European programmes, local initiatives and active participation: these were the key themes of the meeting titled “Rural development: from the European perspective to local practices”, held on Friday 24 April at the “Enrico Narciso” Cultural Centre in Santa Croce del Sannio. Organised by ALDA+ in collaboration with the Municipality of Santa Croce del Sannio, the event brought together local authorities, the scientific community and civil society organisations to reflect on opportunities for revitalising rural areas.
The day began with a welcome address by the Mayor of Santa Croce del Sannio, Antonio Zeoli, and a presentation of the initiative, which forms part of the local cultural and social regeneration project “Tracce”, promoted by the Municipality of Santa Croce del Sannio and the Municipality of Circello and funded under Misura PNRR M1C3 – Intervento 2.1 – Attrattività dei borghi storici.
The first session provided an overview of rural development policies and best practices in the European Union. Serafín Pazos-Vidal of AEIDL opened the conference by describing his organisation’s approach to participatory local development. Next, Elyse Lebreuilly, Secretary-General of Leader France, highlighted the role of local networks in strengthening community-led strategies. To conclude the session, Eriberto Eulisse, Executive Director of WAMU-NET, outlined the role of eco-museums and extended museums in sustainable local development through community involvement.
The second session focused on local regeneration initiatives. Academic representatives gave presentations, including Claudia De Luca, from the Department of Architecture at the University of Bologna, and Pasquale De Toro, from the “Alberto Calza Bini” Interdepartmental Centre for Research in Urban Planning at the University of Naples Federico II. These were complemented by contributions from the Popoli e Territori foundation and the Ru.De.Ri. association, represented by Valentina Anzoise, who provided concrete examples of community involvement and the promotion of local resources, including Rural Design Week.
In the afternoon, the focus shifted to the challenges of the Alto Tammaro area. Utilising a participatory focus-group methodology, the attendees collectively delved into the topic, co-designing shared strategic pathways for sustainable rural development in the region.
The event proved to be a success, with over forty people in attendance and more than twenty joining remotely. This outcome confirms the growing interest in the topic of rural development.