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Sustainable Rural Regeneration Conference

Cultural and natural heritage, in all its manifestations, are pillars of the identity, cohesion and well-being of communities. The transformative power of cultural and natural heritage is increasingly recognized as a key enabler for sustainable development, particularly in rural areas facing chronic economic, social and environmental challenges. The Conference on Sustainable Rural Regeneration, taking place at UNESCO Headquarters on 9-10 June 2022, aims to foster knowledge exchange and reflections on the future of rural development in Europe and beyond. Organized by UNESCO and partners of the RURITAGE project, it will bring together practitioners and international experts on rural development, local communities implementing heritage-led actions, as well as representatives of the European Commission and of EU funded projects.
Colombian Coffee Landscape

RURITAGE is a European Union Horizon 2020 funded project that created a new paradigm for the regeneration of rural areas by using their unique Cultural and Natural Heritage (CNH) as a driver to boost sustainable development and increase competitiveness.

The two-day conference will include an interactive workshop on rural future scenarios, discussions with leading European researchers and practitioners and an information session for Member States. 

Trail run in the Karavanke/Karawanken UNESCO Global Geopark
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Pottery in Lesvos UNESCO Global Geopark

Two open-to public sessions will be streamed online in the mornings of 9 and 10 June. 

On 9 June, RURITAGE project participants will present the results of their rural regenerations plans and experts from the partner institutions will give talks on how to assess the impact of regeneration actions, the RURITAGE Digital Resource Ecosystem and present the innovative RURITAGE strategy. 

Round table discussions about "Sustainable rural development in the European agenda" will also be open to online participants on 10 June, in the morning (CET).

During the first round table on “Rural territories in EU funded projects: inspiration from Local Communities”, RURITAGE territories and members of other projects working on rural development, namely the AURORAL, INCULTUM, Be.CULTOUR and DESIRA projects, will share innovative heritage-led approaches from local communities.

It will be followed by a round table on “Rural Development and regeneration within European Union Agenda”, with members of the SHERPA project, the European Commission and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture of Moldova discussing strategic and policy approaches.

Looking across the world, rural communities tell the story of a thousand years long collaboration between nature and human society. In a time of constant challenges, rural communities must grasp the potential of their diverse heritage. RURITAGE turns rural areas into laboratories to demonstrate that Cultural and Natural Heritage can be used as an engine of regeneration!
Simona Tondelli RURITAGE Project Coordinator

About the RURITAGE project

RURITAGE is a European Union Horizon 2020 funded project that created a new paradigm for the regeneration of rural areas by using their unique Cultural and Natural Heritage (CNH) as a driver to boost sustainable development and increase competitiveness. To achieve this, RURITAGE developed an innovative methodology that involves 13 Role Models and 6 Replicators which work on six Systemic Innovation Areas - Pilgrimage, Resilience, Sustainable Local Food Production, Integrated Landscape Management, Migration, and Art & Festivals.

The Role Models (RM) represent 13 successful rural regions which have regenerated their territory by using local cultural and natural heritage and that are representative of the six SIAs. After analysis, the practices of each of the Role Models, including several UNESCO Global Geoparks, have been transferred and adapted to other rural territories that are in the process of building their own heritage-led regeneration strategies – the Replicators. This way, the Role Models support the Replicators by improving their skills, knowledge and capacity building. This process occurs through a co-creation process, where the knowledge and skills of the Role Models are tailored to meet the specific needs and challenges of the replicators. To facilitate the interaction between Role Models and Replicators and engage local stakeholders, 19 Rural Heritage Hubs (RHHs) were established in each RM and Replicator. In these hubs, the RURITAGE community has involved local stakeholders in the formulation of the strategies, ensuring a collective approach in the management, responsibility and ownership of Cultural and Natural Heritage.