The final event of Project “Più – Offices for Integration” was held yesterday in L’Aquila. The project, which is co-financed by the European Union, blends training activities for public administration employees with pilot actions and innovative services for immigrants. The meeting was opened by Emanuela Di Giovambattista, L’Aquila Social Policy Councillor.
How important is it to strengthen the capacity building of all social and cultural actors operating in welcome and integration processes? How do training and pilot actions improve local governance of the migratory phenomenon? These are just a few of the questions faced during the course of the last meeting of Project “Più – Offices for Integration” co-financed by the European Union EIF, Action 9 “Capacity Building”) / Year 2013) promoted by the City of L’Aquila in collaboration with a series of partners (Fondazione Mondo Digitale, Comunità Montana Sirentina, Comunità Montana di L’Aquila, Comune di Castelvecchio Subequo, Comune di Fontecchio, Comune di Goriano Sicoli, Comune di Molina Aterno, Comune di Montereale, Comune di Ovindoli, Comune di San Demetrio ne’ Vestini, Comune di Pizzoli).
Starting with the need to provide a concrete solution to the changing social and organizational asset of the Province of L’Aquila (some municipalities host one foreigner for every three residents), the project developed actions not only to train and update public and private agency employees, but also experimented innovative services for local immigrants. This included 60 classroom hours for public administrators on migratory issues and professional updating on the assessment of local services for foreign citizens, two pilot actions on cultural mediation and service orientation, and the development of a “Portal for Immigration in the Province of L’Aquila” (www.progettopiulaquila.it) that provides free news, information and legislative updates.
“In this historical moment,” pointed out L’Aquila Social Policy Councillor Emanuela Di Giovambattista, "immigration is a fundamental issue for public administrations. It’s a complex and urgent problem. Moreover, it’s not a episodic phenomenon, but part of a cyclical historic movement that is natural to society.
Institutions – at all levels – are called to provide solutions not only in terms of reception, but also through the activation of inclusive policies that promote the orientation of foreign citizens in the complex system of regulations, services and job market.
Over the course of the year, the actions of Project “Più – Offices for Integration” were delivered timely - with the City of L’Aquila as lead partner – to provide a concrete answer to these issues, beginning with training.
The two pilot actions included cultural mediation (especially for families and schools) and the activation of a service orientation help desk, in collaboration with ARCI, the Association of Immigrant Women for Equal Opportunities and the Leonardo Social Cooperative. The services have been activated experimentally, but the activities will certainly continue beyond the end of the project. The City of L’Aquila, in fact, has funded the promotion of immigration services and inclusive practices, including orientation and training.
Last but not least, the Comunità Montana Sirentina and Montagna di L’Aquila brought their interesting experiences as protagonists of a range of pilot actions that may be considered as good practices to consolidate and replicate elsewhere.
