The Foundation takes part in several spaces for reflection on the DANA and climate challenges

6 November 2025 – With the aim of continuing to share experiences and learnings, and of strengthening community resilience to face future emergencies, in recent weeks we have taken part in several gatherings focused on the response to the DANA catastrophe and on other challenges, mainly derived from climate change, sharing experiences and lessons with other organisations and affected groups.

The first of these spaces was the gathering organised by Greenpeace in Madrid on Saturday, 18 October, where people from different parts of the country, affected by climate change, shared their experiences.

The gathering brought together people affected by the DANA and by summer wildfires, as well as a wide range of groups such as seasonal women workers in Huelva, farmers, residents from Cañada Real, emergency services and Andalusian family associations from the Escuelas de Calor collective, who contributed their experiences and reflections on how to jointly address climate and social challenges. Amidst pain and uncertainty, a clear message resonated: solidarity, collaboration and empathy are essential to endure and move forward in critical moments, building alliances between those affected, professionals and environmental activists.

On Thursday, 23 October we took part in the conference “Community spaces and resources for reconstruction”, held at the Museu de la Rajoleria de Paiporta and organised by XEAS, La Dula and the Escola Ciutadana dels CLER. There we reflected on how to build a resilient community infrastructure, capable of withstanding and recovering after disasters, with the active involvement of the associative fabric. We shared our experience supporting associations in l’Horta Sud, from mobilising resources and damage assessments to transforming a former nightclub in Benetússer into a community centre managed by local associations.

Likewise, the conference showcased other community management initiatives from across the Valencian territory, such as Ca Saforaui in Gandia, Del Camp a la Taula in Albal, and the self-management model of Parque Alcosa over the last four decades, as well as Barcelona’s experience of Caixa d’Eines i Feines, a community management model that promotes the lending of items for temporary use, operating similarly to a library of books.

We were also present at the conference “Social Education in disasters and emergencies”, organised by the College of Social Educators of the Valencian Community (COEESCV) on Tuesday, 28 October — a space for training and reflection that highlighted the contribution of social education to prevention, response and recovery in extreme situations, reinforcing community cohesion and emotional support for affected people.

Throughout the day, the role of Social Education was made clear, reaffirming the human value that defines this profession: always being present — accompanying, supporting and building community — 365 days a year. Various social educators who work in municipalities affected by the DANA took part, sharing good practices and intervention experiences.

Finally, that same Tuesday we participated in the conference organised by the Chair in Climate Change, Territory and Environmental Risks in the Mediterranean at the Universitat de València, under the title “Lessons learned after the DANA in Valencia: lights, shadows and recommendations”. There we contributed the community and human perspective of the response to the DANA, alongside other testimonies presenting protocols, experiences and recommendations to improve the prevention and management of future emergencies.

With our participation in these four events, we reaffirm our commitment to solidarity, community reconstruction and awareness-raising in the face of climate challenges, turning crisis experiences into collective learning. At the same time, we are committed to weaving strong networks of collaboration between organisations and communities, fostering a collective response to challenges with a glocal outlook.