In July, the third meeting of the Erasmus+ project "CoRoots" ("Communicating roots: co-learning to improve rural resilience and governance") took place. This time, 2 colleagues from BAB and 5 participants from Spain travelled to Covilhã, Portugal, to see social innovation projects in rural areas on the ground.
As an introduction, the hosts PRIP (Prout Research Institute) and the Universidade Beira Interior presented their theoretical and methodological approaches at the university in Covilhã. The focus was on "Block Level Planning", the Cova da Beira Converge project and the i3social incubator. As the textile and wool industries were historically very important for Covilhã and the surrounding area, a guided tour of the wool museum and the current art exhibition was also offered.
The following day, the CoRoots colleagues visited Ananda Valley (Valley of Bliss), a community project with inclusive approaches that serves as a model for an ecologically, socially, economically, culturally and spiritually regenerative way of life. Afterwards, a small ecological agricultural cooperative (Bio.Eco) and the farm of a member were visited.
Excursions were also planned for the third day, first to Maceira, to a nursing home and a hostel which now welcomes international guests in a former primary school and served a traditional Portuguese lunch to the project participants. Afterwards, a stop was made in the village of Ima to get an insight into a project for the integration of refugees (LAR - Love and Respect) there. In the "New Hand Lab" in Covilhã - an old factory building that has been converted into a space for art, culture and gastronomy - the meeting and thus also the project finally came to a nice end.
Photos: (c) BAB, Eller, Wagner, 2023
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
