Networked Community - An experience of activated citizenship
The CO-RE project has achieved what thought to be impossible in a suburban area of Northern Italy: regaining the sense of belonging to an inactive place by stimulating participatory citizenship through the actions that new neighbors, subjects on a rehab path, activated to re-connect with locals and break the stigma, turning a challenge into an opportunity. The results include enhanced inclusion and collaboration, social and working re-skilled rehab subjects, and innovative activities to benefit
Regional
Italy
Lombardia/Varese/Casale Litta
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
2022-12-16
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): 4 Exodus Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Cristina Last name of representative: Rizzelli Gender: Female Nationality: Italy Function: Project Manager Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Via Goffredo Mameli, 25 Town: Gallarate Postal code: 21013 Country: Italy Direct Tel:+39 335 773 7814 E-mail:cristina.rizzelli@4exodus.it Website:http://4exodus.it
The CO-RE project (i.e. COmunità in REte, EN: Networked Community) goal was to stimulate participatory citizenship in Casale Litta, a town which counts about 2800 inhabitants, in Varese District, part of the larger megalopoli of Milan.
In 2018, 4 Exodus opened a halfway house for people recovering from drugs and for ex-convicts. Soon, the house and its residents had to face a strong stigma from the locals. The Covid-19 pandemic, impacting this area severely, exacerbated even more the situation, making the social environment even more fragmented.
Hereafter, the concern for 4 Exodus was to find a way to get past the stigma, and at the same time to re-connect the locals, turning a challenge into an opportunity. The innovative approach promoted by CO-RE consisted in investing in the human and social capital, as a trigger to reconnect people, detect needs, ignite mutual understanding and benefit, thus fostering an active citizenship process, impacting locals as well as halfway house residents.
This was achieved through a few key activities:
- Neighbourhood tours: every week, residents and operators went door-to-door, chatting with locals, bringing gifts, increasing mutual acquaintance and monitor situations of hardship or exclusion;
- walking groups on local cultural or naturalistic itineraries;
- organisation of local sports events;
- supporting activities in local schools;
- reclaiming of abandoned public areas;
- organisation of summer and after-school activities for kids.
The project proved to be a clear success, especially considering the pandemic period (2020-2022). Nowadays, halfway house residents are perfectly blended, bias and stigma are almost over, while the locals regularly visit the venue which once was considered as a “ghetto” for insiders only. Those categories who are commonly seen as at the fringes of society had the chance to become actors for social change: from negletted to leaders.
Community
Solidarity
Empowerment
Neighbourhood
Resilience
Re-gaining trust, overcoming stigma, re-connecting with the locals and igniting transformational change: these are the building blocks at the CO-RE project. Daily, tiny initiatives started a positive loop, detecting needs and solving practical problems, such as supporting elders, or taking care of children post-school time. In a mutual sharing, the halfway house residents benefited from the re-connection with the locals: their personal relations improved, their skills too, they regained trust from others, enhancing their recovery path.
Detailed tactical actions:
- to promote sociality and good neighbourliness;
- to enhance inter-generational exchange;
- to raise awareness about solidarity, and show how fragile people can be transformative for the locals, and vice-versa;
- to enhance collaboration with institutions;
- to fundraising for further CO-RE activities.
The CO-RE project in this context achieved 3 main results:
- got past a stigma which is sadly radicate, in particular in small communities;
- sustained residents’ recovery, through social activities, but ultimately through opportunities for employment.
- put the halfway house residents and the locals at the centre, being them the social change agents.
Many of the activities arose without the direct support of 4 Exodus, such as the summer camp for kids, which till today is fully operational as a community service, after direct requests of the parents; good neighbourly practices, door-to-door visits, elderly support.
Re-connection was, and is, the key-word: it generated multiplier effects increasing resilience, facilitating inclusion, and being deeply transformative throughout the rehabilitation path. Here the tangible impact is generated by the locals as aware drivers of positive change in the lives of the residents. As a result, social re-connection, active participation and understanding generated a unique, whole aggregated community, with the halfway house as its beating heart.
The CO-RE objectives have been fully achieved. To make this success happen we focused on offering services responding to the tangible needs of the locals as drivers for re-connection, while looking for building up social relations: in a word to regain trust. By trusting the halfway house residents and its social operators, locals gave them the power to take actions impacting the whole local community.
The quality of the communication was crucial: we needed to ensure that we were getting valuable input, to listen to their opinion and needs, but at the same to be sure everyone had the information that they needed to make an informed decision when it came to start a relation with us and with our residents.
