First part – introduction

I described the project, the goals and the nature of the experimental call. Participants described themselves and their lives. Small icebreaker: I asked to picture themself during the next 15th of August (national holiday). I also asked them to describe themselves with 3 words.

Gianni: Calm – Curious – Helpful – the 15th of August he will work

Antonio: Rational – Open – Generous – He hopes the 15th of Aug he will be working

Angela: Generous – Happy – Singing – She hopes to be at the seaside the 15th of August, working or relaxing it doesn't matter

Second part – The current crisis and isolation

I asked participants what this Covid event mean to them, how the adaptation is going on and if their role in their communities (friends, families) changed. I asked also if they have stories related to this event.

Gianni: My role in my communities didn't change so much, I feel okay during this time and I experienced it as a moment of transition to something new that still I don't understand.

Antonio: I like to tell you what's the point of view also from my family and my work. My father is a independent worker, so there's so much worries in the family for the stop of economy.

As a worker in a farming company, I felt the urge to work more to feed more people and don't stop, so I saw the other side of the Covid for economy: big investments and a lot of work, more than before. As a trainee in a accounting firm I also see how money is disappearing from big companies, and I'm afraid of the consequences.

A good story from this Covid crisis: I went in a village nearby (like 3 km away) for fuel and I felt like I was in France! When I was there alone, I understood that we were wasting time on smartphones and not talking to people.

Angela: slightly agree with Gianni, she's also calm and somehow she felt "prepared" for this, like she was expecting this in her life. Her life didn't change so much, but she's afraid for her father that owns a small food shop in a coastal village, so she's fearing for the economic crisis.

Third part – Climate Change

G: What are your feelings about Climate Change, are you aware of it? Do you think you can personally perceive it? (GRASSETTO)

Gianni: I didn't perceive climate change, I think I grew this feeling with studies, my hobbies in speleology and biology, so I perceived more with news and articles. I think now I can feel this change more with my emotional part, I'm aware that I must adapt to something new.

What I've seen as a speleologist is that right now there's problem with flash floods in caves, twenty years ago they didn't happen so often

Antonio: I think I didn't experience personally climate change, I think I'm really not aware of it in my daily life. The only tangible event I can relate is the changing pattern in seasons, also because a lot of people complain about this. I learned most of it with my studies: despite a Master's degree in Economy, my thesis focused on environmental costs of companies and I liked it a lot.

Angela: Maybe because of her studies, but she's aware of changes and extreme events. She is fond of the sea, from her childood, and she noticed changes in seasons, the erosions of beaches. I then asked to tell me a story about erosion, she replied that she clearly remember one day in winter, when she was in high school, she want to the seaside and saw her favourite beach almost disappearing after a storm.

She also added that she noticed changes thanks to her father, who goes fishing for hobbies, noticing new species of fish (blue crab, barracuda)

G: What do you fear the most in a changing climate? What's something you'll miss due to CC?

Gianni: what he fears the most is losing people close to him, the relationship with others is central in his life

Antonio: He agrees with Gianni, losing relationships that are close to him is what he fear the most. But he thinks that he's afraid of losing optimism, that is for him the first reason to wake up every day.

Angela: she's for sure afraid of losing relationships, but she's more afraid of looking at the environment more and more damaged: thinking of her, unable to take a dive in the sea because is polluted, or wearing a mask to breathe air, terrifies her.

G: Are you adapting/reacting to these changes? How?

Gianni: I'm cooperating with an association for environmental awareness in schools. I know time is running out but I try to do as much as I can.

Antonio: I like to do small steps of sustainability, I take public transportation when possible, even if it's really difficult. In my family I try to convince them to change habits. Lately I was able to buy a water filtering jug and avoid plastic bottles. What I always like is to be rational in these choices.

Angela: I'm always been involved in "reacting" to climate change. I'm vegan and I advocate for animal rights; I'm also involved in helping the poors with a christian association. I think that is important to build strong relationships locally to face uncertain times in the future.

Fourth part – Cooperation actors and community: what's the role of community?

G: Who/What you think will be important as cooperation partner/institution, who do you trust?

Gianni: for me is important to have strong bonds with families, friends and my colleagues, I think that in uncertain times is better to focus on this informal bonds, rather than local administrations or government.

Antonio: for me is also family and friends like Gianni. I thinks that local politicians in Apulia are looking only for electoral consent.

