The President of our Foundation, Jumana Trad, has participated in the conference “Building bridges for equity and inclusion: challenges and opportunities in Italian-Latin American cooperation” held at the headquarters of the Italian Senate in Rome and organized on the initiative of Senator Paola Binneti.
The event, organized in collaboration with the Social Promotion Foundation, ASCOLOM APS, Mediatrends America and EditoRed, addressed current issues in the panorama of Italian-Latin American cooperation, with special attention to sociocultural and economic integration and the rights of immigrants.
Jumana Trad, President of FPS, highlighted the crucial role of civil society organisations in promoting intercultural dialogue and international cooperation. Her participation underlined how solidarity and inclusion are pillars of the mission of the Foundation, active in more than 40 countries and committed to projects that enhance human dignity and community development.
Federica Colzani, from ASCOLOM APS, highlighted the value of education and vocational training in the integration of immigrants, underlining how these initiatives are essential for the recognition of rights and professional skills in the new Italian context.
Roberto Montoya, journalist and coordinator of Media Trends America, reflected on the power of communication in building cultural and social bridges, emphasizing the importance of information that promotes truth and inclusion without falling into stereotypes or generalizations.
The conference explored three key points on which real integration depends: the right to recognition of qualifications already acquired in countries of origin; the right to health, given that foreign citizens are, on average, excluded from early diagnostic tests; and the right to a pension, which is difficult to obtain in the context of irregularity and illegality typical of undeclared work.
These three topics were discussed by Massimo Colitti, Director of INPS in Rome, Luca Lantero, and Director General of the Italian Centre for Information on Mobility and Academic Equivalence (CIMEA) and Paolo Laddomata of Talent Venture.
The day concluded with remarks by Senator Binetti, who moderated the interventions and closed them by stating that “The dignity of migrants, although recognized as a human right of the first rank, is poorly protected, especially when protection presupposes significant costs.” This statement echoed the urgent need for policies that are more inclusive and a renewed commitment to the recognition of human rights.
Thanks to our presence in Rome, President Jumana also had the opportunity to meet with Fermina Álvarez, who coordinates the Forum of Catholic-inspired NGOs with which we collaborate; and with Antonella Cavallari, Secretary General of the International Italian-Latin American Institute (ILLA), which belongs to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
You can listen to the full presentation in Italian here.
