Soziale Innovationen gemeinwohlorientierter nachhaltiger Landnutzung Erasmus Project

Project Title

Soziale Innovationen gemeinwohlorientierter nachhaltiger Landnutzung

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Rural development and urbanisation; Regional dimension and cooperation; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

Many regions of Europe are in desperate need for economic sustainability in order to increase their resilience, stabilise municipalities, to offer prospects and create employment. Emigration and diminution must be stopped, exclusion and poverty encountered, as well as inclusion and equal opportunities ensured. The initiatives for food sovereignty emerging in many European municipalities may offer and outlook on how to meet those needs: regional circulation and enhanced cooperation between rural and urban areas shall open up new perspectives, increase the attractiveness of concerning regions, reduce their dependence from the global flow of commodities and thereby strengthen their resilience.
The SIGNAL project was therefore created to connect and exchange between approaches of regional economic activity, social inventions and cooperation under the aspect of the food system in order to impart cross-national knowledge about approaches of regional production and commercialization which are taking place all over different areas mostly carried by civil commitment for the greater good and hence fructify regions.
SIGNAL was meant to take up on the educational work of the five partner organizations, as well as two constructive common partnerships (Grundtvig und Leonardo). SPES Zukunftsakadamie took part in representation of Austria. Elles Bulder, an enterprise focusing on research and promotion of rural development, participated for the Netherlands. Poland was represented by Stiftung AgriNatura which is a foundation involved in sustainable development and biological diversity. Germany attended the project through the Federal association of the regional movement and Netzwerk Zukunft Sachsen-Anhalt e.V., an association to enhance network in the field of regionality and sustainability. All partners perceive themselves as establishments for counselling and education to contemplate on how to reinforce structurally weak area or laggard regions by means of ecologically and socially sustainable development.
Furthermore, various initiatives for regional economy partook in three reunions of the partner organizations in Borgentreich (G), Scheemda (NL) and Vienna (AU) to exchange on successful practices. They were invited to hold presentations or host excursions and gave report about their achievements and challenges along the way of working hand in hand with citizens using cooperative strategies of regional economy. Since there were no reunions to take place in Poland, polish initiatives were given extra space to present themselves during the three reunions.
SIGNAL significantly contributed to enhance networking between partner organizations and engaged networks. The results and expertise could have been implemented in seminars at the university of Groningen, during the Netzwerk21-Kongress (G) and within regional events. The strategies of regional economy to work towards the Greater Good were received with great interest, as in step with actual practice and motivating. In order to arrange for sustainable results in the long run the Curriculum has been developed, which includes a presentation of all initiatives, a catalogue of contributors, a dictionary and PR guidelines, to complement the Curriculum of the Erasmus+-Projects BIEP in a reasonable way. The Curriculum can now serve as outline for main information and assistance to people who are interested in setting up their own initiative. Since all approaches are meant to work out in cooperation they offer many possibilities to address and engage rather uninvolved citizens to make them participate and have them shape the projects just as well. The Curriculum can also serve organizations for adult education, municipalities, regions etc. to support them in their work effort. All the results can be retrieved (in German) on the web page of the project at no charge.
The SIGNAL participants concluded inter alia that “it would be of great use to entertain an active exchange between such projects in different countries” and that “education through practical learning is of great worth”. The “Servicestelle Garteln” has been perceived as “a good example of an ecological research institute that supports practical implementation and can easily be transferred to other places, cities or even countries”. The “Regionalwert AG” has been evaluated as a reasonable and ecologically worthwhile cooperation between producers and consumers which furthermore contributes to regional creation of value and development. A great opportunity to protect the environment through food sovereignty.” “ GeLa Ochsenherz is an excellent example of holistic approach to farming” which could also be used in the Netherlands. SIGNAL made for everyone to expand individual knowledge, to get in closer contact to each other and to effectively explore their own and other regions of Europe.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 49800 Eur

Project Coordinator

Netzwerk Zukunft Sachsen-Anhalt e.V. & Country: DE

Project Partners

• SPES GMBH
• Bundesverband der Regionalbewegung
• Fundacja Rolniczej Roznorodnosci Biologicznej AgriNatura
• Elles Bulder