On 9 November 2025, Marco Boaria, Director of Programmes & Development at ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy and CEO of ALDA+, took part in TEDxVicenza with a talk that blended history, identity, and European citizenship under the title “Europa: il Progetto che ci progetta” (“Europe: the Project that Designs Us”).
The event was held at H-FARM International School in Vicenza — Visionary Partner of TEDxVicenza 2025 — where participants spent a full day exploring workshops and immersive experiences dedicated to communication, sustainability, art, inclusion, and innovation.
A European Approach Rooted in the Local
In his talk at TEDxVicenza, Marco Boaria offered a powerful reflection on what it truly means to work with and for Europe today. According to Boaria, the European Union should not be seen as a distant institution or a mere source of funding, but as a shared space of cooperation, where citizens, local authorities, and civil society organisations act as co-creators of change.
“Europe is not something we receive — it is something we build, together.”
Drawing on the experience of ALDA and ALDA+, Marco presented an approach based on partnership, where territories are not passive beneficiaries of European policies, but active actors in their design and implementation.
Through cooperation, participation, and the exchange of good practices, Europe becomes a concrete driver for local development, capable of generating real impact within communities.
Through an interactive and immersive experience inspired by the Alta Via della Grande Guerra, Marco guided the audience on a symbolic journey across the Prealps of Vicenza — a territory where nature, history, and collective memory intertwine. These mountains, rich with trenches, forts, and paths carved during World War I, form a living museum that preserves both the scars and values of the past.
He recalled how, since 2001, the Province of Vicenza, together with the Unione Montana Spettabile Reggenza dei Sette Comuni, the Veneto Region, and 24 municipalities, has worked to restore and enhance this extraordinary heritage. The result is the Alta Via della Grande Guerra delle Prealpi Vicentine — a cultural and natural route that connects over 200 kilometres of trails, linking memorials, museums, and fortifications, including the Italian and Austro-Hungarian strongholds.
At the heart of this initiative lie the four military memorials of Pasubio, Cimone, Asiago, and Grappa — tangible symbols of memory, freedom, and shared identity.
During his talk, Marco drew a parallel between this local project and the broader European project, reminding the audience that:
Europe is not just an institution, but a shared design — a living project.
By comparing the restoration of historical memory to European cooperation, he invited participants to see themselves as European project designers, capable of transforming daily challenges into opportunities for change. His message highlighted how European values — democracy, solidarity, sustainability, and territorial cohesion — translate every day into tangible actions across territories, turning Europe into a living project, built from the ground up and for everyone.
The recording of the TEDxVicenza 2025 talk will be available soon.