Specials

The Italian associationism abroad is living a phase of transition and transformation. In recent years many things have changed in Italy and in the world. The world of emigration is changed and also the associations are changing. The associationism has therefore partially changed and is still changing its own physiognomy.

The risk of finding ourselves with an exclusively local associationism, little inclined to take on the broader question of the Italian national identity, language and culture can be avoided if a synergistic action is activated between regional and national associations with the integration of interventions and the shared attention to the culturally plural world of the Italian people who live and work abroad.

In this logic, a peculiar role must be played by the new generations of our emigrants and young people who go to work abroad in recent years.

The representation of the associations inside our communities abroad is renewed if the relationship between new and old generations changes.

Building the future of associations, making the representation consonant with the new ones, without breaking the link and the pact with the old generations, taking and making own the aspirations and the new needs of young people, taking care about the whole spectrum of an “Italianity” perfectly integrated and which is a cultural treasure, is not only possible but also necessary.

As CNE, far-back, we are convinced of the inescapable and not postponable action of renewal that does not concern only associationism but also the CGIE and the Comites.

To tell the truth, the whole action of our institutions must be rethought.    
 Italians abroad must be part of more general public choices which only a government as a whole can do and not a single ministry as today.

The national, regional and local associationism should have a permanent Forum in which the emigration policies can be developed and upgraded as associationism.

A periodic discussion between the associations and the Conference of Regions would facilitate a shared planning for all Italians abroad, and not only for separate and different people from the same region.
The CNE, whose associations have always developed an action of social promotion among the citizens of our communities abroad, must be able to be recognized and consequently have the financial support that allows it to operate.

A bill to that purpose, submitted for the second time, does not find support in parliament for approval ahead.
Today, after the exhaustion of mass emigration, the new more qualified emigration, the existence of second and third generations of natives, the strong integration in the host countries, the associations have very challenging tasks. It is a great interest of Italy not to lose the connection, which passes through the network of the associationism, with its communities abroad and not to disperse an important patrimony of knowledge and experience, of which the young generations of Italian origin represent the most important point at issue.


* This text is the abstract of the paper presented by Dr. Rino Giuliani to the conference "Memories of the Future" (Palermo, 28-29 November 2008)