Resilient Towns for future

The outbreak of COVID 19 has determined important challenges for democracy, cities and citizen participation. Those challenges are related to the ways in which the democratic regime has demonstrate its capacity to handle the current crisis; those challenges are related to social inclusion and the necessity to face socio-economic inequalities. Participatory practices have also been affected by the restrictions imposed under the pandemic. The International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD) advocates that citizen participation is a key tool to fight loneliness, lack in cultural, educational, sports and social activities, and enhance the protection of the most vulnerable people during the current pandemic. According to the Council of Europe, the shift towards digital participation should convince promoters to effectively map stakeholders and engage with the key affected parties with adequate methodologies. The aim of the project Resilient Towns for future between the Municipality of Avellino and the Municipality of the 9 District of Budapest has the aim to foster solidarity among citizens promoting neighbourhood networks aimed at the improvement of the daily lives of residents, reducing loneliness associated to with the containment measures and strengthen ties of solidarity with the most vulnerable. To reach this objective, the 2 towns will collaborate sharing local participatory best practices regard the provisions of practical support to the most vulnerable as well as public information. This objective will be reached through: A first workshop dedicated to knowledge sharing, identification of best practice about participatory process on youth policy during the pandemic crisis; the second workshop is dedicated to knowledge sharing, identification of best practice about participatory process on people who have economic difficulties and those who are further away from the participatory processes of municipal governments.