because words matter - DiverCity Magazine

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DIVERCITYb e c a u s e w o r d s m a t t e r

®

COVER STORY, ADELE CAMBRIAValentina Dolciotti

WHAT

ABOUT

DECADES?

| DIVERCITY | NUMBER 12 – SEPTEMBER 20212

WIDE ANGLE

DIVERCITY | NUMBER 12 – SPTEMBER 2021 | 3

Emile Guillemot @emilegt


THE MANDARINS

Editorial, Valentina Dolciotti

T he birth cohorts that are currently used for useful classification in

sociology and statistics are the following: the Silent Generation (born

between 1926 and 1945), Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and

1964), Generation X (born between 1965 and 1979), Generation

Y (or Millennials, born between 1980 and 1994), and the iGeneration (born

between 1995 and 2015).

The positive and creative coexistence of generations is a topic that affects

everyone – families, companies, institutions, schools, sports, businesses...

Companies have also realised this, as they often host at least 3 generations of

employees within their (now virtual) walls at the same time.

Apart from their private life experiences, personalities, and individual choices,

people born during the same historical period share, at least in part, an educa-

tion and training that we could define as collective and that have forged their

memories and thoughts; they belong to a culture (potentially reinforced by

geographical correspondence) that determines points of reference (musical,

literary, political...) and that, therefore, makes them similar in some respects.

This is another reason why I believe that projects that put people from differ-

ent generations in contact with each other are very valuable, whether they fo-

cus on a specific project, an exchange of work roles or simple mutual acquaint-

ance: each person brings with them a different and unique set of experiences,

will have a specific and unique set of references and corollaries that can enrich

both the other person and the relationship, and therefore themselves.

I don’t know if this always applies, but it certainly applies often.

In the relationships between teacher/learner, grandparent/grandchild, mentor/

mentee, master/apprentice, coach/player, supervisor/trainee, scout leader/ cub

scout... an age difference is played out that is, yes, profound, but not bottom-

less, a fluid and mutual space of knowledge, a dance.

I have read that J.M. Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego University

and the author of many essays on adolescence, suggests that the following

phases define the iGeneration, or our little ones: immaturity, hyperconnected-

ness, incorporeality, instability, isolation, uncertainty, indefiniteness, inclusive-

ness. This seems like a lot of ‘stuff’ to me. I don’t think I totally agree with these

characteristics, but I do think that, at least once, for one reason or another,

every generation has gone through these phases. And if not all generations,

then many.

Therefore, I – who am exactly in the middle – refrain from judging those who

are younger or older, and try to give the dance the space it needs to begin and,

also, to avoid stepping on each other’s toes, because life goes through so many

phases that what is true today may not be true tomorrow, and I like to think

that we all have been (or will be) Hemingway’s old Santiago, who sleeps and

dreams of lions and, at the same time, the young fisherman who, sitting next

to him, watches him dream.

‘Santiago,’ the boy said to him as they climbed the bank

from where the skiff was hauled up.

‘I could go with you again. We’ve made some money.’

The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy

loved him.

‘No,’ the old man said. ‘You’re with a lucky boat. Stay

with them.’

The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway, 1952


06 Redazione THE CORO DEI PICCOLI CANTORI DI MILANO

08 Carolina Lucchesini IS THERE AN AGE AT WHICH YOU STOP

BEING A WOMAN?

10 Alexa Pantanella COMMON WORDS

11 Nicola Palmarini THE GOLDEN AGE

12 Redazione FACCIAVISTA ASSOCIATION

14 Silvia Camisasca e Irene Canfora WHO PROTECTS CHILDREN’S RIGHT

TO FOOD AWARENESS?

16 Elena Mozzo SEXUAL EDUCATION

18 Nicole Riva LETTER FROM A TEACHER

20 Valentina Sorbi CARRÀ, RAFFAELLA

22 Véronique Fabbri-Balduzzi, Daria Dall’Igna FIND YOUR OWN WAY AT ANY AGE

24 Stefano Di Niola DIVERSITY ROMA

25 Antonio Rotelli GIVING THE VOTE TO 16-YEAR-OLDS

26 Fondazione Libellula NEXT GENERATION

28 Fondazione Comunità Comasca Onlus CO-HOUSING

30 Redazione INTERVIEW WITH BEATRICE UGUCCIONI

32 Redazione HUMAN AGE INSTITUTE FOUNDATION

33 Michelina della Porta CO-STANZA

34 Cover Story ADELE CAMBRIA

38 Redazione CHILD MALTREATMENT

40 Gianluca Cabula OLIVETTI BEYOND THE GENERATIONS

42 MANDELA Silvia Camisasca CHILD EXPLOITATION

43 OPHELIA Lucio Guarinoni EDUCATING OURSELVES TO BE OURSELVE

44 DIVER SOUND Davide Sapienza ROGER WATERS

45 BOVARY Silvia Rota Sperti THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

46 PURE STYLE Angela Bianchi BEYOND GENDER

47 CAUNTER-SITE Elena Luciano THE CULTURES OF CHILDHOOD

48 PAGE WITH A VIEW Paola Suardi A TRUE STORY

50 CASSIOPEA Valeria Cantoni Mamiani TODAY’S WORD: MAGISTERIUM

54 Agos IN SEARCH OF DIVERSITY

56 Angelini Pharma OUR SHADOW BOARD

58 Banca d’Italia MENTORING AT BANCA D’ITALIA

60 Baker Hughes THE GENERATIONAL FACTOR

62 Chiesi JOY

64 Deloitte THE POWER OF ALLYSHIP

66 Dow MEETING BETWEEN GENERATIONS

68 Fastweb MENTORING

70 Findomestic LISTENING

72 Generali INTER GENERATIONAL LEARNING

74 Janssen GENERATION Z

76 Lavazza BASEMENT CAFÈ BY LAVAZZA

78 Manpower DIVERSITY THAT GENERATES VALUE

80 Mutti A PACT BETWEEN GENERATIONS

82 NielsenIQ CONNECTING FIVE GENERATIONS

84 Pfizer iTALent

86 Sanofi AT SANOFI WE TRAIN EMOTIONAL AGILITY

88 Seltis Hub AGEING AND WORK

90 Snam GENDER EQUALITY

92 Sodexo GENDER AND GENERATIONS

94 State Street WHEN WOMEN LEAD, CHANGE HAPPENS

96 Synergie INTERVIEW WITH FRANÇOIS PINTE

98 TikTok GENERATION T

100 BULLETIN FOR SAILORS Rose Cartolari WHAT’S IN A NUMBER?

101 RICE AND SILK Alessia Mosca DECENNIALS

102 POINT BREAK Valeria Colombo PNRR NATIONAL RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN

103 UNLIMITED VIEWS Claudio Guffanti THE DIVERSITY OF GENERATIONS

106 Appointments UPCOMING EVENTS

INDEX


By the editorial staff

THE CORO DEI PICCOLI CANTORI

DI MILANO

Life experience, singing and music since 1964

Achoir is not just a collection of voices. It is also

a collection of stories, of experiences, of friend-

ship and diversity. One example of this is the

Coro dei Piccoli Cantori di Milano, a children’s

choir that, for almost 60 years, has been one of the most

important artistic players in the capital of Lombardy.

Founded in 1964 by Niny Comolli, the choir, now directed

by Laura Marcora, is composed of almost 90 boys and girls

from a wide range of backgrounds.

The Associazione dei Piccoli Cantori aims to enhance chil-

dren’s singing potential through the study of singing, with a

focus on the social and humanly constructive dimension of

the musical experience. For many children who come from

challenging backgrounds (e.g., from families with low incomes

or of foreign origin), this experience is a way of overcoming

stereotypes and the difficulties they encounter on their path

to integration.

Talent is the key to becoming one of the young singers of

Milan: every year, director Laura Marcora selects – through

auditions in schools or oratories – children with pronounced

musicality and a natural predisposition to singing. These se-

lections also take place in the peripheral areas of the city,

contributing to children from all walks of life and nationalities

joining. And it is precisely the ability of the choir to overcome

the limits set by starting conditions that constitutes the real

vocal and cultural wealth of the Piccoli Cantori di Milano.

Every year, over 30% of these children’s families cannot af-

ford the fee required for lessons, but the choir, which has

always been interested in inclusion, uses donations from or-

ganisations, companies and individuals, to ensure that these

children have the opportunity to cultivate their talent. But

the choir is not only about singing: being a part of the choir

provides children from foreign families with an even greater

opportunity: that of feeling that they are part of a group,

which favours the integration of children (and parents) in the

metropolis.

Because a choir is not just a collection of voices; in the choir,

stories and lives also overlap.

‘When I sing, I’m happy because we’re all singing together,

with lots of people,’ says Chiara, who joined when she was

just 4 years old and is now 12. ‘It’s nice because it’s a group

where everyone knows what they have to do. The most beau-

tiful thing is to be all together. Despite the differences in age

and diversity we are a good group, very united.’

‘Chiara,’ adds her mother, Silvia, ‘never wanted to be a soloist.

There have been songs and concerts in which she has sung as a

soloist, but for her, singing is singing in the choir.’ She also em-

phasises how enriching the experience has been for her: ‘Over

the years we have spent evenings together, afternoons in the

park, our free time. Sincere friendships have been created. We

have had the opportunity to meet families from Sri Lanka, the

Philippines and China. ‘In spite of the differences,’ she emphasis-

es, ‘once they arrive at the choir, the children are all the same.’


And the concept of inclusion is also underlined by Francesca,

now a university student in Riga (Latvia), who was part of the

choir from ages 8 to 13: ‘When I was in the choir, there were

children of many ethnicities with me, but when I was a child

I never paid attention to this “diversity”. I never paid atten-

tion to the colour of their skin, their parents’ clothes, their

different family backgrounds. To me, they were the children

in the choir.’

‘When you’re a child,’ Francesca adds further, ‘you don’t pay

attention to these distinctions: when I think back, I never

cared about “diversity,” I think it’s something you maybe pay

attention to as you get older.’

‘The choir has given me and my friends extraordinary experi-

ences: we performed in Palermo at concert to commemorate

Giovanni Falcone, we performed at the Quirinale, we have

sung on many television shows. It was an experience that

changed me, teaching me how to relate to many different

people.’

The children who are in the choir now also emphasise the

impact this experience has on their lives.

‘When I’m in the choir, I feel important,’ says Nethuki, 13,

whose parents are originally from Sri Lanka. ‘I didn’t think I

was good at singing; in fact, I thought I sang out of tune. Then

I was selected for the choir during an audition at my school.

Since I’ve been a part of the choir I feel like a real musician,

now I’m also attending a musical middle school, I play guitar

and I’m very good!’

For Nethuki, like for many other boys and girls over the

years, the choir has provided an opportunity they otherwise

would not have had. ‘If Laura (the choir director) hadn’t come

to hold an audition in my classroom,’ Nethuki continues, ‘I

never would have gone to singing school and never would

have started singing. Now I would like my younger brother to

start singing in the choir too, but he still has trouble with the

words in Italian.’

‘I’ve been directing the choir since 1986,’ says Laura Marco-

ra, ‘and in over 30 years I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of

children pass through it, each very different from the next.

But there has always been a common thread among all the

little singers: passion for singing and talent. In the spirit of the

choir, this is what counts and, for this reason, our association

wants to offer everyone the same possibilities and opportu-

nities, overcoming the limits related to the economic, social

and cultural situations of the families of origin.’

www.piccolicantori.com


Carolina Lucchesini

IS THERE AN AGE AT WHICH YOU STOP BEING A

WOMAN?Interview with Stéphanie Chuat,

director of Ladies, a documentary about the invisible world of women over 60

and their intimate relationships.

Ageism is the discrimination of our century, it is

transversal and insidious, it affects everyone,

regardless of social or economic situation. Our

culture is impregnated with gerontophobia, the

words we use in our daily lives (‘in spite of your age,’ ‘you

can still...,’ ‘you’re old’) cast ageing as a problem, something

to escape from. There’s more: ageism is even more devious

and ferocious when it refers to sexuality and the body, espe-

cially in relation to women, as Ashton Applewhite says in her

‘Manifesto Against Ageism.’ Women’s bodies, which until the

age of 50 are measured and judged according to the aes-

thetic canons of perfection, suddenly become non-existent,

invisible.

The documentary Ladies, by Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique

Reymond, on the sexuality of women over the age of 60,

opens the door on the intimate lives of 5 60-year-olds strug-

gling with their battles against loneliness during a stage in life

in which men have disappeared from their emotional univers-

es. Made invisible by the many prejudices and stereotypes

that view this stage of life through a single lens: that of the in-

evitable sunset, where you live only with needs, not dreams,

or the desire to get involved and change. The 5 protagonists

of Ladies show us and teach us that it is not age that defines

what is right or possible, but how we decide to experience

each phase of life, made up of many layers of cultural and

social conditioning.

Stéphanie Chuat, director of Ladies, what is the reason you decided to make this film? Véronique and I work in theatre and, over the years, we no-

ticed that most of the audiences for our shows were women

over 60. Another thing that gave us pause was that past the

age of 55 we were only seeing women spending time with

STEPHANIE CHUAT, film director.


other women of the same age. This separation of genders

scared us a bit and opened up questions that, later, led to

the film.

Do the women whose stories you tell have real-life connec-tions to each other? Our protagonists didn’t know each other before the film.

In order to find them, we launched a call during a TV show,

we left our contact information, and hundreds of women

responded. When they called, they thanked us by saying,

‘Thank you because we feel invisible, as if we are no longer

part of society.’ We made the initial selections through in-

terviews and identified 5 women. They met only when we

showed them the film for the first time, and it was an incredi-

ble moment of exchange and mutual support. From there on,

a beautiful friendship was born between some.

The film is set in Switzerland, but the theme is so trans-versal that it could have been shot anywhere else in the world. What was the response from audiences outside of Switzerland? It was very difficult to get financing for this film because no one

found it interesting that we were telling the stories of ‘normal’

women, and women over 60, for that matter. They wanted us

to portray heroines or talk about the extraordinary stories of

ordinary women. That’s when we realised that women over 60,

their needs, their dreams, their bodies are invisible in our coun-

try. When the film began to be distributed, we saw how this

theme applies to every culture: women, in Europe as well as in

the United States, felt connected to ‘our’ protagonists because

they recognised themselves in the stories, they grasped the uni-

versality of the theme of age and the feeling of invisibility.

What are the most powerful things that emerge from the film and the women’s stories? When we started shooting, we had no idea that the film

would go in this direction. It’s a documentary, so we relied on

observation and the words of our female protagonists. As we

conducted the interviews, we realised that the most powerful

theme, for them, was love. We felt that they lit up when they

talked about love, because it’s a feeling that really crosses all

ages. So we went in that direction. What does it mean to love,

to be loved, to have an active sex life or to feel deprived of it?

How did you manage to convince the protagonists to show you their intimate lives? These women had the desire to tell their stories, they wanted

to testify to something. For this reason, they decided to show

their lives ‘on camera’ – their fears, their daily lives. It was the

first time they were filmed: they found the courage because

they really wanted to communicate to the world, to the soci-

ety in which they live.

CAROLINA LUCCHESINI, 1984. Journalist and Media Strategist. Focuses on strategic communications, storytelling and documentaries. She facilitates relationships between people and organisations with technology and strategic thinking. She is founder of the Storytelling Agency Puntozero.


Alexa Pantanella

COMMON WORDS

Raise your hand if you have ever said or heard phras-

es such as, ‘Did you hear me, or are you deaf?,’ or

‘You look as deaf as my Aunt Erminia.’ These are,

unfortunately, quite common expressions.

And what role does the language we use play in perpetuating

or helping to overcome the stereotypes and stigma that still

surround the topic of hearing and hearing loss?

In order to answer this question and to identify working

guidelines, a research project was carried out in collabora-

tion between the Research and Study Centre of the company

Amplifon and the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Mi-

lan, thanks to Diversity & Inclusion Speaking (an organisation

dedicated to creating awareness and conducting research on

the subject of inclusive languages).

This is a project I am very proud of, precisely because of the

attention I decided to dedicate to the words that make up

those common words that we often pay less attention to than

would be useful.

Let’s start with some numbers. Today hearing loss affects 7.3

million people (12% of the Italian population) and is destined

to grow by 55% in the next 30 years, affecting 11 million

people. If we add to these numbers the network of family and

friends (which can be involved) we get a sense of the scope –

in terms not only of numbers – of this phenomenon.

And yet, it’s still a little talked about topic. And this means

that little is known about it: for example, how many people

have heard of ‘hypoacusis’ or ‘presbyacusis,’ terms that refer,

respectively, to hearing loss related to different causes, and

hearing loss due specifically to ageing?

Talking about this so little or, rather, talking about it using this

type of terminology, also perpetuates a sense of distance and

stigma that a change in language could help to overcome.

The evidence from the research project titled ‘Le Parole del

Sentire Comune’ (Commonly Heard Words) – conducted in 2

phases and coordinated by Prof. Claudia Manzi, Professor of

Social Psychology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

in Milan – allows us to draw clear conclusions about these

issues.

In the first research phase, the results of which have already

been published in the prestigious international scientific jour-

nal The Journal of Language and Social Psychology, the issue

of how hearing loss is represented in the media was exam-

ined by analysing over 650 articles published in print and on

the internet in Italy over a period of 2 years.

What emerged is that the subject of age-related hearing loss

(presbyacusis) is dealt with very little in the press, which fo-

cuses instead on issues related to deafness or, in general, to

hearing problems in younger generations.

Moreover, the textual analysis showed, explains Manzi, that

‘journalistic language is very different from colloquial lan-

guage, preferring the use of a rich and articulated lexicon

where medical terms, which tend to be cold, prevail (e.g. pa-

tient, hearing loss, tinnitus, disorder, disease).’

The second phase aimed to understand if and how the techni-

cal/medical language used by the media could influence atti-

tudes towards hearing loss and hearing solutions. The results

were unequivocal: people show more favourable attitudes

when they read an article on this topic written in colloquial,

everyday language, rather than technical/medical language.

The study also aimed to analyse the role of the language

used by the medical profession in addressing this topic.

Here’s the bottom line: when interacting with healthcare pro-

fessionals, using technical language that includes medical

words fosters positive attitudes toward the issue and possi-

ble solutions.

So, for those in the world of journalism who have the oppor-

tunity to reach a large segment of the population affected by

the issue, the advice is to do so using words that bring people

closer together and familiarise them, replacing ‘patient’ with

‘person,’ ‘disorder/disease’ with ‘condition,’ ‘hearing loss’ with

‘reduction/decline’ (not ‘loss’) of hearing.

For the medical profession, from which we expect more tech-

nical-medical language, it is preferable, instead, to use lan-

guage that goes in this direction.

And, for all the other people who find themselves making

jokes about hearing poorly, let’s pause a little longer and ask

ourselves if the joke is really funny. Or if, perhaps, it only

makes us laugh.

ALEXA PANTANELLA, Year of birth: My shoe size is 38.5/39 depending on the shoes. Job description: I study the consequences of words. Job title: Inclusive language expert and Founder of Diversity&Inclusion Speaking.

www.diversityspeaking.com


Nicola Palmarini

THE GOLDEN AGE (And its surroundings)

Just a month ago, a headline in the Italian newspaper

La Repubblica read: ‘Vanessa Ferrari beyond time

and history: silver medal in the floor exercises at

thirty years old.’ Thirty years old, that is – let’s be

clear – old.

At the same time, in the same newspaper, in the article ‘Do

you hear the scream of youth?’ Riccardo Luna celebrated

the youth of Tamberi (29) and Jacobs (26), symbols of the

generation (which one?) of ‘let’s change everything’.

From the pages of the Corriere, Antonio Polito echoed him:

‘Sport has all 3 of the key factors for success in today’s world:

it is young, it is inclusive and it is meritocratic.’

Let’s try to understand: Hend Zaza or Kokona Hiraki were in

Tokyo aged 12, so what does that make them? Because if they

were the ‘young’ ones, all the others would be hopelessly ‘old.’

Without mentioning other Olympians like Kevin Durant (32),

April Ross (39) and Mary Hanna (64). Can we therefore say

that sport is ‘young’ (and therefore according to Polito’s syllo-

gism ‘successful’)? The question is, once again: what is ‘young,’

what is ‘old’? And, more importantly, what does age add to a

narrative? Are those medals worth more or less?

I’m asking Luna and Polito (who also happens to be the au-

thor of a fine essay on ageing) because I’d like them to ex-

plain how they see it: where is the line that separates youth

and old age in sports and, therefore, according to their anal-

ogy, in life?

Their articles exploit youth with that somewhat superficial

haste that has brought us this far, to celebrate what is young

as good, what is old as bad, powerless or socially and eco-

nomically useless.

That somewhat facetious haste that I found again during

‘Next Gen It’ a winking (can we say it was an attempt to cover

one’s ass?) event organised at the beginning of the summer

that encapsulated that collection of stereotypes that framed

the error of perspective triggered by the Next Generation

Fund and resulted in a misunderstanding of ‘who’ would be

the future, ‘who’ the future would belong to, ‘who’ should

build the future and ‘who’ should benefit from this future.

The event, organised by Repubblica, was demagogic and a bit

anachronistic because it tried to celebrate ‘this scream’ of rebel-

lion of the young (Gianmarco Tamberi?) against the old (Vanessa

Ferrari?), instead of trying, finally, to go beyond the easy consen-

sus and suggest a narrative based on the observation of the de-

mographic reality of the planet, move a step beyond this sterile

generational conflict and launch the only meaningful message to

design the future we have in front of us: do it together.

In my opinion, it is not true, as Polito claims, that ‘we will not

create another “economic miracle” without young people.’ I

believe that we won’t do it if we don’t systematically involve

‘young people’ and ‘old people’ in a strategic project.

Especially in Italy, the second oldest country in the world!

Nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary. If they had or-

ganised a festival of meetings and exchanges between gen-

erations, instead of the celebration of an unspecified young

age, perhaps they would have given an implicit but strategic

piece of advice to this (and many other) governments, sug-

gesting that the future is no longer designed by stirring up

the umpteenth social conflict or a war between generations

(according to Stan Druckenmiller: there already has been

and the kids have lost it), but by creating an intergenerational

platform capable of ‘putting the arrow in,’ bringing together a

country of bellwethers (including demographics) and showing

the rest of the world that the ‘Next Generation fund’ capable

of shaping the shape of innovation for the next 50 years is

made by the All Generations Party.

While Orietta Berti, Ornella Vanoni and Gianni Morandi duet

with pseudo-young or real young people to sanction the sac-

rosanct truth that at the end of the day, life is all a remix,

just a remix, nothing but a remix, Luna relaunched a sort of

‘youth, springtime of beauty.’ It’s a lyric that has always had

a certain pull, no matter what music accompanies it: wheth-

er it’s by Led Zeppelin or their Euro-celebrated remix called

Måneskin. In his piece on the youth values of sport, Polito

commented: ‘Our Constitution, which is the most beautiful

in the world, does not contain the word “sport” even once.’

Not realising that the word ‘age’ does not appear in Article 3

of this beautiful Constitution either, where it talks about dis-

crimination. And yet this discrimination also exists, it is called

ageism. It is as widespread as it is unconscious, to the point

that no one takes the trouble to fight it. On the contrary.

NICOLA PALMARINI, Director, of the UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing Director



FACCIAVISTA ASSOCIATION

Art as an innovative educational project

Facciavista is a social inclusion project that aims to

identify and support the unique artistic abilities of

people with autism spectrum disorder. It kicked off in

2018 in Monza, starting with the experiences of one

family, that of Matteo Perego and Melissa La Scala and their

son Alessandro, a teenager with an autism spectrum disorder;

it began with their need to imagine a future for young peo-

ple who are completing their ‘institutional’ study path. After

compulsory schooling, in fact, there is no longer anything that

aims to find a path to help these young people emancipate

themselves from their families – families united, for this rea-

son, by a fear of the future.

The idea behind the project is to apply a contemporary ar-

tistic path guided by David De Carolis, teacher of Pictorial

Disciplines at the Liceo Artistico Modigliani in Giussano who,

working with the students, directs and coordinates efforts to

create works of art that have artistic value in their own right.

The goal is to create works that follow their own coherent aes-

thetic line, using the tools and resources available, products

that have a market and therefore meet high quality standards.

It is not, therefore, the aim to settle for simple works that are

purchased ‘out of pity,’ something that unfortunately still hap-

pens too much with art therapy.

A small group of 6 adolescents participates in the project,

selected based on their characteristics and modes of interac-

tion. The teens are engaged for 2 hours in a structured envi-

ronment that helps them organise and relate, but at the same

time leaves room for their instincts and needs, in a relaxed,

familiar atmosphere. The methodology is based on three cor-

nerstones: ritual, recurring themes and the use of toolkits built

with the children. This methodology makes it possible to re-

spect the typical needs of people with autism spectrum dis-

orders and, at the same time, forces educators and all those

who interact with the children to adapt their way of seeing to

their own, discovering new points of view, new perspectives.

Recently, the project has entered ‘phase 2’: not only to create

artistic objects sold through social networks (or, sometimes,

created on commission), but also to start collaborations with

companies, with the dual intent of expanding the types of ar-

tistic products created by the young people and to give them

the opportunity to start approaching businesses and the mar-

ketplace.

The idea behind the project is to apply a contemporary artistic path guided by David De Carolis, teacher of Pictorial Disciplines at the Liceo Artistico Modigliani in Giussano who, working with the students, directs and coordinates efforts to create works of art that have artistic value in their own right.


One of the first collaborations was with a wine producer, Er-

manno Costa Cascine Spagnolo, who asked for a label for a

Barbera d’Alba DOC. The brainstorming started with a ques-

tion: ‘Guys, what is wine for you?’ And the label bears their

answer, brilliant in its disarming simplicity: ‘It’s for drinking.’

The label was then reworked by Professor De Carolis from a

graphic and aesthetic point of view and the result is an excel-

lent union between a typical mind and an atypical mind. The

non-profit organisation is always looking for new collabora-

tions of this kind, under the banner of the richness inherent in

the concept of co-creation.

But companies can also be involved at a different and, per-

haps, even more important level. The innovative methodology

used in the laboratory to promote interaction between young

people and their creativity could, in fact, be successfully used

in other contexts, such as corporate training, both for ‘neu-

rotypical’ employees and for those with various degrees of

disability. The union that, just like in the case of the wine label,

is created between the typical mind and the atypical mind

makes it possible to go beyond the limits, which are often un-

conscious, set by our conventions, giving life to a multiplicity

of points of view and approaches that can only create richness

and creativity for the benefit of companies and people.

One of the fundamental themes that Facciavista’s project high-

lights is that there is still a big problem with inclusion – in the

school environment even more than in the corporate environ-

ment – due to a widespread struggle to understand and value

the horizon of diversity. But these kids won’t stay teenagers

forever, and there is a great need for companies to focus in-

creasingly on training their neurotypical employees, and even

before that their managers and executives, with an approach

that leans toward understanding, to foster greater awareness

and open-mindedness. More and more often, in fact, compa-

nies talk about inclusion, but there are still too many cases in

which this remains only a superficial objective, without real ap-

plication within the company. On the contrary, it is essential to

reward and respect the dignity of these people, as well as all

vulnerable groups, and to stop seeing them as a problem and a

burden and instead consider them an opportunity.

Autistic children, for example, are often endowed with great

creativity and in a country like Italy, which bases much of its

wealth on creativity, they can be a very important added val-

ue, if they are included and involved in a way that respects

their uniqueness.

There is still a long way to go, but organisations like Facciavis-

ta, although small and limited to a specific area, provide an

important sign of hope for the future. The next step, the fun-

damental one, will be to create a network of inclusive projects

to export this innovative educational approach to as many

companies as possible.

http://facciavista.com


Silvia Camisasca Irene Canfora

WHOPROTECTS CHIL-

DREN’S RIGHT TO FOOD

AWARENESS?

‘Substance intended for human consumption’:

this is the definition of food created by Euro-

pean law in 2002. Food, by its very nature a

consumer good that is carefully monitored, also

due to its impact on people’s health, has always ended up on

our tables on the basis of daily food choices influenced by

cultural traditions, ethics, lifestyle, advertising and informa-

tion conveyed through product labelling. All aspects related

to safety and information have become central to legislators,

especially after the food crises of the end of the millennium.

When such foods are intended for consumers who are not

aware of these issues, such as infants or minors, it is necessary

to promote growth that prevents potential health problems and

aims to develop critical consciousness in mature consumers.

‘For food products there is now consolidated legislation, of Eu-

ropean origins, ranging from the rules imposed on companies

during all stages of production and distribution, up to informa-

tion and advertising’ clarifies Irene Canfora, Professor of Food

Law at the University of Bari, one of the foremost European

experts on the subject and the author of over 150 scientific

publications, stressing that ‘from the legal point of view, the

tools available to the legislator, to promote good nutrition-

al choices, concern both companies and public measures to

guide consumers (of all ages) towards conscious choices’.

I suppose that one very delicate aspect of this are the rules

and obligations imposed on companies.

Undoubtedly: think, for example, of the ‘new’ nutritional

claims, which find themselves halfway between the evidence

of scientific data on nutritional efficacy itself (subject to ver-

ification by authorities prior to marketing), the informative

impact and, at the same time, attractiveness to the consum-

er, as in the case of the statement ‘high protein content.’ The

other aspect concerns public interventions aimed at food

education: beyond product information, one can actively in-

tervene through information campaigns, even in the field of

education or in the selection of canteen meal choices.