The immediate next step was to facilitate multiple perspectives. For example, the halfway house residents could start an open, direct dialogue with local schools and teachers, contributing to the design of the activities. Similarly, this happened with the local Parrish, where activities were corroborated by an ongoing dialogue and meaningful conversations aiming to build mutual trust, guiding and orienting towards the best solutions, always taking in consideration the needs of each actor involved.
Storytelling, empathy, proximity, they all nurtured the social and human “aesthetics” of this initiative, which can be distilled from the very positive feedback from the locals: emotional messages and expressions of gratitude comes profusely, but mostly it was the changed scenario in the relation that confirmed the beauty of model: rather to be a “ghetto”, the halfway house is now a place where locals refer to.
Last but not least, a regenerative action impacted the territory, which is located in the countryside, but where, unfortunately, locals strive to access natural sites, or parks. As a result of the action, several public sites were regained by the population, in particular: the elementary school garden; the cemetery areas; the town square.
4 Exodus has in the Design for All its guiding principle:
- Equitable Use (P1): we consider the territory from Casale Litta as a common, shared community asset. So, we took action making all the players aware of this, both the locals and our residents. We also convey a sense of privacy, security, and safety was equally ensured all along the re-connecting process for all, while at the same time we aimed for building appealing bonds and initiatives, for both parties involved.
- Flexibility in Use (P2): We tried to accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. Thus we suggested different activities and levels of involvement, ensuring full adaptability in responding to the stimulus from our side and from our residents.
- Simple and Intuitive Use (P3): We were open to the locals sharing experience, knowledge and custom habits, while at the same time being consistent with their expectations, same for our residents'.
- Perceptible Information (P4): We were committed to have an ongoing dialogue with the locals, communicating necessary information timely and effectively and using a tone&style in line with their habits and customs, even to the different age-groups.
- Tolerance for Error (P5): All along the path, we tried to minimise risks, potential adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions through constructive dialogue, agreeing and sharing safe rules, and getting ready with contingency plans in the event hazards or errors might pop up.
- Low Physical Effort (P6): All the activities and the relations were based on willingness, so that everybody involved could always have the option to be fully involved or to stay in a neutral position (this was particularly true for the locals).
- Size and Space for Approach and Use (P7): The territory - and most specifically the halfway house - was shared as a common asset, thus stimulating a sense of belonging and identity in both parties.
In addition to the overall social and community revitalization, the locals from Municipality of Casale Litta could get several benefit:
- Cleaning of public gardens.
- Offering convivial happenings at 4 Exodus venue, so that the locals could enjoy drinks, food and music shows.
- From the cooperation with the local kindergarten, local handmade food baked in the kitchen of the halfway house were provided, while on Christmas the residents directly contributed with ideas and materials for children's handcrafts.
- 220 local high school students were hosted during a special event “One day in the Halfway House '' in Casale Litta; our intention was to connect different realities and to bring together individuals that have indeed different life experiences. The goal was to make them know each other, to speak the same language, to raise awareness around drug addiction, to boost prevention of drug use and to contrast juvenile distress phenomena.
- 350 people participated in a large event organised at the venue in June and September, which is celebrated every year. The HOOP - The party has arrived, under the patronage of Municipality, was organised and managed by the youth from the local community with the support of educators and residents. The neighbours warmly responded, with enthusiasm and participation: they volunteered for storing food and drinks, opening the gate for the parking;
- Participation and support in the city walking group; the Tour of the Neighbors, which involves a participatory approach, the delivery of small gifts (biscuits, focaccia, etc.) instrumental to get in direct contact with the locals but also to monitor potential difficult or harmful cases door by door, as well as to detect needs and desiderata at a very granular level.
All these actions have contributed to regaining a sense of belonging, creating long lasting bonds, going beyond the tangible results, but ensuring a smooth social inclusion, re-connection and empowerment for all.
After having mapped the stakeholders at all levels we based our strategy on 3 key steps:
- Inform – to ensure that the locals are aware of the information or facts.
- Consult – to reach out "gate keepers" for each stakeholder (category) mapped, to get some input, feedback or advice before moving forward.
- Active Involvement – Start collaborating with stakeholders to work through the issues and starting the action.
For the CO.RE project we therefore involved: the municipality; some territorial organisations; local NGOs; schools; senior citizens centres; local businesses, retailers. Each one was approached with a tailored strategy, engagement rate was almost 100%.
