiya and Fabio agreed that change is necessary to adapt to modern realities, though some traditional farmers may need to transition out of agriculture, and the project aims to combine traditional knowledge with scientific innovation.

Overcoming Skepticism in Agri-Technologies

The group discussed challenges in adopting modern agricultural technologies, particularly among skeptical farmers. Tamta highlighted the need for more trust and confidence in technology, noting that Georgia faces difficulties in data collection due to its diverse regions. They explored how AI models and existing tools like ChatGPT could help optimize knowledge exchange and farming practices. The conversation also touched on the importance of education and marketing solutions to promote technological adoption in rural areas, with Fabio and Adrian agreeing that overcoming skepticism would be a significant hurdle in implementing new agricultural innovations.

AI-Driven Local Farming Solutions

The group discussed developing a local farming knowledge transmission system using AI and data collection. Adrian proposed creating a chatbot-based solution that would leverage local data sources, including satellite imagery and sensors, to provide area-specific farming advice. Alfiya emphasized that their role is to provide tools and engage with farmers rather than push them towards digital farming, while Fabio stressed the importance of respecting local traditions and involving farmers in the conversation about farming practices.

AI in Polyculture Agriculture Challenges

The group discussed the role of AI in polyculture agriculture, with Alfiya and Adrian agreeing that while AI could help manage the complexity of multiple crops, there was a significant lack of data for training models due to the scarcity of open datasets for intercropped fields. Fabio highlighted that while there was historical data from the 1950s on polycultures, it needed to be translated into a format usable by AI systems. The conversation ended with Fabio emphasizing the need for collaboration between AI experts, anthropologists, agronomists, and foresters, while also stressing the importance of inclusivity and simplicity in digital platforms, with the next meeting scheduled for the last Saturday of July to close the key lesson session.

Round Table 10/07/2025 Digital Tools & Remote Collaboration in Rural Areas

Language: EN with subtitles

Tina Koler : Legal expert and consultant empowering local communities through participatory planning and rural-urban innovation. At HiCoMa, she supports sustainable growth by equipping Community Managers to lead inclusive, place-based development.

Koembiya Malfatti Gutierrez  social entrepreneur addressing Bolivia’s digital divide through rural internet initiatives. With 29 years of experience, she champions connectivity as a tool for equity, empowering underserved communities with access to education and economic opportunities.

Round Table 03/07/2025 →  Web & Territorial Marketing
Language: IT with subtitles

Giorgia Carati Tourism strategist and cultural bridge-builder. At Life Beyond Tourism, she transforms storytelling and heritage into tools for dialogue, community empowerment, and sustainable cooperation across Europe, the Caucasus, and Africa.

Alvise Nicoletti Founder & CEO of ELAN42, where creativity meets code. From freelance roots to digital lab: we design strategies, host dreams & build digital futures. 🚀

Sara Micheletti Documentary photographer blending empathy and participation to tell stories of rural and mountain communities. Her work connects art, education, and territory to spark memory and future possibilities.

Key-Lesson#2  replay (28 giu 2025) →  Entrepreneurial & Economic Development

📝 Description

🟢 Welcome to the second HiCoMa Key Lesson: Entrepreneurial & Economic Development. In this 120-minute online session, we explore sustainable business models, regenerative economies, and collaborative development strategies for rural and mountain areas across Europe.

🎯 What you'll discover in this video:
✔️ How transnational entrepreneurship supports rural resilience
✔️ Best practices from Italy, Portugal, Romania – and a special youth-led project from Venice
✔️ How cooperatives, digital storytelling, and participatory governance drive local change

👥 Speakers & Contributors:
🔹 Paolo Licata – Managing Director, Clover Venture (Italy)
🔹 Oana Ivan – Anthropologist & Documentary Filmmaker (Romania)
🔹 Miguel Carneiro – Entrepreneur & Ex-Mayor, CEO Crius Consulting (Portugal)
🔹 Isabella Mavella – Founder of SMAPS | Sustainable Maps (Venice, Italy)

💡 This KeyLesson is part of the European project HiCoMa – Highland Community Managers, funded by Erasmus+. The project aims to train new professionals who can lead participatory processes and regenerative development in rural and highland areas.

📌 Learn more about SMAPS – the project mapping hidden and sustainable places in Venice:
https://www.greenereu.com/it/maps

📚 Chapters – See below to jump directly to sections!

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction (Fabio Malfatti, CREA APS)

05:30 – Icebreaker: What inspired your journey?

