Free to copy

by Eleonora Anello

8101 copies of a documentary as a tool to push the Italian local government to reduce the environmental impact and improve the quality of life in their municipalities.

“Viaggio nell’Italia dei Comuni a 5 stelle” (Journey in the Commons to 5 stars) by Michele Dotti is a video-inquiry that shows the best practices of some local amministration that have decided to support the environment, the economy, the efficiency and the occupation of the territories that administer: put on DVD, was sent to the mayors of all the 8101 Italian municipalities, inviting them to implement what is shown in the movie.
The DVD is in fact a reservoir of environmental good practices, from which the mayors are encouraged to freely draw ideas and inspiration; a tool to publicize and disseminate an alternative model of society based on a logic different from that of unlimited growth that dominated the idea of development in recent decades and which put on the centre the people, its quality of life, its environment. Within the film will also see celebrities like Dario Fo and Beppe Grillo.

The campaign of spreading is performed by Marco Boschini assessor of planning for the territory (urban planning and environment) and for the heritage of Colorno (Parma) and coordinator of the Associazione dei Comuni Virtuosi (Association of virtuousirtuous Municipalities), an experience born from the idea of four mayors -Colorno (Parma), Melpignano (Lecce), Monsano (Ancona) and Vezzano Ligure (La Spezia) - that is spreading by word of mouth but mainly due to the results obtained and the credibility currently enjoyed by its promoters.
The "virtuous" have now become a movement that has attracted the attention of the media and of hundreds of thousands of professionals of the sector.

It’s in the planning stage the 2009 edition of Premio nazionale dei Comuni a 5 Stelle (National Award of Commons to 5 Stars), an opportunity to help create awareness among citizens and to encourage public entities in terms of "best practices" through the enhancement and promotion of "case studies" of experiences undertaken in these years and continued successfully.
The municipalities that have carried out projects aimed to reduce their ecological footprint can register by October 25th 2009. The categories in which you can compete are: territory management, ecological footprint of the municipal machine, waste, sustainable mobility, new lifestyles.
At the overall winner, which is the Common will have shown that an integrated action across all five categories, it will be a free consultation to start a pilot project of "sweet mobility", aimed at reducing the private traffic and the pollution.