The parameter normally adopted to evaluate the awareness

of the consumer, in the food sector, is that of a subject who is

‘For food products there is now consolidated legislation, of European origins, ranging from the rules imposed on companies during all stages of production and distribution, up to information and advertising’


‘reasonably well informed and reasonably circumspect,’ as ju-

risprudence has repeatedly stated, in interpreting the norms

of food law: a criterion that is valid in general, but not for

the youngest consumers, who are also exposed to misleading

and aggressive advertising.

If every age group has its rights, this applies, first and fore-

most, to the right to proper nutrition and is reflected, at the

legal level, in the need to calibrate the tools for protection,

especially for children as consumers. This is undoubtedly

true for products intended for infants and young children,

which respond to a logic similar to that of products intended

for categories of subjects requiring a special diet: a specific

EU discipline deals with their composition and labelling, even

though purchase and use will be mediated by an adult figure.

Laws on prohibitions of the sale and administration of alco-

holic beverages act with the same perspective.

Another issue, which is quite different because it relates to

the behaviour of children in the consumption of certain prod-

ucts, concerns ‘junk food,’ which involves the risk of obesity.

A WHO study from 2021 indicates that in Europe the phe-

nomenon continues to be worrying (4th report - WHO Euro-pean Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative). Children suf-

fer the effects of advertising and attractive images packaged

by the food industry and targeted primarily at minors. An

appropriate legislative response should be twofold: nutrition

education from school age onwards, and outside this sphere

– since children are still being persuaded by advertising cam-

paigns – interventions aimed at curbing the consumption of

unhealthy products.

What is your opinion on the adoption, which is challenged

and debatable, by some European countries of traffic light

labelling (nutri-score), aimed at more informed food choices?

It is a ploy to visually simplify nutritional characteristics that

are already compulsory on packaging, but for children, who are

not directly responsible for purchasing, it is necessary to inter-

vene in the various media that channel advertising, purposely

inserted into programmes dedicated to them, whose messag-

es exalt products that put them ‘at risk of obesity.’ The Euro-

pean directive on audio-visual media services now encourages

soft law tools, codes of conduct for companies, ‘to effectively

reduce the exposure of minors’ both to ‘audio-visual commer-

cial communications on alcoholic beverages’ and to those of

‘foodstuffs or beverages containing nutrients, the excessive in-

take of which in the general diet is not recommended,’ and the

Italian legislator has fully embraced this opportunity. It is now

a question of seeing how this will be implemented, in order to

give effect to the European legislation.

For food products, there is established legislation ranging

from the rules imposed on companies for information and

advertising communication.

SILVIA CAMISASCA, born in 1976, has a PhD in nuclear physics with a doctorate in physical applications to cultural heritage. Professional journalist.

IRENE CANFORA, 1970, is a Professor of Agri-food Law and an expert in international law at the University of Bari.


Elena Mozzo

SEXUAL EDUCATION

An opportunity for different generations

to meet and exchange ideas

‘Isn’t it too early?’ is one of the most frequent objec-

tions to the proposal to introduce sexual education

courses in preschools and elementary school. The

fear is that addressing issues such as sexual orien-

tation and gender identity could cause confusion or, even

worse, a kind of indoctrination of young minds.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines sexual educa-

tion as: ‘A process based on teaching and learning about the

cognitive, emotional, biological and social aspects of sexual-

ity. It aims to provide children and young people with knowl-

edge, skills, attitudes and values that enable them to realise

their own health, wellbeing and dignity; develop respectful

social and sexual relationships; consider how their choices

affect their own wellbeing and that of others; and understand

and ensure the protection of their rights.’

Sexual education is, therefore, a pathway, not something to

be completed in a meeting over a couple of hours at school.

A project that should begin, according to WHO guidelines,

at the age of 5. From kindergarten onwards, children should

receive information characterised by different levels of detail

according to their age and without taboos or censorship, but

consistently linked to scientific knowledge. Below are the the-

matic areas identified by the WHO:

1) Relationships

2) Sociocultural aspects of sexuality

3) Gender

4) Violence and consent

5) Communication skills and techniques

6) Puberty and knowledge of the body

7) Reproduction

8) Sexually Transmitted Infections

As conceived by the WHO, sexual education is a spiral-shaped

In this process of growth, adults play a fundamental role. Today more than ever, it is necessary for education about emotions and sexuality to be a central theme that is addressed through numerous services and in different meeting places, formal and informal, aimed at different developmental stages.


path that has at its core key concepts such as self-respect

and respect for others, consent and assertive communica-

tion. The ultimate goal is to support children and adolescents

on the path towards adulthood, providing them with all the

essential tools they need for balanced psycho-physical devel-

opment and to defend themselves against the main threats

that they may encounter as they are growing up: bullying,

cyber-bullying, violence, toxic relationships.

In this process of growth, adults play a fundamental role.

Today more than ever, in a society so complex and full of

sources of misinformation, it is necessary for education

about emotions and sexuality to be a central theme that is

addressed through numerous services and in different meet-

ing places, formal and informal, aimed at different develop-

mental stages.

Parents, teachers, educators, health workers, sports coaches:

we are all called on to be part of the Educating Community.

A network of competent adults who are ready to support

children in their growth, helping them to build a positive

concept of sexuality. I speak of ‘supporting’ because I be-

lieve it is important to walk alongside the children without

tracing a predetermined path chosen by us, but rather, pro-

viding them with the tools to make informed choices. In this

journey, adults also grow: educating means, in fact, staying

constantly up-to-date, questioning oneself, being ready to

revise one’s points of view, going deeper. Supporting children

and young people in the construction of a positive sexuality

can become, even for adults, a valuable training opportunity

through which they can learn new strategies to experience

their own emotional and sexual lives with greater fullness.

Many adults, not having received a proper sexual education

when they were young, lack training in this regard and de-

clare themselves to have little or no background knowledge.

Building this educating community is the sense and purpose

of the activities that I carry out in collaboration with a group

of educators. In addition to meeting young people in schools

to undertake emotional-sexual education programmes, start-

ing in kindergarten we plan training sessions for parents and

the various figures who, in their daily work, meet with chil-

dren and adolescents. Moments during which, in addition to

providing the means and content to promote active dialogue

on issues related to sexuality and emotions, we frame the

content addressed in the current sociocultural context. In

order to fully understand what young people need, it is es-

sential to immerse oneself in their world, understanding the

enormous opportunities, but also the deceptions that can

influence healthy psycho-sexual development.

It is also essential to create a climate that is open to dia-

logue and non-judgemental, where the educator acts as a

competent, not omniscient, guide. This attitude favours mu-

tual enrichment. To paraphrase a famous animated movie,

it is true that we are all part of the circle of life, and through

honest and respectful dialogue each generation can enrich

the others.

ELENA MOZZO, 1983, paediatrician, sex counsellor.www.associazionecasa.comassociazionecasa.ets@gmail.come http://eepurl.com/hFItHv

Credits photo Matteo Busetto (IG @chromaticdefibrillation)


Nicole Riva

LETTER FROM A

TEACHERReflections on schools

today starting with Don Milani’s generation

In 1962, we found ourselves following the negotiations

between the DC and the PCI concerning Italian schools.

On December 31, an agreement was reached with Law n.

1859: the unified middle school was born, which would

allow anyone attending it to enter high school.

This Nuova Media may seem like an achievement, but in Vic-

chio, a small Tuscan town located in Mugello, there was a

different school that was not satisfied with the crumbs and,

with a book entitled Letter to a Teacher, aimed to unmask

the Italian school system, which had eyes only for those lucky

enough to be born into the right families.

The school was that of Barbiana, founded by Don Lorenzo Milani.

The book is written from the viewpoint of someone who, until

then, had not had the opportunity to speak, having come

out of a state school almost illiterate, and having managed to

learn, wanted to become a teacher.

The ascent to a teaching position, however, was not so easy be-

cause the risk, for a child of peasants, of remaining stuck in the

same class for a long time, was real. According to statistics, during

the 1963-64 school year, 1,031,000 students failed out of com-

pulsory school, including Gianni and my father. My father had the

good fortune of having far-sighted parents and he finished the

eighth grade before starting to work; Gianni, on the other hand,

one of the boys at the Barbiana school, stopped studying at the

age of 14 after failing his private exam and found a job.

As a teacher who doesn’t have a permanent teaching posi-

tion, this open letter written by the students to the teaching

staff has been essential for my education.

Sixty years have passed, but some situations that didn’t work

out well then still play out before my eyes. Is it not true that

many students are careerists? The only purpose for studying

is the grade one is given, as if the only representation of one-

self were a number obtained for a performance. I have made

the speech in class many times: ‘You are not a number, you

are people,’ but I see it – when I hand back the tests – that the

interest is in the mark and not in learning from one’s mistakes.

At the end of the year they ask me if 5.5 is a passing or failing

grade, as if only the average counts and not the course. Who

puts these ideas into the heads of boys and girls?

‘You are not a number, you are people,’ but I see it that the interest is in the mark and not in learning from one’s mistakes. At the end of the year they ask me if 5.5 is a passing or failing grade, as if only the average counts and not the course.


Another critical point is the connection between school and life.

The boys of Barbiana complained about not going further than

the First World War when they studied history; we go a few dec-

ades further but without considering all that has happened in

recent years. The programmes have been replaced by National

Indications and yet, for some teachers, they are an obsession.

Today more than ever, greater importance should be given

to current events, to reading newspapers, to the opinions of

the students: ‘The mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but

wood that needs igniting.’

Finally, there are the boys and girls that no one wants. Back

then they went to work or landed in Barbiana; today they go

to private schools (if they were born into the right family) or

continue to be rejected until the time to drop out arrives. Art.

3 of the Constitution says that we must ‘remove obstacles of

an economic and social nature.’

Sometimes students continue to repeat the year because

they don’t know Italian, they don’t know how to ask for help;

sometimes because they don’t study, but before I say why

they have failed, I always ask myself: ‘What have I done to

help that boy/girl?’ or ‘Am I sure that their behaviour doesn’t

mask something?’ Because as the children of Barbiana

wrote: school cannot be a hospital that cures the healthy and

rejects the sick. It’s easy to teach someone who always gets

good marks. For me, the greatest satisfaction is seeing those

with a failing grade get a passing one.

I have been working at school for 3 years, my colleagues say

that I feel this way because I am young and that I will lose

my enthusiasm as the years go by: when that day comes I

will change jobs. Unfortunately, the Italian educational sys-

tem also has those who consider teaching a fallback, and I

don’t blame them: there is the salary, an eighteen-hour week

(if you don’t consider all the time spent on preparation and

correction) and even the possibility of getting work as a sub-

stitute without having to do an interview.

In Barbiana, they say that if they force teachers to work more

hours with an after-school programme for students who need

it, many will disappear. I believe that too.

What pushes me to go to school every day is my passion

for my work, even if, like the narrator of the book, I come

up against a recruitment system that makes me turn up my

nose: he had a teacher who flunked him out of high school;

I’m waiting for a testing session that will allow me to access

a permanent position; we both find ourselves sacrificing the

in-depth studies we need to teach because we have to study

concise little books.

‘I study like a worm’ to be evaluated by a crossword test,

when for me school is so much more, I get ahead by training

with paid courses or putting myself on reserve lists. ‘I will be a

teacher and do school better than you,’ says the narrator. His

cockiness gives me the strength to keep pursuing my goal.

NICOLE RIVA, 1991. Master’s Degree in Modern Philology, Teacher of Italian, History and Geography in Secondary School


Valentina Sorbi

CARRÀ, RAFFAELLA

World heritage between generations

People often ask me why I have a blonde bob wig as

the headrest of my car. I answer that it is there to

celebrate ‘la Raffa.’ Always.

Despite the astonishment and laughter, no one has

ever disagreed with my celebratory impulse for the undis-

puted queen of Italian and international television. On the

contrary, I find in people of all different ages and sociocultur-

al backgrounds a feeling of sincere affection and esteem for

‘la Raffa,’ who was described by The Guardian, last autumn,

as ‘the Italian pop star who taught Europe the joys of sex.’

The paper described the ‘60-year career for a cultural icon

who revolutionised Italian entertainment – and gave women

agency in the bedroom.’

Raffaella Maria Roberta Pelloni, born in Bologna in 1943, ali-

as Raffaella Carrà, began her career as an actress at the age

of 8. In the first half of the 1960s, the director Dante Guarda-

magna, a lover of painting, suggested her lucky pseudonym,

adding to her name, inspired by Raffaella, the surname of

another renowned artist: Carlo Carrà.

From the beginning of the ‘70s onwards, after deciding to

set aside acting as a result of average results and to focus on

a television career as a dancer, singer, soubrette, presenter

and creator of programmes, ‘La Raffa’ had one success after

another, with impressive viewing figures (with Carràmba! Che sorpresa she reached 14 million viewers).

Among the greatest successes, to name just a few: Canzo-nissima presented alone and with Corrado (which earned

her some censorship from RAI, which was subsequently

withdrawn, for showing her belly button during the opening

theme song in an Italy that was still bigoted and closed-mind-

ed); Milleluci with Mina, another immense icon; 2 editions

of Fantastico!; the 51st Festival of San Remo; the formats of

Pronto, Raffaella? with the equally emblematic can of beans

and Carràmba, che sorpresa, which was adapted in numer-

ous versions for Italian, Spanish, but also French, Greek, Ger-

man, South and North American television.

Not to mention the immemorial hits translated (even into

English: ‘Do it do it again’ is the English version of ‘A far

l’amore comincia tu’) and over 60 million records recorded

and sold in Italy and worldwide (with 23 awards, including

gold and platinum records received over the course of her

long career); 13 Telegatti and hundreds of other awards at

home and abroad, especially in Spain, which has always paid

tribute to her by naming squares after her, giving her insti-

tutional medals of civil merit and awarding her the title of

‘Ambassador of love and world gay icon’ on the occasion of

World Pride in Madrid in 2017.

When I have the opportunity, I wear that blond bob. During

an aperitif, a few weeks ago, a curious little girl asked if she

could borrow it: I am happy to proselytise the younger gen-

eration. My generation, born in or around 1980, grew up

with ‘la Raffa’.

She was everywhere, omnipresent on TV, on the covers of

magazines and papers, always with her unmistakable style:

her way of moving, laughter, clothes and that unmistakable

blond bob. A trademark combined (almost always) with hun-

dreds of thousands of spangles (not sequins!), which identify

her and make her immediately recognisable to anyone. On

the other hand, ‘Carrà is not a woman, it’s a lifestyle’ de-

clared Pedro Almodóvar in an interview.

I already wore that bob, virtually, when I was 5 years old,

sitting in front of the TV watching reruns of the theme song

of Fantastico 3, when I shook my head and danced dizzily

with my grandmother – born in 1926 – at my side. ‘La Raffa’

has conquered, for decades, not only the radio charts and

excelled on national and international TV, but has managed

to speak – through competence, authenticity, irony and intel-

ligence, to millions of people, crossing through fragments of

histories, both private and public. ‘La Raffa’ is, to all intents

and purposes, a piece of our history. The history of all of us.

VALENTINA SORBI was born in 1980 and has a Master’s in Gender Studies and Social Change. She is a D&I consultant, project manager and much more.


RAFFAELLACARRÀ

RAFFAELLACARRÀ


Véronique Fabbri-Balduzzi Daria Dall’Igna

FIND YOUR OWN WAY

AT ANY AGE

Is there a right age for finding one’s way?

We are convinced that it is never too early or too late to

understand who we are and that, today, knowing how to

orient oneself is a real necessity. Statistics in fact tell us that

• every year one out of 5 students makes a mistake in

choosing which high school to attend;

• 3 out of 10 students regret their choice of university right

from the first year;

• fixed-term employment contracts are on the rise and the

permanent job is disappearing;

• the world of work is changing rapidly and new jobs are

emerging;

• life expectancy is lengthening and the recent pandemic

has forced us to look for a meaningful life project.

These trends force us to train our self-orientation skills and

continue to educate ourselves.

We, counsellors who specialise in school guidance and career

reorientation, have also re-invented ourselves several times and

for assorted reasons: poor career choices, relocation, changing

priorities post-maternity. Thanks to our history, it came naturally

to us to want to support others going through similar situations.

We are convinced that knowing how to orient oneself is a

fundamental skill that should be acquired as soon as possible

and that can be reused during every transition in life.

We believe, however, that it is important to base the choice

of learning how to navigate this not on external reasons, but

on internal ones: starting with oneself, exploring one’s talents

and passions and then checking what the world has to offer

in line with the identified ingredients.

For example, we ask those who have to choose a high school

to create an alternative report card where they can indicate

grades for commitment and interest in each subject. It is a

new way to tell the story of one’s schooling.

‘I had never looked at school and subjects from this perspec-tive,’ says Nicholas, 13. ‘I realised that my passion for science experiments is important and I want to find a school where I can learn by doing.’

Starting with self-knowledge is therefore crucial at any age.

Matilda also realised this during her post-graduation jour-

ney: ‘It was very helpful to start not with the options, which are vast and endless and can be overwhelming, but with what I like and am passionate about.’

Discovering one’s passion to project oneself into the future is not always a simple matter. Regarding making choices post-high school graduation, our aim is first to identify a professional goal and only then do we explore the different possible paths of study to get there. We, counsellors who specialise in school guidance and career reorientation, have also re-invented ourselves several times and for assorted reasons: poor career choices, relocation, changing priorities post-maternity.


Discovering one’s passion to project oneself into the future

is not, however, always a simple matter. Regarding making

choices post-high school graduation, our aim is first to identi-

fy a professional goal and only then do we explore the differ-

ent possible paths of study to get there.

We also encourage teens to expand their horizons in search

of multiple career options to see what interests them most.

We generally encounter 2 scenarios: on the one hand, there

are those who have ‘too many’ interests, and on the other

hand, those who feel ‘at sea.’

‘My problem is having so many passions and interests,’ says

Alice initially, but at the end of the journey she says: ‘I managed to discover myself, to identify my priorities for a future job, put-ting together different interests, such as journalism and fashion.’ Seeking one’s own path is not only possible, but also neces-

sary as one grows older. We support adults in their search for

alternative stories that can put them back in touch with their

resources and strengthen their identities. This approach, de-

rived from Narrative Practices, values the uniqueness of the

individual as the sole expert on their own life, helps them

break free from limiting labels, and supports them in their

search for a new, preferred story.

Those who go through a crisis during a period of transition

(separation, bereavement, layoff, pandemic...) need to re-

store their identity and (re)find meaning through a new nar-

rative of their experience.

Matilde, 30 years old, writes: ‘This path has allowed me to focus on both my skills and my goals; what I took for granted is, in fact, a resource.’Raffaella, 55, who is in the process of ‘rethinking’ her career,

says: ‘Being supported has allowed me to reflect deeply and

clearly recognise my values, my motivational drivers, my cri-teria for choice.’‘Know thyself’ said the ancient Greeks. ‘Become what you are,’ added Kierkegaard. ‘Do what you are,’ we conclude.

Start your personal orientation journey as early as possible

and continue it throughout life. It is never too early or too late

to (re)become the author of your own life.

VÉRONIQUE FABBRI-BALDUZZI, 1963. MA Counselling Psychology. School, career and life transition professional counsellor.

DARIA DALL’IGNA, 1970. BA European Studies. Profes-sional Counselling Certificate. School, career, multicultu-ral professional counsellor.

www.orientamentosinopia.com


Stefano Di Niola

DIVERSITY ROMA

Valuing differences is good for business and the community

Rome, as regards its history and the character of its

inhabitants, can be considered – apart from a few

bad episodes – a welcoming city, capable of inclu-

sion. But this should not lead us to think that no

further effort is necessary, that we do not need a courageous

initiative to improve the environment around us and face the

challenges of the future.

As the CNA (Confederation of Craft Trades) of Rome, the larg-

est organisation representing craftsmanship and small and

medium-sized businesses in the region, we believe that an eco-

nomic area, if it does not want to regress, if it wants to develop,

attract people, investments and be fully included among the

most modern and competitive economic and social systems,

must be able to welcome, enhance and include diversity.

With the Diversity Roma project, the first in Italy aimed at

SMEs, we wanted to start a process of awareness raising,

information and training on Diversity & Inclusion, involving

owners and employees of companies in the spirit of sharing

the values of hospitality and inclusiveness, principles that are

the basis of civil society and crucial for the reputation of a

territory and its economy.

To build a working environment in which each employee feels

welcomed, respected, but above all valued for who they are, with

their own choices, their religion and their personal attitudes.

Welcoming and addressing customers, aware that these dif-

ferences are not concessions but rights to be recognised and

respected.

Transmit and share these values with your suppliers and your

supply chain, triggering a beneficial ‘domino effect.’

And to do all this bearing in mind the positive results of Di-

versity & Inclusion policies on companies’ economic perfor-

mance. Being inclusive means not only respecting others, but

also being more competitive in a market with increasingly

attentive and demanding consumers.

According to a survey conducted by the CNA of Rome with

SWG, for 55% of companies in the capital, diversity is a

strength and contributes to the success of a company. An-

other interesting fact that emerges from the research is that,

in the management of the recent crisis, the most inclusive

companies are those that have fired the fewest employees.

In essence, including and valuing differences is very good for

the economy of companies.

With this project we have targeted entrepreneurs who own

businesses, bars and restaurants, hotels and any other type

of business linked to the tourism macro-chain, but also entre-

preneurs in manufacturing, agribusiness and other sectors.

The goal is to create a welcoming working environment for

both employees and customers through careful training on

issues such as gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual

orientation and gender identity, and finally by drawing up a

code of ethics for inclusive business to which Roman compa-

nies can adhere.

Together, but starting with our individual visions, we will build

a new model of a more modern, more competitive, more wel-

coming company.

STEFANO DI NIOLA, Secretary CNA of Rome


Antonio Rotelli

GIVING THE VOTE TO 16-YEAR-OLDS

The Italian Constitution establishes that voters are

defined as all citizens who have legally come of

age, which is not established by the Constitution,

but by ordinary law.

The age of majority, correlated to the right to vote, has been

modified several times since the unification of Italy, being

lowered progressively from 25 to 21 to 18, as part of cycles

that last approximately 50 years and correspond to political,

social and juridical changes within the country.

Another 50 years on, the subject is re-emerging due to a re-

quest to give the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds, cohorts that

– according to some pollsters – may tend to feel unprepared

and uninterested in voting.

For the moment in Italy this request seems extemporaneous:

in the last 20 years, there have been 4 bills to lower the age

of majority to 16, and none in the last legislature; instead,

there are about 2 dozen that, particularly in the last legislature

(carried by the wave of the Fridays for Future events organised

by young people all over the world), propose (or proposed)

to give the right to vote to citizens who have turned 16, limit-

ed to municipal or regional elections or, in 2 proposals, to all

elections including those for Parliament (as happens in Brazil,

Austria and Malta), but without changing the age of majority.

Separating the age of majority from exercising the right to

vote is an option, but leads to contradictions and problems,

since a person would be able to determine the fate of the

country, but would not be able to act independently for him-

or herself, despite the fact that there is an evident tendency

of the legal system to extend the prerogatives and rights of

sixteen-year-olds with regard to the involvement and expres-

sion of their will in the choices that concern them and, more

recently, in the digital consensus, which has become so im-

portant in our lives, thus showing that 16 is considered an

age at which a person can be recognised as having the ability

to choose for themselves and transition to adulthood.

Even the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which

defines as a ‘child’ anyone under the age of 18, specifies that

state law may establish a lower age for the attainment of ma-

jority, showing that the standard age that the vast majority

of countries have shared since the 1960s and 1970s can be

questioned as a consequence of increased schooling and the

long wave of youth movements that have claimed spaces of

autonomy and participation in choices regarding public life.

However, at the moment the age of majority is reached at 16

in about 8 countries and, in Europe, only in Scotland.

It should be borne in mind that the Constitution and inter-

national conventions, by prohibiting discrimination on the

basis of age, require that even the choice of an age for com-

ing of age, by questioning the currently established age, be

anchored to non-arbitrary parameters, since fundamental

rights at the basis of democracy, such as inclusion and the

right to vote, are at stake.

With respect to the right to vote, the legal perspective men-

tioned relates to the sociocultural realities of Generation Z

and Italy.

In our legal system, those who can exercise the right to vote

are not asked to be responsible, interested in politics, in-

formed and able to discern. It would be desirable for them

to do so, but there are no sanctions for those who do not

assume their responsibilities, since democracy and universal

suffrage incorporate this risk.

The limits imposed on sixteen-year-olds (immaturity, impul-

siveness, the risk of being exploited) are not, therefore, de-

fects of their age that disappear at the age of 18, nor would

they be a new risk that the legal system, as mentioned, can-

not absorb.

Instead, it would be rather useful to reverse the perspective

in order to focus on the limits of the system (and the nec-

essary corrective measures), especially the educational one,

which is evaluated as not being able to provide young people

with the minimum tools of citizenship to stimulate their inter-

est and acquire the knowledge needed to participate more

consciously in voting at the age of 16, at the end of the 10

years of compulsory schooling.

There is also a general theme that concerns the ageing of the

population and the electoral body, and is intertwined with

the historically limited focus on the needs and expectations

of young people, in a context in which the digital revolution

has created new skills, opportunities and potential, but also

new problems. The new age cohorts that would be allowed to

vote would represent just over a million people (about 2.9%

of voters, equal to the percentage of those over 85), a pro-

portion not capable of upsetting Italian politics, but certainly

important in containing the existing imbalance.

ANTONIO ROTELLI, 1975, attorney at law


Annalisa Valsasina, Fondazione Libellula

NEXT GENERATION

Working with new generations on gender-based violence

Gender-based violence is a complex phenomenon

with cultural, social and individual roots. It is a

‘global’ phenomenon found all over the world

that affects all age groups. The common ele-

ment is that it is mainly children, girls and women who are

its victims. It is estimated that in Europe 2.5 million women

(UNICEF data, 2020) have experienced sexual violence be-

fore the age of 15. For 30% of women on the entire planet,

their first sexual experience was forced. In Italy, 1 in 3 women

between the ages of 16 and 70 has been a victim of violence

in her lifetime, whether physical or sexual, psychological, or

economic (ISTAT data, 2016).

Gender-based violence manifests in multiple ways, as much

for minors as for adult and elderly women, about whom lit-

tle is said. Physical and sexual violence is mainly acted out

within the family or in a couple’s relationship and manifests

through threats, beatings and sexual abuse. In many coun-

tries, girls and young women are victims of forced and re-

parative marriages, forced into sexual slavery and prostitu-

tion. Other forms of violence stem from traditional cultural

practices, such as female genital mutilation.

In Italy, cases of abuse and violence against girls and young

women have increased by 18% in the last 10 years (Terres

des Hommes, 2019) as has the prevalence of underage rap-

ists and gang rapes, also due to the almost complete absence

of sexual education. Suffice it to say that 68% of boys be-

tween 12 and 19 have already watched a pornographic film,

a factor that contributes to maintaining a questionable rape

culture. Finally, let’s not forget other forms of violence, such

as stalking and cyberstalking, or violence that often escapes

monitoring, such as psychological and economic violence.

Gender violence and the younger generations: what’s hap-pening in our country?In Italy, among very young people, most bullying episodes are

based on gender and among the younger generations, worrying

stereotypes persist. Nineteen per cent of young people believe

that if a man is cheated on, it is normal for him to become vio-

lent. In a 2019 research project, 10% of the girls surveyed say

they have been harassed, 38% have been seriously insulted by

their partner in front of others, 79% limit their behaviour out of

fear of their partners’ reactions who, in 68% of cases, claim to

control their communications and phones. One girl out of 10 is

afraid of the boy she is dating but one out of 3 declares herself

ready to forgive him if there should be physical violence. In 75%

of cases girls decide not to talk about this with anyone.

The Next Generation programme consists of a series of meetings dedicated to adults and their sons and daughters.The meetings offer space for discussion to promote awareness of gender issues in the educational process and encourage the development in younger generations of behaviours that are open to diversity and free from stereotypes.


How to intervene? Fondazione Libellula’s Next Generation programme If gender violence is based on cultural factors, on particular

stereotyped representations of male and female, it is on this

level that we must intervene, intensifying prevention activi-

ties at all levels.

The Next Generation programme was created with this aim in

mind: it consists of a series of meetings dedicated to adults

– the employees of the network’s member companies – and

their sons and daughters, depending on the age group. The

meetings offer space for discussion to promote awareness of

gender issues in the educational process and encourage the

development in younger generations of behaviours that are

open to diversity and free from stereotypes.

In the work with parents, the focus is on the way in which ste-

reotypes can unconsciously influence relationships, expecta-

tions and attributions, conditioning the free development of

others’ identities.

For adolescents, the activities propose, from a gender perspec-

tive, the typical topics appropriate to their development: the

body, affectivity and relationships, identity, cyber-bullying, the

potential and risks of the digital world. The sessions, which are

interactive and concrete, offer tools and stimuli to recognise

potentially harmful situations and prevent or deal with them.

What emerges from these experiences?Several companies in the network have activated the Next

Generation programme and one thing has emerged clearly:

the need to talk about these issues in order to fill important

gaps in awareness. Adults and young people often do not

have a map of the phenomenon of violence, just as they lack

references for what makes relationships between the sexes

fully positive and respectful.

Finally, we believe it is fundamental to bring people to un-

derstand that the phenomenon of violence is not ‘nothing to

do with me,’ but has its roots in a cultural background that

inevitably influences all of us, and that – as such – each of

us, in our own roles, areas, developmental paths and age, can

contribute to changing, even by taking small steps.

