ANGSA Casale – Project “bluMun. On the way to Independent Life”

The opening meeting of the 2023 activities was held on Friday 24 February

On Friday of last week the Project promoted by was presented GOOSE Casale «bluMun. On the way to the Independent Life». The children and tutors already involved, families and people interested in learning about and/or joining the initiative took part in the meeting.

Il Project is supported by SociAL Foundation and by other Institutions of our territory: «Il Picchio» cultural association di Camino, Municipalities adhering to the Project «The Monferrato of Burnt Castles» e CRI section of Casale Monferrato.

The meeting was introduced by the sharing of a short video through which the experience of 2022 was retraced, «bluMun. Paths are built by travelling»: an opportunity to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the completed edition of the Project.

In 2023, walks will be offered that will keep the group busy for the whole day and long excursions that include overnight stays. Christine Tartarapresident of ANGSA Casale, e Silvia Ottoneprofessional educator, point out that for People with Autism, the possibility of testing themselves in situations of daily life outside the family environment is an unmissable training ground for life. The kids will be able to share both mealtimes and the spaces intended for self-care and rest. For them it is not trivial to be able to choose what to eat, go shopping, cook or go to a restaurant … just as it is not trivial to remodel their domestic routines to adapt to the new context and the constant presence of other people. […] As already happened last year, we expect that for the tutors, the proximal community and also for the families of the participants with ASD, it will be an opportunity to change the gaze towards autism and the potential of these People who often do not emerge at due to barriers, including cultural ones, present in the context. From this initiative it is expected that the friendships developed during the Project will be maintained with a cascading effect on the quality of the Social Inclusion of the People with ASD involved and that the Project will contribute to the consolidation of a culture and a vision that puts the Person at the center and its strengths.

During the afternoon there were: Maurice Mittino – tutor of the SociAL Foundation – Catherine Bernard e Pierangelo Iviglia – founders of the «Il Picchio» Association and expert guides, as well as organizers of the excursions that will be inaugurated starting next March 5th – Fabio Oliviero – Leader of «Il Monferrato del Castelli Bruciati and mayor of Odalengo Grande – Cristiano Buffa – communication coordinator for «Il Monferrato dei Castelli Bruciati – e Luke Novelli – Councilor for Social Policies of the Municipality of Casale.

There was also a representation of AVIS which supports other initiatives of ANGSA Casale and the Mayor of Giarole – Joseph Pavese – which will host the Project at the Municipal Library, starting from 02/03 “Bye, see you on Thursday!” which involves a small group of kids in laboratory activities.

Luke Novelli intervened wishing him all the best for the new edition of the «bluMun» project and expressed great satisfaction with ANGSA Casale’s ability to build a network with the other realities in the area.

Catherine Bernard briefly illustrated the history and activities of «Il Picchio», born over 10 years ago as a newspaper and subsequently established as a cultural association with aims aimed at safeguarding and promoting the territory, its history and the natural landscape in collaboration with other local realities. Meeting with other Associations has allowed us to grow.

Fabio Oliviero he told that in 2017 the idea of create the itinerary of the Burnt Castles which connects 11 municipalities in the area. It is a 100 km long ring itinerary that can be covered on foot or by bicycle. The Municipalities involved in the route are: Cerrina, Odalengo Grande, Villamiroglio, Moncestino, Gabiano, Camino, Pontestura, Coniolo, Solonghello, Mombello Monferrato and Castelletto Merli. It is a very varied and non-linear path, we have tried to touch the most significant points of the territory: woods, flat areas, hills, rivers. It was and is an opportunity to get to know other realities. Over time, collaborations with other local realities have grown, among these «Il Picchio». The speech ended with a thank you because the mayors of small towns don’t always have the satisfaction of seeing that what has been done is useful. We have created this project to give it to the area, to those who want to use it for social and tourist activities: the fact that it is used is a great satisfaction for us and an incentive to grow more and more. Thank you very much and see you next Sunday in Odalengo!

