Introduction

Event no. 7 “Training design” has featured series of workshops that were arranged between June and October 2023, at local level and at transnational scale.

With the local workshops, the project partners have encouraged the engagement of stakeholders and experts in the co-design of the training programme for the CO-GREEN trainers. The engagement of external experts, such as representatives of third-sector organisations, civil society activists, local administrators, and university researchers, is emphasised for a diverse perspective on various issues. The interdisciplinary approach is valued to cover multiple issues comprehensively.

The transnational workshop was organised in Rome, involving external experts for the review and finalisation of trainers’ training. The collaborative effort of academic partners, NGOs, and local players has helped achieve several goals, including making methodological principles accessible to all and developing hands-on resources with global significance while considering the interdisciplinary nature of green issues.

Event: Training design

Details about the local workshops

Poland

In Poland, the local workshops were organised in the three communities of Starachowice (October 20^th, 2023), Elbląg (October 23^rd, 2023) and Wiązowna (October 3^rd, 2023).

They were conducted through co-design sessions, aiming to address competence needs in fostering green transformation within communities. The initial focus was on identifying the required skills for effectively working with communities on environmental initiatives. Subsequently, the activist teams in each community, participating in the project, conducted a self-diagnosis to assess their existing competencies in the designated areas.

The self-diagnosis phase served to gauge whether the activist teams possessed sufficient skills for their respective roles. Following this, participants indicated specific needs related to their tasks. A notable requirement emerged for enhanced working methods, with a particular emphasis on detailed guidance in using specific methodologies that can encourage and support participation at community level.

Additionally, there was a recognised need for improved skills in motivating community members and sustaining their engagement. Understanding the dynamics of working with people was identified as crucial.

Participants expressed the need for assistance in translating the complex terminology of green transformation into language accessible to people in their daily lives.

Importantly, there was a call for guidance on dealing with misinformation and fake news, underlining the necessity for a solid, foundational knowledge of environmental changes and their consequences for everyday life.

In summary, the workshops unveiled a multifaceted set of needs ranging from specific methodological instructions to the broader challenges of effective communication, motivation, and combating misinformation in the context of green transformation within communities.

Italy

In Italy, the local workshops were organised in the three communities of Cavalese (July 9^th, 2023), Magione (August 20^th, 2023) and Cosenza Panebianco (September 28^th, 2023).

In Cosenza Panebianco, the event took place in the spaces of the Sant’Aniello parish, in the heart of the Panebianco district. The inhabitants of the neighbourhood were asked to participate, all the associations based in the neighbourhood, the commercial activities, the schools, the municipal administrations and a representative from the University of Calabria.

The event began with the presentation of the Co-Green Project with a report of the transnational webinars held, a story of the results achieved in the Panebianco district. It was decided to stimulate the discussion by asking two questions:

What skills and competences do activators need to have to develop the community?
What are the green topics and priorities to be achieved, that activators need to handle?

Some of the most used and well-known participatory methods were used: focus groups, world cafés and fish bowls. Some very interesting arguments emerged. Active participation was very high, everyone participated by offering important content.

Some topics have emerged to be developed and on which training courses can be developed:

energy communities;
cooperation and reception;
skills to support participation;
active citizenship.

Furthermore, a WhatsApp group has been activated in which all quick communications and any reports can flow; it was decided to structure a space within one of the „Neighbourhood Councillor” squares in which needs, desires, and skills can come together (a group of people is working on the structure of the space); the need to build a digital manual for the dissemination of green, sustainable and eco-friendly content (the social TV ARCI Mediaterronia TV APS and the two schools based in the neighbourhood will manage the activity); the redevelopment of some spaces with the construction of green gardens equipped with green tools and objects. Participation was very high, the two relevant municipal administrations (Cosenza and Rende) also participated, with whom a charter of values on the development and maintenance of green communities within the territory itself is being built.

At the same time in Cavalese a social, plastic free lunch was organised at the local Cavalese pagoda, with the use of rentable tableware from the association. Ecosisters Training event, at Gazolini (Valle di Fiemme). The lunch, through the help of thematic books, led to shared reflection on the themes of the environment and the home.

The content of a training course should centre around illustrating the impact of green and sustainable measures on daily life. Hence, there is a need for skills that enable the integration of green issues into everyday life. Competences taken from the GreenComp framework should be considered:

Environmental awareness: understanding the impact of personal choices on the environment.
Energy efficiency: knowledge of energy-saving practices in daily life.
Waste management: sorting and proper disposal of waste materials; embracing reduce, reuse, and recycle principles.
Sustainable transportation: Understanding the environmental impact of different modes of transport
Water conservation: implementing water-saving practices at home and in the community
Biodiversity awareness: promoting practices that contribute to biodiversity conservation
Community engagement: collaborating with others to address community sustainability challenges

A walk took place in the company of forestry doctor Ilaria Zorzi, who explained the properties of the local flora and the problem of the bark beetle parasite, which is changing the shape of the forest. At the end, there was a collective sharing to reconstruct the territorial and climatic changes observed over the last few years.

