Dialogue, cooperation and rural development
An intense week of international exchange, community meeting and discovery of good territorial practices.
The trip to Jordan was an important Euro-Mediterranean cooperation experience for Brain Community, made possible through collaboration with Seeds and support from the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Meeting with women's cooperatives
One of the highlights was a meeting with Elham Abbadi, formerly among the founders of Seeds and now leader of Bayoudha Village Farmers Cooperative.
Her production garden is a concrete example of sustainable agriculture led by women. We shared lunch in their forest, immersed in a natural setting that combines agricultural production, women’s autonomy and land enhancement.
Meeting with The Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies
At the Anna Lindh Foundation headquarters in Amman, we met with representatives of The Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, a leading center for interfaith and intercultural dialogue in the region.
The meeting was an important opportunity to exchange experiences, during which we presented Brain Community’s activities related to land development, youth participation and international cooperation.
The discussion opened new prospects for future collaborations and the development of joint projects between Italy and Jordan, strengthening the dialogue between Mediterranean communities.
Meeting with the Jordanian National Commission for Women
We had the honor of meeting the Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women, headed by Maha Ali, a national institution committed to promoting women’s rights and empowerment.
The dialogue focused on the challenges and opportunities related to the role of women in rural development, with a focus on support for women’s cooperatives, economic participation and the creation of new opportunities in the territories.
The meeting is an important step toward possible future international collaborations dedicated to sustainable development and social inclusion.
Reforestation Project - Global Land Forum Forests
We visited the reforestation project sponsored by Seeds called: Global Land Forum Forests
- Phase 1: 5 hectares already started
- Phase 2: additional 5 hectares in development
An initiative that aims to strengthen environmental resilience, combat desertification and create new economic opportunities for local communities.
Agricultural cooperatives in northern Ajloun
In North of Ajloun we met with the North of Ajloun Women Cooperative, engaged in:
- Production and bottling of olive oil
- Production of vinegar
- Preservation and storage of fruits and vegetables
An experience that shows how the agricultural supply chain can become a tool of economic independence for women in rural areas.
Cross-cultural workshop in the community of Disi - Wadi Rum
A particularly significant moment took place at the Disi women’s community in the Wadi Rum area.
Here we conducted a workshop dedicated to gnocchetto prenestino, turning a traditional recipe from our area into a tool for cultural dialogue.
Together with the women of the community, we prepared, cooked and shared the dish, creating a space for comparison between Italian and Jordanian traditions.
A simple but deeply symbolic experience: cooking as a universal language, capable of uniting communities, generating relationships and building bridges between different cultures.
Hospitality and territory: Arjan Village
Special thanks to our friend Barjas Zayton, who hosted us in the village of Arjan in northern Jordan.
Through his story we discovered millennia-old olive groves, agricultural traditions and an authentic vision of sustainable rural development.
Impact and future prospects
This experience strengthened the dialogue between Brain Community Monti Prenestini APS and SEEDS on:
- Women’s Empowerment
- Sustainable rural development
- Reforestation and environmental protection
- Euro-Mediterranean cooperation
- Cultural exchange through gastronomic heritage
Brain Community will continue to work to build new bridges between territories, promoting shared projects and international exchanges.