- Municipality: we organised hybrid meetings to consult, facilitate direct interaction, foster information and data gathering and enable active listening and participation. The dialogue was key to determine the need for locals (and community) engagement.
- Territorial organisations and local NGOs, senior citizens centres; local businesses, companies, retailers: workshops and debate groups were organised to enable constructive dialogue, discuss ideas in an open and relaxed atmosphere, collecting feedback and suggestions. They was crucial for providing guidance and input into community engagement activities.
- Schools, kindergartens: school visits were organised to meet with school teachers and understand their perspective and willingness to cooperate. Their collaboration revealed to be key to get an understanding about issues associated with youth.
At regional and national level, we could benefit from the exchange with Fondazione Exodus - Don Antonio Mazzi. Thanks to this we have had the opportunity to benchmark similar initiatives at national level (Italy) and to spread the results at a broader level. Furthermore, as a halfway house officially registered by the regional social and health system, it was possible to bring our initiative to a best practice also under a therapeutic point of view.
Several expertises and theoretical approaches were deployed to ensure the best design and implementation. All the operators employed in the halfway house in Casale Litta had a specific academic and practical experience in the development of therapeutic and accompaniment activities for the residents.
The challenge, derived by the evolving relation between the residents and the locals, required the introduction of new approaches referring to disciplines which border more with the social innovation management and sociology, rather than the ones usually adopted in similar organisations or structures.
This gap was filled both thanks to the support of consultants and to targeted professional trainings, specifically: one guest did an ESF (educators without borders)-supported social work course; another resident took a one-year para-university course as a social animator and all the operators and social workers have undergone training by ESF for "community animation" and "team building" through workshops and frontal lessons. An holistic approach was applied to the RE-CO project, which stemmed quite organically as the relations developed and grew, and which was integrated effectively in the therapeutic path, supporting their personal fulfilment as individuals in relation with the surrounding social environment.
Given the sensitive conditions of the residents of the halfway house, a specific focus on conflict prevention and management was set up since the relation between them and the hosting community showed some potential criticism and the first reaction from both sides was nothing but skepticism. The safety measure was therefore key to prevent the escalation of particularly harsh cases, the added value for each of the relations created and of the players involved was constructive dialogue, active listening and active participation. The resulting community as a whole skill was the key element which created the ground base for the success of the overall project.
The project generated impacts to the following direct and indirect beneficiaries:
Direct:
- Locals
- Children and teenagers
- Families (including those in difficult conditions)
- Elderly
- Residents of the halfway house
- Casale Litta Municipality
Indirect:
- Casale Litta neighbourhood
- Territorial organisations and local NGOs;
- Senior citizens centres;
- Local businesses, companies, retailers;
- Law enforcement.
Outcomes/Impacts:
- Organisation of after-school activities, winter excursions involving 30 teens aged 13 to 17 citizens.
Organisation of a permanent pizza bakery workshop within the 4 Exodus halfway house for social business purposes with an average revenue of 80,000.00€ every year
- Production and exchange of horticultural practices, where the surplus was shared directly with the neighbours.
-Production and delivery of solidarity parcels for 27 families in need, stated by the Social Services of the Municipality as a result of the cooperation.
- Cleaning of public spaces of the municipality twice a week.
- Partnership with “Goccia a Goccia” kindergarten in the local municipality: on a weekly basis, pizza baked during the workshop was offered for lunch, and beneficiaries of the halfway house organised and participated at school's workshop activities as masters of wood art.
- Celebration of One day in the Community exchange events, involving 220 students from the local high schools hosted at 4 Exodus halfway house premises .
- Organisation of HOOP The party has arrived, two yearly big events editions hosted at the venue with the sponsorship of the municipality with the participation of more than 350 people.
- Community caring, anti-isolation and monitoring activities carried out through the “Giro dei vicini” walking tour, visiting neighbours, mainly elderly and people with difficulties, celebrated weekly to accompany and deliver goods and offers from the internal workshops. The initiative monitored around 40 households.
The most innovative aspect of the project lies in the transformational capacity of vulnerable people to be social change agents and the ability to convert a place - typically considered as a “ghetto” like halfway houses or rehab centers - into the beating heart of a local community.
Designing for social change requires a paradigm shift, changing the typical roles in the equation. The project demonstrated that, despite a persistent stigma from the local communities, halfway houses and rehab's residents developed valued identities as helpers in their communities, providing advice to neighbours whose family or friends had substance use problems, and organizing community service activities to improve the appearance of their neighbourhoods. With their attention to local context, residents and operators challenge the personal tragedy approach of much traditional advocacy on health-related stigma. Mistrust, perceived threats to personal safety and property values, avoidance, hostile staring, or rude comments, they all decreased in the locals, while shame or embarrassment, anxiety suffered from the residents left the field open to self-determination, confidence, positive attitude, trust.
