In November 2014 the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation created a web platform to allow its supporters to get involved, the aim being to facilitate dialogue with these supporters, thus overcoming the geographic distances that have, in the past, often hindered such sharing. While this tool is an aid to communication it cannot replace direct discussion.
So far 45 of the 125 supporters have joined the forum. Regional climbing associations, parkland authorities, some major tourism consortia and leading environmental associations, five municipalities and two mountain communities now have an online presence, each with their own descriptive and motivational profile. The discussions are organized and managed by a moderator whose job it is to bring to the attention of the supporters news and issues relating to the management of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site. Two posts a week appear on the platform. The discussion topics are organised on the basis of the five Foundation operating networks: Mobility and Tourism, Landscape and Protected Areas, Geology, Education and Research, the Promotion of Sustainable Tourism. There is an additional discussion forum dealing with all the cross-over topics and those that do not fall within the remit of the five Operating Networks. Each of the supporters may comment on the posts on the platform or post new ones.
A new discussion will be opening in the next few days dealing with the planning ideas that have emerged from the #Dolomites2040 participatory process. Supporters are invited to think together about the feasibility of some of the proposals, as was done for the project “Dolomites UNESCO feed” to which the first supporters are responding with publication on their own websites of the information banner of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation.