Le istituzioni locali e il mondo associativo per la costruzione di una rete in materia di cooperazione, cultura di pace, integrazione multietnica, promozione dei diritti umani e della solidarietà fra i popoli.
Equal opportunities: congress and initiatives in Italy
The 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. On Tuesday, 9 October, a congress on equal opportunities was organised in Rome to compare different experiences in Europe. However, Italy is not in the van, even though various initiatives have been pursued in Italy recently…
A gender-oriented budget - A gender-oriented budget was a subject for debate at the congress organised in Rome by the Department of Human Rights and Equal Opportunities and the G.Brodoloni Foundation on the 9th of October. Or, in other words, the matter in question is the budget taking into account gain and loss according to the principle of equal opportunities: as a matter of fact, a model that guarantee an equal gender distribution in various items of expenditure. While many countries of the EU have already tested and successfully adopted a gender-oriented budget, in Italy this experiment was introduced at local level, in 4 regions only, in 2004. The proposal will be presented to the Parliament, as Donatella Linguiti, undersecretary for Human Rights and Equal Opportunities, assures. She seems to be satisfied with this bottom-up request thus promoting a political participation. Furthermore, Minister for Solidarity Paolo Ferrero stressed the necessity of introduction of this budget for the Italian economy. He proposed to launch an aggregate social budget in collaboration with other ministries in the field of social affaires to monitor what had been really done at political level in these fields.
Melting Box and Ready – In October, however, important initiatives in the field of equal opportunities are foreseen in Italy. From the 22nd to 24th of October the International Fair on Human Rights and Equal Opportunities for All “Melting Box” will be held in Turin. Congresses for deepening the relevant topics on the modern society being a prey to discrimination of various types, dialogues to listen to and present different points of view – because only by listening one can manage to acquire new knowledge and expand the horizons – but also laboratories, exhibitions, performances, seminars, “shelves of equality”… Various means to collect diversity, become aware of prejudice and reflect on stereotypes.
In Florence, within the frame of the Festival of Creativity, two days, 26 and 27 October, will be dedicated to the "Ready", a new network of Italian municipalities, provinces and regions involved in the fight against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender. The best practices to guarantee rights for the lgbt persons (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual), the fight against prejudice towards them, but, above all, the violence they often faced will be the subjects for debate supported by representatives of the regional institutions and professors of the University of Bologna. In this case the floor will also be given to associations, schools, those aware of and experiencing discrimination in their life.
The initiatives are also interesting and useful for those willing to reflect and promote diversity in education and communication policies.
