Italian culture will be a tool to foster refugee inclusion in Italy through hundreds of events promoted by the UNHCR for this year's World Refugee Day. Food, music, art and sport are the four pillars of the hundreds of events that will be held across Italy for two months starting on June 20.
The initiatives are meant to foster the inclusion of migrants and dialogue between refugees and Italian citizens. This is the second year that UNHCR has been involved in the campaign, which involves dozens of partners, both associations and individuals, to ''give a face'' to refugees and Italians who are not afraid to express solidarity towards migrants.
''We are going through a period in which the refugee issue is being used for political ends. However, after two months we want to see a different outlook, especially as concerns inclusion,'' UNHCR Representative for Southern Europe Felipe Camargo said. June 20 is meant to be ''a worldwide holiday to seek dialogue with refugees."
Events in Italy
Among the events scheduled, the UNHCR is organizing Champions #WithRefugees on June 23 in Rome, a friendly match between a team of football stars and the Città dei Ragazzi team, with unaccompanied minors who are seeing asylum or have been granted refugee status.
One of the events linked to food will be in Pollenzo from Jun 1 to June 3 with refugees from the "Food For Inclusion" project, who will be showcasing recipes from their home countries during the Migranti Film Festival. On June 21 in Rome, in collaboration with Caffè Nemorense, restaurant owners and refugees will be involved in a gastronomical festival focusing on cuisines throughout the world.
In the field of art, one of the initiatives is a photographic exhibition Life for Syria in Rome on June 19, with the photos by five Syrian photographers depicting the conflict in their home country. Also in Rome, on June 20 at the Villa Ada park, there will be a concert by Nigerian artist Bombino.
Also scheduled are the "Porte Aperte" days at reception centers and the presentation of the UNHCR report "Global Trends" on June 20 in Rome.
The full list of events (in Italian) can be found on the website for the campaign at https://withrefugees.unhcr.it/tutti-gli-eventi/
'Irresponsible use' of refugees in politics
According to the UNHCR Spokesperson for Southern Europe, Carlotta Sami, the organization hopes "to bring refugees and Italians together and give visibility to the thousands of Italians who are working with asylum seekers and who know very well what solidarity is but do not talk about it.
"We are developing this dialogue around the cornerstones of Italian culture, around which it is easier to open up,'' Sami said. She describes the Italian situation as ''complicated'' and says the UN agency, in this period of government instability, has ''several times'' expressed its position on the irresponsible use of the issue of migrants and refugees, people whose rights should be protected, for political ends.
The issue of refugees will not be solved by closing the borders, Sami stressed, adding that it is a global problem that must be managed by standing firm on the fundamental principles and values at the basis of European civilization. She urged solidarity as the ''path to follow."