ANNALISA VALSASINA, 1975. Psychologist, psychothe-rapist, Senior Consultant and D&I Project Designer of Fondazione Libellula

www.fondazionelibellula.com

Credits photo: Matthew Henry


Fondazione Provinciale della Comunità Comasca onlus

CO-HOUSINGA happy sharing

of spaces, hopes and needs

‘I used to see the elderly in my parish looking sad. They

were still able to fend for themselves despite their age,

but something was missing for them to be happy. Based

on this, I felt the need to start co-housing: apartments

that would allow them to still be independent, but with com-

mon spaces and the possibility to connect with others.’

Don Natalino Pedrana, parish priest of Rovellasca, starts

telling us about his inclusion project, what he has already

done and what he would like to accomplish. Everything starts

with the idea of allocating some unused spaces belonging to

the oratory to a co-housing project; thus the first 5 apart-

ments were born, with several common spaces to encourage

socialising and home to 2 elderly people and 2 university

students. While the former benefit from subsidised rent and

a day centre where they can carry out recreational activities,

the students are granted a free apartment on condition that

they help and assist the elderly when needed.

Continuing the engaging story, Don Natalino talks about

how, based on continuous exchanges between 2 seemingly

distant generations, relationships characterised by friend-

ship and affection are actually born that are rewarding for

both parties.

This ‘super parish priest’ has begun work on a second build-

ing that will house 8 more apartments and a garden open to

the entire community, designed as a place of inclusion and

meeting, for grandparents and children together. The Fon-

dazione Provinciale della Comunità Comasca onlus, which

works to promote giving, to improve the quality of life of

the local community (www.fondazione-comasca.it), imme-

diately took the project to heart by starting a fundraising

campaign. The goal of the foundation is now to make the Ro-

vellasca project an example to be ‘exported;’ the population

is constantly ageing and it is, therefore, necessary to give

the elderly the opportunity to live better, at a very low cost

(compared to a retirement home, for example) and avoiding

having these individuals go through the terrible experience

of feeling invisible. Mrs Onorina, who lives there, and Da-

vide, a young university student, wanted to talk about their

experience.

Why did you decide to join this initiative?D: I am one of the 2 custodians who have lived here since

last September. I joined this initiative thanks to Giacomo, my

friend and current roommate, who at the beginning of the

summer was looking for an apartment near Milan. So he tried

to involve me in this experience and I accepted ‘the chal-

lenge’ with enthusiasm.

O: Knowing about this wonderful initiative, I decided to move

in because I love socialising and I wanted to get closer to the

centre of the village.

‘I used to see the elderly in my parish looking sad. They were still able to fend for themselves despite their age, but something was missing for them to be happy. Based on this, I felt the need to start co-housing: apartments that would allow them to still be independent, but with common spaces and the possibility to connect with others.’


What do you like most about co-housing?D: Co-housing is very nice because it allows you to have

neighbours for whom you not only provide a sense of secu-

rity, but are also like a grandchild. In addition, for us young

people and students, it is perfect to have the comfort of an

apartment near Milan while ‘paying’ by providing a useful

service to the community.

O: Not living alone; having an elevator, food that is ready at

noon and in the evening, and an assistant at night.

What is one fond memory from this experience? D: One of the best memories is a pizza party with the res-

idents and some of their friends. Or simple everyday mo-

ments, like when we have coffee or chat and joke around

– that’s where the beauty of co-housing lies.

O: One of the best memories that comes to mind is celebrat-

ing birthdays all together.

Would you recommend this experience to others?D: Of course, I would recommend this experience to anyone

who wants to try living with a friend but, at the same time, is

willing to devote a some of their time to those in need. In this

way you can fully experience exchanges between 2 different

generations, which are mutually enriching.

O: I would recommend it because for us seniors companion-

ship is important but at the same time we can be autono-

mous and free to do what we want.

Do you want to make an appeal to those who read this? D: I would urge everyone to donate so that more apartments can

be built, so that seniors don’t have to be lonely during their final

years. Loneliness can be more painful than many other illnesses.

In addition, these arrangements allow an elderly person who is

still self-sufficient to be able to live in a facility built to measure.

O: At present there are only a few apartments and, in or-

der to accommodate as many people as possible, there is a

need to create more apartments. Help us; donating enriches

everyone.

To launch the new fundraising campaign, a video interview

was conducted by director Paolo Lipari, including the testi-

monies of residents, who have become the best representa-

tives of its benefits. Famous people, such as Davide Van de

Sfroos, Andrea Vitali and Beppe Bergomi, who have always

been at the foundation’s side, have joined in.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the project can donate at the

following link: https://dona.fondazione-comasca.it/cohousing/

DON NATALINO PEDRANA, Parish Priest of Rovellasca.


by the Editorial Staff

INTERVIEW WITH BEATRICE

UGUCCIONIVice President of Milan City Council

Good morning Beatrice, let’s start at the begin-ning: were you born in Milan? Yes, and that’s also why my commitment and

passion are concentrated here.

How did the cultural diversity of your parents – or that of the environment you grew up in – influence your growth? My parents have always been very close, strong in character

but at the same time different: my mother is tenacious and

infinitely patient, my father is a hard worker, apparently gruff,

but with a huge and generous heart. They taught me to be

a dreamer and at the same time to be concrete, not to stop

in the face of obstacles, to always be respectful of others, to

question myself but also to be determined to pursue what I

believe in, to be consistent in my choices, to listen a lot. As

a girl I was much more impulsive and touchier, now I have

smoothed out some of the rough edges and have become

more reflective. Political work and the roles I have played

over the years have had a profound influence on the latter.

What did you study?I was educated in Italy: I attended a classical lyceum and

have a degree in philosophy, with an experimental thesis on

immigration.

What was your first political assignment and what expec-tations did you have when you started to get involved in politics?My passion for politics was born around 1987, but I started

to be active in the institutions in 2001 as a councillor of Zona

9 (currently City Hall) in opposition. In 2006, I was elected

President of Zona 9 in the same Zone, a role I held for 10

years, that is, until 2016, when I was elected City Councillor,

appointed Vice President of the Council and since July 2020,

Councillor delegated to the mobility of the Metropolitan City

of Milan. Yet the expectations are the same as today: to take

care of my city, contributing to improving the lives of those

who live there and experience it daily, proposing feasible ac-

tions and projects; combining vision and concreteness.

How have you seen D&I change in the last 5 years?Milan has definitely evolved in the last 10 years and, espe-

cially after Expo, it has become ‘unprovincialised’ and has

changed its approach to diversity and inclusion. More work

needs to be done because, as is often the case in large cit-

ies, Milan too embodies many contradictions: it is the city

with the most women entrepreneurs, but the gender pay gap

persists; it has the highest number of employed women, giv-

en the presence of a good (always improvable) network of

services, but it is also a city where many women leave their

jobs for family reasons. Companies in Milan have also taken

steps to promote projects that focus on inclusion because

they have realised that it is not only ethically correct, but

also economically advantageous: those who feel comforta-

I think it is necessary to permanently break down those barriers (architectural and mental!) that are still present and prevent people from living peacefully.


ble in their companies because they do not feel excluded or

discriminated against work better and the company benefits.

Certainly, we need to accelerate in this area as well in order

to make this approach the standard and not the exception.

What does diversity mean to you?It means paying attention to the many facets of life. It means

meeting the individual with his or her own unique traits, ac-

cepting and valuing them, guaranteeing equal opportunities

for everyone.

What are your main commitments?As President of the Area Council – first – and as Vice Presi-

dent of the City Council – second – I have always paid spe-

cial attention to the younger generations, i.e. today’s citizens

(not those of the distant future!) because change certainly

passes through them. And so, for example, in partnership

with schools, we have promoted awareness projects about

bullying and cyber-bullying, discrimination and gender stere-

otypes. Actions to make everyone more aware because only

the awareness of what still happens around us can give rise

to the ability to change things.

Why is diversity a strategic lever for sustainable growth?Because it is through diversity that we evolve, confronting it

we grow and learn.

What are the problems that need to be solved, today, and what positive changes do you expect in the near future?I think it is necessary to permanently break down those bar-

riers (architectural and mental!) that are still present and

prevent people from living peacefully. On the one hand, this

involves concrete actions and projects – think of the acces-

sibility still denied to some in public transport, bars and res-

taurants, stadiums, but also the difficulty of moving on roads

and sidewalks; on the other hand, we need to accelerate the

transformation of the mentality necessary so that no one

feels isolated.

How do you make this change happen?With commitment, without going backwards, with determi-

nation and in collaboration with all the pulsating forces of

the city that are asking to continue to go down the road of

inclusion which is, after all, a road of civilisation.

How would you describe an inclusive work environment?As a non-rejectionist environment, in which each person can

feel at home, in which there is respect and an exchange of

ideas and opinions, in which those who work feel appreciated

and involved, in which it is clear that each person has unique

skills and strengths that can be put at the service of the com-

pany and the community.

BEATRICE UGUCCIONI, Vice President of Milan City Council. Council Group Democratic Party



HUMAN AGE INSTITUTE

FOUNDATIONT

he Human Age Institute Foundation, promoted by

the ManpowerGroup, has become a major hub for

Talent that connects people, companies and insti-

tutions to generate innovative solutions and en-

courage the meeting and growth of talent since its creation

in September 2014.

Our definition of talent is not excellence in a specific skill, but

a heterogeneous and transversal set of qualities, skills and

experiences. Talent is seen as the key to human improvement

in all its dimensions: economic, emotional, intellectual, oper-

ational, ecological, ethical, spiritual, creative and social.

Talent becomes the crucial differentiating element and, in

order to stimulate it, companies can no longer involve their

people with a one-size-fits-all approach, but rather with an

individualised and sensitive approach. A talent is not just a

person, it is much more.

Based on this concept, the Human Age Institute Foundation

develops motivational and work orientation paths (Talent

Lab) with the aim of putting the people who benefit from its

paths in a position to turn – independently and effectively –

towards the world of work.

‘In the catalytic capacity that Talent has to generate agents

of change and individual and collective transformation,’ said

Marilena Ferri, Secretary General of the Human Age Institute

Foundation and People & Culture Director of the Manpow-

erGroup, ‘with the foundation we bring to companies a set

of strategies and a culture of inclusion, we deal with current

issues that are now more relevant than ever, such as: wom-

en who have experienced violence, people with physical or

mental disabilities, refugees, victims of trafficking, transgen-

der individuals, and we turn our gaze to transversal issues in

the world of work, such as Neet* and unemployed people

over the age of 50.’

*(Not in Education, Employment, or Training)

Stefano Scabbio, President of the Human Age Institute Foun-

dation and President of the Southern and Eastern Europe

ManpowerGroup, shares these objectives, adding: ‘For us,

doing well by doing good is a daily commitment to people,

companies and communities. The foundation is the expres-

sion of the ManpowerGroup’s values.’

We want to be an engine of transformation and a lever of

motivation for people, organisations and companies on their

journey towards excellence, success and differentiation,

based on a comprehensive, ethical and supportive vision of

human beings and Talent.

Work is the true social inclusion, it restores dignity to people

and helps them to regulate their lives, but it also brings value

to companies themselves. It is essential to create connec-

tions and synergies between the talent that exists in people

and companies, society, to encourage shared learning, con-

tinuous improvement and collective development.

With the foundation, in partnership with Arcigay, we are

creating an internal project within Manpower dedicated to

LGBT+ issues in order to solidify good practices and educate

the population regarding inclusion. In the short-term, the aim

is to also bring this project to our partner companies.

MARILENA FERRI, Secretary General of the Human Age Institute Foundation and People & Culture Director of the ManpowerGroup


Michelina della Porta

CO-STANZA A community welfare project that puts the person at the centre of the system

Co-Stanza is a co-working space with an area for

babies for freelancers and public and private sec-

tor employees who choose agile working in a mul-

tifunctional space, with areas dedicated to work

and wellness and a community of experts to support their

professional and personal life. In order to promote female

employment and, at the same time, the wellbeing of work-

ers, CO-STANZA has created a welfare project shared with

and accessible to companies, third-sector entities and public

administrations, which focuses on children, young people,

adults, the elderly and families.

It supports the concepts of identity, culture, diversity and in-

clusion by activating projects in which skills, abilities, experi-

mentation and learning favour exchanges and the sharing of

time and spaces by adults and children. Since its inception it

has promoted processes of listening to local voices in order

to identify the specific and emerging needs of the communi-

ty, to enhance people and ideas and co-design interventions

aimed at fostering growth from a human, professional, cul-

tural and social point of view. A system of integrated services

that – by facilitating meetings with otherness, in a network

with members of private and public social life and through

tools and languages that are appropriate to ages and needs

– addresses issues related to everyone’s everyday life.

We are convinced that we are a resource that can move

change and innovation from childhood onwards, and are

capable of bringing out new social resources and activating

community ties – we build spaces for intergenerational and

inter-institutional convergence. These are places dedicated

to encouraging the recognition of people in the diversity of

their subjectivities and biographies, places that enhance cre-

ative and expressive skills to trigger dynamics that provide an

opportunity, especially to younger generations, to engage as

actors and advocates within and for their local communities,

to express themselves in social, cultural and artistic activities,

giving rise to new forms of self-organisation and, finally, to find

themselves in the political culture of ‘emerging from problems

together’, co-producing common goods that are accessible to

all, with an inclusive perspective, interacting with institutions

and building equal dialogue with the adults in the community.

The pandemic has revealed that, above all, children and

young people are at the mercy of the economic and cultural

resources of their own families, which often lack an organised

system that can compensate for cases in which that endow-

ment is reduced. The ‘attempted’ tools of family-work recon-

ciliation have revealed a conflict between different rights and

different subjects: the contradictory nature of interventions

that de-institutionalise the family cycle has emerged, taking

the form either of gender or equal opportunity policies, or of

policies aimed at only one of the subjects (children, women,

single women, the elderly) and not at the family, or finally,

of workfare policies, in which the shift towards using work to

resolve the problem is the predominant point of view. Each

of these options has weaknesses. It is necessary to adopt a

perspective that leads to a vision of reconciliation that not

only allows for the multiplicity of factors and all the actors

and players involved in the process to be considered, but

also, through the consideration of reconciliation as a social

relationship, allows for the connection between dimensions

and subjectivity.

MICHELINA DELLA PORTA, 1980. Cooperator, welfare community manager, co-founder of Co-Stanza Space.

www.spaziocostanza.it


COVER STORY Valentina Dolciotti

ADELECAMBRIA

The first time I saw Adele’s blue eyes was on the

landing of her house, in Rome, in Via de’ Pettinari,

several years ago.

I was hot, had a backpack on my shoulder and a

bunch of sunflowers in my hand, brought with me to thank

her for her hospitality. Adele was waiting on the top floor of

the building, in front of the elevator: when the doors opened,

she smiled at me.

From that moment onwards I had access to the ‘wonderful

world of Adele,’ made of meetings, stories, books, email ex-

changes, evenings at the theatre and lunches on the terrace

that oscillated between the past and the present: born dur-

ing a sweltering summer in Calabria in 1931, Adele’s child-

hood unfolded in the ‘30s in Reggio Calabria. She was only

14 years old when, from an open window, she glimpsed

American soldiers crossing the city on Liberation Day.

It was her stubborn desire to study to become a journalist

that made her leave the South (‘I’ll come back, but as a tour-

ist,’ she had said since she was a little girl). But in order to

study, it was necessary to take the ferry every day and go

to the Faculty of Messina (accompanied by her mother: it

was not appropriate for a girl to travel alone), already moving

away from a Calabria that, in those years, had neither news-

papers nor universities.

Adele would have liked to study Literature but, with the

clear-sightedness that would forever guide her, she realised

that that would not be the shortest way to leave home. ‘I

would have been stuck there as a substitute teacher in the

suburbs forever,’ so she decided to go to law school.

At the age of 22, after graduating (magna cum laude), Adele

applied for the public competition to join the Judiciary, but

the answer she received after a few months was lapidary: she

had all the requisite qualifications but one: being male.

In fact, prior to 1963, Italian law precluded women from

having a career as magistrates because they were ‘unfit for

judgement and balance, and subject to the capacity for emo-

tion.’ Verbatim.

But Adele was stubborn, courageous and shrewd: in 1955

she left Calabria (her case was more unique than rare, at the

time of the Wilma Montesi case) with permission to move to

Rome to participate in an INPS competition for law gradu-

ates (INPS is the largest social security and welfare institute

in Italy).

Armed with a typewriter and a black patent leather bag full

of articles, she undauntedly pursued her goal of becoming a

journalist.

And she became a journalist, one of the few female journal-

ists in Italy at the end of the fifties, together with the great

Camilla Cederna and Oriana Fallaci.

‘...But only I had the courage to have 2 children,’ she loved to

emphasise, smiling, but not joking.

Together with the 2 writers we find her again, a few years

later, interviewed by her friend Pier Paolo Pasolini in Comizi d’amore (1965).

Adele threw herself headlong into her work, visiting art gal-

leries (‘They were the only places I could go to even without

an invitation’), meeting and hanging out with intellectuals,

writers, editors, artists.

Initially, she wrote about costumes and fashion (the only top-

ics granted to women by the editorial staff) but, little by little,

her interests grew, her gaze was refined and her pen became

unstoppable.

Her first article for a national weekly was published in Leo

Longanesi’s Il Borghese in 1955, where she described with

sarcasm and irony the ‘good’ girls of Reggio Calabria. Be-

cause of this article she was then offended on the front pages

of a Calabrian weekly with close ties to the DC, her virtue

questioned. It was insinuated that her presence in such an

important newspaper (Il Borghese) was not due solely to

competence (then, as now, discrediting a woman in the pro-

fessional sphere does not pass through her professional life).

Adele’s father suffered terribly and decided to sue the jour-

nalist.

(The Cambria family would go on to win the lawsuit; Adele

went on to ask, as symbolic compensation, for one lira: how

classy!).

But the lawsuits continued. Nineteen in the first year of her

apprenticeship alone! Adele took the assignment given to

her by her director, Baldacci, literally: ‘Cambria, you go, see,

and write.’ And she obeyed, without filters or frills.

In the first few months, she tolerated having to sign off with

the male pseudonym Leone Paganini but, as time went by,

her by-line became well-known and she worked for increas-

ingly important newspapers, such as Il Giorno, by Enrico

Mattei (directed by Gaetano Baldacci), a very important dai-

ly newspaper that has the merit of having modernised the


Italian press; Il Mondo (by Mario Pannunzio), Paese Sera, La Stampa, Il Messaggero, L’Espresso...

Adele caught the last flashes of Roman literary society and

dove into it: she was the only ‘gazzettiera’ admitted to the

tables of Elsa Morante, Alberto Moravia, Pier Paolo Pasolini,

Goffredo Parise, Luchino Visconti...

It was the year 1969 when she went ‘back home’, for the

first time in 15 years, and she did so for work: she wanted

to follow the revolt underway in her place of origin, the pop-

ular uprising that has passed into history as ‘the hundred

days of Reggio’, triggered by the dispute between Catanzaro

and Reggio Calabria regarding the allocation of the capital.

The urban guerrilla warfare lasted over 3 months and Adele

followed it on behalf of l’Europeo, a prestigious weekly she

worked for (after refusing to become the editor because she

had 2 children and was divorced).

On that occasion she met and became friends with Adriano

Sofri, sharing his point of view on the revolt: Adele’s article

did not support, therefore, the disavowal that the left exhibits

towards the Calabrian uprisings, she did not think it was a

fascist regurgitation, but a search for identity... but her writ-

ing was censored and Adele decided to resign.

This was neither the first nor the last time that, out of princi-

ple or solidarity with others, she would decide to resign from

a newspaper.

Speaking of ethical principles, journalists and resignation, I

invite everyone to read one of her last books, perhaps the

most beautiful and ironic. It is an autobiography, entitled

Nove dimissioni e mezzo (Nine and a half resignations), [pub-

lished by Donzelli editore, 2010], in which she outlines with

skill and sarcasm the high price that one pays to be a jour-

nalist and citizen guided by professional ethics and a con-

science.

Adele’s journalism career spanned the decades between the

1960s and 2015. Yet... Adele Cambria was not as renowned

as other female journalists of her time. Some have never

heard of her. She is a woman who didn’t rock the boat, she

didn’t push to get ahead, she didn’t ‘shoe-horn’ anyone. She

was sober, elegant and patient.

I wish I could define her as a ‘woman of another time,’ but

that would be the worst injustice I could do her, because no

one knew how to be contemporary better than she did.

Contemporary, in fact, refers to ‘a person who belongs to,

lives and operates in the present age.’

And so, Adele was a loving mother even when being a moth-

er meant necessarily giving up work; she was a passionate

worker when that meant, necessarily, neglecting her children.

She was a wife and an ex-wife; she was a feminist when wom-

en’s right to self-determination was not even taken serious-

ly, and she took to the streets for the right to abortion and

divorce when machismo and patriarchy were commonplace.

She was director of the newspaper Lotta continua in the ’70s,

when the murder of Luigi Calabresi and the article written by

Adriano Sofri cost her a summary trial for crime apologia and

the withdrawal of her passport for 7 years.

She was a co-founder of the Casa Internazionale delle Donne

(which won a dispute with the Municipality of Rome just 3

days ago, on September 18, 2021, and which, therefore, will

Index of the first issue of Effe, November 1973


remain in its headquarters in Via della Lungara for quite a

while).

She was one of the founders of the theatre La Maddalena,

along with Dacia Maraini and many others, and Director of

Effe, a weekly that offered counter-information to women.

She was the first in Italy to write about assisted reproduction

in a weekly magazine; her play Nonostante Gramsci made

it to New York. She acted in 2 films by Pasolini (Accattone,

1961 and Teorema, 1968), she was the author of 14 books

and thousands of interviews.

That is how Adele was. Always on the ball. Contemporary.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I spent the summer

in Rome at Adele’s house, working together on editing a

book, while my future husband walked across Italy. I would

get up in the morning and she was, of course, already ready.

Some people wake up early to buy bread. Adele would buy

the newspaper. Or rather, she would compare 3: La Repub-blica, Il Messaggero, L’Unità. (Oh, I forgot: Adele also wrote

for L’Unità from 2003 until April 2009).

She would read, underline passages and arrange them on a

large table in the hallway, after having placed several post-it

notes on them to be able to find the articles again easily.

I would find her in the kitchen, with a small radio on in her

robe pocket, listening to the press review while drinking a

cup of coffee. She would smile and say, ‘Good morning dear,’

addressing both me and the baby bump, ‘now let’s get to

work.’

The memory of that summer in Rome, that last summer as

a non-mother that brings back so many feelings and reflec-

tions, is made of many laughs, of lemon ice creams bought

from the Sicilian shop downstairs, of evenings at the theatre

(I remember, in particular, a reading by Iaia Forte in the gar-

dens of the Acqua Paola fountain on Janiculum Hill), Adele’s

reckless driving along the capital’s avenues (without ever

shifting into second gear), episodes of Ballarò on the couch

in the evening, home-style dinners with potato gâteau and

‘sgaloppine’ (escalopes) in white wine.

‘Adele, we say scaloppine.’

‘Scaloppine? But are you sure?’

‘Pretty sure.’

‘Scaloppine it is.’

Now that Adele is gone, we miss her, I miss her. I miss her

ability to be contemporary. Human. Funny.

Thinking about her today does not change my idea of her, it

only makes it more tender and nostalgic. I would like to have

her opinion on so many issues; I would like to hear her talk

about the time she interviewed Cocteau, Fellini, Sartre, Su-

san Sontag, Peggy Guggenheim (in a gondola) … of the time

when, at the age of 18, she attended a Traviata with Maria

Callas in flesh and blood (and voice) or of her friendship with

Goliarda Sapienza or again of the time when, in Milan, her

roommate was Anna Maria Ortese and, at night, she heard

her crying.

I have so many memories of Adele and in all of them there

is her voice narrating, her eyes searching, witty and clear.

I treasure excerpts of stories that cannot yet be shared,

not here. A picture of my daughter hangs on the door of

her kitchen cabinet, a thought that moves me every time it

comes to me.

Dedicating a cover story to someone who is no longer with us

is not easy, and it’s even less easy to frame the relationship

with Adele; many years separated her birth from mine, and in

a company this friendship would perhaps be called ‘reverse

mentoring’...

But she loved to call me/us ‘the northern piece of my family,’

and I think that’s the description I love best.

For the b/w photo credits Archivia, Casa Internazionale delle Donne, Rome



CHILD MALTREATMENT

Second National Survey on the Maltreatment of Children and

Adolescents in Italy prepared by CISMAI and Terre des Hommes.

The Second National Survey on the Maltreatment

of Children and Adolescents in Italy, was a natural

development of the commitment CISMAI and Terre

des Hommes have made to build a data collection

system regarding violence against children and adolescents

in Italy.

Both organisations have been a part, since its inception, of

the Working Group for the UN Convention on the Rights of

the Child (CRC Group), a network of 100 third-sector actors

responsible for monitoring the rights of children in our coun-

try, with annual supplementary reports to those submitted

by the Italian government, which are sent to the UN Commit-

tee on the Rights of the Child.

CISMAI (Coordinamento Italiano dei Servizi contro l’Abuso

e il Maltrattamento all’Infanzia) is a scientific society at the

Italian Ministry of Health, while Terre des Hommes Italia is an

international organisation for the protection of children. For

many years they have both been committed to these issues

and to the creation of statistically reliable data collections

that quantify the extent of the phenomenon of child mal-

treatment in our country.

Since 2014 the same CRC group has, constantly, reiterated

the lack of a data collection system in Italy, urging that the

recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the

Child be implemented to compensate for this deficit, CISMAI

and Terre des Hommes wanted to strengthen their commit-

ment on this front, proposing to the Autorità Garante per l’in-

fanzia e l’Adolescenza (the Authority Guarantor for Children

and Adolescents (AGIA)) that it support a second national

survey on maltreatment that, after the previous survey in

2015, could provide a new and up-to-date overview of the

phenomenon.

This is in line with a need detected not only in our country but

globally, as highlighted by the WHO in its ‘European Report on

preventing child maltreatment’ in 2018, where it indicates as

its first objective that of verifying whether and how European

Union countries are taking action to reveal the phenomenon of

maltreatment, making it more visible and quantifying it.

It is therefore within this general framework that, between

2019 and 2020, the Second National Survey on the Mal-

treatment of Children and Adolescents in Italy is being con-

ducted on behalf of AGIA.

CISMAI and Terre des Hommes wanted to strengthen their commitment proposing to the Autorità Garante per l’infanzia e l’Adolescenza (the Authority Guarantor for Children and Adolescents (AGIA) that it support a second national survey on maltreatment that, after the previous survey in 2015, could provide a new and up-to-date overview of the phenomenon.


The data show us that, as of 31 December 2018, social ser-

vices in Italy are involved in the lives of 401,766 children and

young people, 77,493 of whom are victims of maltreatment.

The survey confirms itself as robust and statistically signifi-

cant because it covers an actual pool of 2.1 million minors

residing in the 196 Italian municipalities involved and select-

ed by ISTAT (the Italian National Institute of Statistics).

With regard to the forms of mistreatment that the minors

surveyed are victims of, the main type relates to problems

with care (neglect, carelessness and overcare) which 40.7%

of minors in the care of social services are victims of, followed

by witnessing violence (32.4%). On the other hand, 14.1%

of minors are victims of psychological abuse, while physical

abuse is recorded in 9.6% of cases and sexual abuse in 3.5%.

While more males are generally followed up by social ser-

vices, girls and young women are more frequently victims of

mistreatment (201 out of 1000, compared to 186 males).

Foreigners are also more frequently followed up than Italians:

for every 1000 children who are victims of maltreatment, 7

are Italians and 23 are foreigners.

This second survey has modified and expanded the data

collection grid used in the past, allowing us to explore new

aspects of the phenomenon; thus, we know that 40.7% of

minors are victims of multiple types of maltreatment and, in

91.4% of cases, the maltreater mostly belongs to the family

sphere (parents, close relatives, friends of parents, etc.).

As for the source of the report of mistreatment, in the ma-

jority of cases, it is the judicial authority that acts (42.6%).

Hospitals and paediatricians are in last place.

Social services intervene more frequently in the North than

in the South, and in 65.6% of cases remain involved for over

2 years. Faced with these reports, the main interventions by

municipalities are financial assistance and home care (28.4%

and 23.9% of cases, respectively, or a total of 52.3% of cas-

es), which are used much more than the removal of the minor

from the family (in total, placement in a community and fami-

ly foster care amounts to 35%).

A great novelty introduced by the survey is the possibility

of comparing data on the maltreatment of children and ad-

olescents with a sample of 117 municipalities that had also

taken part in the 2015 survey (2013 data). The data collect-

ed describe an increase in the phenomenon from every point

of view: in fact, both the number of minors the services are

involved with in general and those referred for maltreatment,

is growing. We are talking about a +3.6% in the number of

children and young people monitored by social services in

general and a +14.8% in the number of girls, boys and ado-

lescents who are helped because they have been mistreated.

The survey, dictated by the need to bring Italy into line with

other countries and to respond to international recommen-

dations and to the solicitations of the UN Committee on the

Rights of the Child, shows that, even in our country, it is pos-

sible to conduct data collection on maltreatment that is sig-

nificant in quantitative and qualitative terms and to monitor

the trends of these phenomena.

Institutional representatives and policymakers have a duty to

face and deal with the phenomenon of violence against girls,

boys and adolescents and to take responsibility for address-

ing the problem in a systematic and urgent manner.

SILVIA ALLEGRO. 1979. Directive Council CISMAI

ROCCO BRIGANTI. 1976. Directive Council CISMAI

FEDERICA GIANNOTTA. 1973. Responsible Advocacy and Programmes Italy - Terre des Hommes.


