Arica plays a leading role throughout the country in the development of projects and initiatives of social inclusion, comprehensive programs for the disabled, cultural festivals, awareness-raising of the marine environment, placing particular emphasis on children and young people, as well as the management of projects to increase competitiveness in the coastal area with the support of international centres of excellence.
We would highlight the following initiatives:
- Adapta Surf Chile: the dream of integrating disabled children and young people in the sports world, came true in Arica thanks to the project "Raising dreams, Building opportunities", of the organisation Adapta Surf Chile and which had the support of the Ministry of the General Secretariat of the Government, via the Civil Society Empowerment Fund. Through this initiative 32 minors and young people belonging to programmes for the disabled in Teleton and the Municipality of Arica were able to participate in surf and bodyboard adapted workshops. Together with disabled children and young people, Adapta Surf trained as monitors 30 students in the University of Tarapaca and the University of Santo Tomas, so that they could train disabled minors in these sports disciplines-aquatic recreation.
- Surf social Aldea SOS; project of social integration devised to encourage sport and healthy life, giving new opportunities to children at risk of social exclusion through the Surf School Akua, its ideology and sports activities.
- Proyecto Tortugas Marinas Seguras y en Paz; (project for safety and security of sea turtles) awareness-raising ecological campaign on caring for beaches and sea turtles in Arica, undertaken in schools and at artistic events with the collaboration of the Theatre Company, art workshop Entretete, recycling companies and Akua School of Surf.
- Centro de Observación y Manejo Costero Integrado (COMCI); (centre of integrated coastal management and observation) initiative under way under the auspices of the Arica Active Foundation which seeks to introduce an integrated coastal management model, to standardise infrastructure design criteria in view of new oceanographic scenarios (increase in extreme situations), public-private involvement, introduction of a system of integrated coastal observation, monitoring and surveillance; situation analysis by video camera to define strategies of territorial intervention and coastal environment planning (contamination, coast erosion, flooding, processes of change in the coastal zone, impact of infrastructure, beaches, climate change, coastal vigilance, civil safety, among others) Likewise, it seeks to establish a Management Unit (Technical Office) and construction of professional profiles for its implementation, in this sense, a programme is being coordinate for the training and introduction of the COMCI via the Australian centre of excellence CSIRO. The Ministry of Public Works and the Department of Port and Harbour Works (centrally), among other government divisions, are bidders for this initiative which aims to develop, primarily, a pilot project in Arica in order to emulate subsequently in other coastal regions in Chile. This project will combine with the Arica Surf City Competitive Intelligence Platform specifically in the case of Arica.