As of the end of December 2023, the ENGAGE project has concluded its work after three and a half years of research, collaboration, and contribution to current understandings of societal resilience. The project aimed to link the informal resilience naturally inherent in citizens with the formal work of authorities to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from nature-derived and man-made disasters and was co-funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme.

As Cittadinanzattiva we wanted to share the testimonies of the citizens we have met in these years through a series of video-pills that recount the experiences and responsiveness of citizens in the seismic events that hit L'Aquila in 2009 and Central Italy in 2016.

ENGAGE saw L'Aquila as the protagonist of the research in Italy, extended to investigate other emergencies that have affected the country, as emerged at the event promoted by Cittadinanzattiva in Bologna in September 2023, as part of the Festival della Partecipazione.

The eight video-pills explore and share events that for many are memories, for others still a dramatic present, and to return to share the proposal supported with determination by Cittadinanzattiva, that managing emergencies with citizens is much more effective.

For more information on ENGAGE see the project website and our dedicated page.

Click here to watch episode 1, episode 2 and episode 3 in the English subtitled version.

The project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 882850