Gianluca Cabula

OLIVETTI BEYOND THE

GENERATIONSNotes in the margins 120 years later

‘If you do not consider it as necessary and urgent as I do to push the workshop towards the greatest pos-

sible increase, it seems to me that the workshop can

very well go on with Mr Burzio and has no need of

my employment [...]. Otherwise, I would prefer not to waste

another week.’

It was the end of 1925 and an impetuous Adriano Olivetti

wrote to his father Camillo from Detroit, during his ‘grand tour’

of American industry. The polemical target was ‘Mr Burzio’,

the artisan smith trained by Camillo himself, one of the first

workers who later became technical director. But, in the eyes

of 24-year-old Adriano, Burzio was a man of the past, a repre-

sentative of an old ‘centralising and eliminating’ way of doing

things, a symbol of a kind of factory that was perhaps ingen-

ious but still entirely empirical, far removed from the dictates

of scientific management that already informed American

Fordism and that dazzled the young engineer from Ivrea.

In this issue of DiverCity we are talking about ‘generations,’

and the story of Olivetti itself is that of a company born of

the frank and fruitful encounter between a father and son.

If we were to let the architecture of Ivrea, which has recently

been promoted to a UNESCO site, speak for itself, it is at

least emblematic that the old red brick factory, founded in

1908 by the father, Camillo, during the years of the compa-

ny’s rise, was not demolished but extended and connected

with a passageway to the new company.

In the same way, Adriano maintained the core of his father’s

way of thinking: the ideal of a factory on a human scale, in-

spired by the idea of social solidarity that Camillo nurtured

and also practised, if it is true that he sent his adolescent

son to a drill department, so that he could experience ‘the

blackness of a Monday in the life of a worker’. Adriano un-

derstood, however, that this paternalism had to evolve into a

new humanism, that the man who lives in the workshop ‘does

not seal his humanity in his working overalls,’ that fragment-

ed tasks were more efficient, but risked becoming devoid of

meaning. It was then necessary to look at the person in his

or her entirety and, for this, the company had to be ready

to expand to the limits of its ambition, with a vast range of

services that we are still essentially pursuing today.

But not only that. Returning to the metaphor of architecture,

a company should not isolate itself behind a curtain of bricks,

but become a transparent diaphragm in osmosis with society

and the landscape. Here, then, every volume dissolves in con-

tinuous glass walls crossed by light, testifying to a corporate

life that is continually urged to open up to knowledge that

challenges with its novelty and otherness: sociology, psychol-

ogy, town planning, art, literature and emerging environmen-

talism. Against the current temptation to see the company as

a fortress, I would like to draw attention to another aspect of

Adriano’s thinking, which is in some ways revolutionary. We

know that Olivetti envisaged a new constitutional order, a

daring construction of political engineering based on the con-

cept of ‘community’, which he gave to many of his writings.

Leaving aside the short-lived or naive aspects of this ideal

and solitary project, it is important to underline one aspect

of it. Olivetti observed that the democracy of representation

and parties was essentially inadequate to guarantee the full

rights of the individual. This is why he envisaged an ‘integrat-

ed’ democracy, or better still, a democracy ‘compensated’

by the presence of the company, to which Olivetti had always

attributed an intrinsic intelligence and superior rationality.

The company is seen, therefore, not only as a place for the

production of value, but also as a place where democracy is

fulfilled, innervated and perfected. The society of difference

was still on the horizon – the theme of class struggle was ab-

sorbing – but it seems to me that this idea of responsibility still

has a lot to say to those who deal with diversity and inclusion.

Olivetti said that factories should be thought of at night and

built during the day.

We should try to do the same.

GIANLUCA CABULA, 1983. Degree in Political Science and Cultural Heritage – Diversity Manager SACE S.p.A.


RIFERIMENTI BIBLIOGRAFICIA. Olivetti, Ai lavoratori, Edizioni di Comunità, Roma/Ivrea 2012

A. Olivetti, Città dell’uomo, Edizioni di Comunità, Roma/Ivrea 2015

A. Olivetti, Dall’America: lettere ai familiari (1925-26), Edizioni di Comu-

nità, Roma/Ivrea 2016

A. Olivetti, Il Dente del Gigante, Edizioni di Comunità, Roma/Ivrea 2020

F. Colombo, M.P. Ottieri, Il tempo di Adriano Olivetti, Edizioni di Comunità,

Roma/Ivrea 2019

P. Ciorra, F. Limana, M. Trevisani (a cura di), Universo Olivetti. Comuni-tà come utopia concreta (catalogo della mostra), Edizioni di Comunità,

Roma/Ivrea 2020

Direzione dei servizi e della direzione pubblicità e stampa della Società

Olivetti (a cura di), Servizi ed assistenza sociale in fabbrica, Stamperia

Artistica Nazionale, Torino 1963

F. Novara, R. Rozzi, R. Garruccio (a cura di), Uomini e lavoro alla Olivetti, Bruno Mondadori, Milano 2005

At that time, it was necessary to look at the person in his or

her entirety and, to do this, the company had to be ready

to expand to the limits of ambition, with an unlimited

range of services that we are still essentially pursuing today.

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MANDELARights columnCHILD EXPLOITATION

As I write these reflections, I think of the flurry

of figures for this day: for the first time in 20

years, the trend that had led to a 38% reduction

in child exploitation between 2000 and 2015,

freeing 94 million children from the slavery of forced labour,

prostitution and begging, has come to a halt. The curve is

rising again, reaching, according to official estimates, 160

million: that many children are taken away from school, from

play, from the possibility of growing up healthy and in a way

that respects their age. Newspapers, the internet and press

agencies proceed diligently, as they do every 12 June, the In-

ternational Day against Child Exploitation, to copy and paste

the communiqués of the ILO (World Labour Organisation)

and UNICEF.

With one new element: 2021 has been proclaimed by the

UN as the International Year for the Elimination of Child La-

bour. When the resolution was passed at the UN in 2019, the

world had not yet been hit by the pandemic that wiped out

years of intense work and, like in a cynical game of Snakes

and Ladders, we were back at square one. Worse than that:

the interrupted schooling of a billion children in 130 coun-

tries is having permanent psychological and physical conse-

quences on thousands. Some 70 million children and ado-

lescents have not been able to attend school, even remotely,

with once again irreparable repercussions. As a result of the

suspension of traditional vaccination campaigns in some 30

countries, 94 million children did not receive protection from

measles and, in some 60 countries, thousands of displaced

children, refugees and asylum seekers were excluded from

COVID-19 social protection programmes as a result of bor-

der closures between countries.

By the end of the decade, 10 million more forced marriages

are expected. This glimpse of childhood denied breaks the

heart. But we cannot allow it to break our hope. If the term

‘dignity’ still has any meaning. If there is still anything resem-

bling compassion (cum-patìre). In order to deserve to belong

to the human race, we know what to do: the direction was

taken at the beginning of the new millennium and, on the

basis of that fruitful experience, we need a Marshall Plan for

institutions, businesses, schools, associations and police forc-

es to work together to prevent and work against a crime as

barbaric as it is devious. And, above all, for us. We, the ‘civil’

society, must be able to read the many faces of a phenome-

non that is much more contiguous than we think.

It enters our homes with sushi and pizzas, it sells by the hour

in suburban motels. And we often look elsewhere. We ob-

serve little and investigate even less, given that the latest na-

tional research – conducted by the B. Trentin Association of

the CGIL and Save the Children – dates back to 2013 and,

although it left no room for interpretation (340,000 minors

aged 16 with work experience behind them), the definition of

‘an emergency within an emergency’ was not enough for rad-

ical shock therapy. Children are not only exploited in African

mines or Asian textile factories: we must prevent them from

falling into the grey area of abuse, mistreatment and black-

mail. We must prevent them from a hell that not only burns

the South but also scorched the earth all around it. Wherever

there is poverty and marginalisation.

SILVIA CAMISASCA, 1976, Doctor of Nuclear Physics with a PhD in physical applications to cultural heritage. Professional journalist.


OPHELIATheatre columnEDUCATING OURSELVES TO BE OURSELVES

A chat with Irene Serini on ‘Abracadabra - studio 5, l’educa-

zione del bambino e della bambina’

‘Reading Mario Mieli made me realise that I was allowed to

be myself. We are us, we are here, we shine, we are alive,

there is no rule that establishes who is valid and who is not. It

feeds a taste, a joy, a pleasure to be oneself. Even if we don’t

really know what that means.’

It was in 2009 that Irene Serini, at home with a fever, picked

up the book Elementi di critica omosessuale (Towards a Gay Communism: Elements of a

Homosexual Critique) from a shelf

and read the introduction, being

immediately struck by those ini-

tiatory pages and the revolution-

ary figure of Mario Mieli. ‘It was

evidently necessary to have a lit-

tle fever to touch an incandescent

book!’ she says, smiling. This first

fever gave birth to ‘Abracadabra,’

an independent project, driven

by the desire to investigate the

thinking of Mieli through 5 stud-

ies in 5 years, taking the time to

viscerally inhabit such a complex

and fascinating character, and

then resurface and translate this journey into performances.

We talked about this project in the article ‘Abracadabra’ (9

December 2020), and are returning to it today on the thresh-

old of the fifth and last performance, which aims to illuminate

Mario Mieli’s thinking on issues regarding education. The first

3 studies, Irene tells, us revolve around the questions ‘What

is identity? Who determines it? Whom does it serve?,’ with

the aim of making audiences curious about Mario Mieli and

his subversive view of the binary logic of male and female

divisions, in circular shows ‘where thought rotates like the

circle in which the audience is placed.’ The guiding figure of

the fourth study is the triangle, which occupies the stage ex-

hibiting the theme of power, investigated by Irene Serini, on

stage with Caterina Simonelli, starting with the hierarchies

established between actors and audience.

The fifth study, ‘Abracadabra - l’educazione del bambino e

della bambina’ (Abracadabra - the education of the boy and

the girl), was instead born under the sign of the square (which

in the alchemical field is close to the idea of construction, and

therefore of projection towards a time to come): Irene Serini,

Caterina Simonelli, Anna Resmini and Luca Oldani will inhab-

it a scenic space whose corners will be the questions ‘Who

educates us? What do they educate us for? Who is author-

ised to educate us or not? Who will be the children inside this

studio?’ A work that will move around a theme that was very

dear to Mieli, that of educastration, according to which the

deep desires of children are constantly and systematically re-

pressed. There will be no attempt, therefore, to demonstrate

any method, which he never theorised, but to investigate the

extent to which some of the rules we take for granted in the

educational system are actually

a limit rather than a possibility,

with the desire to ask how much

the repression of femininity – in

both boys and girls – plays a fun-

damental role. This will also be

the last study, and therefore a

farewell to the audience, to the

time to come, to Mario Mieli and

‘also for this reason it closes with

the topic that most of all thinks

about the future, with a theme

that looks at those who, hope-

fully, will no longer be educated

to divide themselves, but to rec-

ognise themselves regardless of

these 2 forces [the masculine and

the feminine] with which we have

been educated to govern ourselves.’

I ask Irene Serini what Mario Mieli would say today, when

faced with a group of adolescents, those new generations for

whom he dreamed of a new world. ‘He would try to fascinate

them, he would play with them at transvestism, with physical

and concrete experimentation. He would try to make them

work with their bodies. He would say to them “Use this body,

as much as you can, because it is the most beautiful word

you have. Remember that kissing and being kissed, hugging

and being hugged, caressing and being caressed, fucking and

being fucked, are enjoyed by everyone. Do it beyond all ori-

entation, as much as you can.’

‘It’s been a whole life of sacrifice and freezing! That’s how you do theatre. That’s how I did it! But the heart trembled every night! And I paid for it, my heart is beating tonight, too, and it

will continue to beat even after it has stopped.’Eduardo De Filippo

LUCIO GUARINONI, 1989, Master’s in Social and Com-munity Theatre, trainer, playwright and theatre director.


DIVERSOUNDMusic columnROGER WATERS, THE WALL THAT ORIGINATED WITH SPITTING

December 1979 lay cold over a troubled Europe.

For rock music it was already time to examine its

conscience and the more or less apparent revolu-

tions. It was in this month that 2 albums arrived

from England that were capable of capturing the Zeitgeist, of

representing the discomforts of different generations united,

however, by ‘skating / On the thin ice of modern life’ which

united opposing musical factions

in a common general disorien-

tation. The new decade would

open with the Clash’s incendiary

London Calling and Pink Floyd’s

Faustian The Wall, which became

Roger Waters’ vehicle of expres-

sion. ‘London calling’ was nothing

more than the cry of ‘another

brick in the wall,’ that ‘Another

Brick In the Wall’ hurled by Wa-

ters against the establishment

and the condition of the alienat-

ed rock star. The Wall musically

reaffirmed that 15 years’ worth

of a career, 11 albums and hun-

dreds of concerts, couldn’t end

without being topical, on track.

Two generations and 42 years later, The Wall is precisely that:

the spirit of a contemporary age that lives, in other forms, the

extension of the discomfort of that time and always skating

on the thin ice of technocratic modern life.

The concept album summarises a parabola (from under-

ground band to megastar) reached with The Dark Side Of The Moon in 1973. The Wall expanded on the concept of the

previous Animals (1977, inspired by George Orwell’s 1945

dystopian novel, Animal Farm) and the story goes that the

triggering event for the Floydian Wall happened during the

last date of that tour at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal,

Canada, during a primal and highly symbolic act. The implo-

sion of human relationships within the band, the pressure

of success, the estrangement, the psychic discomfort told in

a collective key by The Dark Side of the Moon turned, for

The Wall, into a personal hell of the individual closed in by

the walls of isolation. During the concert, Roger reacted by

spitting on an over-excited fan and infuriating the audience.

It happened while he was trying to sing ‘Pigs on the Wing.’

That fan had tried to climb up onto the stage and Waters

shouted at him, ‘For f--k’s sake, stop [letting off fireworks and]

shouting and screaming. I’m trying to sing this song!’ Then,

the gob that shapes the creative clay.

After the concert, the singer reflected on the barrier between

the band and the audience. He visualised this distance by im-

agining a large wall in front of the stage, to be destroyed during

the concert for a future album. The Wall was thus conceived.

When Pink Floyd reunited in the studio in London, Waters

played the other 3 band members about 40 samples. Ca-

nadian Bob Ezrin produced the album. The samples already

say it all (as can be heard in the

2012 immersion edition). For his

narrative, Roger uses the figure of

Pink, a rockstar who is now adrift

– ‘Comfortably Numb’ – in the

journey into the most devastating

psychic abyss from childhood to

adulthood. The story spares no

one, but goes straight to the hearts

of multitudes of fans, old and new.

From family (‘Mother’) to school

(‘Another Brick in the Wall’), from

law enforcement (‘The Trial’) to the

damage of the post-war period

(‘Goodbye Blue Sky’), from incom-

municability (‘Hey You’) to psycho-

sis (‘One of my Turns’), there is all

the horror of human discomfort.

The Wall would become one of the longest-lasting artistic and

commercial successes in rock history, and it did so by combin-

ing high artistic peaks with content. When ‘Another Brick in the

Wall’ reached the top of the UK sales charts at Christmas, it

was clear that Pink Floyd had struck a chord with several gen-

erations. And they would continue to do so: in 1990 in Berlin

it was this music that celebrated the fall of the wall with a great

concert by Roger Waters and guests and, from 2010 to 2013,

in 219 concerts, 4 million fans would find themselves between

the lines of time, being healed by the music of The Wall, which

has crumbled decades and generations.

DAVIDE SAPIENZA, 1963, graduated from the Colle-gio Villoresi San Giuseppe experimental scientific high school in Monza. Writer


BOVARYBooks columnJ.D. SALINGER THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

In 1951, years before student uprisings shook the world,

the United States was living through an era of relative

prosperity, peppered with conservative values, sound prin-

ciples and a moralism that seemed designed to put blin-

ders on against the mistakes – and horrors – of the recent

war effort. The American dream invited all to participate in

the search for the perfect family, the perfect job, the perfect

suburban home, and little else. This is the context in which

Salinger, himself a veteran who had been ‘burned’ by the

Second World War, published Catcher in the Rye, a novel that

does not explicitly talk about war but

which, through the experiences of its

young protagonist, would in the fol-

lowing years become the anthem of

a generation against it.

Holden Caulfield is 16 years old and

expelled from a boarding school that

calls itself prestigious but is in fact

full of hypocrisy and arrogance. The

novel is a first-person narrative of

Holden’s thoughts as he faces expul-

sion and the task of having to return

home and tell his parents – which he

chooses to procrastinate as much as

possible.

A plot that is nothing much, then, and

a protagonist who initially doesn’t

seem too sympathetic either.

Holden has no dreams, no goals. He

is an unmotivated, almost cynical

boy. He clashes with everyone: girl-

friends, fellow students, professors.

His criticism spares no one; it is a

battle hymn against an entire sys-

tem. His inner monologue is that of an anti-hero who does

not want to be caged into things he does not believe in and

– above all – into a respectability he does not feel is his own.

But if it is true that apparently Holden is a slacker, in reality

between the pages we see his stature stand out increasingly

from everything else, from everything that is considered ‘nor-

mal’ and ‘positive’. Along the way we discover that Holden

has his own code and, above all, a greatness of soul that

distinguishes him. We see this in his relationships with other

people, but above all in his relationship with his beloved little

sister Phoebe, whom he adores, and who in a handful of final

scenes will enable him to climb back up the slope and redis-

cover a sense of happiness and love for others.

And so, this shaggy, argumentative boy begins to shine, and

it is a light that is destined to last. With his diversity and

his ‘going against the tide,’ Holden conquers millions of read-

ers over the years, becoming a sort of alternative hero, and

his story a manifesto for many young people of future gen-

erations who cannot digest, among other things, post-war

rhetoric, authoritarianism and the dictatorship of capitalism.

Holden is never explicit in all this: his protest is all between

the lines, in a frame of mind that immediately sets itself in

opposition to the pettiness that surrounds him.

The protagonist’s voice is itself a revolutionary act: Holden’s

point of view is always transversal

and captures unexpected aspects

of reality, which have the power of

epiphany. Looking at the pond in

Central Park, this young boy doesn’t

think just any old platitude, but

‘where do the ducks go when the

lake is frozen?’ That’s what the novel

is all about: an invitation to look at

the more hidden and bizarre side of

things. Not only that. The language of

the novel, with its colloquial terms, is

an early, successful experiment in the

use of the youthful slang that would

later become increasingly popular in

literature. Never before, in the United

States or elsewhere, had a teenager

told his story in this way.

Catcher in the Rye is a Bildungs-

roman that is pure counterculture.

It is no coincidence that Einaudi has

recently published a second transla-

tion, by Matteo Colombo, bringing

prestige to a linguistic style that has

set the standard. And it is no coincidence that Alessandro

Baricco has named the best school of creative writing in Italy

after Holden.

Fondare biblioteche è come costruire ancora granai pubblici, ammassare riserve contro un inverno dello spirito che da molti indizi, mio malgrado, vedo venire.

Marguerite Yourcenar

SILVIA ROTA SPERTI, 1975, Degree in Foreign Langua-ges and Literature. Translator of fiction and publishing consultant


PURE STYLEFashion columnBEYOND GENDER

The collections of Rebirth Garments, Origami Cus-

toms and Aqua Underwear are a virtuous example

of inclusive fashion, as are Koma Nakit in Serbia

and Mala Strella in Italy.

Some brands have understood this, but what more could be

done? I asked them and some transgender and queer people

directly, with the support of Cecilia Ruiz of GenderLens and

Fiorenzo Gimelli, President of AGEDO Nazionale.

‘I find inspiration in plants, animals, earth, water, space, na-

ture in all its magnificent diversity and richness of colours,

shapes and sounds. This is also why people who feel differ-

ent (due to gender or sexual orientation) see themselves as

somehow represented by my creations. They want to, and

can, with my jewellery, proudly emphasise their diversity.’

Marijana Kovacevic, Koma Nakit designer

‘For a while now, I have been approaching the issues of gen-

der fluidity and, specifically, non-binarism, with the realisa-

tion that the imposition of a gender identity and role gener-

ates violence against women, transgender, lesbian and gay

people. The clothes will be created and designed to make

people feel comfortable and to allow them to like and be

liked, regardless of their gender.’

Laura Cimino, designer of Mala Strella

‘I would ask those who work in fashion to produce skirts or

jewellery with unicorns for males... or actually, no! I would

ask that there be no male or female departments, and that

all jewellery and all clothes be for everyone. I would ask the

models to wear anything but boys’ and girls’ clothes.’

Antonio, 8 and a half years old, student

‘If it listened, fashion would be more diverse, breaking down

stereotypes: not creating them.’

Greta, 15 years old, transgender girl, studies fashion at art

school

The mother of Niccolò, 16, a transgender boy, tells me that

she has difficulty finding a binder, which can only be bought

online, and that the tape is very hard on the skin. Men’s trou-

sers are often too tight on the thighs and too big on the back,

while in summer there is no swimwear collection that re-

spects the physique of a female to male transgender person.

‘In my personal experience the correlation between gender

identity and self-expression is very fluid. I firmly believe that

clothes have no gender.’

Lupo Lotti, 17 years old, art school student

‘[Brands] should revise sizes with respect to short cis and

trans people and get closer to the unisex reality, even for

more elegant and formal garments.’

Alessandro, 19, transgender boy

‘I was asked to work on femininity and after a lot of research,

a lot of questions and a lot of thinking, I realised that I should

talk about femininities: in the plural. I want to dress people,

[...] and take care of every single garment, adapting it to

every type of body.’

Ari Aniello, 22, holds a degree in fashion design, designer of

‘Scilla e Cariddi’.

‘In the past, the chosen gender was exaggerated. Today there

is no need to prove anything. Cross-dressing is more widely

practised, although it’s actually easier to find clothing with a

more suitable fit for M to F trans people than for F to M trans

people.’

Leda, 41 years old, transgender woman, RSA administrative

secretary and model maker

‘As a transgender woman who has not yet had surgery, there

are features of my body that I would rather not have and that

I don’t want others to see: I would like to see, for example,

swimwear that is more suited to a body like mine. Also, be-

cause I have been on hormone therapy for 3 years and am

still transitioning, I have had some breast growth, but not as

much as I would like compared to my bust size. I would like

all (or most) bras to have pockets for special inserts to shape

the breasts. This system would also help women who have

had mastectomies.’

Katie Neeves, 52, UK, photographer, filmmaker, Trans Am-

bassador

‘In sewing classes I had a 6-year-old pupil who was making

a skirt for himself. A little girl in the class said to him ‘Boys

don’t wear skirts!’ I felt compelled to inform her that many

boys and men, like Kanye West, wear skirts. Alexander Mc-

Queen put men in skirts on the catwalk and the Scots have

been wearing skirts for centuries! The child said no more.

The boy continued to sew his dress. He proved that he was

the best in his class and that school is a wonderful place for

exchanges and growth.’

Barbara Beccio, fashion designer, é Ispirante - Creative Adap-

tive Clothing

ANGELA BIANCHI, 1982 Degree in Public Relations and Advertising, Founder VirgoImage, Creator of the blog DiversityStylingByVirgoImage.


CAUNTER-SITESChildhood columnAMONG EQUALS. THE CULTURES OF CHILDHOOD

No child can be born and grow up without the

support of an adult who takes care emotional-

ly, cognitively, physically of the development of

their potential and their education. In this sense,

it is precisely the asymmetry of this relationship between

adult and child – i.e. the disparity in power, knowledge and

roles – that is a crucial condition, enabling the youngest chil-

dren to gain confidence in themselves, in others and in the

world and, therefore, to grow, know and learn. The presence

of adults who are authoritative and capable of standing up

to them encourages the development of self-direction and

self-regulation in children and contains that sense of ego-

centricity and omnipotence that risks generating frustration

and conflict in their present relationships (with adults and

children). The relationship between adult and child must be

understood first of all as a helping relationship, which is – ac-

cording to Carl Rogers (1970, p.68) - ‘a relationship in which

at least one of the parties has the intent of promoting the

growth, development, maturity, improved functioning, im-

proved coping with life of the other. The other, in this sense,

may be one individual or a group. To put it in another way,

a helping relationship might be defined as one in which one

of the participants intends that there should come about, in

one or both parties, more appreciation of, more expression

of, more functional use of the latent inner resources of the in-

dividual.’ In this sense, the emphasis on a generational differ-

ence between adults and children is an essential element of

their successful growth and, even before that, their birth and

survival. The adult world, by its intrinsic nature, therefore,

exerts significant effects on childhood and offers children a

culture that they gradually appropriate.

However, alongside this, the development and learning of chil-

dren in peer contexts, including mixed and age-mismatched

ones, must be considered. Although there is a stereotype

that very young children are unable to learn from each other

in peer relationships, several international studies carried out

in educational contexts for boys and girls of different ages

between 0 and 6 years show that mixed age groups promote

cognitive, emotional-affective and social learning, e.g. in re-

lation to language acquisition, problem-solving skills and the

ability to manage interpersonal relationships between peers,

and even reduce aggressive behaviour and conflict compared

to homogeneous age groups.

As part of the integrated system of care, education and in-

struction from birth to age 6, established in Italy by the reform

of the national education and training system (L. 107/2015,

art.1, paragraph 181, letter e) and promoted by Legislative

Decree 65/2017, there is a specific focus on this very com-

plex and heterogeneous age group, which sees the develop-

ment of fundamental skills such as, for example, social and

intersubjective skills, ranging from the first ‘social smiles’, in

the very first months of life, to the ability to understand the

wishes and beliefs of others through elaborate processes of

negotiation in later years. The development of each boy and

girl is a progressive and gradual process, certainly not a lin-

ear one, which – beyond their calendar age, which can only

provide general indications – specifically and uniquely con-

cerns the growth and identity of each child, characterised by

individual variability and diversity, which is all the more val-

ued when considered within a mixed age group, within which

each can exhibit resources, talents and potential without a

pressing comparison based on the criterion of age. Within a

group of children of different ages, both adults and the peer

group itself pay particular attention to the differences with

which each contributes to play and relationships.

In addition, research in many disciplinary fields nowadays

shows us that girls and boys are not fragile subjects to be

moulded, but rather social actors and active subjects of their

own growth, capable of creating in their daily lives a real

‘peer culture’ (Corsaro, 2003) – with specific characteristics,

In other words, a stable set of activities, languages, routines,

artefacts, values and interests produced and shared by chil-

dren in their mutual interactions, which develop in a common

attempt to interpret and understand the adult world and, to

a certain extent, to oppose and modify it.

Encouraging the efforts made by children to freely and au-

tonomously appropriate adult cultures, for example through

play, thus becomes a daily challenge that favours both the

construction of autonomous peer cultures and the valuing of

their contributions to the production, change and quality of

adult reality (Corsaro, 2003).

“Children know very well these counter-spaces, these localized utopias. The remote corner of the garden, the attic or, better still, the Indian tent set up in the center of the

attic, and finally, on Thursday afternoon, the parents’ large bed”Michel Foucault

ELENA LUCIANO, 1976, PhD in Pedagogy, University of Milan Bicocca, Lecturer in Childhood Pedagogy at the University of Parma.


PAGE WITH A VIEWCinema columnA TRUE STORYThe Straight Story, by David Lynch, with Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Harry Dean Stanton, Everett McGill, Jane Galloway Heitz Comedy - USA, France, 1999

The film is based on a real-life event and tells the sto-

ry of Alvin Straight, an Iowa farmer who, in 1994

at the age of 73, embarked on a long journey on a

lawn tractor to visit his brother who had suffered a

heart attack. Straight covered a distance of 240 miles (about

386 km) in 6 weeks, travelling at 5 miles per hour (8 km/h).

The Italian translation of the title (Una storia vera, ‘a true

story’) emphasises that it’s based on a true story but does

not immediately help one to grasp certain essential aspects

of the film. The protagonist’s name is Alvin Straight, so the

title already emphasises the linearity of this man, which can

sometimes manifest itself as stubborn obstinacy, but also vo-

lition, honesty, and the ability to get straight to the point. Or

rigidity. It is no coincidence that at the beginning of the film

Alvin collapses and remains on the floor, unable to get up.

The viewer hears a dull thud off-screen, and the protagonist

is shown for the first time, lying paralysed on the floor. This

signals that Alvin has reached a point in his life where he is

stuck, rigidly wedged between memories, remorse, and ten-

der affection for his daughter who has a disability, perhaps a

form of autism.

The other element highlighted by the title is that ‘The Straight

Story’ is a relatively simple story, a linear one in fact, that

goes from point A to point B through what is a classic road

movie: even the shot of the yellow line on the road, which is

repeated several times, visually underlines that Alvin’s path,

his proceeding along the endless roads of the corn belt, is

driven by the will to ‘straighten things out’; first of all his rela-

tionship with his brother, whom he has not seen for years due

to past frictions. Even the landscape, framed several times

from above, insists on the vertical lines of the crops and con-

stitutes a clear indication of how the elderly Alvin sees the

world.

But Alvin’s journey to reach his brother is anything but

straightforward. The journey is in fact a metaphor for an inner

quest, and the encounters along the way are also symbolic

stages of reflection as he gradually approaches the reunion

with his brother. So the first encounter (a teenage hitchhiker

who has run away from home five months pregnant) is an op-

portunity for Alvin to rethink the strength that lies in having

a united family and about passing this value on to the young

woman. The dialogue between them is very dry, brief and de-

void of any rhetoric, but effective; the following morning she

decides to go home. Alvin has ‘straightened out’ that story...

Then the old man meets a group of cyclists who overtake him

- everyone in the film goes faster than Alvin, except the hitch-

hiker – and when he later catches up with them where they

are camping, they welcome him with a round of applause.

