European cities and in particular their suburbs are experiencing growing difficulties which have their source in various crises: economic, social, ecological, and democratic. Inequalities are increasing, making the social situation of citizens more precarious. Identity folds assert themselves in a conflictual relationship that makes it difficult today for citizens to come together around a common history which gives hope for the future. However, culture and heritage have always been the material that links humans together, gives them benchmarks and allows them to build the future.
The idea for our project was born in Saint-Denis: 134 nationalities, young (40% under 25), strongly impacted by the economic crisis (22.5% of working people are unemployed, 50% of households live under the poverty threshold, the median fiscal income amounts to €11,980 against 21,791 in Fr). This territory is going through a social crisis (40% of those over 15 without a diploma), and democratic (52.45% abstention in municipal elections in 2014). The rate of villainous violence is also high (12.97% against 6.3 for the IDF region). Faced with climate challenges, this territory, like all our European urban territories, has the potential to be innovative and inclusive in terms of ecology. Environmental policies are currently insufficient to build a common narrative integrating all citizens. This challenge can only be met if the population feels they belong to their territory, are concerned by the projects of the territory and therefore in other words, if the environmental issues really become common to all inhabitants no matter their background.
NATURE's vocation is to build and test the favorable conditions to move from a top-down logic of environmental policy to a logic of appropriation and "doing together" in a suburban area which concentrates the difficulties. This challenge could be summed up as follows, cultivate the hospitality of a peripheral urban territory by:
The environment and climate action are priorities for the EU, now and in the future. Our project supports the use of innovative practices to transform learners (we call the knowledgeable), staff and educators / youth workers into real agents of change. Our project will make it possible to modify the behavior of adults in terms of individual preferences, cultural values and awareness of sustainable development, consumption habits and lifestyles. This project brings together communities, actors in adult training, environmental actors and adults and research actors.
