The Foundation for Partnership and Civil Society Development
+RESILIENT – Study visit to Maribor
Foundation for stimulation of partnership and civily society development representatives with +RESILIENT project partners and stakeholders visited Maribor in Slovenia, from 15 th till 16th of January 2018.
Study visit began at TKALKA, cooperative centre 2500 square meter large, in which along PRIZMA – the host, actively are participating representatives of 55 different organizations. PRIZMA is continually offering advisement services, individual and group educations, and through the national and EU projects is continually developing social innovative enterpreneurship. At the moment, PRIZMA is hiring 13 persons, that are continually adjusting to slovenian labor market by networking and connecting on the national and regional level.
Study visit continued by rural tour of Podravje Region, where the reprezentatives of the Municipality of Cirkulane introduced LAS HALOZE, local action group in witch are gathered 7 municipalities that are developing wine production, wine cellars and old rural houses renovation, walking and hiking trails construction and Slovenian rural development in general. During the wine cellar tour, we had the chance to meet many technological innovations when in comes to wine bottling that the local cooperatives are using in order to achieve more economic and stimulative production of homemade branded wine. We were also introduced with renewed kitchen place where the local cooperatives are able to pack and store their products in a regular manner.
The next study visit day began at TKALKA, where the slovenian +RESILIENT stakeholders presented the good practice examples, when it comes to social innovation. We have seen the SOCIOLAB business concept – project financed by the European social fund, which aim is to stimulate the employment of vulnerable groups by empowering, educating and motivating.
We were also introduced IRNAS, nonprofit Institute for technology and enviroment development. Study visit continued meeting DOBRINA, one of the Cooperatives that works in TKALKA and is gathering 113 members, that are producing naturally grown food. We also visited their healthy food store.
The last was the ARTEMIJEMAR Cooperative, specialized for manufacture of traditional slovenian souvenirs, jewelerry and decorative items. Among their own shop, they are very succesfully participating in the tourist promotion of Maribor and Podravje Region, and their goods are often taking parts of the slovenian hotel offer and are also beeing present as the protocol gifts during the diplomatic affairs of their local goverment representatives.
Maribor study visit enabled to project partners representatives from different Mediterranean countries exchange of knowledge, through great good practice examples in local communities in that area of Slovenia. They were introduced various ways of social innovation and social enterpreneurship, based on the stimulation of employment, selfemployment, intersectoral cooperation which aim is to maintain sustainable growth and development of local communities.
