Dear all,
We are just back from Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle, the first in the third round of IncluCities study visits. The restart of our activities in person has brought a fresher air to our large team, despite the difficulties and profound sadness from the shocking news from Ukraine. Once again, we found ourselves diving deep into the core democratic values.
While we are witnessing the most rapid and massive movement of people after World War II, the challenge of inclusion is at stake in bordering countries and each city, town, and village. But the vast wind of solidarity across Europe, the engagement of communities and Mayors signalise we can manage this crisis together, hand in hand with a strong city-to-city collaboration. It is vital to understand inclusion as welcoming others, putting on their shoes, and rethinking our future while redesigning together the policies of today. We are on the front line, ready to shift the narrative and show how inclusion can be different from a simple provision of services.
IncluCities is running its last circle, but before we hit the final line, there are still many things to do: training academies, finalisation of action plans and one-stop shops and at the very end – the final conference. Until then, we have another year, and I cannot wait to meet the IncluCities partners again this spring in Jelgava, Levadia and Capaci.
Vento in poppa! Grazia
