• The "Young Rural Promoters" of Aragon are leading an initiative on memory and intangible heritage in rural areas called "Human Libraries."
• The European Erasmus+ project "Human Libraries" ensures that the intangible heritage of older people in rural areas is passed on to young people.

One of the challenges facing rural areas today is the loss of knowledge and wisdom possessed by the people who live there, which, due to the lack of generational renewal, can fall into oblivion and disuse.

To this end, the European education program Erasmus+ has launched the " Peripheral Memories " project, designed to organize the dynamic and educational transmission of the intangible heritage treasured by older people living in rural areas to young people. The objective, therefore, is to ensure the preservation of the memory of our peoples, which is a way of strengthening the sense of belonging and highlighting the value of the territory. Ultimately, it is about ensuring the continued existence of a legacy.

Rural youth of Aragon

The Leader cooperation project “Young Rural Energizers” The Aragon Region is leading this project in Spain, in which four other European Union countries are also participating. The Spanish regions of Aragon and the Valencian Community are joined by France, Finland, Lithuania, and Romania. The project will last 26 months from its start date on January 18th.

The project progresses through:

• Three coordination meetings in Aragon, Finland and Lithuania.
• A methodology created ad hoc with tools that allow participating organizations and cultural and heritage associations to work with young people.
• A training course on organizing “human libraries for young people” in Corsica (France).
• Organization of human libraries in all countries through digital visibility and the reinterpretation and illustration of the conclusions drawn from cultural or artistic histories. Not surprisingly, the project's name refers to a virtual library of "human books," which aims to be built with testimonies from exemplary people about their life experiences, ebooks , or book trailers created by students. In the first stage, students will interview prominent witnesses who collaborate on this mission and who will share their stories and perspectives.

We will also seek the collaboration of libraries in participating municipalities to publicize this initiative and offer meetings with human books at their locations.

The project will kick off in Caspe on January 18, 19, and 20 with a meeting attended by the cooperating organizations, which will lay the groundwork for the development and communication of human libraries in the different countries.

Erasmus+ Program

The Erasmus+ programme This call for proposals allows for the implementation of ideas that develop different capacities in the youth field, supporting youth work, non-formal learning, and European mobility. Specifically, the program has three objectives: to reduce discrimination against young people by promoting understanding of different lifestyles and cultures. Second, to highlight the positive actions of people working for the common good, so that young people can learn about and discover people working to build a more inclusive society. Finally, to engage students in creating a better world.