In Magione, the main local stakeholder – Legambiente Umbria – through its citizen science campaigns, has identified different key topics for training to be addressed:

Climate change awareness: recognising the impact of climate change on the environment and communities
Territory safeguarding: strategies for protecting and preserving local ecosystems and landscapes, and building resilience against environmental threats to the territory.
Community engagement and participation techniques: methods for actively involving citizens in environmental initiatives and for developing campaigns that encourage community participation.
Networking for sustainability: building effective networks with stakeholders in the community to support sustainable initiatives.
Resilient community building: strategies to build a community that can adapt and thrive in changing circumstances.
Volunteer training and engagement in environmental conservation practices

These topics aim to address the dual focus on fighting climate change and actively involving citizens, as well as promoting a community-driven, resilient, and responsive approach to environmental issues.

There are many other topics to be eventually addressed: from environmental illegality to the circular economy, from the discovery of river and lake ecosystems to discovery of wildlife, from critical consumption to fashion through the protection of the soil, of biodiversity and ecosystems.

The non-formal approach of the activities, combined with field trips and learning by doing, allow young participants to combine theoretical skills with practical experiences and to develop concrete solutions to the critical issues encountered starting from one mapping of strengths and weaknesses of their territory of which they are protagonists.

Croatia

In Croatia, the local activities were articulated in five workshops which were organised in Opatija (July 3^rd, 2023) and Rijeka (June 30^th, 2023, July 5^th, 2023, August 31^st 2023, and September 4^th, 2023), involving organisations and institutions: Smart Association, Urban Separe Association, Center of Technical Culture Rijeka, Film to Everyone project (part of the Filmaktiv Association), Kantrida Citizens’ Initiative and representatives of City of Opatija.

The Urban Separe Association was founded in 2014 in Rijeka in order to build the capacity of communities through participation, socially useful activities and culture. It aims to foster the capacity that a community already has. It uses participatory methodologies when working with communities and aims to tackle problematic areas in the city of Rijeka. In consultation with members of the association, they said that carrying out a survey is the best way to be able to see how citizens are interested in participating in creating a common life in the city. This survey should cover forms of participation (workshops, fairs and festivals, communication with local self-government units, etc.) and topics that citizens consider essential for life in the city at a given moment. They also said that it is important to understand what citizens want and how it can be achieved. A further point that they made was that to encourage citizens to participate in activities, it is necessary to come to them, and not wait for them to come to associations or initiatives. This means two things:

it is necessary to carry out actions in smaller communities, in neighbourhoods, and to focus on this narrower locality, instead of the whole city. This means trainers should come to the neighbourhoods of the citizens. If wider actions are carried out involving the whole city, they should always be „adopted” in individual neighbourhoods.
the planned action that is being organised should be animated by going door to door and presenting it in a direct face-to-face conversation. This requires a somewhat more complex organisation since it requires activators, as well as a larger number of people, to engage in direct contact with citizens.

A further point they made is that it is necessary to adapt actions for smaller groups of citizens, depending on their interests. This implies planning relatively small actions aimed at a particular group of citizens, or when it comes to large actions (for the whole city) breaking them down into several subgroups aimed at a smaller group of citizens.

The Smart Association is an association for civil society development located in Rijeka. It is made for a team of experienced and committed individuals who offer training/consulting organisation for managing non-profit associations. In this sense, SMART is an association for other associations.

At the workshop they suggested that the training programme should have clear learning outcomes, clearly defined roles and agenda (according to minutes), well-defined themes, and be organised into a presentation and be interactive. They also said that it should be divided into modules, where larger topics take up more time and be divided into larger modules, and smaller topics offered in smaller modules. In this sense each module does not have to be the same length and size.

Another point that they made was that the trainers should be given support in terms of how they will apply what they have learned in the local communities. Furthermore, after the course has been carried out there should be an evaluation, and a report made about the training. One thing that they said was important in terms of the content of the training was whether there would be an urban focus because many associations are working in this area.