Having a beer with them is an opportunity to reflect on old

age: ‘At my age I’ve seen about all that life has to dish out

[…] I know to separate the wheat from the chaff and let the

small stuff fall away,’ says Alvin; he continues, ‘the worst thing

about old age is rememberin’ when you was young.’ Once

again, essential, melancholy words that get straight to the

point. Alvin’s inner balance is clear. In the third encounter,

the well-known, surreal side of Lynch appears: a woman has

run over a deer and is in hysterical in her despair – ‘Where

do deer come from? I love them!’ – because this is the four-

teenth deer she has hit on her daily commute to work. Alvin

watches her and, when she leaves, picks up the deer that will

become his dinner. As simple as that. There is no need for

despair now, and there is something wonderful and useful

even in the tragic, suggests Lynch.

During the next stage, Alvin has a bad accident and has to

stay put for a few days, hosted by a very kind family. It be-

comes clear at this point that Alvin’s odyssey, slow and pa-

tient, a little geriatric to be sure, through the heart of the

States, is also a sort of American pastoral that brings togeth-

er various social aspects as well as celebrating nature and the

simple life that unites man and nature in American pioneer-

ing, as Alvin does in camping, eating dinner around the fire

and accepting all weather conditions.

Alvin’s vehicle is repaired by a pair of bizarre twin mechanics,

which brings out – in a manifest if caricatured way – how

brotherhood brings in too many similarities and how there is

no escaping this bond: ‘There’s nobody who knows your life

better than a brother who’s near your age.’

When Alvin’s host offers to drive him to his destination, Alvin

replies, ‘You’re a kind man talking to a stubborn man. I still

want to finish this the way I started it.’ There is such stubborn

grace and subdued dignity in Alvin. And so the pace at which

he moves is a choice rather than a necessity, and in telling

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.

Atticus Finch, To kill a mockingbird


this story Lynch is praising slowness and tenacity: perhaps

the only way to make sense of life and find wisdom in the au-

tumn of life? The fact is that the only time the pace quickens

is when the tractor’s brakes break and speed is immediately

synonymous with danger. A few parting words before getting

back on the road: ‘Write to us’, ‘I will, you have been kind to

a stranger’. In the subsequent encounter with a veteran from

the Second World War, the ghosts of Alvin’s past as a soldier

emerge and, through the protagonist’s sadness, the director’s

anti-war convictions come through strongly.

The ‘confession’ between the two veterans is followed by the

arrival of a priest, while Alvin is camping in a cemetery and

about to go to bed. The priest offers food – could one read

this as a Eucharistic symbol? – and there follows a conver-

sation in which our protagonist remembers his childhood in

Minnesota, talks about his brother and concludes with the

words ‘I want to make peace with him’ and the priest ab-

solves him: ‘So be it.’ The parable of self-reconstruction in

order to mend fences with one’s neighbour is accomplished,

and the next day Alvin arrives at his brother’s.

The meeting between the brothers is as dry and straightfor-

ward as you would imagine:

‘Did you ride that thing all the way out here to see me?’

‘I did, Lyle.’

Now the two can go back to looking at the stars together,

like they did as children, those same stars that return several

times in the film, perhaps indicating that it is only from above

that each of our stories can be read, as we are tiny beings,

on earth.

The final reflection is simple and once again straight: peace

and wisdom come slowly, it takes a lifetime.

Through the melancholy eyes of the protagonist, the director

shows us moments, people and nature with accurate, slow

shots, with a visual lyricism strengthened by the impeccable

performance of Farnsworth (who would die a year later), the

perfect music by Angelo Badalamenti, but he also gives us an

elegy of old age, laboriously aware and enlightened by the

stubborn strength to straighten out the past.

Absolutely a film to watch or watch again.

PAOLA SUARDI, 1964, has a degree in Foreign Langua-ges and Literature and has authored a thesis on ‘Woody Allen and meta-narration’. In Los Angeles she attended MA courses in ‘Film and Television, critical studies’ at the University of Southern California. Owner of the agency ALTEREGO Comunicazione e Progetti Editoriali.


CASSIOPEAPhilosophy columnTODAY’S WORD: MAGISTERIUMBETWEEN WILL AND DESIRE

Anyone who has had a master or teacher knows

the excitement and wonder of this experience.

One feels touched by good luck, a little chosen

and a little able to choose this person who can

change one’s life, especially during the transition from ado-

lescence to adulthood and then from the post-school period

to the beginning of one’s professional life.

When you meet a teacher you learn to build relationships.

Because a teacher is only a teacher if they know how to listen

and, in listening, that is to say, in the relationship, recognise

what can resonate in the mind and heart of the pupil. What

can arouse in them a desire that goes far beyond the desire

to ‘do it this way’?

It is rare in life to find and especially to recognise a teacher,

because just when people need it most, when they are in the

midst of their own existential and professional planning, they

fall prey to the cognitive bias known as the Dunning Kruger

effect, a bias in which those who know less think they know

more than others. This is the classic neophyte who knows ‘a

few things’ and thinks the world is their oyster, thus letting

possible masters get away just because they question the

neophyte’s limp certainties. We have all been there.

Master and pupil are two positions that have traditionally

been placed one above the other. There was no question of

roles: one taught and the other learned. And yet, this is not

quite how it was, as we have been led to believe for a handful

of centuries, since the birth of school as we know it today.

Schooling created to train good accountants for the factory.

If we look at the workshops where first Giotto and then Raph-

ael were trained, the master created the trail, trained in skill,

proposed a style, but then the work was communal, so much

so that it is sometimes difficult to recognise who did what.

These masters did not limit themselves to teaching a craft

but rather offered a space for their pupils to develop mas-

tery to the point of breaking away and defining their own

poetics. Like Cimabue with Giotto or Giovanni Santi with his

son Raphael, who was orphaned by his magister at the age

of 11 – and then went to Perugino’s workshop while seeking

inspiration in Piero della Francesca and Bellini.

There is a significant difference between the teacher and the

master. The former dispenses information and, in so doing,

shapes the mind or hands of the pupil, informing with notions

or skills.

We have all had many teachers. People who, in a rather uni-

directional way, have shaped and moulded us according to

a given and pre-established form considered right and true.

That modality that is so well represented today by the Invalsi

tests (administered by the National Institute for the Educa-

tional Evaluation of Instruction and Training in Italy) or by the

multiple-choice quizzes in business schools, which establish

who knows things and who doesn’t.

The other type of teacher (maestro) is one who opens up to

the relationship, who is not afraid of being touched or con-

taminated by the inner world of their students, who does not

try to ‘instil’ answers and given truths but brings their own

experience to the situation, a word that comes from the Latin

experiri, which means to experiment, that is, to try and fail.

The master, who is deeply interested in sharing questions

and seeking answers with his students, does not present

their own given and static vision of the world, does not try

to convince them of a personal explanation of reality. The

master, the ancient magister, so rare today in an age of hy-

per-specialism and certainties sold at a high price, leaves

room for each individual to investigate on their own behalf

their own field (the whole of life or a specific problem to be

solved), moved by the desire to find and discover, beyond

prejudices and inherited opinions. This kind of teacher does

not infantilise pupils, but makes them responsible.

This teacher is such if he or she conveys a sense of asking

the right questions. Without questions there is no learning,

there can only be training, which is fine if you require people

to become good performers, but it is not enough if you want

to develop an evolving society, capable of transforming and

creating change, not just undergoing it.

Magisterium, therefore, is the place where one can learn to

ask questions, where one can be uncomfortable enough (not

too uncomfortable, so as not to fall into frustration) between

the ‘I do not know’ and the ‘I know,’ between knowledge and

ignorance, a tension that is at the basis, for example, of every

process of innovation.

The magisterium is not the right place to get a piece of pa-

per that certifies the result of the journey, but is the journey

itself. Just like the poet Kavafis’ Ulysses: Ithaca is not the

destination but the journey itself.

‘Do not hurry the journey,’ he writes in the poem Ithaca,

‘make it last long, for years, and set foot on the island when

you are old, you, rich in the treasures you have accumulated

along the way, without expecting riches from Ithaca. Ithaca

gave you the beautiful journey, without it you would never

have set out on the road: what else do you expect?’

The master offers the opportunity of the good journey, he can-

not do anything else and nothing else should be expected.

“The more they accelerated, the less they progressed”Momo, Michael Ende, 1973


If one has the ability to seize every stage of this journey,

every job, craft, passage, every failure, every small or great

success as accumulated treasures, then one can say that one

or more masters have been there. Because from the master

one inherits wonder, curiosity, spirit of adventure and desire,

that desire that pushes beyond the Pillars of Hercules, be-

yond the limit, beyond the known territory.

Meeting a master is formative, it is exciting, it is tiring. But,

contrary to what is said, that the master must then be be-

trayed and ‘killed,’ the true master leaves you free from the

start, leaves space, leaves generative voids.

If you have met a master, you often only realise it at the end

of the journey, just like the old farmer described by Karen

Blixen in Out of Africa, who, at the end of a night spent re-

pairing damage caused by heavy rain, realises early in the

morning that he has drawn an outline of a stork with his steps.

Who are our masters? What made them recognisable to us?

If we look back, do we see a stork, something generative that

the relationship has built up, despite the tiring, demanding

work, and sometimes the feeling of not succeeding? You can

work as a teacher but you do not work as a master; you be-come a master in the relationship with others who recognise

your authority and who feel that it is worth making the effort

to build something with you.

That is why it is rare. Few teachers give themselves the time

to be able to become masters.

The master, the magister, is not necessarily a genius or the

most illustrious in his work. But he or she has great passion

and, above all, is willing to transmit it in a personal way within

a listening relationship.

The great philosopher and educator Jiddu Khrisnamurti,

in the many long conversations and dialogues he held with

his students, maintained that learning is as much a craft as

teaching, and that one must get one’s hands dirty together,

in a context of reciprocity and listening that calls for a deep

humanity.

For there to be magisterium, and therefore learning, it is es-

sential to promote the creation of a welcoming, emotionally

serene and creative environment of listening and ‘affection-

ate understanding’.

In order to avoid reducing teaching, and therefore learning,

to a limiting binary of ‘success’ or ‘failure’, one can promote

teaching that encourages understanding and at the same

time effort that posits learning as a dynamic, never-ending

process, joyful and valuable in itself without any gain at-

tached to it.

VALERIA CANTONI MAMIANI, 1968, Degree in Theoretical Philosophy, President ArtsFor, founder Leading by Heart

Sant’Agostino di Antonello da Messina


AGOS

ANGELINI PHARMA

BANCA D'ITALIA

BAKER HUGHES

CHIESI

DELOITTE

DOW

FASTWEB

FINDOMESTIC

GENERALI

JANSSEN

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MANPOWER

MUTTI

NIELSENIQ

PFIZER

SANOFI

SELTIS HUB

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SYNERGIE

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COMPANYSTORYTELLING


Christopher Burns


AGOS | COMPANY STORYTELLING


AGOSIn search of diversity

with the Agos Academy!

We are aware that diversity, whatever shape

it takes, represents added value that should

be preserved, defended and encouraged.

Building a sustainable and inclusive envi-

ronment over time that respects each individual’s uniqueness

is the starting point from which we have initiated a profound

cultural and organisational change that has had an impact

throughout the company, inspired by the principles of inclu-

sion, equality and equal opportunities.

This path has been supported from the outset by the ‘People

Project’, the raison d’etre of which is a new valuing of resourc-

es, starting with the renewal of HR processes such as training,

development and skills, and by the Diversity&Inclusion Pro-

ject, which sees us involved in activities, initiatives and events

aimed at raising awareness and valuing differences within the

workplace, whether they relate to gender, sexual orientation,

ethnic or cultural origin, age or physical ability, etc.

Aware of the centrality of training as an accelerator of

knowledge, culture, changing attitudes and paradigms, for a

number of months now we have also been able to count on

training offered by the newly-established Agos Academy to

acquire awareness of stereotypes, develop skills related to

constructive interaction with diversity by leveraging learning

and, finally, to apply the concepts learned in every aspect of

organisational life.

The attitude adopted in the academy is also open, inclu-

sive: it allows each person to build their own training and

development plan, adapting it to the needs relevant to their

growth and role, dedicating a variable amount of time to it

according to their availability and accessing it from different

devices.

In terms of Diversity Management, colleagues have access

to a constantly updated multimedia library at the academy,

which covers topics such as age gaps, gender inclusion, in-

tercultural issues, parenting, digital natives and reverse men-

toring.

This path has been supported from the outset by the ‘People Project,’ which finds its raison d’etre in a new valuing of resources, starting with the renewal of HR processes such as training, development and skills, and by the Diversity&Inclusion Project, which sees us involved in activities, initiatives and events aimed at raising awareness and valuing differences in the workplace, whether they be gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or cultural origin, age or physical ability.


AGOS | COMPANY STORYTELLING COMPANY STORYTELLING | AGOS

Thanks to our collaboration with partners and suppliers of

excellence, we have the opportunity to participate in courses,

share projects and talks that encourage discussion, and ex-

changes and reflection on the most topical issues concerning

Diversity & Inclusion.

This issue has gained so much attention that it has been de-

cided that the ‘Gender harassment in the workplace’ course

should be made a ‘compulsory training’ course, with the aim

of raising awareness of this sensitive issue, and there will

soon be a second course, titled ‘Unconscious bias’, to exam-

ine the unconscious prejudices that hinder the emergence of

talent in organisations.

Reflections on the gender gap and the urgent need to take

action to reduce it have accelerated the implementation, by

the end of 2021, of the ‘Gender&Equity’ strategic path, de-

signed to achieve more balanced gender representation at

the top of the company.

Women’s empowerment and leadership are also sought

through the participation of some female colleagues in up-

skilling and reskilling courses, mentorships and workshops to

help them identify the path to follow for their professional

development.

Finally, following the #ValoreD4STEM survey, we are work-

ing to promote the employment of female professionals with

STEM backgrounds in companies and to allocate scholar-

ships to young women who decide to embark on these paths

with greater and better job opportunities.

Another focus, which is no less important, is the protection

of parenting: another cornerstone of Parental Care will soon

be put into practice.

Training will be provided for colleagues chosen to assist and

support new mothers in returning from maternity leave, facil-

itating them in this new phase of reconciling the personal and

professional spheres of their lives.

This is the synergy of projects, activities and initiatives (and

there will be many more to follow) that we believe in and are

investing in to make Agos a company where everyone can

truly feel free to express their identity, express their potential

and feel valued, welcomed and respected.


ANGELINI PHARMA | COMPANY STORYTELLING


OUR SHADOW

BOARDA young community looking to the future

An international team of 8 colleagues under the age of 30 with one objective: to add the perspectives of younger generations to the strategic choices the company makes

According to recent studies by the European So-

cial Survey, younger professionals often experi-

ence age-based prejudice from older colleagues.

Factors such as zero growth and progressive

population ageing lead to older generations staying in com-

panies longer and to intolerance towards younger talents,

who may sometimes perceive generational gaps as an obsta-

cle to their careers.

At Angelini Pharma, our goal is to ensure that our people

are fully involved in company projects, favouring bottom-up

working methods wherever possible, involving peop

le from as varied a geographical, cultural and age background

as possible. This is one of the foundations of the path along

which our company strives every day to foster an inclusive

working environment, an environment to be proud of, an en-

vironment that each of our people can communicate to the

outside world about with enthusiasm.

In this context, the Angelini Pharma Shadow Board was born,

an initiative launched by the Global Human Resources Team.

Nine young people, all under 30 and from 6 countries, with

a mission: to work with our company’s Executive Leadership

Team to influence Angelini Pharma’s strategic agenda with

the perspectives of younger generations.

The Shadow Board project sublimates many of the objectives

of the Strategic Imperative Become Employer of Choice, An-

gelini Pharma’s strategic plan for its people. In fact, the pillars

of the Shadow Board’s purpose are threefold: to enrich the

Eight young people, all under the age of 30 and from 6 countries, with a mission: to work with our company’s Executive Leadership Team to influence Angelini Pharma’s strategic agenda with the perspective of younger generations.


ANGELINI PHARMA | COMPANY STORYTELLING COMPANY STORYTELLING | AGOS

internal dialectic with the contribution offered by different

perspectives, in this case different in terms of age; to involve

young people, the real protagonists of our future, in strate-

gic decisions, inviting them to fully express their opinions; to

attract and enhance the value of the younger generations

everywhere we are present, and thus become an Employer

of Choice at an international level.

As already mentioned, the Shadow Board works side by side

with the Angelini Pharma board, working concretely on many

of the open dossiers. The members of the Shadow Board

have been selected on the basis of merit, age, aptitude and

aspirations, thanks to career meetings at the international

level conducted by the HR Managers in different countries

where Angelini Pharma has a presence. The current team has

a one-year mandate, after which new members may be ap-

pointed.

Angelini Pharma is a multinational pharmaceutical company,

part of the Italian Angelini Group since 1919. The company

researches, manufactures and markets health solutions in the

areas of mental health (including pain management) and the

central nervous system, rare diseases, and over-the-counter

products. Angelini Pharma operates directly in 25 countries,

employing almost 3,000 people and distributes its products

in over 50 countries through strategic alliances with leading

pharmaceutical groups. For further information, please visit

www.angelinipharma.it


BANCA D'ITALIA | COMPANY STORYTELLING

Antonella Argiolas, Riccardo Basso

MENTORING AT BANCA D’ITALIA

Mentoring was introduced at Banca d’Italia to

help people take care of their own develop-

ment: the relationship with a senior person

fosters self-awareness, a greater understanding

of the organisation and the refinement of behavioural skills;

in times of change or difficulty, having a ‘guide’ available is

valuable in identifying the paths we can or want to take and

focusing on the resources we can draw on.

Membership of the programme is voluntary. Mentors are

managers. We have received many applications and have se-

lected participants based on experience and a willingness to

listen and engage in dialogue.

The mentees are highly professional people; many aspire to

become managers. With a view to inclusion, we have espe-

cially promoted the participation of female colleagues and

younger people.

Mentors and mentees undergo preparatory training, which

explains the course and its aims; mentors are also given basic

tools to guide the relationship correctly. In the middle and

at the end of the process there are moments of exchange

and supervision with the counselling company that assists

us; mentors can contact this company at any time to ask for

advice in case of misunderstandings or situations that reach

a dead end.

Mentors and mentees are profiled on the basis of an assess-

ment and a self-assessment questionnaire that investigates

work-related behaviours according to a model with a spe-

cial emphasis on inclusion. They can share the results of the

questionnaire at the first meeting if they consider it useful to

identify the objectives to work on.

Around 90 pairs are formed each year: it is the mentees who

choose their mentor based on their profile. The only rule to

For us, mentoring is a fluid tool for fostering dialogue between different generations: an exchange that helps to overcome mistrust and bridge knowledge gaps; each participant shares his or her view of the bank, of the organisation’s challenges, problems and opportunities. The perspectives of those who are rooted in the bank’s history and those who are looking at the bank with a fresher eye meet in a generative way.


BANCA D'ITALIA | COMPANY STORYTELLING COMPANY STORYTELLING | AGOS

be respected for the pairings is that

the mentor must not have a superor-

dinate role in relation to the mentee,

because the relationship must be able

to develop freely and outside of any

other working relationship.

In these first 2 years, the project has

gone very well: perhaps even exceed-

ing expectations. Mentors have gener-

ously and enthusiastically contributed

their experience. Mentors and men-

tees underline, during and after the

project, that the exchange has been

an opportunity for growth for both

sides. Mentees come out more aware

and able to find solutions, often cre-

ative ones, for their professional de-

velopment; they have access to new

ways or reading things to help them

interpret the context and the evolu-

tionary lines of the organisation; they

acquire greater autonomy and vision;

they end the course with an enriched

mindset that incorporates different

perspectives. The mentor increases

his or her listening and guiding skills

and develops a more complete under-

standing of the organisation by look-

ing at it ‘from below.’ Usually, at the

end of the programme (which lasts

about a year) the mentor and mentee

will stay in touch.

For us, mentoring is a fluid tool for fos-

tering dialogue between different gen-

erations: an exchange that helps to

overcome mistrust and bridge knowl-

edge gaps; each participant shares his

or her vision of the bank, of the organ-

isation’s challenges, problems and op-

portunities. The perspectives of those

who are rooted in the bank’s history

and those who are looking at the bank

with a fresher perspective, because

they have only recently joined, come

together in a generative way. We will

soon relaunch the programme, with

more ambitious numbers and forms of

reverse mentoring.

ANTONELLA ARGIOLAS. 1962. Degree in Economics and Com-merce Diversity Team Member.

RICCARDO BASSO. 1970.Law degree Diversity Manager.



THE IMPORTANCE OF THE

GENERATIONAL FACTOR

For training and research for innovation

One critical issue in the broad field of diversity

and inclusion (D&I) is the generational factor.

This is the first time in history that up to 5 gen-

erations can be found working together in the

same company: Veterans, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, Gen

Z, each with different skills, competences, a characteristic

language and a specific value system. While this implies that

there may be prejudices, misunderstandings and conflicts, in

reality, the generational differences offer the opportunity to

drive innovation by leveraging this vast amount of knowledge.

Each generation has experienced a unique educational path

and social context that influence and lead to a different per-

ception of work, roles and relationships. This is why at Baker

Hughes, intergenerational exchange is also fostered through

intensive relationships with schools and universities.

Indeed, it is firmly established in the company culture that

the continuous injection of lifeblood represented by young

people is instrumental to sustaining innovation. And at an

energy technology company like Baker Hughes, which pro-

vides solutions for energy and industrial customers in over

120 countries around the world, innovation is important to

the development of technologies and services that can make

energy safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the

planet (bakerhughes.com).

At Baker Hughes the evolution of our business is accom-

panied by the evolution of skills. Thus, for example, Nuovo

Pignone, the legal entity operating in Italy, encourages the

development of qualified technical profiles to meet the new

challenges of the industry by engaging in orientation activ-

ities and projects in schools to promote knowledge of the

industrial world, guide young people towards the most in-de-

mand jobs and also to help bridge the gap between labour

supply and demand.

Baker Hughes has always been very active in PCTO pro-

grammes (pathways for transversal skills and orientation) and

since 2010 it has launched internship projects that allow stu-

dents to spend many hours in the company by offering con-

tinuous individual coaching with company tutors. In 2016 it

was awarded the title of Campioni dell’Alternanza (Alternan-

za Champions, which refers to work experience placements

organised in partnerships between schools and businesses)

by the then-Minister Stefania Giannini because with its initi-

atives and projects for orientation and direct experience in

companies it helps bridge the gap between the theoretical

training typical of many schools and the needs of the indus-

trial world.

Another area in which the company invests a great deal is

vocational training, represented in Italy by ITS (Istituti Tecn-

ici Superiori), ITS Prime, the post-high school diploma spe-

cialisation institute for technological innovation in advanced

mechanics and mechatronics, automation, industrial robotics

and information technology. Baker Hughes has been involved

since its foundation in 2011, through Nuovo Pignone, which

has always participated in the governance of the foundation

by providing support in the design of educational courses,

giving lectures and testimonials and hosting students at its

production sites every year for internships. ITS Prime is a

foundation with over 60 members, 21 courses have been

designed and 250 students have graduated from the pro-

gramme. Baker Hughes has held the presidency since 2020.

Baker Hughes is also a supporting partner of the Apulian ITS

Meccatronico Cuccovillo and the ITS Meccanico Lombardo.

With regard to other generations, the company wanted to

plan specific training initiatives in synergy with other parties.

BAKER HUGHES | COMPANY STORYTELLING


BAKER HUGHES | COMPANY STORYTELLING

At the beginning of 2020, the BiG (Business, Innovation,

Growth) Academy was set up, a management academy for

managers and future managers of companies operating in

the energy, mechanics, electronics, optics and information

technology sectors.

The initiative is the brainchild of a number of international

companies operating in Tuscany, such as Baker Hughes-Nuo-

vo Pignone (which has taken on the presidency and man-

agement), Thales, the El.En Group, KME and Leonardo, and

institutional partners such as the University of Florence, the

Municipality and the City of Florence and the Region of Tus-

cany. The aim of the BiG Academy is to offer a high-level

training experience, made by companies for companies,

which strengthens the managerial capacity of SMEs, the abil-

ity to network and to respond to the economic and industrial

needs of the territory.

The relationship between companies and universities also

creates a virtuous circle in nurturing research, providing in-

centives for training and making companies and universities

even more competitive. The sharing of expertise enables ac-

ademic research to be applied in the industry. Baker Hughes

collaborates with some of Italy’s leading universities and sev-

eral national research centres, developing joint programmes

with a generated economic value of over €16 million.

To name a few of the more recent collaborations, there was

a framework agreement with the Politecnico di Milano in

2020, which formalised a successful relationship that began

several years ago and involved the launch of research con-

tracts on additive manufacturing, advanced aerodynamics,

digital twins, knowledge management, prognostics and data

science, with the creation of several executive PhD positions

in research areas that are of interest to the company.

Also in 2020, Baker Hughes founded the AI LAB-Baker

Hughes & University of Siena, a new joint research labora-

tory between the University’s Department of Information

Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and the company

to facilitate the exchange of information and technologies

between industry and academia in the field of Artificial Intel-

ligence research.

With the University of Calabria there is a framework agree-

ment, since 2018, for the duration of 5 years, for the devel-

opment of activities in the field of the energy industry to col-

laborate on scientific research and technical and educational

activities.

And then there is the collaboration with the Politecnico di

Bari to set up the Baker Hughes Academy to create specialist

skills for the energy industry. The partnership includes the

participation of Adecco, IFOA, and the IIS ‘Marconi-Hack,’

which are responsible for setting up first-level apprenticeship

contracts for the training and professional integration of new

graduates in the area. The Baker Hughes Pump Lab was also

inaugurated in July 2021. The laboratory was created to fa-

cilitate the exchange of information between industry and ac-

ademia for the joint development of advanced technologies

to produce centrifugal pumps. The Pump Lab is dedicated to

the design development of vertical water pumps, the energy

efficiency of centrifugal pumps, energy recovery machines,

and design refinement for Reverse Osmosis and desalination

plants. Great attention is paid to technologies serving the en-

ergy transition, because all current generations must also be

able to think about the future of generations to come.



JOYJuniors and seniors at work

for the Chiesi of the future

What is JOY?

It is, without a doubt, a unique opportunity

for discussion and collaboration to gener-

ate innovative ideas that will enable Chiesi

to achieve its future goals.

But how is this different from what other companies do? The

name JOY stands for Juniors On strategY and aims to truly

listen to the perspectives of the most junior people in the

company, through working and collaborating closely with

senior colleagues on strategic issues for Chiesi, proposing

ideas and implementing them.

When we talk about ‘juniors’ we are referring to employees

who completed their studies no more than 6 years before the

start of the JOY project.

This helps to reduce the generation gap: juniors can share

their ‘freshness’ while seniors offer their experience.

This is the winning combination that makes it possible to gen-

erate value for the company!

The project came to life in 2017 and – this is something I am

very proud of – the idea came from two junior people with-

in the Global Strategy department in response to our CEO’s

need to ‘hear what young people think...’

Who better than them, then?

The first edition of the project was dedicated to the theme of

diversity and then, in 2020, we launched the second edition,

which focused on the theme of simplification; the third and

fourth editions, currently underway, are exploring the themes

of focusing on patients and having a sense of collaboration

and unity, respectively, thus going beyond departmental or

role dynamics.

Each activity is based on and inspired by the values of the

company.

In each edition, the group of juniors is the beating heart of

the project as it guides activities and dialogue with the sen-

iors. Each edition of JOY is supported by a project leader

who, in order to promote a virtuous circle and ensure that

the programme is also an opportunity for development for

all participants, is also a JOY participant from a previous edi-

tion.

In addition to this figure, the presence of a mentor is funda-

mental, i.e. a senior person who is an expert in the theme of

the current edition, whose task is to help the team to under-

stand the theme and manage the programme.

The first edition shone a light on the theme of diversity, which

at the time was still little explored. During the workshop –

a crucial moment for JOY – juniors and seniors generated

ideas and, subsequently, some of these were selected and

better described in specific action plans.

One concrete example is the tagline ‘Everyone of us is dif-

ferent, everyone of us is Chiesi,’ which is now at the heart of

Chiesi’s values. The second edition of JOY, which started in

September 2020, had as its strategic theme ‘From complex-

ity to simplicity: the revolution to become more agile’ and

ended in April 2021.

For this edition, it was decided to broaden involvement, offer-

ing all juniors the opportunity to apply through an extreme-

ly transparent launch, communication and selection plan...

supported by videos in which the candidates explained what

motivated them to apply.

CHIESI | COMPANY STORYTELLING

La The second edition of JOY, which started in September 2020, had as its strategic theme ‘From complexity to simplicity: the revolution to become more agile.’


CHIESI | COMPANY STORYTELLING

Another great novelty in this edition is the implementation

phase: once the idea deemed most impactful and feasible to

achieve the objective has been selected, it will be developed

over the following months. This is a way of demonstrating

that change is indeed possible; moreover, to give continuity

to the generation of ideas, we have offered juniors the oppor-

tunity to lead the implementation of one of these, with the

support and backing of seniors.

In particular, the second JOY team completed 2 projects:

‘Smart ACTitude’ and ‘BlackBox.’

SmartACTitude aims to make the most of one of the most

important resources we have: time! To this end, the team has

created tools to manage meetings more effectively: guide-

lines, in collaboration with our R&D colleagues, and an IT tool

to support efficient meeting management in the preparation,

conduct and follow-up phases. These two tools have been

validated with a pilot test involving a number of company

departments and given the excellent results, will soon be ex-

tended to the whole group.

BlackBox, on the other hand, aims to make processes more

fluid by collecting anonymous feedback from people involved

in the process.

