The Municipality of Pollica and the Future Food Institute, in collaboration with IL GUSTO by Repubblica, La Feltrinelli, IgersItalia and Full Heads Records, present the cultural regeneration and innovation project “FUTURO MEDITERRANEO” — CRITICAL THINKING, CULTURE, SCIENCE, ART, INNOVATION, ECOLOGY AND CONVIVIALITY — aimed at young people and schools throughout Cilento.
An experimental laboratory starting from the schools of Cilento, designed to nurture passions, encourage cultural exchange, develop skills, give shape to ideas and engage with the wider world, awakening the countless dormant resources that make the Lands of the Mediterranean Diet a heritage of immeasurable value and building tomorrow together.
On the occasion of Italy’s Presidency of the Network of UNESCO Emblematic Communities of the Mediterranean Diet, and following the international event hosted at the United Nations in New York, which presented the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the “Mediterranean Diet” to the world as a concrete model of sustainable development for achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda, the “FUTURO MEDITERRANEO” project was created.
Born in the heart of Cilento, the cradle of a cultural and environmental heritage unique in the world, the project is dedicated to young people — protagonists of an age of profound transition and citizens of the future — and aims to create development opportunities for the territory through culture, international experiences, innovation, entrepreneurship and the acquisition of new skills.
The project is rooted in the values of the Mediterranean Diet as a way of life, while also presenting it as a genuine model of healthy and sustainable territorial development. Its goal is to raise awareness among young people and professionals, while highlighting the many actors from the scientific, institutional and private sectors who have long worked to protect and promote this heritage.
The initiative embraces every dimension of the Mediterranean Diet, from its cultural, historical and artistic aspects to the enhancement of local supply chains, virtuous agricultural practices and the protection of native biodiversity, all of which represent concrete pillars of the Mediterranean way of life.
The “FUTURO MEDITERRANEO” event will provide a first opportunity for discussion and for presenting the many initiatives that, thanks to the project partners, will be offered to schools and young people throughout Cilento during 2023.
Some examples include:
- Voices of the Mediterranean – in collaboration with IL GUSTO — the new multimedia hub bringing together all the food and wine content produced by the GEDI Group, from Repubblica and La Stampa to Il Secolo XIX and local newspapers — a program aimed at upper secondary school students with the goal of strengthening communication skills, introducing young people to the world of journalism, and above all bringing the voices that represent the “FUTURO MEDITERRANEO” onto the group’s media platforms. The best submissions will be published in a special edition appearing in the March issue of IL GUSTO, entirely dedicated to the sustainable development model represented by the Mediterranean Diet lifestyle.
- Mediterranean Living Photo Challenge – in collaboration with IGERSITALIA and the Digital Academy of Pollica, because today the story of a territory is also told through new media and visual communication, with particular attention to digital photography, mobile photography and, more broadly, multimedia content production. The best photographs will become part of a travelling exhibition showcasing the values of Mediterranean living through an international tour hosted by selected Italian Cultural Institutes and Embassies abroad.
- Trame Mediterranee – PCTO and summer school — an innovative hybrid work-based learning pathway combining digital workshops with immersive field experiences, designed to build new skills and provide the tools needed to identify and enhance the dormant resources of the territory. The goal is to raise awareness and offer young people experiences capable of inspiring their future educational and professional choices. In the medium to long term, this pathway has the potential to generate development and shared prosperity across the territory.
- Hackathons and design challenges to develop innovative business ideas – teamwork, systems-thinking development and an experience designed to foster the exchange of ideas and a co-design approach, enriching everyone involved. The goal is to equip new generations with the tools to develop a lifestyle based on healthy eating, inspired by the Mediterranean Diet, together with physical and sporting activity.
Among the winners of these initiatives, a group of young people will be selected to form the delegation representing the Italian Emblematic Community of the Mediterranean Diet during the next international mission to the United States.
Find out more about the project and take part at www.futuromediterraneo.org
