Promoting Intergenerational Dialogue and Intagible Heritage for achieving Social Sustainability in local communities

The project’s intention was to endorse intergenerational dialogue and intangible heritage as effective practices for building coherent societies. According to “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developments-UN”, essential elements for achieving Social sustainability are the opportunities given to different generations to build healthy and adoptive communities. Human societies have constantly developed and adapted their intangible cultural heritage, in order to address fundamental needs and social issues across time and space. The people involved in this project from Scholas and PAOK gained great benefit from participating in the research activity. It was an opportunity for these organizations to share their experience and knowledge about the characteristics of their communities and social systems, but also for their staff and members to participate in the training activity in order to develop their skills on how to conduct an efficient interview. University of Zaragoza, not only transferred their knowledge and expertise in the field but also built valuable affiliations with organizations outside of the academic community. It was also important for strengthening the capacity of local organizations to create international networks.

The main aim of this project was to promote social sustainability through the promotion of intangible heritage of different generations living in the same community in two different countries (Spain and Cyprus).

Partnership implemented intergenerational dialogue through interviewing citizens living in the same communities enabling at the same time their civic engagement and active participation, as one of the selected priorities of the project. The interviews were framed to collect the perceptions of different generations through their life stories and narratives promoting active aging. To achieve this, we carried out each of the activities to which we committed: transnational and online partners meetings, creation of the Research Guide for Intangible Heritage effects on social sustainability, training for the interviewers, conducting intergenerational interviews, develop of a digital environment for intangible heritage and disseminations grand opening events in Spain and Cyprus. Further to the above objectives, partnership developed a digital archive of intangible heritage based on the results of the interviews, targeting to bridge the intercultural, intergenerational and social gap and a info-kiosks to achieve better impact of project results.

Outputs: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/education_culture/dissemination/share/page/valor-promoter-project-details?nodeRef=workspace://SpacesStore/4cd14143-a468-4657-be82-e18fdce8edd6&projectNodeRef=workspace://SpacesStore/a5069aeb-a84b-40dd-a786-6fc26ae3d4d9&mode=view We created and designed a Research Guide for the project's interview approach and framework. We create educational materials for the interviewers training. Then we conducted 28 intergenerational interviews (14 from Spain and 14 from Cyprus), where the interviewees felt heard and comfortable to tell their life perspectives and empowered to give them a voice. While the interviewers and listeners, in addition to being able to empathize, left the interviews happy and full of meaning. We developed a digital archive of intangible heritage based on the results of the interviews, targeting to bridge the intercultural, intergenerational and social gap. We also develop a digital environment for intangible heritage and dissemination of the interviews and digital archive through the project website. Through social networks, newsletters, project website and events in Spain and Cyprus, we manage to promote the intangible heritage of the communities.