Unify Venice -- online networking and follow-up event of Arqus Spring School "Rethinking Climate Change: The Venice Paradigm"

Unify Venice is a University of Padova and Arqus event that will take place on July 7, 11-13h (Gmt +2)  on Zoom.

This online networking initiative is a solution-based event that works to address two major issues experienced by Venice and its Lagoon: the over-tourism crisis, which perpetuates and is a large contributor to, the environmental crisis.

Unify Venice is a space where civil society organisations, researchers, stakeholders, local populations and experts in the field can share their knowledge and concerns, as well as space for attendees to learn, and engage in a call to action, all in an attempt to unify Venice.

This initiative follows the experience of three Unipd students, Isabella Pacchiano, Isotta de Zandonati and Eleonora Bergamin, who recently attended the Arqus "Rethinking Climate Change: The Venice Paradigm" Spring School. Their "Community Engagement Framework Project" works to connect local civil society organisations, experts, researchers, stakeholders and populations; and involve such individuals in conversation pertaining to the over-tourism crisis in Venice, which perpetuates the environmental crisis faced by Venice and its Lagoon.

Within the Annex of their research, they included the results of the framework project which offered a voice to the concerns and potential solutions organisations and individuals shared. A major concern and common theme among interviewees is the over-tourism crisis and the subsequent deterioration of the Venice Lagoon.

The program of the event:

• Institutional Opening Speech: The University of Padova, ARQUS Spring School, Group Representatives for Business and Economy (Eleonora Bergamin, Physics; Isotta de Zandonati, International Relations and Diplomacy; and Isabella Pacchiano, Human Rights and Multi-Level Governance)
• The University of Padova, ARQUS Spring School Group Representative for Education and Communication (Anh Nguyen, MA Human Rights and Multi-Level Governance, University of Padova)
• Venice & its Lagoon: We Are Here Venice (Eleonora Sovrani – Art and Research)
• On Venice's Social, Economic, and Ecological Complexity: a systemic look on recent urban governance and grassroots initiatives: Università Ca'Foscari Venezia (Silvio Cristiano, PhD)
• Rethinking Venice in Ecosystem Services Perspective: University of Padova (Professor Laura Onofri)
• Presentazione a cura di Operatori del Turismo Sostenibile (Emanuela Favero)
• Volunteerism & Sustainability: The Centre for European Volunteering (Giulia Bordin – Policy and Project Officer)
• Solution-based Conversations
• Call To Action: We Are Here Venice (Jane da Mosto – Co-founder & Executive Director)

To promote inclusivity to the international community, the event will be held in English.