The team tested it, for example, on the strategic planning

process and the pilot generated brilliant results. It has been

refined and will soon be available to anyone who wants it.

We are proud to have created a programme like JOY – we

think it is unique and are working to enhance it in the long

term, to improve it and make it increasingly impactful for the

future of our company.

We are convinced that juniors can change the world and,

through JOY, have the opportunity to change Chiesi!

COMPANY STORYTELLING | CHIESI

GIOVANNA AMADORI. Head of Global Strategy &

Corporate Development


Chrystelle Simon

THE POWER OF ALLYSHIP

A bridge between generations

As already expressed in previous articles, inclu-

sion and opportunity are two strongly linked

concepts. Valuing differences with the aim of de-

veloping talents is part of the very concept of in-

clusion. Inclusion is what makes it possible to start a virtuous

professional project that seizes more business opportunities

and is functional to the development of organisational well-

being, also thanks to flexible working processes. An inclusive

leadership style is fundamental to enhancing and promoting

diversity and the contributions that each person can offer

in terms of innovation and performance, in order to obtain

competitive advantages. Deloitte’s inclusive leadership mod-

el consists of 6 fundamental traits that are necessary to ac-

tivate a virtuous process that makes the value of inclusion a

business tool:

1. Commitment of the individual and the organisation to pri-

oritise diversity and inclusion. This implies respectful and

fair behaviour and the involvement of all people;

2. The courage to carry forward the culture of Diversity &

Inclusion, but also the attitude to recognise one’s limits

and to want to improve;

3. Awareness of the existence of bias, which we must be able

to recognise in order to make fair decisions, free from

prejudice;

4. Curiosity to look at new perspectives, encouraging contin-

uous learning and divergent thinking;

5. The openness needed to collaborate with people from

cultures other than our own;

6. The collaborative approach to create respectful and psy-

chologically healthy work environments where people

can feel free to express themselves.

Inclusive leadership is about connecting the different gener-

ations working within the same organisation. Promoting an

inclusive culture means offering meeting points, alliances

and comparison between different values, ideas, behavioural

models and experiences; in short, valuing cognitive diversity.

And it is precisely with a view to valuing diversity and virtu-

ous alliances that we have developed numerous initiatives at

both the local and global level to foster positive exchanges

and dialogue between different generations.

Allyship is a tool, as well as a goal, to generate a sense of

belonging, especially in today’s fragmented world. Allyship

reduces the distance between different generations, between

senior members of staff and young professionals.

With this in mind, the Ask Me initiative was launched last year

with the aim of connecting younger people to leadership and

encouraging continuous exchanges on topics of various inter-

ests. Ask Me – an initiative promoted by Alessandro Mercu-

ri, the Consulting Leader of Deloitte Central Mediterranean

– was created during the first stage of the pandemic and

designed to help people stay ‘connected’, to listen to people

and give live answers to their questions. The 30-minute live

events were an extraordinary success, with over 1,500 par-

ticipants each time, and have become a regular event.

During the same period, a digital wellbeing programme on

social media was also launched, in parallel with the creation

of the People & Purpose Channel, a channel dedicated to

training to develop soft skills in various areas, considered

useful for dealing with the lockdown.

Speaking of young people, we cannot fail to mention the

ONE Young World project, created by Deloitte North South

Europe. OYW is a non-profit organisation that brings together

bright young leaders from around the world to give them the

opportunity to make a wider positive impact in the world.

These young people come together at annual summits where

delegates become OYW Ambassadors, joining an interna-

tional network. The ambassadors’ job is to encourage other

young people to be proactive within their own communities

and the organisations they represent. Linking business to

the social impact of organisations is an opportunity that the

OYW Summit recognises. This raises awareness in young tal-

ent, promoting the brand values and impact Deloitte has in

the communities in which it operates.

In addition, One Young World launched the Lead2030 initia-

tive to support the United Nations Sustainable Development

Goals. Supported by some of the world’s most prestigious

brands, Lead2030 aims to fund and accelerate the solutions

proposed by the most impactful young people who are con-

DELOITTE | COMPANY STORYTELLING


DELOITTE | COMPANY STORYTELLING

tributing to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development

Goals. One of Lead2030’s inaugural Challenge Partners is

Deloitte, which has taken charge of Goal 4, on quality edu-

cation.

Deloitte also has delegates within the OYW programme who,

each year, have the opportunity to support the leadership by

participating in projects designed to achieve the objectives to

be presented at the next Summit. Delegates are offered ad

hoc training that focuses on their personal goals. These young

people are offered the opportunity to meet the Summit com-

munity, participating as Deloitte delegate ambassadors. The

link between the young ambassadors and the senior leaders

is also strong in this project, as the proposals are analysed

by the seniors and discussed again in a two-way exchange.

A further project to enhance the potential of intergeneration-

al collaborations, but also between people of different sexes,

are the sponsorship programmes dedicated to our female

talents, which aim to strengthen the alliance between differ-

ent sexes and generations.

What is sponsorship? Sponsorship is a one-to-one relation-

ship in which a Partner Sponsor is committed to creating

visibility opportunities with internal and external clients that

enable the sponsee to gain knowledge, skills and profession-

al experience.

Sponsors are leaders who are committed to supporting the

sponsee by providing advice and sharing personal experienc-

es. They are influential leaders who can provide access and

opportunities with clients and set up key roles within the or-

ganisation.

The sponsorship programme started globally with the WAVE

initiative, which initially involved our leaders, executive com-

mittee members and high-potential female managers. It was

later extended to other sponsoring partners and professional

sponsees.

The main objective of this initiative is to create a network of

change agents who, together, will accompany our organisa-

tion on the path towards an increasingly inclusive future. All

this has been made possible by reverse mentoring, a one-to-

one process through which young managers generate input,

passing on their point of view to seniors who, in turn, are en-

abled to broaden their perspectives. An exchange that stim-

ulates the interconnection between generations is essential.

According to research by Deloitte, 83% of young people feel

more engaged when leadership promotes a plural and inclu-

sive culture: in fact, inclusive leadership is necessary to grasp

and enhance generational diversity.

This process brings together different generations that cre-

ate a useful alliance in what is now called the VUCA world

(Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous), a complex and

increasingly interconnected world.

When it comes to generations, the most well-known subdivi-

sion is: Baby Boomer, Generation X, Millennial and Genera-

tion Z. Each generation has grown up in a certain socio-eco-

nomic and political era that has contributed in diverse ways

to shaping their values and perspectives at work. Sociologists

have identified patterns of behaviour and thinking that tend

to differentiate one generation from the next. These genera-

tional stereotypes, although not applicable indiscriminately

to every individual, can help guide interpersonal interactions

between generations in the company, which are particular-

ly important in this historical period. The alliance between

generations is a way to create new values and to support

an inclusive evolution, especially after the lockdown period,

when we have developed capacities to adapt to change and

uncertainty.

The alliance between generations develops Effective Trans-

generational Leadership. Leading an organisation in which

four generations coexist is a real challenge. Each generation

has its own values, norms and styles that can potentially

clash with each other. Overall, it is essential that leaders cre-

ate a working environment that embraces transgenerational

differences to maximise the effectiveness of the organisation.

The key points for effective transgenerational leadership are

illustrated by the 6 indispensable traits of inclusive leader-

ship:

• being flexible and able to listen;

• developing emotional and cultural intelligence;

• being curious and open-minded;

• knowing how to collaborate effectively by creating trust,

delegating and relying on one’s collaborators;

• conveying the reason for what you are doing, giving con-

structive and timely feedback to the team;

• managing to maintain a work-life balance, guiding people

in their growth.

By considering the characteristics of the different genera-

tions we can obtain the key to excelling in our working life,

achieving our goals, aligning ourselves with a model that rec-

ognises the values of each generation, taking advantage of

the richness that comes from diversity.

To conclude, an interesting fact: in the ‘VUCA world,’ teams

composed of people from different generations are up to

87% more likely to make better decisions where there is

greater inclusiveness and alliance.

‘We need to remember across generations that there is as much to learn as there is to teach.’

Gloria Steinem

COMPANY STORYTELLING | DELOITTE

CHRYSTELLE SIMON. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader, Deloitte Central Mediterranean



MEETING BETWEEN

GENERATIONS‘Diversity is a Fact, Inclusion is an Act.’

Zabeen Hirji, Global Adviser, Deloitte Canada

Diversity in the workplace is a fact.

Adopting inclusive behaviours that value every-

one’s uniqueness is a conscious action.

This is one of the key principles Dow embraces in

its Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) strategy, which takes a compre-

hensive approach to inclusion – ALL IN! – and is also directly

applied to generational diversity.

In order to promote the sharing of experiences and growth

for all, among the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) estab-

lished by Dow, the internal PRIME networks – for employees

over 50 – and RISE – for employees who have been with the

company for 8 years or less – promote free and constructive

dialogue between different generations in the company.

With this in mind, at Dow Italia we have been focusing for

many years on the concept of Inclusion and are committed to

exploring the realities of those around us, both in our offices

and in production.

Our focus on generational diversity is instrumental in con-

tinually improving the employee experience by implement-

ing initiatives both internally and externally. On the internal

front, for example, work is being done to reduce the ‘distance’

between younger people and senior employees which, in a

chemical plant, may be due to strictly regulated access to

production areas or shift work. To do this, discussion groups

for different generations, functions and backgrounds have

been set up to allow comparison and sharing of experiences

and skills.

So intergenerational collaboration, especially in production,

happens constantly and more than in other sectors. Dow Ita-

lia therefore carries out initiatives that are also compatible

with shift work, for example through the collection and dis-

semination via company channels of video testimonials that

describe how people of different generations interact. And

it is precisely from the people in production, who are used

to dealing with each other, mentoring/tutoring and reverse

mentoring/tutoring, that we learn how to make a better team,

in order to take care of young and old, enhancing the char-

acteristics of each.

In terms of external initiatives, Dow Italia is committed to

exploring, listening to, and embracing diversity and bring-

ing I&D culture to school and university settings, promoting

STEM disciplines, and sharing examples of inclusion both in

terms of a stronger company culture and competitive advan-

tage. We pay constant attention to young people by collab-

orating with trade associations, schools (in the communities

where we operate) and leading Italian universities, for exam-

ple the Politecnico di Milano, where we are present every

year at Career Day.

Similarly, our production plants host groups of students from

Italian and foreign schools and universities.

Another aspect of employees’ lives that involves a direct con-

frontation between generations is parenthood. Dow Italia is

active on several fronts and acts directly to support those

who have children or care for family members, with a dedi-

cated global programme that includes paid leave and leave

of absence, as well as training for people leaders to support

parenting at work in its various stages and thus encourage a

better work-life balance.

At Dow Italia, diversity is celebrated as a value and a source

of richness. We work on the education of younger genera-

tions, investing in them with the ambition that inclusive be-

haviour may, one day, be part of each individual’s culture.

This will, at last, make it possible to exhaust the debate and

the fight against any form of discrimination and exclusion,

and to make workplaces truly fair and inclusive.

DOW | COMPANY STORYTELLING

CLAUDIA CAFFI. Geographic Communications Specialist

MARCO DAGNONI. I&D Focal Point Dow Italia & Training

Coordinator

ANGELA MAESA. Sr Product Stewardship Specialist

ALESSANDRA MOSCA. Sr Customer Manager

ANTONELLA PALMA. Sr EH&S Sustainability Technician

CARMEN QUILLI. Sr Sales Specialist


DOW | COMPANY STORYTELLING

"Diversity in the workplace is a fact. Adopting inclusive behaviours that value everyone’s uniqueness is a conscious action.



MENTORING I shall therefore send to you the actual books; and in order that you may not waste time in searching here and there for profitable topics, I shall mark certain passages, so that you can turn at once to those which I approve and admire. Of course, however, the living voice and the intimacy of a common life will help you more than the written word. You must go to the scene of action, first, because men put more faith in their eyes than in their ears, and second, because the way is long if one follows precepts, but short and helpful, if one follows patterns. […]Therefore I summon you, not merely that you may derive benefit, but that you may confer benefit; for we can assist each other greatly.

(Seneca, Moral letters to Lucilius/Letter 6)

Seneca’s words are, even today, one of the clearest

definitions that best exemplify the essence of one

of the oldest and most powerful training practices:

mentoring.

When, more than 7 years ago, we at Fastweb decided to in-

troduce this practice among our development tool proposals,

we started from here.

For us, mentoring is a way of extracting the value present in

the company and its objective is to give formal support to the

professional or managerial development of mentees, to their

level of understanding of company dynamics, and it is an ex-

perience that allows them to better understand and ‘navigate’

Fastweb.

Each year this programme involves around 20/25 pairs of

mentors and mentees. Mentors are managers or individual

contributors who, regardless of their age or seniority in the

company, offer their greatest managerial or professional ex-

perience in a skill in an exchange with mentees.

The latter, in turn, have established a development objective

together with their managers, which may be linked to growth

in terms of the skills they need for their professional role, or to

their growth in terms of managerial responsibility.

The programme lasts 9 months and includes an initial training

session for mentors and mentees, support during the process

with a number of check-ins, and a closing celebration event to

share the lessons learned.

Mentors and mentees are also provided with methodological

sheets and guiding questions to help them through the vari-

ous stages of the process. No two paths are ever the same,

and the responsibility for success is based on the commit-

ment and adherence of both parties.

Even before we begin, one of the most delicate issues that

we pay particular attention to is matching mentor and men-

tee: we always start with the mentee’s objective in order to

identify, together with the manager and Human Resources,

the mentor who will be the best fit and who can be of value.

Experience over the years has shown us that this certainly

facilitates the success of the process.

But it is not the only factor.

It is more important than ever to devote time to building a

relationship based on trust and listening, a relationship that,

although it is embedded in a formalised process, is complete-

ly unique and personalised.

Mentoring is a two-way developmental pathway: while the

initial focus is the mentee’s development goal, the mentors

involved have always returned what value they have gleaned

from the pairing; the mentoring relationship has, on some oc-

casions, become a space for questioning and updating certain

beliefs, a space for growth, therefore, also for the mentor.

In general, mentoring also acquires strong value in building

networking between different teams and facilitates, in some

situations, the creation of new synergies and proximity be-

tween business and staff structures.

The richness of mentoring lies precisely here: in the significant

and mutual change of knowledge systems, work, skills and

ways of thinking, as Seneca wrote.

‘Therefore I summon you, not merely that you may derive benefit, but that you may confer benefit; for we can assist each other greatly.’

FASTWEB | COMPANY STORYTELLING

ALESSIA LONGONI, Talent Development & Total Rewarding Professional


FASTWEB | COMPANY STORYTELLING



LISTENING The value that every age brings with it

Four generations live together at Findomestic, each

of which has its background, reference values, ideas,

expectations and aspirations... in short, a different

view of the world and a unique way of assessing and

considering reality.

It is inevitable that each of us brings our own being and ex-

periences into our working environment, influencing it and

having a significant impact on it. It is therefore essential for

companies, now more than ever, to listen to their employees

in order to provide services and benefits that protect person-

al wellbeing and meet their real needs.

The initiative I would like to talk about in this context stems

from the awareness that, as the average age of employees

rises, the number of caregivers, i.e. those who take care of

other people, is also constantly increasing.

In Italy today there are 13 million caregivers and 3.6 million

workers who must find a way to reconcile their personal and

professional lives. These are important numbers that we can-

not afford to ignore. For this reason we decided to provide

our employees with a listening, support and orientation desk,

which focuses on a care manager, a territorially competent

professional who helps and directs by identifying the most

suitable response to specific problems (finding car homes,

carers, babysitters, psychologist or speech therapists, etc.).

At the same time, we have launched an awareness-raising

campaign about people who are not self-sufficient, which

covers all stages of life, from childhood to old age.

We started with the latter, challenging the idea that ‘old age’

must necessarily be identified as an illness or a slow and in-

evitable decline.

With improvements in quality of life and the progress of med-

icine, this ‘third age’ is a phase of our existence full of vitality

and energy: free from work commitments, the over 60s and

70s travel, study, do sports and voluntary work, take care of

themselves, look after their grandchildren, and are a funda-

mental pillar of society.

It was wonderful to listen to a psychologist lovingly recount

the difference between pathological and physiological ageing

and to dispel the many prejudices linked to old age. Elderly people are simply going through a phase in their life cycle, with characteristics that are different from previous phases, with physical, sensory and cognitive changes that do not, however, lead to problems with functioning and independ-

ence. In this context, the role of the caregiver consists in support-ing elderly subjects in fully actualising themselves and this means ‘taking care of them,’ valuing each identity and per-sonal history, starting with respect for human dignity, which is expressed in the construction of consistent bonds, able to offer support and to receive the original contribution of the other.We discussed the dramatic moment when the parent-child

role is reversed, the difficulty in accepting that the parent

loses certain functions and/or abilities day after day, the fail-

ure to interpret his or her new needs... One of the first ways of caring for the other person is to listen to them as a person through the gestures they make, the words and feelings they express, the stories they want to tell and are able to tell, the silences in they take refuge in, in order to understand the residual resources that can be strengthened, those that need to be reawakened, the most fragile aspects of identity. We cannot allow illness in old age to rob the person of their digni-ty, leaving the elderly person or what remains of them alone, often identified with chronic or degenerative pathology: we

have learned that old age is not an illness but more simply a

phase of life, with distinct characteristics, positive and nega-

tive sides.

It was surprising to see how much fragility there is inside each

caregiver and how much need for discussion: the sense of

loneliness, inadequacy and powerlessness, suffering, pain...

these are meetings of an extraordinary intensity that offer

us the opportunity to meet with experts and that allow us to

open up and confront ourselves.

These are moments that we consider fundamental because

the wellbeing of a working environment depends primarily on

the wellbeing of each employee.

FINDOMESTIC | COMPANY STORYTELLING


FINDOMESTIC | COMPANY STORYTELLING

‘It is essential for companies, now more than ever, to listen to the

voice of their employees in order to provide personal wellbeing services and benefits that are

responsive to real needs.’


Francesco Colombo

INTERGENERATIONAL

LEARNING Generali mentoring programs

It’s very likely that we now have more generational diver-

sity in our workforce than ever before, with 4 generations

(Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z) working in our or-

ganisation concurrently, and often on the same teams. In

addition to this, the market’s and many companies’ focus on

Diversity & Inclusion topics over the past few years call for

greater importance to be given to the diversification of teams

and employees, including age diversity.

Given this context, organizations cannot wait any longer to

equip themselves to unlock the tremendous potential that

this type of diversity can bring.

One pivotal aspect of this intergenerational exchange is in-

tergenerational learning, which can be described as a “learn-

ing partnership based on reciprocity and mutuality, involving

people of different ages, where the generations work togeth-

er to gain skills, values and knowledge” (European Network

for Intergenerational Learning).

Given this key learning process, Generali is determined to

benefit from this opportunity by launching intergenerational

programs that increase cooperation and interaction between

generations, allow improved exchanges of key skills and ex-

periences and foster reciprocal learning. These programs

should also contribute to combating stereotypes, such as

those expressed through ageism, which can be held by age

groups toward one another, and to break down barriers that

otherwise would be difficult to overcome.

At Generali there are two mentoring programs for 2021 and 2022

that are designed for and aimed at our Group Talents, our key

people across the group with high potential and a global mindset.

The initiatives address both the need to develop key competenc-

es in the Generali Group Talents and the need to engage people

from different age groups within the organization. As intergenera-

tional learning programs, these programs are designed to extract

the best values and skills specific to each generational group and

to promote trust while exchanging knowledge and ideas, creating

a great networking opportunity for the Talents involved.

The Global Mentoring ProgramIn May 2021 Generali started the new Global Mentoring Pro-

gram dedicated to Group Talent Managers. This year marks

the launch of the 4th edition of this flagship Generali program,

which involved approx. 400 employees. This year the initia-

tive, which gathers dozens of managers worldwide, includes

over 160 mentors and mentees and will last 12 months, with

hour-long monthly sessions. The objective is to boost -manag-

GENERALI | DALLA PARTE DELLE BAMBINE

One pivotal aspect of this intergenerational exchange is intergenerational learning, which can be described as a “learning partnership based on reciprocity and mutuality, involving people of different ages, where the generations work together to gain skills”.


GENERALI | DALLA PARTE DELLE BAMBINE

ers’ leadership and managerial skills and improve their organi-

zational capabilities. Managers act as mentees and are guided

by Generali Leadership Group members, who act as mentors

and offer expert advice on long-term career growth and de-

velopment. The relationship between mentor and mentee is

based on a mutual agreement to ensure reciprocal under-

standing and objectives alignment. As one mentor from last

year’s edition said at the kick-off, the key to a great mentoring

relationship is to “Start by finding good and deep agreement with your mentor or your mentee so that you can really have honest and deep discussion”. From an intergenerational point

of view, the program provides a unique networking opportuni-

ty for both managers and Leaders, who can work together in

one-on-one sessions and exchange ideas and discuss topics

such as career aspirations, development areas, and daily chal-

lenges, and it also facilitates intergenerational dialogue and

understanding, as suggested by one of the mentees from the

previous edition: “The first [thing] I learned is that age doesn’t matter, but it’s about the learning opportunities and the mo-ments spent outside of our comfort zone”.

The Reciprocal Mentoring ProgramLeveraging best practice sharing worldwide, Generali Group

scaled up a project initially piloted by Generali Spain: the Re-

ciprocal Mentoring Program. The initiative, involving over 500

participants, will engage Group Talent Senior Managers and the

new Group Talent pool of Future Owners, young talents with a

maximum of 7 years of experience. The program will involve Fu-

ture Owners as mentees and Senior Managers as mentors and

include some sessions where roles will be reversed and young

employees will actually be the mentors, sharing their specific

expertise and ways of working. The program, which lasts one

year, aims to accelerate the development journey of Future

Owners through the guidance of Senior Managers and to raise

Senior Managers’ awareness of younger colleagues’ priorities

and issues. This type of mentoring offers a great opportunity

to explore cross-generational exchanges, building relationships

based on mutual respect and acceptance.

From a company perspective, Reciprocal Mentoring is also

an effective solution to tackle key challenges posed by so-

cietal and job market developments like digital transforma-

tion, D&I, the spread of a digital and innovative mindset,

and the reduction of gaps between young talents and more

experienced managers. Consistent with our cultural transfor-

mation model, the real innovation of this program is in the

opportunity it provides to build solid relationships between

generations that differ from one another in terms of skills,

experiences and ways of thinking.

We expect significant results, not only in terms of the ex-

change of competences, but also and more importantly in

terms of creating space for dialogue between generations,

in order to unleash the power to innovate ways of working,

performing and contributing to our organizational culture.

ConclusionIn a world where population aging is not slowing down and

particularly affects some of Generali’s main operating coun-

tries, making sure all generations are represented and in-

tergenerational dialogue is fostered is a key priority for the

group, now more than ever. By leveraging well-designed inter-

generational learning programs and fostering intergeneration-

al relationships built on mutual trust and respect, Generali will

support knowledge-sharing between generations, through the

exchange of the unique sets of values, skills and competences

of each age group. As stated by a number of senior managers

involved in the last edition of the Global Mentoring Program,

in these learning opportunities “every hour invested pays off in

multiple ways […] because the inter-generational aspect lets

me think and see things differently … and more positively!”.

FRANCESCO COLOMBO. Group Leadership Development.



GENERATION ZDiscovering the world of health

The outbreak of the pandemic has not only put our

health system under unprecedented pressure, as

well as the economies of entire countries, but has

also caused very obvious rips in the social fabric.

Of all the population groups affected, particular attention

should be paid to the so-called ‘Generation Z’, i.e. those born

between 1990 and 2010, who were deprived of the customs

and rites of passage typical of adolescence and of their first

taste of adult life by the limitation of emotional relationships,

the cancellation of opportunities to meet and the stress

caused by isolation.

In those months, girls and boys experienced a keen sense

of powerlessness and uncertainty about the future, which,

however, brought them face to face with a reality considered

a distant realist at that age: illness is a part of life!

For this reason, in the middle of the first lockdown, Fondazione

Mondo Digitale – which promotes knowledge sharing through

digital tools – in collaboration with Janssen Italia – the pharma-

ceutical company of the Johnson & Johnson Group – launched

Fattore J: a social education project that aimed to educate

young people about empathy, respect and inclusion towards

those who are ‘different’ because they suffer from a disease.

83 webinars were organised during the school year, involving

over 12,000 young people throughout Italy.

These stimulated the development of their emotional intel-

ligence on prevention and health issues and strengthened

their confidence in matters regarding science.

The students were able to meet doctors and scientists to under-

stand the characteristics, evolution and treatment of some of the

most disabling diseases, and hear from patients what it means to

live with a disease, to feel ‘different,’ to work twice as hard to carry

out actions that, in everyday life, are considered trivial.

A real training course which, under the patronage of the

Istituto Superiore di Sanità, touched on areas such as on-

co-haematology, depression, immunology, pulmonary arteri-

al hypertension, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and

infectious diseases, and which saw the collaboration of scien-

tific societies and 8 patients’ associations.

The experience continued with a survey carried out involv-

ing 4,000 students on the subject of ‘trust in science’, which

showed that 78% of those interviewed needed clearer scientific

communication with correct information substantiated by data.

With the new school year, therefore, Factor J will be trans-

formed into a real school that will teach students how to

combat infodemics and recognise fake news in the field of

health. Again, thanks to exchanges with experts and patients,

boys and girls will be involved in new educational and popu-

lar activities aimed at raising awareness of correct scientific

information, supported by an increasingly wide network of

scientific societies and patient associations.

Parallel with Fattore J, the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and

the Johnson & Johnson Foundation are running Health4U,

a training and orientation programme for those who have al-

ready embarked on their university careers and the world

of work, with a focus on health, wellbeing and life sciences.

The pandemic has shown how necessary it is to rethink the

organisation of work in healthcare and how much we need a

class of professionals who are competent and prepared to

manage emergencies.

A generational change is necessary for the next few years

when we will experience a shortage of health personnel. This

is why it is important to address Italian students to guide them

through the changes that are transforming the health sector

and to give them a clear picture of the professions in this field.

This pandemic has taken a lot from us, yes, but it is also of-

fering us the chance to build a better future, based on new

schemes and models that can meet people’s new needs and

offer new hope to the sick.

JANSSEN | COMPANY STORYTELLING

In the midst of the first lockdown, Fondazione Mondo Digitale, in collaboration with Janssen Italia, launched Fattore J: a social education project that aimed to educate young people about empathy and respect and inclusion towards those who are ‘different’ because they suffer from a disease.


JANSSEN | COMPANY STORYTELLING

Fattore J is back with a second

edition dedicated to high school

students from all over Italy.

Promoted by the Fondazione

Mondo Digitale with Janssen Italia,

the pharmaceutical company of

the Johnson&Johnson Group,

Fattore J aims to increase

confidence in the progress of

science in younger generations,

raising awareness of the

importance of correct scientific

information and responsible

behaviour for the wellbeing and

health of all.

After reaching 100,000 young

people during the last school year,

Factor J is preparing to involve as

many more with an even stronger

network of partners!



BASEMENT CAFÉ BY LAVAZZA

The fourth season came out on 30 September Italy’s most popular blue lounge is preparing new episodes, with guests including Sofia Viscardi and Antonio Dikele Distefano.From the original YouTube channel to various social networks – Instagram and Facebook, passing through Twitch –the format that has garnered so many views and is the most loved by Generation Z is ready to return to our digital screens.The topics of the future, which can no longer be postponed, voices and role models for young people, and more: 2 guests per episode, the worlds of two generations compared. Diversity, respect, rights, music and culture to help us understand our everyday world; 9 episodes coming up... and a couple of surprises.

The first 3 seasons of Basement Café by Lavazza

collected 32 episodes featuring 44 talented partic-

ipants, on the comfortable chairs of Antonio Dikele

Distefano and Sofia Viscardi, first the best Italian

rappers, who are still a constant presence, and many of Italy’s

most famous public figures, singers, professors, journalists,

athletes, women, and astronauts. This widely viewed pro-

gramme returns with 9 episodes and the same number of

couples, online every fortnight from the end of September,

strengthened by its community and the need to address the

issues for its fourth season, including social justice and digni-

ty for future generations.

The Lavazza format is looking to go far and beyond, as was

the case last year with the season broadcast in Germany.

Since October 2020, the original Basement Café by Lavazza

YouTube channel has generated 5.8 million views, thanks to

almost 37,000 subscribers and 2.3 million unique users –

80% of whom are young and very young, aged between 16

and 35. Reactions (84,000 likes), comments (over 3000),

shares: the platform has offered dialogue and encounters

between those who, especially in the last year, have sought

escape routes and paths to knowledge, as evidenced by the

high and satisfactory average time of views (over 12 minutes)

compared to the hit-and-run consumption of content on so-

cial networks we are all unconsciously used to.

From reality to social media, and vice versa: so far, the pro-

gramme has been like a round trip of mutual exchanges,

which has virtuously investigated the lives of younger gen-

erations from a 360-degree angle. Following its debut on

YouTube, Basement has been on Facebook since its second

season, and on the video streaming platform Twitch since its

third season – and again, thanks to the consolidated network

of editorial partners, online in Esse Magazine, Venti and Chi-

li. And of course we must mention Instagram, the favourite

social network of the 44 talents, who have gone from being

guests to devoted fans of the blue lounge and good coffee, of

the underground world of Basement Café by Lavazza.

