Events of EFUCA
The four-days long International Meeting “Global Ethics and Equal Opportunities: women’s contribution to the Development of Europe and the Mediterranean”, 2nd Intermediate Congress of the European Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations (EFUCA/FEACU) ended on Sunday 14th September.
The scheduled programme has been respected: the Executive Board of the European Federation started working on Thursday afternoon, while guests were arriving (I will send the report of the meeting, during which the situation of the Italian Federation of UNESCO Clubs and Centres -FICLU- was discussed too, as soon as Marina Christophides will send it to us).
There were minutes of emotion when, at the beginning of the first session of Friday 12th, in the video message the Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova, in addition to thanking the UNESCO Centre in Turin, EFUCA and WFUCA and the organizers, recalled her personal commitment to the respect of women around the world and concluded by saying that she will looking forward to acquiring the Declaration of Turin, with all information contained therein. She pointed out that such information will be valuable precisely because coming from the movement of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations. (see video on www.centrounesco.to.it)
A similar request was also present in the letter of the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, letter accompanying His Adhesion to the event.
UNESCO, the National Italian Commission for UNESCO, the European Commission, the FICLU, Piedmont Local Authorities sent their patronage.
It has been a choral demonstration of the importance of this International Meeting, gathering of UNESCO Clubs and Centres. The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the Honourable Ilaria Borletti Buitoni, the experts and the participants have taken part in the works of 12th and 13th, with passion and efficiency, for a total of 220 people.
On our Facebook page "Centro UNESCO Torino" you will find other pictures of the most significant moments of the plenary sessions and of the workshops carried through three themes: Women and Culture, Women and Nutrition, Women and Violences. You will know the faces of the participants from 16 countries: Belarus, China, Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, France, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Nigeria, Romania, Serbia, Somalia, Spain, Tunisia, USA. For the Italian Federation of UNESCO Clubs and Centres (FICLU), there were present, in different manners, Centres and Clubs from Arezzo, Barge, Baronissi, Cagliari, Cerignola, Cuneo, Erice, Foggia, La Morra, Florence, Foligno, Lucera, Modena, Sanremo, Pollenzo, Terre del Boca , Turin, Trapani, Trieste, Venice, Verona.
In the evening, the guided tour of Palazzo Madama gave the opportunity to learn the history of the Savoy Residence, a World Heritage Site. The "Dinner at Palace" allowed to appreciate the cuisine of Turin accompanied by the duo Serazzi (members of the UNESCO Centre in Turin). Many guests sang international melodies or from their own countries, in a joyous blend of material and immaterial culture.
The Final Declaration, in agreement with the coordinators of the workshops, was endorsed on Saturday 13th. The afternoon, dedicated to a further collection of indications of joint work and of Good Practices, began with the performance by ALMATEATRO, starring Suad Omar, from Somalia, entitled: "RAJO...everyone has his/her own star" interpretation that has brought us back to the painful condition of migrant women and their not easy integration in the cultures and the countries of arrival. A spur for all the clubs to plan host projects.
Doctor Chiara Benedetto presented the project "Born into Art" that the Sant'Anna Hospital in Turin, devoted to motherhood and the care of women, will launch together with the Fondazione Torino Musei, on September 23rd, during the "Culture Week of Turin". It is a project which can be repeated throughout Italy, as well as in other parts of the world: the parents of the children born at Sant’Anna Hospital will be allowed to visit freely the three Museums of the Foundation for one year.
Daniela Finocchi, Project Manager of the National Literary Contest Lingua Madre, reminded that a few months ago the group "Women for Expo" was born, which every woman can join and become Ambassador of the Expo 2015: "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life."
"The opportunity is for the ready person" is the story that Qiong Wu sent for the International Contest "Experiences of women of every age and country: Culture, Nutrition, Violences" and read to the audience that crowded the Auditorium of the GAM. The volume that contains all the stories received from Europe, the Mediterranean and Africa was, at that point, distributed to the whole audience!
The reading of the Final Declaration of Turin and its approval by acclamation, presented to UNESCO, the World Federation, the European Federation and the National Federation its commitments to realize.
On Sunday the President and the Vice President of the World Federation, with the Secretary of the European Federation, were accompanied by the President of the UNESCO Club of La Morra and other members to meet the Mayor of the City and to visit the Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, the 50th Italian site added in June to the UNESCO World Heritage List, while other guests were visiting, guided by an associate of the UNESCO Centre, the City of Turin.
Lunches, dinners and tasting gifts, all made in Piedmont, were offered by UNESCO Club in Pollenzo, on the initiative of the President Valerio Tibaldi, the President of the UNESCO Club in La Morra Rosanna Boglietti, along with Paola and Enrico Cordero di Montezemolo, who involved their Mayors Bruna Sibille and Maria Luisa Ascheri. The Club in Barge, on the initiative of Valerio Airaudo, contributed with gourmet gifts!
The network has worked beautifully and welded to the cooperation offered by the Mayor of Turin, the Assessor Ilda Curti and the Office of International Affairs, the Piedmont Region and the Councillors Monica Cerutti and Gianna Pentenero, the President of the Fondazione Torino Musei Patrizia Asproni and its collaborators. Other sponsors, Galfre, Lavazza, MoleCola and Sebaste, with their typical Piedmontese products, have made the meeting more welcoming.
Fondazione CRT has given a very valuable contribution.
The passionate and competent commitment of young people and members of the UNESCO Centre did the rest. For 30 years, the UNESCO Centre has been working thanks to young and less young people. This confirms that the trust of the UNESCO Centre in Turin in the collaboration among different generations is winning! It is the best way to celebrate our birthday! The youths of the UNESCO Centre did not hide their enthusiasm and gratitude which this event has aroused in them. On Monday morning, during the feedback of the event, they stated that:
"Taking part to this event was a unique opportunity, because of the presence of important guests from all over the world and because of the thickness of the issues faced by the protagonists of the debate, with skills and passion.
The meeting also revealed itself as a real chance to join in an international context, to understand the importance of languages and to know how to interface with different cultural realities. Organizing this event and participating in it was a formative experience from many points of view, from which, each of us, has learned a lot.
The trust granted to us, despite our lack of experience, is one of the main prerogatives of the UNESCO Centre and the success of this event confirms that this is the best method to train resourceful and capable young people.
The responsibilities, both individual and collective, taken over by us youngsters of the staff, allowed us to put ourselves to the test and thereby increase confidence in ourselves and in our organizational and managerial skills, enhanced by collaboration and cohesion of a willing and motivated working group. "
These thoughts seem to us the best achievable result!
Maria Paola Azzario.