Angela: I would say that the first word that came in my mind is "God". Faith is one of the strongest points for me to hold in uncertain times. Then comes family for her and friends like the people volunteering in the christian association.

Fifth part – Experimental game of adaptation

G: Gianni, Angela, Antonio, please now imagine that you live all together in a flat in Lecce. The flat belongs to a small block of flats in the suburbs. You arrive in September in this house, after holidays, and then the regional government issue an alert:in one month water will be strictly rationed, due to the longest dry period in the recent story of the Region.

I told them to think what are the side effects of this: food prices will rise, bars and restaurants will work less, a lot of people will try to grab water in supermarkets, the government will use trucks of water to give it in suburbs. A small scenario description, but not too much accurate.

G: Now you have to organize yourself inside the house and inside the block of flats, imaging to have a budget to manage together (without giving the amount). In one month your life will change a lot and you have to adapt. How do you spend this money? What are the relations with the other flatmates and with people living nearby? Talk freely. And also try to make clear decisions in your discussion.

At the beginning I let the discussion flow freely.

Antonio stars talking about making a list of important things to buy, to exclude what is not needed, while Gianni tries to give hints on how to manage water in the flat, reusing every drop.

He also put a more scientific approach and talked about a "water per capita amount"

Pasta was banned, because it needs to get boiled, so the facilitator asked who's gonna miss it and participants said that was a big loss for everyone!

The three divided roles among the group:

Gianni will lead the manifacturing of a pluvial system to retain water and also to minimize water loss in the house (from washing dishes to washing themselves).

Antonio will be in charge of making lists of things they could or couldn't need and also he will be in charge of the budget.

Angela will take care of cooking "waterless", so she will cook raw vegetables, grill vegetables and other food ecc..

The facilitator asked for some positive side in this water shortage in the house, and they all agreed that at least they will not eat broth and try new ways of cooking!

At this point I told them to talk how they will organize for food.

Gianni thought about considering also neighbours for food. So start exchanging goods among them. The flat should look for local producers and local markets, but if prizes rise they should go in discounts to save some money.

All the group agreed on planting as much as possible on balcony or garden.

Angela suggested to study how many calories they consume, in order to avoid any waste. Gianni and Antonio also suggest to have some "escapes" in this diet, so they can also feel less stress.

Antonio thinks that is better to buy food that doesn't need so much water also in the production. At this point Gianni told the group they cannot have pasta but rice yes, cause you need less water to cook.

I didn't tell him anything, but as they agreed on taking food who needs less water in production, they also agreed on rice, that needs tons of water in production. So the idea to have something similar to pasta won over "responsible purchase".

Then I asked them what will be their relations with neighbours and friends.

Angela: we should give economic help and care for elderly and people living alone. We should give the food we have more to them.

Gianni at this point says that the priority, before helping others, is to stay alive. So he suggest to work on group dynamics, making a community enough big to diluite the problems of everyone and avoid conflicts that can rise easiliy with shortages.

Also to avoid thiefs and robberies, if there's a big community people feel safer. So even if every flat lose some food and water for others, gain a lot in safety, stress relief ecc..

Antonio agreed on everything, he also suggested that a common budget of water and food for the block of flats will be helpful.ù

Something I was thinking during the call is the conflict between this vision of a block of flat organising and the role of family in South Italy, that means also taking care of cousins and far relatives. Maybe this is an interesting point to investigate. (CORSIVO)

I asked than to them what role local power and society in general can have in this scenario.

Angela: the role of NGOs will be crucial. Right now, in times of Covid, her organization is giving relief and food to many poor families. NGOs are crucial for crisis scenario and they should receive more funding, especially when they work locally.

Antonio: local power doesn't work for people, so it's important for people to engage in politics with fresh new ideas.

Gianni: some local powers will be helpful, some other not. It always depends on people and how they are ready to adapt.

Sixth part - End of the game

Last question: Are you positive for the future?

Gianni: I think that the current crisis it's a good starting point to talk about going out of this kind of economy to another one. The positive side of crisis is that we change our mind and so we can easily change the systems we live. We know each other better, we grow and we can see easily the two faces of crisis, as a pain and as an opportunity.

Antonio: I'm positive. Investing is changing and the world will change fast.

Angela: The fact that I will be close to people, even in crisis, makes me happy anyway. Living in community is the most powerful tool for humans.