Sofia’s guestsThe next set of guests is already on-set and will be online from

autumn. Civil rights, respect for diversity, relating to societies

of the past and the future, up to and including caring for the

preferred means of expression, music and video: the fil rouge

that holds together the meetings chosen by Sofia Viscardi,

who feels increasingly at ease in the Basement, is that of in-

terpreting modernity. Ten leading figures, who meet in pairs,

as usual, over the course of 5 appointments. The digital space

and memory are the topics discussed by Roberto Saviano, a

writer and journalist who is one of the most important expo-

nents of contemporary culture, and Yotobi, the founding father

of YouTube Italia, with his sharp video-reviews. The episode on

the revolution of inclusive language cannot but feature the

schwa (ɘ: the gender-neutral form) and those who use it, such

as the linguist and essayist Vera Gheno, and Sio, a successful

cartoonist. Diversity and support for gender equality, in the

panel with Pietro Turano, who is a well-known actor featured in

Skam Italia and an adviser for ArciGay, and Fumettibrutti, the

alias of Josephine Yole Signorelli, the award-winning cartoon-

ist. The history of peoples compared with personal history, be-

tween music and popularisation, is the theme of the meeting

between Professor Alessandro Barbero and singer-songwriter

Levante. Current affairs and the fight against organised crime

LAVAZZA | COMPANY STORYTELLING


appear, on the other hand, in the testimonies and work of Pif,

the director and presenter of school investigations, and Diletta

Bellotti, already one of the most important activists on the

Italian scene at the age of only 25.

The urban scene with Antonio DikeleHost and gentleman author in search of urban stories Antonio

Dikele Distefano presents his 4 episodes. The main players in

the Italian rap scene are back: two generations and two cities

face each other and discuss, with Jake La Furia, a legend from

the former Club Dogo and the spiritual father of Italian rap in

Milan, and J Lord, who has just come of age but is already the

next big thing on the scene, directly from Naples; and again,

the world of producers, of those behind the great success of

the biggest hits, in the voices of Mace and The Night Skinny.

From rap and music to storytelling, to the issues it highlights:

another meeting brings us Madame, the 19-year-old who al-

ready starred at the Sanremo music festival, an overwhelming

and unique artist, in the company of Daria Bignardi, who has

been a highly successful journalist and presenter for over 30

years. Last but not least, we have the theme of the invisible,

of those who fight for basic rights every day, and the courage

of their dreams, in the wise words of Aboubakar Soumahoro,

trade unionist and leader of labourers and the exploited, who

will be confronted with the world of Gaia, one of the most re-

markable new voices on the Italian music scene.

The beauty of diversityThe difficulties of the present almost make the necessary

questions unspeakable – daughters of collective needs –

that Basement Café by Lavazza wants to ask. How do we

imagine the future? What words will we use to talk about

ourselves tomorrow? Which habits or thoughts can we do

without and which ones can we try to include in our routine?

While a common sentiment is that we should look back with

nostalgia to the past and be disillusioned with the future, the

great upheavals experienced in recent months mean that we

must look to tomorrow with new imagination and no fear,

if faced with radical choices that can no longer be put off.

The theme of rights and respect for diversity, naturally expe-

rienced most commonly by younger generations, is one of

those contexts investigated. How to break down prejudices

and boost individual freedom – especially in terms of gender

and sexual identity – is part of the daily work of some of

Sofia Viscardi’s guests.

The meeting with Pietro Turano and Fumettibrutti, for exam-

ple, will deal with this, thanks to their first-hand experiences:

that of Pietro, aimed at performers in the world of entertain-

ment and focused on education, to create greater awareness

and freedom from the prejudice that still surrounds homosex-

uality, or that of Josephine, the cartoonist, who in her draw-

ings (as she did throughout her trans adolescence) captures

in black and white that intimate and emotional inner life that

is common to everyone regardless of gender differences.

Sio and Vera Gheno, authors in different fields but linked by

their careful use of language to make it more inclusive, will

talk about this. Just as the linguist has brought to public at-

tention the inclusion of the schwa (ɘ) as a neutral word end-

ing in everyday speech and written texts, so Sio has included

it in his cartoons, open to new kinds of word play.

LAVAZZA | COMPANY STORYTELLING



DIVERSITY THAT GENERATES

VALUEA project for valuing ageing in organisations

The entire world today is facing a phase of epoch-

al change, in which diversity and inclusion acquire

new meanings. Inclusion means, in a workplace

context, not leaving anyone behind, but also valu-

ing all differences, creating a culture of shared values, consid-

ering different points of view on decisions, increasing work-

ers’ engagement and boosting the drive for innovation.

The ManpowerGroup believes in developing and supporting

individual talent and in creating a corporate culture where

everyone can identify with each other, regardless of age,

gender, sexual orientation, abilities or culture. The Manpow-

erGroup is committed to promoting projects that meet the

needs of companies but, primarily, the needs of individuals

and their diversity. And this year, for the sixth consecutive

year, it has been included in the ‘World’s Most Ethical Com-

panies’ ranking by Ethisphere, an international organisation

that specialises in developing best practices in business eth-

ics, governance and sustainability.

For example, the Manpower Group has specialised strongly in de-

veloping plans to manage and enhance ageing in organisations.

The current phenomenon of progressive demographic ageing

requires companies to adopt an approach that values intergen-

erationality in their human resources management policies.

To support organisations, Talent Solutions – which deals

with talent development within the Manpower Group – and

EY have set up an innovative and customised development

path, aimed at bringing out virtuous practices and behav-

iours within the company, in relation to the management of

intergenerational relations. The programme takes place over

a few months and involves experts in the fields of Age Man-

agement and Active Ageing, who collaborate with people in

the organisation to enhance their contributions and integrate

them with emerging best practices.

The course reinforces engagement and a sense of belonging

to the organisation, starting with an activity that comprises

involving, listening to, guiding and enhancing the individual

and collective contributions of participants.

The effectiveness and impact of the pathway does not end,

however. What emerges makes it possible to activate further

initiatives to maximise the effectiveness of the various parts

of the corporate population. Examples include training/re-

verse mentoring initiatives on digital skills for seniors; peer

working/mentoring programmes to broaden access to knowl-

edge inside and outside the company; project and training

paths with intergenerational and multi-disciplinary working

groups; onboarding paths in which job rotation is planned to

allow staff to build a versatile profile.

The ManpowerGroup is committed to a wide range of diver-

sity initiatives.

A team of psychologists and experts at Manpower Profes-

sional provides consultancy to companies in the search for

and selection of beneficiaries of Law 69/99 and projects for

inclusion in the company, following the cardinal principle of

Beyond – that is, going above and beyond.

Commitment to gender equality in the workplace is funda-

mental to ManpowerGroup, starting with the high percentage

of women in its workforce, which in Italy is at 75%, demon-

strating that the company is at the forefront of building an

increasingly inclusive workplace.

The ManpowerGroup also recently conducted a survey to

help companies understand the experiences of members of

the LGBTQI+ community in different workplaces. One of the

survey results stands out: 42% of people decide not to share

their sexual orientation or gender identity in the workplace,

26% because they fear discrimination and 20% because

they fear losing out on professional opportunities.

The ManpowerGroup’s commitment therefore continues,

guaranteeing and valuing the differences in gender, age,

sexual orientation, skills and culture of its people, and then

transmitting these values to the outside world, means con-

tributing to building an inclusive society where each individu-

al can feel valued and free to express themselves.

MANPOWER | COMPANY STORYTELLING


MANPOWER | COMPANY STORYTELLING

Inclusion, to foster the growth

of people and the company, is

one of the key principles of the

ManpowerGroup’s mission. The

ManpowerGroup believes in

the development and support

of individual talent and in the

creation of a corporate culture in

which everyone can identify with

each other, regardless of age,

sex, sexual orientation, abilities or

culture.



A PACT BETWEEN GENERATIONS

THAT HAVE CHOSEN

EACH OTHER

People who join Mutti are already predisposed to-

wards Mutti’s values and ‘way of doing things.’ At

the basis of relationships between people there is

humility, the richness of those who know that there

is always something to learn; there is respect, which comes

from the pride of being part of an exemplary organisation;

and there is solidarity, because nobody ever backs down.

These, and many others, are our strong, true, concrete val-

ues, and they are the foundation of a company that is over

120 years old.

A rapidly changing company, made up of many new hires

(+40 out of the total 365 only in 2020) and many people

who have been part of it for several years.

The average age of an employee in the company is 40,2, as

a result of the many employees under 35 in the company

– over 10% of the total population already has managerial

responsibilities – and of those who have been with Mutti for

over 15 years, dedicated to the values of the company and

transmitting them to new arrivals.

Just to safeguard this solid continuity of values, Mutti has

committed itself to implementing several company pro-

grammes that are different from each other, but together aim

to create an opportunity for development for employees by

strengthening and sharing the most important value assets.

One example of this is the onboarding process, which is tai-

lored to all new entrants to the company, in order to facilitate

new employees’ beginning their work through active and tan-

gible support.

This programme foresees a series of one-to-one meetings

with colleagues dedicated to different company functions,

who are particularly representative of the company and with

whom the new employee will collaborate more in the future.

Another project set up by Mutti, in order to enable produc-

tive and efficient intergenerational exchange, is Mentoring: a

programme directly involving a Mentor (a more senior figure)

and a Mentee (a middle or junior-level figure).

Mentoring is a development path designed to create mo-

ments when things can be shared and discussed in which the

Mentor, usually selected from among Mutti’s Function Heads

and Country Managers, acts as an inspirational model for the

Mentee.

The Mentoring path promoted by Mutti started about a year

ago and is currently expanding to involve employees in the

different international branches of the company.

Still on the subject of the co-generation of value and com-

parison, there are two other paths that can be counted

among the opportunities for growth and exchange: the first

is a leadership development path designed for New Manag-

ers, i.e. people who find themselves, for the first time, in a

position with significant managerial responsibilities, which

aims to provide management and awareness development

tools to our new resource leaders, whether they are new em-

ployees or already established figures in the company and

included in a growth path; the second is an Action Learn-

ing programme which, by working in subgroups on strategic

inter-functional projects with high added value, enables our

people to create networks and consolidate relationships at

various organisational and seniority levels within the organ-

isation, all suitably supported by learning and reflection on

the dynamics of horizontal leadership and VUCA (Volatility,

Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity).

In fact, the main objective is to share common values through-

MUTTI | COMPANY STORYTELLING


out the group in order to promote integration, seeking to cre-

ate a group culture that transcends territorial boundaries.

However, it is necessary to underline an important facet: all

these activities are designed to create two-way personal de-

velopment and growth to benefit both the senior and junior

figures.

Inspiring people and acting as a role model is a central pur-

pose for Mutti. This is why InspirinGirls has been introduced,

an extremely interesting initiative promoted by Valore D that

involves some of Mutti’s employees who have specialised

in STEM activities and are working at production sites or in

logistics centres.

These are women who have spoken about their profession-

al path to children attending secondary schools, in order to

create a dialogue with future generations and to raise aware-

ness and encourage young students to choose their careers

without preconceptions.

Mutti’s story, which is already over one hundred years old,

has been made possible by the people who participate every

day with passion, dedication and spirit of enterprise.

These are 3 vital elements that characterise a tangible and

visionary company culture, which stimulates employees to

always put take chances and not take anything for granted.

It is a sincere, authentic, special culture and, for this reason,

Mutti remains determined to hand it down to future gener-

ations.

MUTTI | COMPANY STORYTELLING

Mutti is committed to implementing several corporate programmes that are different from each other but together aim to create an opportunity for development for employees by strengthening and sharing the most important value assets.



CONNECTING FIVE

GENERATIONSN-Gen and La Scuola as an example

of intergenerationality at work

For over 90 years we have been monitoring consum-

er behaviour and developing in-depth studies and

market forecasts. We have stuck to a solid founda-

tion based on accurate analysis, a wide range of

cross-sector solutions and an independent view of the indus-

try; we aspire to be the best-in-class partner for our clients.

Understanding diverse consumers and their buying prefer-

ences goes beyond data analysis for us; providing fair rep-

resentation and being unbiased in our approach, staying true

to diversity and inclusion (D&I) in everything we do, is at the

heart of NielsenIQ.

Our office in Italy is home to 5 generations of employees

who work together to make us the most trusted partner in

the industry.

NielsenIQ Italy’s Inclusion Impact Team (IIT) is composed of

14 colleagues who represent different age groups, sexual

identities, nationalities, backgrounds, seniority and functions

within the company.

Worldwide, IITs support the work of NielsenIQ’s employee af-

finity groups (n-erg) by tailoring them to the needs of individ-

ual offices or regions. The uniqueness of individuals comes

from intersectionality, so NielsenIQ works in a matrix across

all n-ergs at a regional level, advancing specific affinity needs

in a cohesive way. In addition, n-ergs ‘keep an eye’ on gaps

to be filled and, together with local IITs at the individual office

level, drive people engagement and personalised communi-

cation where needed.

Developing a positive connection and inclusive culture among

employees is an ongoing process. Valeria Miccolis, chair of

NielsenIQ’s Inclusion Impact Italia team, proudly comments:

‘In 2020, in the middle of the lockdown, we launched an en-

tire cultural intelligence journey through our 5 n-ergs. Month-

ly meetings to evaluate our ability to put ourselves other

people’s shoes, to experience our limitations, to recognise

our privileges, to exercise our curiosity about the “superpow-

ers” of others, to be open to broader points of view and to be

able to welcome innovative solutions.’

One of the n-ergs is NielsenIQ Generation (N-gen), which is

dedicated to providing a space for dialogue and intergenera-

tional exchanges of ideas and opinions.

The aim is to strengthen inclusivity in the workplace between

different generations and build connections between the

company’s employees who represent different demograph-

ics, experiences, thinking styles and visions.

In addition to N-gen, other n-ergs working locally in NielsenIQ

Italy include Women in NielsenIQ (WIN), Multinational Organ-

isation Supporting An Inclusive Culture (MOSAIC), LGBT+ &

Allies (PRIDE) and Abled and Disabled Employees Partnering

Together (ADEPT).

In 2019, NielsenIQ Italy’s HR team created a certification

programme called LaScuola, aimed at new hires and interns

to accelerate the onboarding process and support employee

mobility within the company.

LaScuola has many similarities with N-gen, as it brings to-

gether different generations under a common cause and

celebrates the coming together of professors, students and

friends representing different generations and schools of

thought.

The IIT took the opportunity to help define the programme

and to include the D&I module in the opening session of the

learning pathway, ensuring that NielsenIQ’s D&I strategy and

knowledge of its n-erg are shared with all new colleagues.

In 2020, despite the pandemic, LaScuola’s classes were

successfully held online and around 20 students were certi-

fied by the end of last year. The overall response to the pro-

gramme has been very positive, there have been 4 editions

NIELSENIQ | COMPANY STORYTELLING


involving 37 teachers, 13 friends and one hundred students

and feeding off their combined efforts and energy.

Both LaScuola and N-gen have demonstrated the ability to

build alliances and grow in the workplace regardless of gen-

eration gaps or tenure. They are both building meaningful

relationships, activating engagement and enhancing the ca-

reers of employees from all generations.

Miccolis concludes, ‘Starting in 2021 we are opening our

workshops to external guests, customers, vendors and start-

ups, because we firmly believe that sharing best practices

and building alliances is the key to taking things a step fur-

ther.’

NIELSENIQ | COMPANY STORYTELLING

One of the n-ergs is NielsenIQ Generation (N-gen) – dedicated to providing a space for dialogue and intergenerational exchanges of ideas and opinions. The aim is to strengthen inclusivity in the workplace between different generations and build connections between the company’s employees who represent different demographics, experiences, thinking styles and visions.



iTALentThe Pfizer Italy project

No one knows where a talent might be hiding until

‘talent meets opportunity’, as Seneca would put it.

And Pfizer knows this well. The multinational biop-

harmaceutical company has for years been commit-

ted to its journey of valuing differences by promoting an inclu-

sive environment, where the almost 90,000 employees, who

come from over 100 countries, have the opportunity to work

in different geographical and cultural contexts, continuously ex-

change experiences and thoughts with colleagues who work in

all different capacities and all over the world, and have interna-

tional career opportunities, including in Italy.

‘This not only allows us to attract the brightest talents, but

ensures that everyone can work in a harmonious and mul-

ticultural environment, where diversity and inclusion are an

integral part of corporate and individual life,’ says Roberto

Tocci, Sr. Director HR Italy & Biopharma Cluster, IDM. ‘Our

values represent who we are with regard to colleagues, but

also to patients and all our stakeholders; how can we inter-

act with a highly diverse external world if we are not diverse

internally?’

Diversity brings with it a rich range of ideas and vision and,

therefore, innovation. For this reason, Pfizer Italy has decided

to focus on talent development, including the different aspira-

tions and talents of each colleague. Hence the iTALent - Grow-

ing Enterprise Leaders of Italy project, an initiative aimed at

creating a structured process to develop the Enterprise Lead-

ers of the future, a cultural change that will enable the growth

of Italian talents and enhance their visibility at Pfizer.

Enterprise Leaders have a holistic view of the organisation

and encourage the achievement of collective results by work-

ing on behalf of the whole organisation, rather than focus-

ing exclusively on the objectives of their own business area,

function or team. Metaphorically, an Enterprise Leader is

also able to use their peripheral (lateral) vision in addition to

frontal (siloed) vision, having to reconcile the interests of their

team in achieving their goals with a sense of responsibility for

the success of the entire business.

The iTALent project is based on 3 important pillars for people

development: Recruitment, Assessment and Growth. ‘With

iTALent, Italy will be one of the first countries to “test” the in-

itiative as early as 2021,’ explains Roberto Tocci. ‘It is a pro-

ject that intends to transform process and mindset. On the

one hand, it analyses current processes and, by leveraging

the varied experiences and knowledge of colleagues in the

working groups, proposes actions to improve these; on the

other hand, it wants to promote a cultural change regarding

the professional growth and development of people, dedi-

cating time and attention to everyone. In fact, depending on

the activities that each workstream will develop, colleagues

from distinct functions and at different hierarchical levels will

be involved. We will soon launch a communication campaign

to make colleagues aware of the need to rethink their own

growth and development in diverse ways (horizontal, diago-

nal, vertical), encouraging everyone to look for opportunities

to enhance their experiences outside of their comfort zone.’

PFIZER | COMPANY STORYTELLING

It is a project that aims to transform process and mindset. On the one hand, it analyses current processes and, drawing on the varied experiences and knowledge of colleagues in the work groups, proposes actions to improve them; on the other hand, it aims to promote cultural change regarding the professional growth and development of people, dedicating time and attention to everyone.


PFIZER | COMPANY STORYTELLING

One important innovation in development plans is zig-zag

development, a non-linear experience of growth that allows

people to be more flexible, curious, highly agile and inclusive

of diversity. Not only does this help you to improve and en-

hance your skills, but it also makes your typical career path

more flexible and therefore better suited to your individual

needs, opening the door to the Next Generation of leaders

who will have an ever-expanding “toolbox” and the ability to

choose from 4 possible career paths:

• Be the Best! - Be the best in this professional role. Be

the best! Be the best in the role. This means increasing

your capabilities in terms of performance, leadership and

awareness by staying in your role, expanding your knowl-

edge in specific areas related to your area, acquiring new

experiences that will serve to become the best and to

gain the most experience in the role.

• Next experience - Horizontal Growth. Acquire new knowl-

edge and experience aligned with your function or area of

expertise to develop a broader perspective.

• Cross-Functional - Diagonal growth. Taking on roles in differ-

ent areas outside of your initial function or area of expertise

can be a wonderful way to increase key experiences and

gain a broader, more holistic perspective of the business.

• Next Level - Vertical Growth. Grow within the organisation

by moving into a position of greater responsibility, leader-

ship and level of challenge.

We are convinced that these investments in human capital,

this ongoing, consistent attention will bring great benefits

to the individual and to the organisation as a whole, which

grows and changes with us, in a consistent search for excel-

lence and innovation.

COMPANY STORYTELLING | PFIZER

ROBERTO TOCCI. Sr. Director HR Italy & Biopharma Cluster, International Developed Markets (IDM)



AT SANOFI WE TRAIN

EMOTIONAL AGILITY

One of Sanofi Italia’s most recent training projects

focuses on emotional intelligence and agility: ‘In

the last year and a half, the theme of recogni-

tion, management and enhancement of feelings

in the workplace has been revealed in all its centrality,’ says

Daniela Fostera, Country-People Development Head at Sa-

nofi Italy. [This] ‘is a very sensitive issue that, too often in the

past, was ignored by companies because it was considered

secondary, while during the pandemic, we all experienced

first-hand how strong feelings (fear and anger, above all) have

impacted our daily lives and relationships with colleagues

and employees.’

Certainly, in 2021, fear has been one of the primary feelings

and the one that has most affected the lives of Sanofi Italia

employees; for this reason, for over a year now, the compa-

ny has been working to support the entire workforce, which,

due to the anti-Covid provisions, has had to accelerate and

amplify the transition to extended smart working and which

has, inevitably, significantly blurred the boundaries between

personal and professional lives.

‘This delicate phase of profound change has to do with feel-

ings,’ continues Fostera, ‘and it was important for us to take

care of them right from the start: through dedicated webi-

nars we started to support people, even remotely. We started

working on the theme of feelings with the project Un tempo

inaudito (inaudito means ‘unheard of’ in Italian, ed.). Unheard

of because we lived in a different era now and that had to be

addressed with different projects.’

This year, Sanofi Italia has decided to invest further in the

theme of feelings, with a specific objective: helping managers

to recognise and manage their feelings, both for their person-

al growth and to improve relations with employees. ‘Acquir-

ing skills related to emotional intelligence and agility allows

us, as a company,’ says Fostera, ‘to boost our talent attrac-

SANOFI | COMPANY STORYTELLING

This is a very sensitive issue which, all too often in the past, has been ignored by companies.During the pandemic, we all experienced first-hand how strong feelings (fear and anger, above all) impacted on our daily lives and our relationships with our colleagues and co-workers.


SANOFI | COMPANY STORYTELLING

tiveness, empowerment and our employees’ performance.’

The course, which is run with a scientific partner involving

coaches, psychologists and counsellors who are experts in

neurobiology, intelligence and emotional agility, is delivered

in 2 modules: a theoretical part delivered via webinar; and

virtual classrooms. The practical part is transformed into a

real workout in which managers practice and experiment with

what they have learned previously. ‘The structuring of these

2 modules allows us to arrive at a more effective and efficient

result, because the theoretical part is immediately translated

into practice and made concrete,’ specifies Fostera.

Participation in the course proposed by Sanofi, which is on

a voluntary basis, has already been exceeded by 50%: 160

of 300 managers have participated in the programme. The

course is open and free: each manager can sign up for the

webinar or virtual classroom (this one has a limited number

of participants) of their interest. The topics focus on emotion-

al awareness, self-management and social awareness.

‘These issues are linked to our D&I policy,’ continues Fostera,

‘to the focus on and enhancement of cultural differences, to

everyone’s experiences and, also, to different age groups:

feelings have a genesis that is linked to each individual’s ex-

perience, therefore to their past and present. In this process,

it is necessary to consider the age and life stage of a manag-

er who may be at the beginning of their professional career,

compared to another manager with years of experience, who

is a leader in the organisation: each person experiences, de-

pending on their age, certain types of feelings that they will

regulate and manage differently depending on their experi-

ence.

The subject of emotion regulation is absolutely different de-

pending on the stage of life we are going through, and this

aspect is dealt with both during the webinars and in the vir-

tual classrooms (which include participants of all ages, be-

tween 30 and 60). ‘This is another reason the company is

very interested in this course,’ concludes Fostera, ‘because

it involves our being and acting as professionals: I recognise

the feeling, I verbalise it, I distance myself from it and then I

manage it. It is essential to learn to process the deepest parts

of oneself in order to achieve greater awareness and better

management of one’s emotional flow. At every age and in

every phase of life.

DANIELA FOSTERA, Country HR Sanofi Genzyme &

People Development Head at Sanofi Italia.



AGEING AND WORK

Focusing on disability

Many attributes, such as judgement and strategic

thinking, develop or manifest for the first time as

we grow older. Work experience and skills also

grow with age. However, some functional capac-

ities, mainly physical and sensory ones, decline as a result of

the natural ageing process.

The gradual ageing of the population sounds an alarm bell

and poses a challenge to employment policy makers. The

promotion of employment opportunities for an ageing work-

force requires innovative ideas in terms of welfare and work-

ing conditions adapted to professional needs.

At the European level, labour markets have the potential to

facilitate older workers by promoting equity through an inter-

generational approach.

Eurofound, the EU agency for the improvement of living and

working conditions, has conducted research since the 1990s

that focuses on labour market participation, work perfor-

mance, working conditions and the employment preferences

of older workers in the policy context of the changing demo-

graphic profile in Europe. The work has also focused on pub-

lic support and initiatives at the company level that promote

the employment of older workers, especially in the 55-64

age group.

One of the main findings of the survey is that although older

workers are less likely to be unemployed than younger work-

ers, they believe that if they were to become unemployed

they would not find a new job with the same pay or would

even have difficulty re-entering the market.

Another aspect that emerged from the survey is the prefer-

ence for working shorter hours, which would make it possible

for older workers to manage their work in a more sustainable

and long-term way.

Recent research has focused on extending working life

through flexible retirement schemes, mid-career reviews and

financial incentives.

We are therefore witnessing a progressive delaying of retire-

ment, with all the consequences that this can have for people

with disabilities.

Based on the data reported below on the distribution of em-

ployed persons with disabilities and all employed persons,

divided by age group, we can in fact deduce that the rise

in the age of employed persons corresponds to a worsening

of the health conditions of workers with disabilities (Source:

Fondazione Studi Consulenti del Lavoro on Eurostat data and

Ministry of Labour and Social Policies 2019).

• Up to 39 years old

Employed people with disabilities: 17.5%.

Total employed: 36%

• Between 40 and 49 years old

Employed persons with disabilities: 28.8%

Total employed: 29.9%

• Between 50 and 59 years old


otal employed: 26.7%.

• Over 60 years old


Total employed: 7.3%

In contrast to the delaying of retirement, there is a need for

workers with disabilities to access their pension early. But

what are the requirements for early retirement for people

with disabilities or for carers of family members with disa-

bilities?

In 2011, with Decree no. 201, entitled ‘Disposizioni in ma-

teria di trattamenti pensionistici’ (Provisions on retirement

treatments), Minister Fornero relaunched two institutions

that were already in force (Legislative Decree 503/92) ded-

icated to early retirement compared to the general legisla-

tion, which required workers be 66 years and 7 months of

age or have 42 years and 10 months of contributions for

early retirement (41 years and 10 months for women).

If they had at least 20 years of contributions, in 2013 work-

ers with a disability rate of 80% or more were able to re-

tire at 60 years and 7 months for men and 55 years and 7

months for women.

Let us see in detail what Law 104 currently provides in terms

SELTIS HUB | COMPANY STORYTELLING


SELTIS HUB | COMPANY STORYTELLING

of early retirement.

All persons who qualify under Law 104 are entitled to an

early retirement pension, but in diverse ways: employees in

the private sector are entitled to an early retirement pension,

while public sector workers can obtain a disability pension if

they are unable to work.

In the private sector, beneficiaries of Law 104 are eligible for

an early disability pension if they meet the following require-

ments:

• 61/56 years of age for men/women

• contributory age of at least 20 years

• recognised 80% disability

In the public sector it works differently. There is a disabili-

ty pension that can be partial or total. Partial incapacity re-

quires at least 15 years of contributions. If the disability is

total, the contribution years must amount to at least 5 (of

which 3 must have been earned in the last 5 years). A medi-

cal commission decides which of the two options to consider

once the level of severity has been established.

An early retirement pension is also available for carers of dis-

abled family members. Who can apply? All those who have

been assisting the disabled person for at least 6 months and

the latter can be:

• a spouse or a first-degree relative as long as they are

cohabiting;

• a second-degree relative if the latter has parents or

a spouse aged 70 or older or who has died and is therefore

left alone.

Once the doctor’s approval is obtained, early retirement can

take place in two ways: through Quota 41 or through Ape

Sociale (early retirement at zero cost).

Quota 41 provides that 41 years of contributions and one

year of contributions must be paid before 19. The age is not

important.

In order to be eligible for Quota 41, the following parameters

must be met:

• Unemployed person who has been unemployed for

3 months;

• Disabled worker with a 74% disability rate;

• Caregiver who, for at least 6 months, has been car-

ing for a family member with a serious disability;

• Worker who performs an exhausting job.

As for Ape, the requirement is 63 years of age and 30 years

of contributions. If the required parameters are met, there

are no costs or penalties. It is also possible to anticipate the

pension for all those who are more than 75% disabled. They

are entitled to 2 months of additional imputed contributions.

This allows all beneficiaries of Law 104 to retire 5 years – at

most – earlier. Those who have a disability of over 80% are

eligible for early retirement.

To sum up, we have seen that, while pension reforms have

greatly extended working lives, at the same time there has

been an increase in workloads that produce premature wear

and tear on human beings, bringing about the phenomenon

of extensive chronic diseases. Often these disorders become

disabling as they progress, seriously affecting the employabil-

ity of older people. It is not enough to postpone retirement;

there must be a willingness to maintain the employability of

older workers, including by adapting work to their needs.

Careful risk assessment must consider age and the resulting

changes in the functional capacities of ageing workers. Atten-

tion should be paid to poor posture, working hours, severe

microclimates, stress factors and joint limitations, to name

but a few examples.

It will be necessary to change attitudes towards ageing and

this will only be possible through continuous updating, train-

ing managers, raising awareness of the issue and making

work more flexible.

COMPANY STORYTELLING | SELTIS HUB

ELENA BELLONI, Senior Consultant Seltis Hub



GENDER EQUALITY

Snam’s commitment strengthens the role of women from school to work

From school to the beginnings of working lives and

beyond. Snam’s commitment to expanding and

strengthening the role of women is based on a solid

awareness that looks to the past, present and fu-

ture.

