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National Committee
Italy was one of the first countries to form a National Committee in preparation for the International Year of Mountains. The Italian committee was one of the leading forces in International Year of Mountains. The Committee was founded in early 1999, with the following members:
Government
Parliamentary group, 'Friends of the Mountains'
Unione Nazionale Comuni Comunità Enti Montani (National Union of Mountain Muncipalities, Comunities and Institutions) - UNCEM
NGO
Associazione Europea degli Eletti della Montagna (AEM)
Research
Istituto Nazionale Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica sulla Montagna (INRM)
Fondazione Courmayeur
Comitato EV-K²-CNR (it also acted as the secretariat or coordinating body of the Italian National Committee)
Federazione Bacini Imbriferi (Federbim)
Civil society
Fondazione Giovanni Angelini Centro Studi sulla Montagna
Club Alpino Italiano (CAI)
Club Arc Alpino
Museo Nazionale della Montagna 'Duca degli Abruzzi'
Trento Film Festival
Preparatory activities for the International Year of Mountains
The Italian National Committee was extremely active in organizing events in preparation for International Year of Mountains, bringing together existing associations to participate, and generating media and public attention. For this reason the Italian example served as a model for those countries still in the intitial phases of forming a National Committee for the Year.
The Committee was particularly concerned with creating durable connections between research institutions and local and national government. One such mechanism is the National Institute for Scientific and Technological Research on Mountains (INRM), founded in 1997, which promotes contacts and collaboration within Italy and beyond. Within the framework of the International Year of Mountains, INRM conducted a survey with FAO on the conditions of those living in mountain regions in countries in the process of development.
In addition to the many conferences, exhibitions and media events organised in the run-up to International Year of Mountains, the National Committee created the mountain portal at: http://www.montagna.org/. This still provides a permanent, comprehensive and consistently updated source of reference on mountains for both a national and international public. The aim of this Web site is to promote, organise, create and disseminate cultural and scientific programs, editorial projects and social activities focused on mountain issues.
Activities and Achievements during International Year of Mountains
International
- 'High Summit 2002: International Conference around the Continent's Highest Mountains' - a global interactive videoconference held in various mountain locations and sponsored by the Italian National Committee for the International Year of Mountains (6-10 May). Discussions were organized around five key aspects of mountain development: water, culture, economy, risk and policy. The final debate centred on the development of guidelines for future mountain policies.
- Italy played a major role in the realisation of the international collaborative development project: 'Sustainable Mountain Development in the Mediterranean Region' (2000-2002). This project involved North African, Near East, Eastern and Western European countries and aimed at consolidating and disseminating participatory and integrated approaches and practices for sustainable mountain development in mountainous Mediterranean areas. This was a timely initiative aimed at addressing problems such as demographic change, increase of desertification and loss of biodiversity - all of which have been relatively neglected in these areas.
- The 1st International interactive 'Conference of Mediterranean Mountain Regions', an offshoot of the collaborative development project, 'Sustainable Mountain Development in the Mediterranean Region', took place in Cosenza (13-15 December).
- The non-profit 'SOS Mountains' project established a fund aimed at continuing to support the international programmes and projects started by the National Committee, beyond 2002.
- 'Women on the Roof of the World', the first world conference celebrating women from mountain areas and women mountaineers was held in Bolzano (May 31).
National
Italy designed a national training programme in collaboration with regional governments to disseminate information on issues of mountain culture. National trade fair events were held, and eight thematic talk shows on mountain issues were broadcast on national tv. A series of projects on education and sport were also organized to promote awareness of mountain issues among the young.
Twelve projects on specific themes took place in twelve different Italian regions during the International Year of Mountains. During 2000-2002, the MOUNTAIN PRUSST project defined a methodological model for promoting sustainable development in mountain regions, based on the analysis of 5-6 pilot case activities.
Some of the many promotional and celebratory activities during the Year included:
- The launch of the Mountain Credit card, a percentage of whose profits went towards projects aimed at development in mountain regions.
- 'The National Mountain Museum Celebrates the International Year of Mountains' comprised a series of scheduled events including photographic exhibitions and documentary screenings, Turin.
- 'International Mountain Wine Competition' held first nationally and then internationally to determine the finest wines produced in mountain areas.
- The exhibition and conference 'Bosco e Territorio' held near Turin, addressed both commercial and technical aspects related to forestry, logging and environmental approaches to using wood as energy source (5-8 September).
- Association Gruppo Gualdo Cultura Sport of Sesto Fiorentino organised a series of exhibitions, lectures and concerts in celebration of the Year.
Towards new legislation
At national and local level there were many initiatives and appeals launched as a result of the International Year of Mountains. The National Committee assembled a technical delegation of representatives from institutes and associations to draw up key priorities for the improvement of mountain management to be presented to the Government of Italy.
- In 1999 a pact was signed by five regions in recognition of the need to support local economies in the Appennines and develop strategies to protect areas, traditional farming and crafts, culture and the environment.
- An experimental project in a small village near Sondrio successfully created many job opportunities after years of abandonment. A small town near Imperia was relaunched as a tourist resort.
- The Arnaldo Colleselli foundation of Belluno issued a 'manifesto' entitled 'Mountain Fair Government'. Aimed mainly at political institutions, it called for active cooperation between regional, national and EU institutions.
- An appeal was made to national and regional governments by the provinces of Pesaro and Urbino to act quickly in promoting clear policies to protect small mountain communities and stop depopulation and impoverishment.
Publications
Notable examples include:
- Social History of International Mountaineering
- Milano e le sue montagne (Club Alpino Italiano, Milan)
- Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani (volume devoted to mountains)
Beyond the International Year of Mountains
The International Year of Mountains provided impetus in Italy for the reformulation of the mountain law to include a focus on marginalized areas within mountain systems. At the close of the Year, preparations for the establishment of a foundation, 'Fondazione Italiana per le Montagne', the successor arrangement to the Italian National Committee for the International Year of Mountains were also underway.
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