Cristiano Buffabriefly explained the aims of the «Monferrato dei Castelli Bruciati» project, highlighting theimportance of travel and traveling. Crossing territories can bring knowledge and favor the collaborative process. Traveling you see new landscapes, new people. There are buildings, walls, vineyards, cornfields. What’s behind buildings, walls, vineyards… it’s more difficult to know but it’s very important. Traveling means making new experiences and putting yourself in the position of knowing what you didn’t know before. It’s a great opportunity. For this reason, when you walk you have to look around, you have to be curious, you have to want to understand what is the reality of the territory on which you are moving. This curiosity must be two-way: even those who live in the area must want to know who is traveling it, what impressions the traveler has of the territory in which he travels. Mutual knowledge is very important. Mutual knowledge sets in motion a collaboration between those who travel through a territory and those who live there who, to make it attractive, to ensure that it becomes a resource, must take care of it. At the same time, those who travel must realize the value of the territory and enter an ethical dimension of respect for places, for the people who inhabit them, for nature. The collaborative relationship arises and is favored by a communication process.

Pierangelo Iviglia illustrated the program of excursions planned on the route of the Burnt Castles. There are 7 itineraries, two of which, longer, will keep the group busy for the entire weekend; in these cases the overnight stay away from home is foreseen. These are the days of 1 and 2/04 and 10 and 11/06. Some routes are quite challenging – explains Iviglia – because it will also be necessary to face significant slopes. Depending on the difficulty, more or less long itineraries have been traced: from a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 30 km per day. The shorter walks will also allow you to visit characteristic places in the area. We will leave on March 5 with Cerrina – Odalengo – Villamiroglio. During the day we will travel 15 km. We will stop and have lunch in Odalengo where we will also visit a riding school. We will reach the ‘Bric delle Pietre’ which is one of the highest peaks of the Monferrato hills, it is not Mont Blanc but it defends itself well because it reaches 435 above sea level. We will walk in a reality made of woods, of biodiversity, where we will meet the animals that inhabit the woods, flowers and plants. These hills were once planted with vineyards: while on the one hand we have lost a piece of our history, there are fewer farmers, on the other we have discovered that there are magnificent woods, gullies on the river Po which allow us to admire the plain. These are natural places that are increasingly valuable. Other fully cultivated areas do not allow the survival of native animal and plant species. Animals find a home in our woods and we, thanks to the creation of the Castelli Bruciati path, can benefit from it, breathe oxygen, relax. I remind everyone to wear suitable clothing because you will be walking from morning to night! The purpose of our excursions is to have fun and … go home alive.

Maurice Mittino briefly presented the SociAL Foundation, born in Alessandria in 2013 by the will of the Guala family, she is responsible for supporting organizations and associations that work in the third sector through two fundamental activities: one is training, the other is the issuing of tenders aimed at supporting projects. Since 2013 we have supported more than 180 projects and disbursed more than 4 million euros. The Foundation selects those to be co-financed from the projects presented. An accompaniment then follows: through tutoring the progress of the project is monitored, and supported during its development. During the speech Maurizio Mittino underlines the importance of networking between the associations because this allows them to grow, to be more visible and to achieve their goals.

Until last year I was a Scout so your Project is a bit in my DNA: I loved it! Road, Community and Services are the fundamental pillars of the Scout method therefore, when it was time to assign the tutor, I immediately proposed myself because … traveling the road is hard, however, when you share it with others it becomes easier. Leading the way means accepting the other for who they are, not for what I want them to be. Leading the way is preparation: you can’t improvise. Making the way is meeting, meeting with other people, with the environment, with history, with culture and for this it is necessary to have an open mind. I conclude with a quote: «May the stars always guide you and the road take you far» (Modena City Ramblers: ‘La strada’).

Christine Tartara he then presented ANGSA’s initiatives for 2023, in particular those aimed at celebrating April 2 (World Autism Awareness Day). The meeting concluded with refreshments.

ANGSA Casale thanks all those who support the Association’s initiatives and who contribute – with their presence, with their ideas, with their work and with their time – to the creation of courses aimed at promoting Rights and Quality of Life of people with ASD and their families.

For information on the project and other ANGSA Casale initiatives: 388 9810119 – [email protected]