International Mountain Day 2024
International Mountain Day 2024
Great things are done when women and mountains meet
Where: Teatro Bruno Munari, Milan, Italy
When: Monday, December 9, 2024, 7pm CET
International Mountain Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2002. Every year since then, on 11 December, mountain lovers gather to celebrate the day and raise awareness of mountain-related issues among the general public.
Mountain Wilderness International, an NGO committed to protecting and preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the mountains, has chosen this year to tell the story of an all-women sustainability project. For years now, Mountain Wilderness has been engaged in Pakistan with the Swat Project, launched in 2018. Thanks to this project, it has trained dozens of young Pakistanis in the mountains, who have accompanied volunteers and instructors in the reconnaissance of hiking and mountaineering routes for the drafting of a guide dedicated to sustainable tourism in the mountains. In addition to the guidebook, the project aims to promote the idea of establishing a national park in the region.
The last two editions of the Swat Project have been all-women and have seen a team of experts and instructors train young Pakistani women in the mountains and the sustainable enjoyment of mountain environments. ‘Girls in Action’ is a story of emancipation, in a country where the mountains remain largely a male preserve, and traditional social roles continue to limit women’s aspirations.
To tell this story, Mountain Wilderness has invited the direct protagonists, the team of mountaineering and climbing experts and instructors, who will bring us their testimony through images, anecdotes and curiosities. To complete the event, the documentary ‘Swat Girls in Action’ and the story of one of the young Pakistani trainees.
The course was made possible through the collaborative effort of ISMEO (International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies) and CAAI (Italian Academic Alpine Club), the financial support of Banca Sella and Mountain Partnership (FAO), and the contribution in terms of mountain equipment by SCARPA and Ferrino.
The event is part of the initiatives promoted by the Alpine Convention within the framework of the Reading Mountains Festival.
Admission to the Bruno Munari Theatre is free, subject to availability.