Memorandum

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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Slow Food, an international association with headquarters in Piazza XX Settembre n.5, 12042 Bra (CN), Italy, represented by the president Carlo Petrini and Cittaslow, an association with headquarters in Via Ripa Serancia n.1, 05018 Orvieto (TR), Italy, represented by the president Roberto Angelucci state first that The Cittaslow Movement, created by agreement between several sponsoring mayors and Slow Food, aims to expand the philosophy of Slow Food to local communities and to city government, applying the concepts of ecogastronomy to day to day living.

• Cittaslow declares its adherence to the ideals of Slow Food.
• Cittaslow and Slow Food are different expressions of the same philosophy based on the pursuit of quality of life and valuing cultural heritage.
• Cittaslow has reference to Slow Food activities and projects which add value to its own initiative.
• Cittaslow and Slow Food are strongly identified in public opinion as closely related.
• Cittaslow and Slow Food are developing as association systems based on networks with clearly identified points of contact.
• Cittaslow and Slow Food tend to work in the same countries, in similar contexts and with partners that are in contact with each other. note that for Cittaslow:
• International policy direction is the responsibility of the International Coordination Committee, which nominates a policy manager for internationalization, selected from among its members, and a technical manager who carries out the work. (For simplicity, the two nominees are called 'staff for internationalization'.)

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

• National policy and operational direction are the responsibility of the national Cittaslow networks, where present. The mayor of the coordinating city of each network has the role of local contact for member and aspirant cities, and reports directly to the staff for internationalization.
• Local operational direction is the responsibility of the mayors of authorities belonging to the Cittaslow association, supported by a technical manager from within the authorities to ensure continuity regardless of changes of local government.

for Slow Food:

• International policy direction is the responsibility of International Board of Directors with the support of the International Council; the direction of international operations is the responsibility of the International office of Slow Food.
• In countries with National Directions (the highest governing body in a country with a national Slow Food association) national policy and operational direction is the responsibility of the National Directions.
• In countries with a National Direction, local operational direction is the responsibility of the convivia.
• In countries without a National Direction, national policy and operational direction is the responsibility of the International office.
• In countries without a National Direction, local operational direction is the responsibility of the convivia.

assume the following commitments

Article 1) The Cittaslow staff for internationalization and the International office of Slow Food establish a close collaboration in order to make the actions of both associations coordinated and coherent. The objective is to ensure inclusive action, shared and participative and to create a strong spirit of collaboration among executives and partners of both associations at all levels and anywhere in the world. In this respect the following articles need to be highlighted.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Article 2) Where Cittaslow does not exist, and if there is neither a National Direction nor convivia of Slow Food, the Cittaslow staff for internationalization and the International office of Slow Food, with due notice, will exchange information on cities which have expressed interest and/or want to be contacted for certification, in order to make a joint evaluation of suitability and feasibility. The evaluation of Cittaslow will take account of the willingness of the city to support the establishment of a new local Slow Food convivium, wherever it may be possible. The implementation of certification procedures will be conducted in close and continuous contact with the International office of Slow Food. In the case of the establishment of a new Slow Food convivium, Slow Food will evaluate the availability and the engagement of the convivium itself to promote membership of Cittaslow to the city in which it is constituted.

Where Cittaslow exists, but there is no local Slow Food presence, and viceversa, the Cittaslow staff for internationalization and the International office of Slow Food will collaborate as necessary to foster the creation of new convivia and to support the activities and the promotion of Slow Food.

Article 4) Where Cittaslow and/or national networks of Cittaslow exist and there are National Directions and/or Slow Food convivia, the parties cited are committed to close contact for the harmonious growth of the associations and the coordinated implementation of the associations' aims with the same criteria and the same objectives set out in this Memorandum of Understanding. Unless there is already effective contact, the Cittaslow staff for internationalization and the International office of Slow Food will be responsible for promoting cooperation between the two sides and for periodically checking the communication and cooperation between them.

Article 4) For the purposes indicated in Articles 2 and 3, the Cittaslow technical manager for internationalization will send, whenever necessary and at least every three months, by mail, a list of places that have asked for information or are candidates to join the network to the International office of Slow Food. The International office of Slow Food will return the list to the sender with information about the presence of Slow Food in those locations, where it exists.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Art. 5) The staff for internationalization of Cittaslow, the national Cittaslow networks, the International office of Slow Food, National Directions and convivia communicate and exchange information on the main regional, national and international public initiatives
(for information and / or promotion), which directly or indirectly involve one of the parties mentioned, and foster ongoing relationships for information on their own initiatives and issues of common interest.

Art.6) The governing bodies of Cittaslow (Presidency and International Coordinating Committee) through the technical staff (Director, and secretarial staff for Internationalization) promote awareness, through their own means of communication, of the philosophy and activities of Slow Food, both as an international movement and as a local presence. Similarly, the International office of Slow Food, National Directions and convivia promote knowledge, through their own means of communication, of the philosophy and activities of Cittaslow, both as an international movement and as a local presence.

Article 7) The international and national bodies of both associations covered by this Protocol invite delegates of the other association to their own institutional association's meetings at various levels.

Art.8) The Cittaslow and Slow Food associations cooperate, at the various levels, for achieving international, national and local activities and projects. The Cittaslow association, national networks of Cittaslow and Cittaslow cities can support projects and activities of Slow Food (for example: school gardens, catering, farmers markets), through economic contributions and / or provision of services. The International office of Slow Food, National Directions and / or convivia can also support projects and activities of Cittaslow (for example: Green, Veloslow, Slow Nights). The common activities and projects of Cittaslow and Slow Food to be started will be defined from time to time between the parties concerned.

Art.9) Given its enormous ethical and socio-economic-cultural value, the Cittaslow association supports "Terra Madre", as the major international Slow Food MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING project. The support will be manifested in economic contributions by the Cittaslow association, national networks of Cittaslow or individual Cittaslow cities in favour of the Terra Madre Foundation and the food communities, as agreed between the governing bodies of Cittaslow and the International office of Slow Food in agreement with the Terra Madre Foundation.

The collaboration with Terra Madre can also develop support for projects and exchanges
with representatives of the food communities and the support of international Presidia linked to the communities. The International office of Slow Food, in agreement with the Terra Madre Foundation, will ensure the Cittaslow association and supporting cities an adequate contact with the food communities which benefit, public acknowledgement of the contribution and an institutional presence at the Terra Madre meeting.

Art.10) Under this Memorandum of Understanding Slow Food will check with the organisers of the main events of Slow Food (Salone del Gusto, Cheese, Slow Fish) the possibility of providing of priority promotional areas at favourable rates to the Cittaslow association.

Art.11) The use of the associations' logos and registered trademarks of Slow Food and Cittaslow is allowed subject to the regulations in force for each association to avoid irregular use by the same associations and / or third parties.

Puebla, Mexico - November 11, 2007

SLOW FOOD Carlo Petrini

CITTASLOW Roberto Angelucci