The Cultural Association San Giacomo was established in 2015 and operates in the neighborhood around the Town Hall Square in the Old Town of Corfu. The city has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2007.
About us
Our name, “San Giacomo,” is derived from the name of the city’s most characteristic monument, which functioned as a theater during the 18th and 19th centuries and, until recently, served as the seat of the Municipal Authority.
The Association was created out of the need and desire to address the antisocial individualism of the modern era, a characteristic element not only of large cities but also of small towns in Europe. The traits of privatization, indifference, violation of fellow citizens’ rights, appropriation of public space, and self-centered and destructive behavior towards the natural and built environment are elements of everyday behavior that we must confront.
The starting point and goal of the Association are the cultivation of participatory culture, organized, systematic, and responsible involvement in public affairs.
Our purpose
Today, it is increasingly appreciated that the chronological distance between problems and their resolution tends to grow rather than diminish. Furthermore, this distance becomes even more apparent when considering value parameters such as quality of life, equality, transparency, and information.
The Association aims to reverse this trend by:
- Sensitizing residents to participate in public affairs.
- Advocating for local authorities to develop a strategic plan to address the city’s key issues. This plan, based on a timeline and priorities, should be implemented consistently, with stability and commitment, without evasion from the respective Municipal Authority.
- Advocating for the application of the City’s Civic Operation Regulation, with emphasis on traffic, cleanliness, lighting, public space, road infrastructure, and aesthetics.
- Initiating projects to showcase the buildings, monuments, museums, streets, and walls of the city through an interpretative presentation and promotion plan.
- Implementing targeted cultural actions, such as events, exhibitions, lectures, and more.
Plan
Tools for implementing the goals of the Association can include the consultative use of the Management Plan 2006-2012 (UNESCO), assistance from members and residents, as well as friends of the neighborhood with special training. The systematic work on the objectives by a citizen group from the Cultural Association San Giacomo, and most importantly, collaboration with associations from other cities or monuments listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, are essential.
However, the primary tools for the action of the San Giacomo Association will be programmatic agreements and the selection of strategic partners for targeted collaboration on issues that require solutions and interventions.