Fostering multicultural togetherness in Forcella (Naples, Italy): summing up local case and Living Lab experiences to detect paths for future projects

The promotion of spaces in which citizens can dialogue and exchange viewpoints has been one of the main aims of the Italian local case since the very start of its unfolding.

In this vein, since the project is coming to its end, as a final step of the local case and Living Lab paths a joint meeting was organized in Forcella (Naples) by the local research team and the Researcher Young Citizen Scientists (R-YCSs) being part of it. The meeting was held on May 31, 2023, in the Annalisa Durante library and was titled "Con-vivere a Forcella: giovani narrazioni e progettualità condivise" ["Living together in Forcella: young narratives and shared projects"].

The goal of the meeting was to define a shared vision about how to promote a multicultural and responsible style of togetherness in Forcella, jointly with young citizens – both native and with migrant background – and local stakeholders, based on the ideas and experiences emerged from the local case and Living Lab development. Overall, about 50 young citizens and stakeholders took part.

A first part of the meeting was a sort of introduction of the experiences held during the local case and during the Living Lab, plus of other similar activities held in Forcella by the attending associations in the last years; this represented an opportunity to exchange experiences and views about how to involve youths and work with them in that neighborhood. After this, in the second part of the meeting, participants had the opportunity to take a closer look at the posters produced as a final step of the local case and Living Lab experiences. For each set of posters, there was a blank space with a stimulus question; participants were provided with post-its and asked to use them to indicate their visions and ideas with respect to these questions.

Taken together, the meeting was an opportunity to give visibility to the materials and ideas emerged from the local case as well as from the Living Lab; furthermore, it allowed to involve in these paths more young citizens, who were asked to provide inputs and feedbacks based on what was presented and shared and on their experiences in Forcella.