From 29 to 30 May 2024, twenty-eight students representing thirteen countries* around the world visited the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.
Their purpose? To explore the areas affected by the devastating 1976 earthquake, a disaster that highlighted the evolving role of the Italian Civil Protection and sparked an intense period of research and practical efforts to make Italy less vulnerable to earthquakes and disasters in general.
Organized in cooperation between the UNESCO Chair on Intersectoral Safety for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience of the University of Udine, the Tiere Motus Museum and the Politecnico di Milano, the program included visits to the training camp of the SERM Academy and the Tiere Motus Museum both based in Venzone, a settlement completely destroyed in 1976 and rebuilt using innovative solutions and techniques for the time, such as earthquake-resistant construction methods.
The innovative solutions implemented in Friuli Venezia Giulia continue to inspire advancements in earthquake resilience since they provided valuable insights for these students as they consider future strategies for disaster preparedness in their own countries and communities.
* Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Georgia, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Kosovo, Lebanon, Pakistan Sudan, Turkey