The Centre of Technical Culture Rijeka is a non profit non-governmental organisation located in the city centre that has been working since 1993 and works to encourage and promote technical education, computer science, and culture in general through organising activities with children, youth, workers and other citizens. At the workshop, those attending said that it is important to think about how to animate and keep people interested with different types and forms of activities. They said that it is good to offer examples of good practice, as well as mistakes that have been made, in order to prevent and solve them. They also said that the network of people who will be engaged should be expanded, where they are taught in the training about how to share their insights/knowledge. A further point they made was that there should be a guide about how to work with activators, and this should take the form of a ten-step programme. Finally, they said that this should be organised in a way that it is enjoyable and fun for those involved.

The Film to Everyone project was launched in 2016 as a part of the Filmaktiv Association and works in partnership with the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (UGIN), and from 2021 in partnership with the Association of the Blind of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County with the aims of adapting the content of audiovisual culture to people with hearing and visual impairments and promoting inclusive cultural practices. During the summer of 2023, the Kantrida Citizens’ Initiative held three major actions in the neighbourhood that managed to gather citizens in expectedly large numbers (each time above a hundred). All three respondents conclude that according to their experience:

The most important thing is to work with small groups of people where they need to be encouraged to design and participate in projects that concern their community. They said that every time they tried to work with larger groups, there would be disagreements after a while over the priority of project topics.
Also, they point out that it is necessary to feel the „pulse” of citizens and find out about what their current priorities are. In designing projects, it is necessary to address these priority areas with citizens, but always suggest some other activities that have been selected by the „activators” (a chosen topic). In this way, citizens are more willing to expand their engagement, pay attention to the problems of the community that did not seem important to them at first.
Have a good sense of „timing”. Citizens cannot be animated to participate in joint projects at all times. The social climate can help or hinder certain actions: sometimes citizens are eager for the opportunity to deal with certain issues, and they just want to be helped in terms of how to organise and coordinate this. Sometimes, however, they are fed up with certain topics, do not feel that anything substantial can be achieved, and are reluctant to join any action.

City of Opatija is a local government where Association Žmergo, project partner is based. Communication, cooperation and partnership as well as their involvement in the project is very important for the success of projects activities. Three representatives of an entire Department for social affairs (where the workshop was held) were participating and some of the conclusions are as following:

Need to motivate citizens, since there is an evident lack of active participation is noticed as well as increased discontent of local population with some local policies and capital investment activities in the context of urbanisation that is negatively affecting nature, environment and the previous state of the city formerly known as a popular health resort
Need to empower citizens and give them support in expressing as well as actively contributing to preservation of local resources and their state as much as possible.

Greece

In Greece, a workshop was organised at the premises of the University of Thessaly (October 25^th, 2023), to discuss with local stakeholders and academic researchers the knowledge requirements for green activators. The participants highlighted the following essential knowledge and competences for the Green Activators:

Knowledge areas:

Understanding of green development principles, tools, and practical applications.
Secondary education and preferably a degree, along with seminars on green development for effective problem-solving.
Familiarity with local and broader environmental issues, their causes, consequences, and proposed solutions.
Knowledge of human geography specific to their region.
Basic understanding of EU Green Deal policies, explained in simple terms.
Awareness of 'green issues’ pertinent to rural communities.

Competence areas:

Strong communication and debate skills to promote green development principles.
Ability to manage and lead discussions on relevant topics.
Effective communication of environmental issues.
Active listening
Cooperative working attitude.
Capacity to learn and adapt.
Establishment of a collaborative network with relevant agencies.
Understanding local communities’ needs for Green Transition.
Proficiency in observation, research, and group discussion.
Ability to encourage public participation and conduct meetings.
Negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
Effective use of talks, experiential methods, and visits to showcase green transition practices.
Exchange of experiences within the group.

The group recommended the following training methods to enhance the knowledge and skills of Green Activators:

Live information sessions on existing issues, utilizing case studies to demonstrate practical applications of green development.
Regular updates on new environmental data through lectures, forums, and participation in relevant events.
Experiential workshops incorporating non-standard learning methods, case studies, and action design examples.

Details about the rome international workshop

Hosted at the premises of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” on October 8^th, 9^th and 10^th, 2023, the workshop was an inspirational event which gathered 13 experts and activists from 4 countries. In a collaborative effort to develop the CO-GREEN trainers’ training programme, various contributors provided valuable insights during the workshop. The following synthesis integrates their inputs and aligns them with the objective of creating an effective programme:

Opening address and overview:

The workshop host – the representative of the, University of Rome “Tor Vergata” set the stage by outlining the schedule and objectives of the workshop
Emphasis was put on participatory processes for local communities, transitioning from local challenges to the green dimension.
Some common steps were identified: overcoming fragmentation, activating communities, and progressing to citizens’ engagement.

