BRIDGES - From participation to sharing
"BRIDGES has also taught me a way of building up these events, one that provides for strong collective participation, but is nevertheless efficient and organised and is not taken for granted", says Paola Pivetta, director of the association "Il Colle" and "Rete di Solidarietà del Quartiere 5". She ends her video interview sharing her own experiences with the European project BRIDGES (Building Relationships and Integration by Developing local Groups and Enhancing Solidarity), which was set up with the aim of social cohesion of the community in District 5 of Florence, where it has built up a strong network between the associations involved to date.
But how has it been possible, in concrete terms, to make this network possible? From the words of the participants - you can find all the video interviews on our Facebook page - it is clear that the methodology is a fundamental and specific aspect of the BRIDGES project. It is considered to be of great added value.
Annalisa Morali about the BRIDGES methodology: "What has left an excellent impression on me and what has shaped me is the way these events have been set up. It was a very integrative method in which we were the real protagonists and not just executors. Everyone said what they wanted to do and what they could do, and everyone had the time and the opportunity to better express the specificities of their country".
As can be seen from the quotations of the members of the BRIDGES project, the methodology of the project for the construction of the events is realized the moment the call to the "construction tables" is sent to the associations of the network. On the occasion of the "build-up tables", the representatives of the associations gather to discuss and face the implementation of the event.
Each association offers its contribution in the form of competences and resources, as Patricia, director of the association "Colombia ES", reports: "Each person has a specific role in the project". A participatory debate takes place, in which the criteria for co-constructing the activities to be carried out during the event are jointly defined, always with the aim of our project: the social cohesion of the community. At the end of the debate, each association makes a proposal to offer its contribution to the event, that is, the activity: "Everyone should be aware of their role and the role they have to play" (Maria Fernanda, "Colombia ES"). Once all the activities to be carried out have been defined, the group of "BRIDGES Event Builders" is ready to complete all the actions necessary for the implementation (e.g. material procurement, survey, definition of roles) and to meet a second time if necessary.
Therefore, what emerges from the interviews with those who have participated in the construction of the events so far, what has been crystallised and collected, provides information on how and to what extent the methodology applied by BRIDGES allows for a rigorous working method. Furthermore, it was found that the way BRIDGES is implemented works; it works well in terms of social cohesion, i.e. the - effective - pursuit of the BRIDGES objective.
"We have learned how important it is to cooperate with other cultural institutions, other associations, and we have also learned a method, a way of working with these institutions - said Anna Flamini from the association "Con lo sguardo di Filippo" - I think it is a very important thing and for us a start for future projects" and "I think it is a treasure to share with others" (Annalisa Morali, "Gruppo 334 - Insieme per Brozzi").