Side-meeting of European regional chapters of the ICCA
Side-meeting of European regional chapters of the ICCA
TRANSCRIPT DRAFT
Meeting summary for Meeting of European regional chapters of the ICCA (09/12/2024)
Quick recap
The meeting began discuss the progress of a project involving community-led conservation efforts in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Participants shared updates on various initiatives and challenges in different countries, including Italy, Montenegro, Hungary, France, and Poland. The conversation ended with a discussion on the importance of European Union support, the need for a coordination team, and potential funding opportunities to advance their goals.
Next steps
- European coordination team to request seed funding from the global ICCA Consortium secretariat for a dedicated coordinator position.
- Coordination team members (including representatives from Italy, Montenegro, France) to be finalized.
- Monica to pass information about new groups joining the network to the global ICCA Consortium.
- Interested communities to contact Jessica for support on registering their ICCAs in the ICCA Registry.
- Ted to share updates on the impact of strict nature protection policies on ICCAs in Poland, Romania, Italy and Spain as part of his new research project.
- All members to consider joining the European coordination team and come prepared to discuss at tomorrow’s session.
Summary
Resolving Microphone Technical Difficulties
XXX and Christian experienced technical difficulties with their microphones during the meeting. XXX suggested that the issue might be due to multiple microphones reaching Christian. They attempted to resolve the issue by getting closer to the microphone and adjusting the camera settings. Eventually, they managed to hear each other clearly and the meeting continued.
Project Progress and European Challenges
XXX led a meeting discussing the progress of their project, which has been somewhat hindered by a lack of support and coordination. He mentioned that Europe, in particular, has been lagging behind due to limited access to funds and technical support. XXX also highlighted the importance of involving the community and the commons of Europe in their project, which has been a major issue. The conversation ended with a plan to present a few cases from each country to better understand the situation and potentially develop a European action plan.
Commonland Initiative for Community Finance
La réunion porte sur une initiative de financement pour des communautés impliquées dans la gestion des biens communs en Europe, Afrique du Nord et Moyen-Orient. Un consortium d’organisations, dont l’ICCA et l’IRC, a co-fondé cette initiative sur deux ans. Les communautés ont décidé des priorités et des activités financées, comme une plateforme web commonland.net. Des activités centrales pour toute la région ont été menées, complétées par des activités choisies localement par les communautés.
Italian Network of Territories of Life
XXX discussed the challenges and changes in the Italian network of territories of life, particularly in relation to the new law (number 168 of 2,070) that impacts the scenario of the Commons. He highlighted the decline in the number of actors in rural areas from 3 million in 1947 to 1.5 million today. XXX also introduced the Italian Network of Territories of Life, an informal network comprising members, honorary members, and supporters. He emphasized the need to create a comprehensive list of rural commons in Europe to better understand and manage them.
National Land Coalition and Community Rights
XXX discussed the establishment of a national land coalition in Montenegro to protect the country’s historical villages, known as “cartoons.” The goal is to prevent urbanization and promote sustainable living. XXX also mentioned the success of forbidding quads on the mountain and the construction of a road to improve infrastructure. Anna shared her experience with the Hungarian community, who were inspired by the work done in Montenegro and organized a workshop. She also mentioned the challenges faced by the community in Hungary due to the lack of recognition of their forest commons. XXX then discussed the situation in France, where the recognition of old systems like the “prince de la forêt” is a struggle. He also mentioned a project to work with communities to improve their recognition and rights. Finally, XXX shared news about a European research grant to study the impact of strict nature protection on the restoration of life and habitats in Poland, Romania, and other countries.
European Union Support for Conservation
XXX emphasized the importance of the European Union’s support for indigenous and community-led conservation efforts. He highlighted the need for a European coordination team to facilitate communication and collaboration among members. XXX also discussed the potential for funding and the importance of avoiding conflicts with existing funds. He mentioned the ICC registry, which was set up in 2008 to promote indigenous and community-led conservation, and its recent online publication. XXX also suggested requesting minimal seed funding from the global secretariat to support the coordination team. The team agreed on the need for more people to join the coordination team and to bring energy to the next session.