This was the result of the commitment from the social workers and operators from 4 Exodus to reach out the locals for change, where active listening, constructive dialogue were the main key for reconnecting and building purposeful bonds. The CO-RE project has proposed itself as a cornerstone in the process of inclusion and resilience of Casale Litta local community, involving all local actors, but it also stands as a milestone for 4 Exodus for future actions to come.
Stemming from 4 Exodus mission - reception, recovery and occupational, and social reintegration of people in conditions of fragility and marginality - the methodology and approach for the present project based essentially on:
1. Asses: activities aimed to understand the background conditions and the stakeholders relevance; analysing the barriers and obstacles both from the locals and residents perspective, developing a related needs analysis; elaborating a “Theory of change” as a guiding tactical action;
2. Inform: based on the resulting mapping, activities dealt with engaging the stakeholders to ensure that everyone is aware of the information or facts and of the action plan, to get consensus;
3. Consult: activities based on tactical actions, mainly to reach out "gate keepers" for each stakeholder (category) mapped, to get some input, feedback or advice before moving forward.
4. Active Involvement: basing on the different activity streamlines agreed with the different stakeholders, design of an Action Plan with specific, measurable objectives and expected results detailed for both 4 Exodus residents and the locals.
The specific objectives were the following:
- to understand the local conditions, barriers, strengths, obstacles, opportunities;
- to carry out a study of the person's needs through listening, observation, exploration of lived contexts (family, referring services)
- to map and actively engage the local stakeholders;
- to define key target groups;
Furthermore, to define tactical actions aiming at:
- cultivate and/or build a social and family network around the person
- create useful opportunities for improvement and the achievement of possible autonomy
- increase residents skills and capacities
- work on personal awareness
- drive mutual trust and understanding
- support the locals in care or recreational services
- drive community belonging
The CO-RE project can be fully replicated in terms of methodology, approach and tactical actions. We can confirm that evidences tell us it can probably be replicated at its best in small-scale communities, where the creation of social bonds and re-connection can be facilitated by small numbers and a shared, small territory. The CO-RE project is, in essence, a collection of cascade small-scale initiatives which could also be replicated individually, such as for instance the after- school activities or winter excursions for kids; the on-topic workshops building on the skills and expertise of the halfway house residents; or as the “Goccia a Goccia” kindergarten involving the residents as trainers for artistic activities; or as the “Giro dei vicini” walking tour (Neighbouring tour), as a mean to detect fragile situation among the locals and intervene with support while liaising with the residents, building on their soft skills. A few initiatives are highly recommended at a very early stage, since they contribute in creating a genuine bond between the involved players.
The holistic approach stemming from the present project is highly scalable and can be replicated by similar organisations dealing with different kind of fragile, vulnerable people, including people with physical and cognitive impairments.
The global challenges that our project tackle at the local level are:
- reduce stigmatisation and marginalisation of vulnerable or fragile people (such as drug-addicts, convicts or ex-convicts) by local communities.
- reduce self-stigma in fragile or vulnerable people who often see themselves in a way that reflects the prejudice and judgement of others. Sometimes this overrides any sense of self-worth or self-esteem.
- overcome negative misconceptions that surround people struggling with substance abuse in local communities.
- reconnecting locals with social operators and their residents, building trust.
- supporting local communities and citizens in transformational change, opening up to social inclusion.
The first point is a widespread challenge that requires innovative solutions and multilevel collaboration to be faced at a macro and micro level. The solution is typically a bottom up one, facilitating the direct involvement of the affected target groups. Local experiences work better given the small scale of people involved and due to the fact that in small villages or towns, it is easier to have a direct dialogue with people. Over time, thanks to the diffusion of examples of resilience, the notion of fragility and failure could become part of our common language and mindset opening up to more opportunities for recovery and to learn from mistakes and failures.
In small local communities, the memory of the past is being lost. Young people tend to move towards the big cities, and the central state struggles to intervene effectively. Local, focused initiatives and interventions can be essential for transformational change leading to regenerative social relations, self-improvement, collective intelligence. Our initiative caused a kind of a “shock” among the locals: by constructive dialogue and active participation, a chain reaction resulted which is still echoing and generates value for the whole community.