12:40 – Round 1: Who are you & Why this path? (Paolo, Oana, Miguel)

32:00 – Round 2: Case Studies & Best Practices

  - Clover Venture & Agriculture Resilience (Paolo)

  - Visual Anthropology & Protected Areas (Oana)

  - Green Innovation & Policy (Miguel)

58:30 – Round 3: Ingredients for Territorial Collaboration

75:10 – Mini Workshop: Toolkit for Regenerative Business

85:40 – 🎓 *Key Study*: Isabella Mavella presents SMAPS (Venice)

91:00 – Q&A with the Audience

110:20 – Final Reflections: What would you repeat or change?

116:00 – Wrap-up & Call to Action

Round Table 19/06/2025 → Territorial marketing and digitalisation.
Language: IT with subtitles 

• Podcast syntesys (6-12min') :   🇬🇧 UK    🇮🇹 IT   🇷🇴 RO  🇪🇸 SP (download)
  
  The roundtable discussion focused on territorial marketing and digitalisation, with speakers sharing insights on promoting areas while avoiding common pitfalls. Fabio introduced the key lesson on entrepreneurial and economic development, highlighting the importance of understanding each area's vocation. The speakers included :
  Francesco Bravin, an anthropologist and tour leader;
  Isabella Mavella, founder of a Berlin-based green startup;
  Maddalena Rozza, an anthropologist and sustainable tourism expert;
  Alina Stroe, who empowers SMEs through strategic funding solutions.
  
  The discussion aimed to explore good and bad practices in territorial marketing, with Isabella Mavella scheduled to speak next about her work with maps and sustainability.

Round Table 19/06/2025 → Round Table: Cooperative models and economic governance
Language: IT with subtitles 

• Podcast syntesys (6-12min') :   🇬🇧 UK    🇮🇹 IT   🇷🇴 RO  🇪🇸 SP (download)

The meeting focused on addressing the problems of depopulation and land abandonment in rural and mountain areas through innovative solutions and community engagement. Four speakers presented their experience in rural development, agriculture, cultural heritage, and social-media-based storytelling. The discussions explored the practical challenges of implementing actions in forestry, organic farming, and tourism promotion, highlighting the importance of collaboration, communication, and territorial marketing to improve local development.

The group examined various initiatives and projects aimed at promoting local culture, products, and sustainable practices, with a special focus on engaging younger generations and strengthening the agricultural civil service.

Speakers:
Giovanni Ciniero:
Jacopo Goracci: 
Marianna Vianello
Aronne Santorella  

Syntesis en español (6-12min') :

Key-Lesson (31 May) →  Community Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement
Key Topics: 

• Community and stakeholders' engagement 

• Participatory processes

• Conflict prevention
  Link to presented slides
  
  Welcome to the first Key Lesson of the HiCoMa – Highland Community Manager course, funded by Erasmus+.
  This session, held on 31 May 2025, introduces the core foundations of community leadership, participatory processes, and stakeholder engagement in rural and highland areas.

🔹 The webinar gathers voices from Spain, Italy, Romania and beyond
🔹 Includes practical insights, heritage-based community work, youth engagement, conflict mediation
🔹 Opens the official HiCoMa training cycle (May–October 2025)

Speakers (as appearing in the session):

• Fabio Malfatti, Project Manager HiCoMa / CREA APS (Italy)

• Francisco Sellés Sanchis, Mayor of Beniarrés & President of Mancomunidad Xarpolar (Spain)

• Adriana Scripcariu, Cultural Heritage Expert & Piscu School Museum (Romania)

• Alberto Lorente Saiz, CREA 360 SL (Spain)

• Andrea Facchin, Trainer in Non-Violent Conflict Management (Italy)

• Anamaria Moisa, SE POATE! (Romania)

🌍 About this Key Lesson

This first Key Lesson opens the HiCoMa training by establishing:

• Why a common language is essential for rural & highland development

• Tools and attitudes for effective stakeholder engagement

• The role of cultural heritage in building resilient local identities

• How to involve youth using shared communication frameworks

• Approaches to conflict management and latent conflicts

• Participatory governance as a long-term capacity

📝 As stated during the session:

“Knowledge is the only good that multiplies when shared.” – Fabio Malfatti

🧰 Access slides, recordings & toolbox

All materials are available on the HiCoMa Learning Platform:
https://www.hicoma.eu/learning-platform

Direct links shared during the webinar:

• Slides & materials: https://www.hicoma.eu/learning-platform/materials

• Webinar recordings archive: https://www.hicoma.eu/learning-platform/webinar-recordings

