GenerACTOR - Community gardens for good governance, active citizenship and participation is a project co-funded by the European Commission (Contract no. CSO-LA/2021/171273-3/13). It is is a European cooperation project that aims to foster innovative models of urban development in Colombia.
The project aims to strengthen the multi-level governance of the city of Barranquilla and reduce the levels of poverty and food insecurity of the most vulnerable communities (especially migrants), contributing in the long run to promote the inclusion and sustainability of urban development in the city of Barranquilla in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Green Deal.
The GenerACTOR project foresees the creation of 4 urban community gardens in the urban area of Barranquilla (Colombia) as a tool for good governance, active citizenship and participation, with a cross-cutting component of training and capacity building processes aimed at gardeners, gardenisers, trainers, educators, schools and public officials.
ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW
The project envisages the implementation of several actions by the various members of the international consortium:
- webinars for various Colombian stakeholders
- training courses for citizens, teachers and public officials
- practical experiences in urban gardens in other cities in Colombia
- practical experiences in urban gardens in Rome
- study visits in Barranquilla and in Rome
- creation of 4 urban gardens in the city of Barranquilla
MULTI-GOVERNANCE
Webinars
7 webinars “Factors enabling to sustainable Urban&Peri-urban Agricultural Policy”
Urban Local Groups
The set-up of 1 Urban Local Group in Barranquilla and the organization and realization of 12 meetings of Urban Local Groups (ULGs) centered on the pilot areas of Lipaya, Juan Mina, La Paz and Las Gardenias.
Mapping urban community gardens
Mapping on the existing community gardening experiences in Colombia and in Lazio Region
Study visits
3 Study visits (in Rome and in Barranquilla) to boots the capacities of governance
TRAINING & NETWORKING IN COLOMBIA
Mapping existing gardening experiences in Colombia
An initial mapping of contacts with experiences of community urban gardens and urban agriculture in Colombia is useful in order to study existing experiences and involve them as resource competences and persons. The possibility to count on a network of existing urban gardens, where possible to organise apprenticeships in the field which complement the training actions that GenerACTOR can offer, can be an additional advantage.
Training courses GARDENER (8+8 courses)
Short training opportunities (16 hours each) focused on specific topics (as growing fruit and vegetables; irrigation and sun exposure; pruning, composting; the soil cycle, organic cultivation and biodiversity; spontaneous herbs and synergic cultivation; plant and insect recognition, hydroponic gardening; organic fertilization, planning and design) aim to improve the basic knowledge of potential community gardens members. The courses will be generally addressed to a large part of the population, contributing to reinforce professional skills on organic agriculture, also useful for employment. The courses will be held by citizens with experience, professional or civil servants. This project activity can foster aggregation and exchange between different individuals and may allow to identify competence leaders, both among learners and trainers, who may be the beneficiaries of the subsequent training actions that GenerACTOR will offer.
Training of trainers of gardenisers (1 course)
The training of trainers specific format builds upon the French and English traditions on urban gardens that are some of the strongest traditions on this topic in Europe. GenerACTOR will provide 1 training course for trainers (4 days) that wish to provide training to an aspirant Gardeniser at local level. Considering the variety of areas of expertise covered by the training for aspirant Gardeniser Trainers, the Gardeniser trainer should already have a certain level of expertise in the field of urban gardens and in delivering training.
Course participants should then be able to work alongside international trainers in the organisation and delivery of Gardeniser Pro, Gardeniser Tec and Gardeniser Edu courses in order to consolidate and practise their learning in a service learning logic.
Training pathways GARDENISER PRO (2 pathways)
The pathways are for aspirant Gardenisers, namely young people and adults that work in urban gardens in various ways, both in the public and private sectors, and want to increase or complete the competencies necessary in order to fulfill the role of coordinator of urban gardens. The GARDENISER PRO Training Programme includes two main elements: a Training Course (40 hours) plus a work-based experience (internship) abroad or in a local garden (40 hours). These two elements go hand in hand and are complementary. The Gardeniser Pro training course, together with its apprenticeship, completes the preparation of competent local leaders. Their action, both individual and collective, will consolidate the inclusive aspect of community urban gardens, multiplying the positive externalities generated towards the territory, guaranteeing its action over time and supporting its positive interaction with local institutions. The internship enables the consolidation of inter-networks between different community gardens, fostering the transfer of skills and experiences and promoting the development of a mutual peer support network.
Training course GARDENISER TEC (1 course)
The GARDENISER TEC training course is aimed at those public figures who are in charge of coordinating and managing the network of urban gardens in the city on a territorial proximity basis. Lasting 3 days, the course aims to enable public officials to become familiar with the possible areas of intervention of the community garden, its internal dynamics and the function exercised by the gardeniser. Participants will get to know the potential of a urban community garden and reflect on it as a territorial hub that can contribute to the local development and policies.
Training course GARDENISER EDU (1 course)
The GARDENISER EDU training course is aimed at teachers and directors of schools who are interested in using outdoor school spaces, inside and outside school, as learning environments for their students. The 4-day course aims to give participants an insight into the possible areas of action of the community garden, the resources it can make available for integrated teaching and the function of the gardeniser as a link with the responsible teacher. Participants will thus be able to include the community garden in their network of resources to increase the effectiveness of their teaching and multiply the spaces available for their students to learn, as well as being able to count on extraordinary educational support on topics such as sustainable development and responsible consumption.
PILOT ACTIONS
Concept plan & methodology for urban agriculture
Support the city of Barranquilla in designing a concept plan & methodology for urban agriculture as a city-wide effort
Pilots/urban community gardens
Studies, design and implementation of 4 pilots/urban gardens through a participatory approach with neighboring communities in vulnerable urban areas
Formalization of community associations for the operation of community urban gardens
Regulatory document with the criteria for the management and assignment of the plots to residents
How to create new public services
“How to create new public services” and realization of one novel Technological platform for e-governance in Barranquilla
TRASFERRING LESSONS LEARNED
Transfer of the partnership’s model and green urban policy in Latin America, inspired by the Global Green Deal
How to implement urban gardens
Document with narrative (transfer story) of the pilots and experience from exchanges in Barranquilla
Manifesto on UPA Governance
Development of 1 public policy document “Manifesto on UPA Governance” which may have an international impact
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
2 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with other local and regional authorities in Colombia
Forums
Virtual – in-person forums for the transfer of Concept Plan and best practices to at least 4 local/regional authorities in Colombia
CONSORTIUM
The cross-sectoral composition of the consortium is confirmed with Associazione Regionale Comuni del Lazio-ANCI Lazio as Lead Applicant, and four co-applicants which are the District of Barranquilla - the Mayor’s Office, Siembra Mas - a public-private entity in Barranquilla, Replay Network aps - a non-profit organisation and Risorse per Roma - a municipal agency of the City of Rome, and the “Associates” which are DEMUCA Foundation, the Departamento del Atlantico and the “Vivere in…” Association of Social Promotion operating community gardens in Rome, the nonprofit Venezolanos en Barranquilla who promotes the participation of migrant communities in Barranquilla.