Presentation about climate communities, which stressed the following elements:

Combining communities’ needs with training requirements.
Importance of explaining and contextualising concepts like “sustainability”.
Introduction of general cultural hints for trainers, covering social and green sustainability, green topics.
Support to the idea of introducing a game-based and challenge-based approach, especially for engaging youth.

Presentation of the role of the CO-GREEN activators:

The role of the Green Activator is multifaceted, serving as a catalyst for positive change within the community. Here are the key aspects of their role:

Motivation and Group Formation: The Green Activator’s primary task is to inspire and motivate individuals within the community, bringing them together to form a cohesive group with a shared vision for a sustainable future.
Skills Diversity: They work to identify and gather individuals with diverse skill sets to create a well-rounded team. These varied skills complement one another, enhancing the group’s overall capabilities.
Competence Balancing: The Green Activator ensures a balance of competences within the group
Collaboration with Other NGOs: They actively seek out and collaborate with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to leverage collective resources, knowledge, and expertise in pursuit of common goals.
Resource Mobilization: Green Activators are proficient in seeking funds and resources to support their initiatives, making their projects financially sustainable.
Goal Setting and Structuring: They play a crucial role in setting clear goals and structuring action plans that guide the group toward their desired outcomes.
Delegation: Green Activators delegate tasks within the group, ensuring that responsibilities are distributed effectively and that everyone has a meaningful role to play.
Engaging with Local Communities and Institutions: They possess the ability to engage with local communities and institutions, effectively bridging the gap between community members and official bodies, fostering collaboration for sustainable change.
Stamina and Persistence: Realizing that meaningful change takes time, Green Activators demonstrate resilience and invest in continuous learning to adapt to evolving circumstances and challenges. Their dedication and commitment are essential to sustaining long-term initiatives.

Break-out sessions and rapporteurs’ inputs:

Group 1:
Emphasized tailoring activities to groups and finding common interests, such as food, to build social bonds.
Advocated for a small-step approach and reducing anxiety by not delving too deep into negative aspects without proposing solutions.
Recommended creating an online repository with information about problems and solutions.
Highlighted the importance of using local experts for community engagement.

Group 2:
Advocated for science-based and bottom-up activities, with a focus on communicating the rationale to people.
Suggested the use of IT and VR for mapping natural resources and sharing information.
Recognised the role of green activators in regenerative gardening and agriculture.
Special role of voluntary organisations in driving local green actions.
Emphasised role of communication, motivation, and engagement for green activators.

Group 3:
Stressed the importance of networking practices and face-to-face communication.
Shared the Italian experience of diffused Open Space Technology (OST) as a crucial enabling factor of participation.
Advocated for capitalizing on existing experiences and supporting community animators.
Highlighted the significance of early induction in schools for community engagement.

Group 4:
Highlighted the diversity in local networks across countries and the need to understand available resources.
Explored demographic challenges, particularly engaging middle-aged people in sustainable initiatives.

The synthesis emphasises the importance of tailoring activities, understanding local contexts, embracing a small-step approach, utilizing technology, supporting community networks, and engaging diverse age groups. The overarching goal is to create a comprehensive trainers’ training programme that fosters effective community engagement and sustainable green practices.

The proposed syllabus needs to take into account the local specific needs and requests. So, while all participants agreed on focussing on knowledge and competences about how to design, animate and manage participatory processes at community scale, there were dissenting opinions with respect to the knowledge of “green topics”.

Therefore, the syllabus contents should be centred on:

GENERAL PART:

Introduction to participation: understanding the significance of community participation in addressing green issues. Exploring the benefits and challenges of fostering active engagement within local communities.
Levels of participation: examining the spectrum of community participation, from basic involvement to collaborative decision-making.
Methods and tools for participation at the community level
Key underlying concepts: environmental justice. Exploring the intersectionality of environmental issues and social equity. Understanding how green initiatives can address and mitigate inequalities within communities.
Sustainability and resilience: defining key terms related to sustainability and resilience. Discussing how communities can develop resilience strategies in the face of environmental challenges
Building partnerships: leveraging external resources to enhance the effectiveness of community participation

CONTEXT-SPECIFIC / INCREMENTAL PART of the syllabus:

Case studies and good practices: analysing successful models of community participation in green projects. Learning from real-world examples to derive valuable insights and strategies.
Links to resources

By structuring the syllabus around these key components, the trainers will gain comprehensive insights into the theoretical foundations, practical methods, and available resources for promoting community participation in green issues. This approach ensures a well-rounded training programme that equips trainers to empower communities for sustainable and environmentally responsible actions.

Event 7