The catalan Iltir festival: a democratic evolution of ruralities

ILTIR – « alpec » of democratic evolution of ruralities Regenerating communities

We had the opportunity to represent CELL at the Iltir festival, organized by our Catalan sister organization, Resilience Earth’s. « Iltir » means « community » in the ancient Iber language. This event is similar to the Transition Days but rooted in the enchanting and magical La Garrotxa region. It brings together local communities, as well as local and regional politicians, to explore themes of sustainability and democracy. The setting, rich in culture and natural beauty, served as an inspiring backdrop for meaningful dialogue and collaboration.

The main focus of the 3 days event was democracy, regeneration and bioregion. Many dialogues, workshops took place bringing together experts and practitioners with the main objective to shed light on the different topics, learn from each other, cross-polinise and deconstruct preconceptions in order to strengthen local democracy. The gathering was attended by many different people with a deep commitment to democracy, local and community governance as well as a bioregional perspective.

A meeting full of purpose, roots and hope, among many key ingredients to catalyse the process of regeneration of villages, valleys, mountains and rivers from ruralities. More than 2,000 people from diverse villages attended the meeting, more than 40 presentations, 10 workshop participants, 80 volunteers, 40 artists.

During the event, CELL co-hosted a workshop on the European Green Deal and climate assemblies, discussing how these processes can be adapted to enhance citizen participation. The exchange was very fruitful and we are excited about the next steps and further collaborations. We felt very honored and privileged to be present at this inspiring Iltir, it gave as food for thought and action about community.

Thank you Resielience Earth’s!

Find out all the pictures of the event here.