• Social networks:
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/highland-community-manager/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HighlandsCommunityManager
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hicoma.eu/
  
  

🗓️ Upcoming appointments (as announced)

June 5 – Business Development & Financing Strategies
June 12 – Cooperative Models & Economic Governance
June 19 – Territorial and Digital Marketing Strategies
June 28 – Key Lesson #2 (Entrepreneurship & Economic Development)

🕒 CHAPTERS (TIMESTAMPS)

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction (Fabio Malfatti)
02:12 – Why a Common Language for Rural Development
05:40 – Icebreaker Activity (A. Moisa)
10:22 – Official Opening by Mayor Francisco Sellés Sanchis
14:15 – Case Study Presentation: Piscu School Museum (A. Scripcariu)
24:50 – Cultural Heritage & Community Identity
31:40 – Youth Engagement & Nonviolent Communication (Andrea Facchin)
40:10 – Participatory Tools & Stakeholder Analysis (A. Lorente Saiz)
50:00 – Q&A Round
1:02:00 – Closing Remarks & Next Steps (F. Malfatti)

Round-table replay (22 May) →  Tools and Strategies for Effective Participation and Conflict management https://zoom.us/rec/share/BgOouDLfy_WjKc7pYct0rhA7plsQvkwzQbguFY0vzh2cdHnL2KHiB4CZfPjMdGSX.fg5ZKKiusDKr0PeP

Slide: Non violent approach to conflict management

SCHEME FOR CONFLICT ANALYSIS

Round-table replay (15 May) – “Understanding Participation in Rural & Highland Areas” → https://zoom.us/rec/share/KeljcsWtYki4_gcw1zLLN0C6wZJqhWJDfcJur-RwRqpaIzAVNdS0KOe7Y3Cinbbg.74E7lj98CocvVZ91

HiCoMa – Highlands Community Managers
Roundtable #1 – Understanding Participation in Rural and Highland Areas
Event Date: 15 May 2025

This recorded roundtable marks the beginning of the thematic cycle on Community Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement, leading to the Key Lesson of 31 May.

Moderated by Fabio Malfatti (CREA – Centro Ricerche EtnoAntropologiche APS), the session explores the challenges and opportunities of participation in rural and highland territories across Europe and beyond.

Speakers share concrete experiences from:

• Pontremoli (Italy) – Start Work community and smart-working repopulation

• Venice (Italy) – Cultural participation and TEDx-driven community building

• South Africa – Post-apartheid participatory housing processes

• Remote workers integration, multi-stakeholder governance, trust-building,
  and community activation through youth engagement
  
  

Main Topics Discussed
• How to build trust between local communities and newcomers
• Volunteer-based governance and community maturity
• Youth involvement as a catalyst for participation
• Managing conflicts and diversity in multi-stakeholder environments
• Housing challenges, tourism pressure, and temporary residents
• The role of conviviality, local leadership, and shared values
• How to activate communities in contexts of low institutional trust

This roundtable is part of the Erasmus+ HiCoMa project (2023-2-ES01-KA210-VET-000182584),
dedicated to developing a new professional profile: the Highland Community Manager.

👉 Join the HiCoMa community
Website: https://www.hicoma.eu
Newsletter: https://www.hicoma.eu/newsletter
Apply as Student / Expert / Stakeholder: https://www.hicoma.eu/learning-platform

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA.

Course presentation (8 May) → https://zoom.us/rec/share/hMlRzvlRTPG7spQMxnvDuNRgYaDnds8-Qq3R0Q1-oLIWNoQO5vEj_yZ0e8y1kXQa.KtxeVuPou8VDc7HK

On May 8th, 2025, the HiCoMa partnership hosted an international webinar to introduce the HiCoMa Project: Highland Community Manager – Professionals Building Community Resilience and Innovation in Rural Areas. The event gathered project partners, rural development professionals, and community leaders from across Europe to explore the role of community managers in remote and highland areas.

Speakers presented:

• The vision and goals of the project

• Challenges and opportunities in marginal rural areas

• Community engagement models and inclusive practices

• Partner organizations and local initiatives

• Preliminary training and research results, including needs analysis and pilot actions

📌 The webinar also highlighted upcoming opportunities to participate in the online course for Highland Community Managers and encouraged dialogue between European rural stakeholders.

📍Key Topics:

• Participatory engagement in vulnerable areas

• Youth involvement and women's empowerment

• Community-based project design

• Case studies from Romania, Italy, and beyond

🎥 Rewatch the full video and explore the inspiring journey toward inclusive rural development.