Alps in our hands: biodiversity and ecosystems, climate change and quality of life are the themes of the 8th Alp Week, which took place from September 23rd to September 25th in Nova Gorica. The Alp Week is an international event organised by the 6 countries which are signatory parties of the Alpine Convention adopted in the Nineties and by leading Alpine organisations, committed to mountain protection and sustainable development. 

Within the three-day programme, one of the events took place in the University of Trieste’s Aula Magna, in its Gorizia branch, and was coorganised by EGTC GO with the municipality of Gorizia, the University of Trieste, the Italian delegation to the Alpine convention and the Ministry of the environment and energy security (MASE). 

The theme of the event which took place Wednesday September 25th was “Alpine Culture: Mirror of Challenge and opportunities”. Speakers included Guido Germano Pettarin (Società filologica friulana) who spoke about the Alpine population and culture in the context of Nova Gorica-Gorizia European Capital of Culture and the historical genesis of Alpine culture, Wolfger Mayrhofer (Compliance Committee of Alpine Convention), who gave some context about The Alpine Convention for Culture and its Declaration, Population and Culture, Roberto Louvin (University of Trieste), who discussed the modern challenges for Alpine culture, and Paolo Angelini (MASE, Italian Delegation of Alpine Convention), who spoke of the potential goals of a common strategy for Alpine culture. 

Institutional greetings were given by the mayor of Gorizia, Rodolfo Ziberna, the councillor for GO! 2025 at Comune di Gorizia Patrizia Artico, Ezio Benedetti for EGTC GO and Alenka Smerkolj, the General Secretary of the Alpine Convention.

The Organisers of the 8th Alp Week are Alliance in the Alps, Alpine Town of the Year, CIPRA International, CIPRA Slovenija, GO! 2025, Interreg Alpine Space, ISCAR Alpine Research, Kulturni dom Nova Gorica, Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, Soča Valley Development Centre and WWF.

In 2025, the Italian Delegation of the Alpine Convention will take over the triennial presidency. Some of the planned events will take place in Gorizia.

More information is available on the official website.