Since 2017, Il Vergante has been a dedicated stakeholder within the Europe Goes Local (EGL) network, working to bridge the gap between European policies and rural youth work. A fundamental milestone in this journey was the “Idee in Comune” project, led by Gloria Lombardo. This initiative successfully established a structural dialogue between young people and local policymakers, translating local needs into tangible European opportunities.
Over the years, through active participation in EGL study visits (including visits with the EGL Delegations of Switzerland and Romania across Europe) and international seminars, we have analyzed various municipal youth work models to adapt them to the Italian rural context. A special thanks to Cosima Oesch, Hansjürg Hofmann, Victor Constantin Marutoiu, and Aldo Cammara for hosting us in their countries.
These collective efforts led to the creation of the “Europe Goes Rural” (RYGE) cluster. Following an initial phase focused on mapping isolated territories, we are now a strategic partner in “RYGE – South Edition” (2025-2027), aimed at transferring these proven methodologies to Southern Italy.
This progress would not have been possible without the sustained support of the Municipality of Sarezzo and the original “Idee in Comune” partnership. Furthermore, the leadership of Youmore APS and the partnership for RYGE has been essential in coordinating numerous national events and engaging new municipalities and NGOs across Italian rural areas. We also owe much to the fundamental support of Francesco Cavicchioli MAEK and Matteo Sisto Europiamo, who hosted key national meetings for the project. All our organizations have championed this vision from the very beginning, always aiming “to infinity and beyond” to ensure the project’s success!
Get in contact: Associazione Il Vergante