OASIS Local Participatory Action – Sutla

PLACE: Pregrada, Croatia

DATE: 13th of June 2024

PARTNER: Local Action Group Zagorje-Sutla

The event aimed to engage a diverse group of stakeholders to contribute to developing the EU Common Strategy for participative governance in protecting, promoting, and valuing traditional vine agricultural landscapes. Invitations were extended to local producers, government representatives, educational institutions, rural youth, and women. A total of 16 participants (14 participants + 2 moderators) ensured a productive atmosphere conducive to achieving project objectives.
Held in Pregrada, a town within the Local Action Group Zagorje-Sutla known for wine production, the event took place in a suitable hall with a conducive atmosphere. Participants had access to a presentation and printed materials throughout.
The schedule included welcome remarks, an overview of the winEU.rur Project, and phases of the Local Participatory Action, concluding with reflections and closing remarks. The event utilized the OASIS Methodology, which guided the participatory process through five distinct phases:

  1. Appreciative Gaze: The session began with welcome words from Hrvoje Novak, manager of LAG Zagorje-Sutla, who introduced the project’s and action’s objectives. This phase encouraged participants to reflect on and appreciate the unique qualities and potential of European vineyard landscapes.
  2. Affection: Following the Appreciative Gaze, participants engaged in the Affection Phase. Here, they identified and mapped existing best practices related to sustainable tourism, innovative technologies for cultural tourism management, and sustainable cultural tourism measures. They shared these insights using yellow and red post-it notes, highlighting both the projects and their qualities.
  3. Dreaming: During the Dream Phase, participants envisioned an ideal future for the territory based on the identified values and qualities. They imagined what the fullyrealized potential of these landscapes could look like, considering factors such as cultural sustainability, eco-friendly practices, interactive experiences, and digitalization of heritage.
  4. Care: In the Care Phase, representatives from each group presented the themes and values envisioned for the future territory based on the dreams shared in the previous phase. Participants engaged in discussions to exchange ideas and refine their collective vision.
  5. Action: The final phase, Action, focused on developing actionable steps towards realizing the envisioned future. Participants worked in pairs to formulate specific actions aligned with the EU Strategy values of participative governance for the protection, promotion, and valorization of vineyard landscapes. They identified needs and resources required for each action, emphasizing collaboration among stakeholders and leveraging local expertise and support.

This structured methodology facilitated dynamic discussions, encouraged creative thinking, and ultimately guided participants towards concrete actions to advance sustainable and innovative tourism in European vineyard landscapes.
Feedback collected through Worksheet IV: Evaluation was positive, indicating satisfaction with objectives, methodology, venue, and session duration.
Further details about the event and the Local Action Group Zagorje-Sutla can be found on the website: https://zagorje-sutla.eu/

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One response to “OASIS Local Participatory Action – Sutla”

  1. Marko

    What an inspiring initiative! Bringing together diverse stakeholders to co-create a vision for sustainable tourism and participative governance in vineyard landscapes is truly commendable. The OASIS Methodology seems like an excellent approach to harness creativity and collaboration for meaningful action. Bravo to the organizers and participants!