The IDEA Project | Incontro, Dialogo, Educazione, Azione (Meeting, Dialogue, Education, Action) was created as a pilot project within AIGU’s Heritage&Youth program with a clear objective: to activate dialogue processes capable of generating solid and operational networks. The aim is to systemize the experiences of managing bodies and associative organizations—especially youth-led ones—active in the field of cultural heritage within territories featuring UNESCO designations.
IDEA is structured around annual meetings hosted at UNESCO designated sites (World Heritage, Geoparks, MAB, Creative Cities, etc.) present in regional territories. Each event will be dedicated to a single designation or, when appropriate, to multiple neighboring designations interested in a shared path, including through thematic affinities.
Every meeting is configured as a day of dialogue, exchange, co-creation, and feedback, involving the managing bodies of the relevant UNESCO designations and the associative organizations operating in the region within the field of cultural heritage—contributing directly or indirectly to the enhancement, safeguarding, and vitality of these designations.
Each day aims to explore, share, and disseminate best practices, analyze challenges related to the management of designations, and, above all, co-design new proposals, with a strong focus on the active involvement of youth organizations.
TARGET
AIGU Members
A training and in-depth study program on UNESCO designations to build conscious and innovative proposals.
The goal is to highlight local best practices and address management challenges, with a special focus on youth involvement.
Associative
Organizations
An opportunity for in-depth learning about UNESCO designations, as well as mutual acquaintance.
AIGU presents itself as a point of reference and network, sharing activities, values, and objectives, and creating concrete synergies within the territory.
Managers of the Involved Sites
Through IDEA, AIGU offers visibility within the youth landscape, becoming a sounding board for local best practices and facilitating their dissemination.
Citizens and city users
The meetings are open to anyone wishing to explore the challenges of UNESCO designations and actively contribute to heritage enhancement processes.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the project is to build stable and lasting community networks around the various UNESCO designations within the regional territory. These networks aim to engage institutional entities and civil society organizations that identify with the heritage and feel integral to it, in continuity with what was presented during the Association’s 10th Anniversary by the working group dedicated to “Heritage and Community.”
The project promotes active and informed participation from citizens, associations, and institutions through structured, replicable initiatives with a concrete impact on the territory, strengthening the bond between communities and UNESCO designations.
MEETINGS
2025 | Florence
The first meeting of the IDEA project took place on September 27, 2025, at the Medici Park of Pratolino, under the patronage of the Metropolitan City of Florence. The initiative featured the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Historic Centre of Florence and the Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany, with a special focus on the components closest to the regional capital.
The event was attended by associations and civil society organizations, especially those with a strong youth component, active in the cultural heritage sector. These organizations were selected for their experience and deep roots in the local area, with the goal of reflecting on strategies capable of strengthening a sense of belonging and care among citizens and city users toward the two UNESCO sites involved.
The discussion highlighted the critical issues linked to heavy tourist flows and the limited awareness of certain lesser-known sites, as well as the opportunities offered by shared and participatory projects. It underscored the need for greater engagement from the local community and youth organizations within a perspective of integrated enhancement for both UNESCO sites.
The gathering represented a first concrete step toward building a stable collaborative network among institutions, associations, and citizens, aimed at the protection and conscious enjoyment of cultural heritage.
