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Fondazione Mondo Digitale: Computer Skills and Italian for Foreigners

 

The integration of immigrants also takes place via digital literacy. This has been clearly proven by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale in Rome. Since 2006, the FMD has faced this problem by organizing ad hoc programmes for two groups of individuals that are particularly at risk of exclusion: refugees, whose life was in danger in their countries, and unaccompanied minors.

 

It all began with Project Double Code through which the FMD taught Italian to a group of unaccompanied minors of various nationalities (particularly Afghanis and Romanians).

 The course provides the Multimedia Multilingual Dictionary developed by students of various nationalities from different schools.

Our work continues with the Enea Centre that was created to help refugees. The centre is a second reception facility that has created a laboratory for over 400 users that are helped by social operators, linguistic mediators, Italian language teachers, psychologists and lawyers.

At the Enea Centre, the Fondazione Mondo Digitale manages and organizes Internet Café activities based on a four-level model of interaction for the benefit of the cultural identity of the refugees.  

 

From June 2008 to June 2010, 323 refugees have been trained at the e-Café that has provided over 75,000 accesses to the Internet.

 

In the BABzine report, the Director General of the FMD, Mirta Michilli, explains how certain difficulties are addressed with a computer keyboard. All courses begin with the Italian language that serves as a basis for all subsequent courses, including the use of basic programmes (Word, Excel), but also Internet navigation to keep in contact with their families.

 

And not just teaching, but also job market insertion. Ricominciodatre is a Fondazione Mondo Digitale project that addresses “support for independence and job insertion” and integrates social learning, local activities and collaboration with schools. The six refugees at the Enea Centre have had the opportunity to attend 380 hours of courses and internships with companies.

In 2010, the President of the Fondazione Roma Mediterraneo, Emmanuele Emanuele presented the Foundation with an award for its efforts and activities promoting cultural integration in Italy.

 

FMD President Tullio De Mauro, who has been at the helm of the Foundation since its inception, explains that the “Enea Centre has opened the doors to the intelligent use of new information technology and has changed the lives of refugees, the quality of the relationships with their country of origin and to which they will one day return, as well as their relations with Italian society.”