From the need, born of the group’s past which, like the en-

tire sector, has historically been characterised by a strong

male presence, to increasingly reduce the gender gap, to

the results in the present, with a growing female presence

in Snam – professionals whose role is enhanced in positions

of responsibility that are reflected in concrete actions and

precise objectives.

From the achievements to the next steps towards a future

that has been defined clearly by the 2030 Agenda, which

includes gender balance among the 17 sustainable develop-

ment goals. Snam frames the issue of gender as a commit-

ment that starts in society, on school benches, and arrives at

the workplace on a daily basis.

This is the objective pursued by the top management. In fact,

the group’s articles of association have been amended to in-

SNAM | COMPANY STORYTELLING

From its achievements to the next steps towards a future defined clearly by the 2030 Agenda, which includes gender balance among the 17 sustainable development goals, Snam frames the issue of gender as a commitment that starts with society, at school, and arrives in the workplace.This is the objective pursued by top management. In fact, the group’s articles of association have been amended to include a gender balance criterion that reserves at least 40% of the membership positions of the Board of Directors for the least represented gender.


SNAM | COMPANY STORYTELLING

clude a gender balance criterion that reserves at least 40%

of the membership positions of the Board of Directors for the

least represented gender.

Snam also adheres to the Equal by 30 Campaign, a public

commitment by public and private sector organisations to

work towards equal pay, equal leadership and equal oppor-

tunities for women in the energy sector by 2030.

Snam’s acceleration plan on gender balance is based on a

number of strategic elements:

Clear definition of group objectives

The presence of women in management positions, 21.75%

of the total in 2021, is to increase progressively to 25% in

2023. In the succession plans for the first, second line and

key positions, women, who make up 25% in 2021, will make

up 27% in 2023.

In order to achieve these objectives, the proportion of wom-

en among new recruits has already been increased to 31%,

rising to 42% in staff functions. The growth of the female

component is also one of the elements that weigh in the

variable part of top management remuneration: 10% of the

long-term plan is in fact correlated to the growing proportion

of women in leadership positions.

Women and STEM subjects

In order to reduce the gender gap in the sector, it is impor-

tant that girls, too, focus on STEM subjects. Although girls

perform as well as, if not better than, their peers in these

subjects, the data is not encouraging: only 5% of 15-year-old

girls plan to pursue a STEM degree and only 16% of STEM

graduates are women.

A change in trend is needed. Aware of this need, Snam has

chosen to fund scholarships for female engineering students,

for example with the Milan and Bari Polytechnics.

Female empowerment

Fondazione Snam’s cultural promotion of inclusion is consist-

ent with the group’s commitment to women’s empowerment,

which also takes the form of various projects in secondary

schools – meetings with role models, workshops – conducted

in partnership with Valore D and the InspirinGirls programme.

Digital and inclusive school

In mid-April, Snam took over the presidency of the ELIS Con-

sortium, which it will retain for 6 months, and proposed a new

educational project for young people: an inclusive ‘school’ for

the ecological and digital transition for high school boys and

girls.

It is only by contributing to the education, freedom of ex-

pression and critical faculties of younger generations that we

will be able to ensure a truly inclusive future for the planet,

for companies of course, but also for society as a whole.


Nadia Bertaggia

GENDER AND GENERATIONS The secret to a future-proof company

Almost a year and a half into the pandemic,

thanks to the vaccination campaign we are able

to glimpse the beginnings of a new normality:

the economy and its recovery will have to be

based on work, understood in the most inclusive and ex-

tensive sense possible, considering what we have learned

recently on these issues. Although it has been obvious for

some time, it is now necessary to understand how the arrival

of an increasingly varied and numerically consistent work-

force in the market can create wellbeing, opportunities and

growth. Not only: under the right conditions, increased em-

ployment creates greater equality and shared wealth. This is

exactly what, now more than ever, we need.

Here I want to focus on young people and women, two ‘cat-

egories’ of people who have suffered more than others from

the impact of the crisis. On the one hand, because of the

lack of opportunities and vision at a structural level, and on

the other because their needs and expectations of profes-

sional life do not match those of the ‘black and white’ world

in which previous generations grew up. If we want to drive

recovery by fostering inclusive environments and attracting

top talent, we cannot ignore these two categories, which are

central to ‘future-proofing’ organisations.

Global Workplace Trend research, recently conducted by So-

dexo Group, helps profile Generation Z youth.

So-called ‘digital natives’ prefer a dynamic and stimulat-

ing work environment that invokes constant interactions to

which they have access thanks to technology. The individu-

alistic imprint is strong, physical and psychological wellbeing

is the most crucial factor for their happiness, but we know

that Gen Z is also the generation most committed to fighting

climate change and discrimination. The choices they make,

including their choice of workplace, are driven by values to a

greater degree than previous generations.

The obstacles to women entering the workplace, unfortu-

nately, are well-known: preconceptions about girls’ educa-

tional and personal attainment, a cumbersome gender pay

gap and a disproportion in the management of the unpaid

domestic workload between men and women. In Italy, on av-

erage, only one woman out of 2 works, in the South and on

the islands the number is even lower, one out of 3, and if

we consider the 25- to 34-year-olds, we are at the bottom

of Europe in terms of female employment. The majority of

women carry out less qualified and less remunerative work

than men: therefore, there are professional and managerial

ranks that are still almost totally closed to women. All these

data have been reiterated on several occasions, but without

real progress being made.

Considering this context, as a company we have an impor-

tant but simple goal: to ensure access to work based on

equality for all and to enable the people who work with us

to develop a true sense of belonging in the company, which

brings wealth not only in terms of the goals achieved in the

work we do for our customers and the communities in which

we operate, but also in the personal lives of employees.

In our opinion, an interesting path to cultivating this sense

of unity and pride is to encourage professional relationships

between different generations, a fundamental lever of our Di-

versity, Equity & Inclusion strategy and part of the 5 pillars

on which our approach in this area is based.

SODEXO | COMPANY STORYTELLING

Come azienda abbiamo un importante ma semplice obiettivo: garantire un accesso al lavoro fondato sull’eguaglianza per tutti e permettere alle persone che lavorano con noi di sviluppare un vero senso di appartenenza nei confronti dell’azienda


SODEXO | COMPANY STORYTELLING

Promoting integration between gener-

ations is a primary necessity that we

find even in the most ‘closed’ compa-

nies and is an essential starting point

to encourage greater openness on

other fronts, which is well summarised

in the other 4 pillars of our approach:

Gender, Culture & Origins, Disability

and Sexual Orientation. When inte-

gration works, a synergy is generated

that spontaneously leads to so-called

‘reverse mentoring,’ a form of exchang-

es and mutual learning that often goes

far beyond job skills, to positively im-

pact people’s lives as a whole. For too

long we thought it was only young

people who needed to learn from old-

er professionals, but technological dis-

ruption and the speed at which socie-

ty changes have taught us that this is

not the case. Integration between gen-

erations is very positive, for example,

for encouraging female empowerment

and leadership and for transmitting

company values in a widespread way.

Sodexo also strengthens its commit-

ment to being an inclusive employer

year after year with new initiatives

and partnerships. Among the most

important, I would like to mention the

Italian talent attraction project Prima-

vera; Olvida las princesas (Forget the

princesses) against gender stereo-

types (now in its fifth edition in Spain);

and SheWorks, a job shadowing pro-

gramme implemented globally that

offers young girls or students the op-

portunity to shadow Sodexo staff for

an entire day, with the aim of learning

about the job opportunities they can

aspire to in a corporate context.

Our Global Workplace Trend predicts

that by 2025 members of Genera-

tion Z will account for one-third of the

global workforce, while the Bank of It-

aly estimates that if the percentage of

women at work reached 60 percent,

national GDP would grow by 7 per-

centage points. To emerge from the

crisis and build the future that awaits

us, inclusion is a necessary step that

cannot be put off any longer. The evo-

lution of regulations on these issues

follows more tortuous and inevitably

slow paths but, as companies, we can

and must play a key role in setting the

tone, welcoming everyone’s needs, es-

pecially those of young people, and

transmitting our idea of progress.

NADIA BERTAGGIA. Degree in Occupational Psychology and Specialisation at the Faculty of Imperial College in London, HR Director Sodexo Italy



WHEN WOMEN LEAD,

CHANGE HAPPENS

For some time now, State Street, a US financial ser-

vices and banking company, has been on a path of

diversity inclusion marked by concrete and struc-

tured actions. The most recent leg of the journey

has led the company to support the Valeria Solesin Award,

an initiative promoted by the Meritocracy Forum and Allianz

Partners, dedicated to the researcher of the same name, who

was killed in the attack on the Bataclan in Paris in the fall of

2015.

The award, now in its fifth edition, has as its objective to en-

hance female talent, through the research of female students

at Italian universities, as an engine for the economic and so-

cial growth of the country. The work of the first 4 editions has

been collected in the book Forza ragazze, al lavoro (Come on girls, get to work) by Paola Corna Pellegrini, CEO of Alli-

anz Partners, which, inspired by the legacy of Solesin, brings

together the experiences of the participants, protagonists of

change for a fair, inclusive and meritocratic society.

State Street believes in the search for and enhancement of

talent and, for this reason, has decided to support the award.

And that’s how I met Alessia Gesualdi, winner of the State

Street Scholarship. After graduating from the University of

Bologna with a thesis in business management focused on

gender diversity, Alessia became a business analyst in the IT

industry, where she continues to pursue research and com-

mitment to gender diversity. ‘There are some things you just

must not compromise on,’ Alessia explains, ‘like not being

able to pursue a profession or aspire to a top position be-

cause of gender bias, the presence of this “glass ceiling” that

we still haven’t been able to break through.’

The conversation with her was enjoyable and enriching.

Alessia, what pushed you to author a thesis on gender di-

versity?

This thesis was a starting point, but it was the result of a

lengthy process of awareness: of the existence of inequal-

ity that remains too deeply rooted in the processes of de-

cision-making and the incredible added value that gender

diversity can bring.

The work has developed from a set of reflections and oppor-

tunities, reinforced by observations of everyday life. We live

in a world where the default evil (structural prejudice against

women) is present in most contexts and activities we engage

in: almost exclusively male executive positions in boards, in

public administration, in STEM professions, but also in urban

and workplace design.

How did you develop the work?

I decided to focus on the study of gender diversity in the

boards of directors of companies listed on the Milan Stock

Exchange – in light of the introduction of the 2011 Gol-

STATE STREET | COMPANY STORYTELLING

STEFANIA COLOMBO. Manager of the Client Relation-ship Management team, chair of the Professional Women Network of State Street ERG


STATE STREET | COMPANY STORYTELLING

fo-Mosca law – and the possible changes that a leader can

create, through an analysis of the positions. In my research, I

analysed the pre- and post-reform context (2008-2017), as-

sessing the increase in the percentage of women on boards,

on the one hand, and the small number of women in top

management, on the other.

I paid attention to the differences between family firms and

non-family firms, analysing what changes can occur in the

presence of female leadership (CEO or President) on boards

in terms of consistency, characteristics and roles played by

women.

There are several points of contact between the activities

promoted by State Street and the theme covered in your

thesis. For example, the Fearless Girl is an installation that we

have already talked about here in DiverCity, commissioned

by State Street, which is now in front of the New York Stock

Exchange, with the aim of promoting gender diversity and

encouraging the inclusion of women in boards of directors

with the idea that, when women are in charge, things change.

What did your research reveal?

When women hold top positions, a first sign of change can

be seen within the BoD itself. The results of my analysis

showed that the percentage of women on boards increases

in the presence of female leadership (CEO or President). The

increase in the number of women on boards enables the cre-

ation of that critical mass needed to legitimise the presence

of a minority within the group that is capable of both influ-

encing the choices of the board and facilitating the reduction

of the glass ceiling effect.

[Glass ceiling: a phenomenon where it is impossible for wom-

en to reach top positions in their working environment, which

are generally reserved for the male population, ed.] Critical

mass, in turn, legitimises the very presence of a female CEO.

Based on the findings of your studies, what other benefits

does the presence of female leadership bring?

Female leadership can also affect the role women play on

the board: with a female CEO or President, the likelihood of

women serving as independent directors decreases, increas-

ing female representation in executive positions.

This result is very important, as women, to date, have not

really broken through the glass ceiling and remain underrep-

resented in the executive.

Effectively, female leadership can generate changes both

within and outside of boards, but there is still a long way to

go: the Golfo-Mosca law has allowed an increase in gender

quotas within boards, but cultural and social change is need-

ed to confirm real gender inclusion.

Il cambiamento genera altro cambiamento. È questo il valore aggiunto della ricerca condotta da Alessia Gesualdi. Un cambiamento che parte da una presa di coscienza e prende corpo con le azioni: è necessario continuare a “contare” per verificare la presenza delle donne e contrastare situazioni di disuguaglianza, abbattendo i pregiudizi e promuovendo la cultura della diversità attraverso, anche, un corretto utilizzo del linguaggio di genere. Non c’è merito senza pari opportunità. Un mantra, questo, imprescindibile per State Street.

ALESSIA GESUALDI, Master’s degree in business management. Business Analyst and collaborator with the CSR - Gender Diversity group at Capgemini.



INTERVIEW WITH

FRANÇOIS PINTE

What is your role at Synergie and what were your expectations when you start-ed?I am currently the General Secretary of

Synergie Group, since 2003. At that time, when I joined the

company, this role did not yet exist. I began to define the

Secretary General’s scope of responsibility based on tasks

that our President and our Executive Board were willing to

entrust to me as we went along.

In addition to the normal administrative and legal duties usu-

ally associated with the role of Secretary General of an or-

ganisation or company, one of the first requests I made was

to be the point of reference for CSR policies.

In addition to obviously being a personal aspiration, it

seemed essential to me that the direction of CSR be entrust-

ed to a transversal and cross-functional function within the

company, since CSR affects all areas and concerns all depart-

ments and functions.

However, I was aware that a CSR policy is not imposed from

above. I am well aware that it is more effective if you build a

work plan that involves all your colleagues, so that as many

people as possible adhere to it.

On the other hand, in other offices in France, both public and

private, these activities were already underway and in our

subsidiaries and also abroad, particularly in Italy, under the

management of Giuseppe Garesio.

My role was to complete what had already been started, con-

solidating what already existed and building a roadmap with

all the actors in the company. The path would inevitably be

consistent with our business and shared by all the branches.

In fact, every year we organise two meetings with the CSR

committees, to compare ourselves with all the corresponding

local CSR managers.

This is an opportunity to assess our progress, share our best

practices and set new goals through a progress plan.

What are the main strands of your CSR policy? Our CSR policy has been built around a rationale of respect-

ing the diversity of job seekers. These are the three priorities

of our CSR policy:

• Ensure non-discrimination in hiring for all our candidates.

• Ensure upskilling to meet the expectations of our clients.

• Ensure the safety of our temporary workers, in jobs they

sometimes ‘discover’ for the first time.

These values are also shared by an increasing number of cus-

tomers. Our ambition is to be the point of reference in terms

of ‘responsible’ temporary work.

What does diversity mean to you? For us, diversity is a principle of non-discrimination in recruit-

ment. A principle that we must guarantee for candidates who

come to Synergie. This allows us to offer incredible oppor-

tunities to our clients: to come into contact with a pool of

candidates, each of whom is capable of bringing the great-

est added value. Sometimes we must help companies over-

come certain prejudices, but our consultants are trained to

SYNERGIE | COMPANY STORYTELLING

For us, diversity is a principle of non-discrimination in recruitment. A principle that we must guarantee for candidates who come to Synergie. This allows us to offer incredible opportunities to our clients: to come into contact with a pool of candidates, each of whom is capable of bringing the greatest added value.


SYNERGIE | COMPANY STORYTELLING

do so and know how to highlight the objective capabilities of

our candidates. In these times of economic recovery and a

shortage of candidates, this is a formidable talent pool that is

available to the most open and challenging companies.

At Synergie, we are particularly committed to the inclusion

of people with disabilities. But before suggesting our clients

commit to this path, we wanted to commit ourselves. After

all, this is what we are doing: as many as 7% of our perma-

nent staff are disabled. Credibility is also earned by example.

Has this culture influenced your growth? A recent survey by Ethifinance showed that the publicly trad-

ed companies most committed to CSR are also the ones with

the strongest growth. This result is basically pretty easy to

understand:

• Not only do our employees find more motivation in their

work and are more engaged, but they also remain loyal to

the company.

• Our customers are reassured that they have a partner

committed to inclusion.

• More and more investors are choosing engaged brands

because they are consistent with their values.

CSR is therefore a driver of growth and longevity.

How do you evaluate your performance? Every year we have our CSR policy evaluated. Our efforts

have been well rewarded. We have received several impor-

tant recognitions: from the world of investors with our entry

into the Top Ten of the Gaïa Rating ranking of the 230 most

efficient SMEs in CSR, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange

(with a score of 86/100). Or, to cite another example, we

obtained another important result from the international au-

ditor Ecovadis who, for the first time in our history, awarded

us the Platinum rating reserved for the 1% of our sector with

the best CSR ratings.

Where do you see Synergie in five years? Synergie is currently the fifth-largest European player in the

temporary work and recruitment sector. Our ambition is

clearly to be among the top 10 in the world.

To achieve this goal, the roadmap of the Chairman of the

Board, Victorien Vaney, is clear: to offer our clients and can-

didates increasingly effective digital tools, while retaining

what has made Synergie strong: human and local support to

ensure that placement remains a very accurate and reliable

affair. Indeed, at Synergie, we never forget that behind every

candidate, there is an important life project.

FRANÇOIS PINTE: Secrétaire Général & Directeur

Conformité (Ethique-RGPD-RSE) du Groupe Synergie



GENERATION TTikTok: when a platform

overcomes generational differences

Inspire creativity and bring joy. That is the mission of Tik-

Tok, an entertainment platform founded in 2017 that

landed in Europe in August 2018.

Now available in over 150 countries and available in 75

languages, the specialised entertainment platform gathers

users aged 13 and above.

Different generations and opposing viewpoints meet through

the creation and sharing of short videos that are mostly

viewed from mobile devices.

This is how TikTok has gone from being an incubator of crea-

tivity in every field – the contents of the creators on the plat-

form range from comedy to sports, from music to lifestyle,

from cooking to travel – to becoming a forum for discussion

on important social and topical issues.

Here we find travel enthusiasts, mothers who discuss their

lives as parents humorously, grandmothers and grandfathers

who are perfect partners in sketches with their grandchil-

dren. A community where diversity is the order of the day

and where the generational framework loses its limits and

boundaries.

No longer many generations, but only one: Generation T (Tik-

Tok), an entire community that is increasingly heterogeneous

– both in terms of interest and age – is comparable to a new

mindset, able to overturn the rules of demography. The char-

acteristics of the people on the platform, in fact, cannot be

limited to segmentation nailed down to the number of years

lived. Generation T is independent of age and it is wrong to

confine its protagonists to separate groups with distinctive

characteristics, because on TikTok users from different age

groups share values, behaviours and attitudes.

The widespread attitude among users is engaging and col-

lective. From teenage grandchildren to elderly grandparents,

Generation T leaves no one behind, wants to do things to-

gether and isn’t afraid to involve everyone. The result? The

continuous co-creation of moments and shared content.

Here are some of the stories of the creators who talk about

themselves on TikTok:

Tasnim Ali (@alitasnim): born in Arezzo and raised in Rome,

she uses TikTok to answer questions and satisfy others’ cu-

riosity, ironically debunking myths about her religion: Islam.

Dayoung Clementi (@aboutclementi): a 22-year-old Ital-

ian-Korean woman who uses her profile to show the differ-

ences and similarities between the two countries.

The couple Raissa (@raissarussi) and Momo (@momobayed): she is Italian and he is Muslim, on TikTok they talk about their

daily life and life as a couple with self-deprecating and comical

content, with the aim of conveying important messages related

to their diverse cultures, making fun of things that have really

happened or responding with elegant irony to commonplaces.

Liz Supermais (@lizsupermais): makes Chinese simple and

accessible and tells anecdotes and discusses the peculiari-

ties of China.

Shinhai Ventura (@shinhaiventura): with her mother Kazue,

she brings out all the charm of Japanese culture, especially

the Japanese writing system.

Arnold & Family (@4rnol4): a young economics student

who, with his multi-ethnic family, shares moments of com-

plicity and joking with his parents, brother and sister.

Aida Diouf Mbengue (@aidaadiouf): curates a beauty and

lifestyle profile with tips, opinions and a lot of irony, to talk

about episodes from her own life.

TIKTOK | COMPANY STORYTELLING

No longer many generations, but only one: Generation T (TikTok), a whole community that is increasingly heterogeneous and is comparable to a new mindset, able to overturn the rules of demography.


TIKTOK | COMPANY STORYTELLING

Chenny Paolucci (@chenny_paolucci): adopted by Italian

parents when she was just a few years old, together with her

sister. Now 18 years old, she is part of the Italian National

Skating Team and is of Cambodian origin. She shares videos

dedicated to her sport.

Vincenzo Tedesco (@vincenzotedesco97): a 13-year-old

from the province of Salerno and member of the LGBTQ+

community. He talks about his life humorously and about

how he was able to deal with homophobia that he’s experi-

enced.

Don Mauro Leonardi (@mauro_dom): known by everyone as

the TikTok Don (priest, ed.). Originally from Como, he has been

living in Rome for several years doing his work as a priest. He

created his profile in July 2020 and currently has over 160,000

followers and over 3 million likes. The message he tries to spread

using the platform trends is famous: build bridges, break down

walls. At the end of April, he published the book The Gospel according to TikTok, published by Edizioni Terra Santa.

Elisa Confalonieri and Nonno Mario (@elisa.confalonieri): the grandfather and granddaughter of TikTok. Two genera-

tions united by a strong bond who, on the platform, share

moments from their lives and replicate the most famous

trends.

Nonno Severino (@nonnoseverino): his virtual grandchil-

dren, as he likes to call them, call him Nonno Severino,

although he is Severino Morga, 93 years old, born in Er-

colano, but living in Rome, with Nonna Imma. They arrived

on TikTok in August 2020 to fight the loneliness and sad-

ness that Covid-19 (and all the restrictions that came with

it) had caused. Today, thanks to the simple and positive

messages that he conveys to younger generations – such

as love that overcomes difficulties, the fight against bully-

ing and the importance of vaccinations – and to the funny

videos in which he interprets songs, Nonno Severino has

created a large, constantly growing and very affectionate

community.

COMPANY STORYTELLING | TIK TOK

Liz Supermais Elisa Confalonieri & Nonno MarioAida Diouf Mbengue

Tasnim Ali Dayoung ClementiShinhai Ventura

Raissa e Momo Don Mauro Leonardi Arnold & Family


BULLETIN FOR SAILORS | Column by Rose Cartolari

WHAT'S IN A NUMBER?

I am always thrilled when people say

"wow, you don't look or act your age".

But what does that even mean? We

all have expectations of what life will

look like when we are certain ages. I am

now 57 years old, an age, which when I

was a teenager, I considered to be OLD.

Today, I think I'm at my prime and am

able to grow, impact and thrive in ways

I couldn't when I was younger. However,

I also know that my eyesight has chan-

ged, my knees have become a sore point

and metabolism has slowed down. But in

my mind's eye I think I'm still Beyoncé. I

want to be considered "young".

And yet, I think of some the young people

I work with. Too often, because of their

young age, they are viewed as immature,

inexpert and therefore not to be taken

as seriously. I have found, however, that

their curiosity and background mean

that they bring interesting perspectives

to the table and help drive better deci-

sion making. Often, we get to decisions

that might not have been considered wi-

thout their input. True, chronologically

they might not have the same depth of

experience of an older person, in terms

of years. However, they certainly provide

diversity of thought and many show ma-

ture, concrete thinking.

Unfortunately, at both ends of the wor-

kplace (older or younger) this means

that you are likely to be looked at dif-

ferently. A person's age has become a

bigger factor in how much they can in-

fluence decisions, how they're heard in

meetings as well as the types of projects

they're put on. The work world can be

brutal in ignoring or dismissing people

and their ideas based on age.

Ageism has serious social consequences

for people's health and well-being. From

poorer physical and mental health, to fi-

nancial instability and decreased quality

of life. But for organizations, the "invisible"

cost is that we are not accessing a pool

of talent with invaluable and unique per-

spectives. The job of a leader is to harness

the "super powers" of all groups so that de-

cisions are made, visions are set and resul-

ts are reached with the best ideas.

And this is the crux of the problem – how

do leaders (as well as the rest of us) ensu-

re that we are getting the experience, wi-

sdom, lessons learned from different age

and experience pools? How do we gain

the humility to recognize our biases and

put ourselves in play to eliminate them?

How do we create an environment that

not only has a varied workforce, but is

also capable of listening and benefitting

from diverse perspectives?

George Burns is reputed to have said

"You can't help getting older, but you

don't have to get old" – and the best

way to do this, I've found, is whatever

your age -- keep humble and keep lear-

ning. What do you think?

ROSE CARTOLARI, 1964. MBA Columbia University, New York. Leadership Advisor and Executive Coach

A person's age has become a bigger factor in how much they can influence decisions, how they're heard in meetings as well as the types of projects they're put on. The work world can be brutal in ignoring or dismissing people and their ideas based on age


DECENNIALS

Ten years can be a very long

time, but also a very short

one. A decade can mark dis-

tinct eras or show how certain

habits are difficult to break. It can also

describe changes that develop immedi-

ately and have a lasting and consistent

impact. As happened to the law that

also bears my name.

At the end of June 2011, after months

of challenging work, compromises and

heated debates, Law 120/2011 was

approved: signed by two women from

different parties, it introduced gender

quotas for the boards of directors and

boards of statutory auditors of listed

companies and public companies. At

the time, a revolution.

The beginning of something that, even

before it actually came into force, was

considered best practice and had been

studied around the world, to the point

of being held up as a model by democ-

racies that are usually thought of as

excelling in their commitment to rights

and equality.

Although disruptive, the Golfo-Mosca

law has not activated the ripple effect

over the last decade that we hoped

would shatter the glass ceiling that

women’s careers continue to collide

with. At the same time, however, I can’t

deny that the strong objections made at

the time – above all the accusation of

privileging profiles based solely on gen-

der instead of looking at merit – are jar-

ring today: we have gained a more wide-

spread awareness of equality, a shared

vocabulary for talking about women’s

participation, a more open collective

awareness.

In addition, the list of ‘our’ allies, fellow

travellers on this journey, continues to

grow. It has been a lesson in participation

that has been the strength of the Gol-

fo-Mosca law right from the beginning.

In fact, we would not have achieved the

results we have (the number of women

on the boards of directors of listed com-

panies have risen from 7.4% in 2011 to

38.8% in 2020) without the initial syn-

ergy with interest groups, associations

and individuals who supported us when

talking about quotas was still taboo. We

wanted to overturn the embarrassing

numbers of women in decision-making

positions, especially in the largest com-

panies that tend to be in the spotlight,

also because of the impact their choices

have on the country’s economic perfor-

mance.

And we were convinced that it would be

possible to change things by proposing

a time-limited law.

However, the contamination that we

hoped would go far beyond the opera-

tions rooms has not occurred (yet): man-

datory gender quotas have not become

an anachronistic norm (yet). Moreover,

if we broaden our perspective to also

look at the numbers regarding female

employment in general, the situation

seems even worse.

And yet, sustainability, as we know,

passes through inclusion and the issue

of diversity, which are crucial for re-

covery beyond this deep crisis. In fact,

there can be no sustainability without

a reduction in inequalities, especially if

these concern half the population.

Looking at the next ten years, there is a

great deal of work to be done.

‘Our’ law has had the impact it has also

because we never stopped monitoring

it, studying it and reporting cases in

which it was not respected. Thanks also

to this, we have clear indications of in-

terventions that can work.

It would be useful, for example, to

broaden the scope of application, as

France is doing by including successive

quota targets for executive (30%) and

managerial levels (40% by 2030).

Or by broadening the target system,

i.e., including companies with a turnover

above a certain threshold.

Or, again, by focusing on the involve-

ment of professional associations.

Without forgetting to plan how to sup-

port the re-launching of female employ-

ment, through economic and regulatory

support that favours a fairer distribution

of care commitments and better pre-

pares young women, whether they are

entering the world of work or still sitting

at their school desks.

We need educational pathways that ex-

pose girls and boys equally to the key

skills of tomorrow. Starting with STEM

subjects.

RICE AND SILK | Column by Alessia Mosca

ALESSIA MOSCA, 1975. Ph.D., promoter of the Golfo-Mosca law, Secretary General Italy-ASEAN


NATIONAL RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN

PNRRNew generations

When thinking about the

topic of generations, it

immediately occurred

to me that among

those who have been the most affected

by the Covid 19 pandemic are students

and young people in general. I would

prefer not to talk about the effects of

the pandemic yet, but find it impossible

– I think many people do – despite the

fact that many of us have now been vac-

cinated and, as far as I am concerned,

the level of optimism has risen.

But I do not intend to list the effects of

the crisis on younger generations; rath-

er, I want to tell you about the National

Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR),

worth over €235 billion, presented last

April by the government to kickstart

socio-economic recovery, which also

focuses on innovation and social inclu-

sion (as well as on the green transition)

and provides for investments in educa-

tion and employment, structural issues

where our country is at the bottom of

Europe. According to ISTAT (the Italian

National Institute of Statistics) data, in

fact, only 27.8% of 30–34-year-olds

have a university degree compared with

40% in the EU27 and, according to the

OECD, the youth unemployment rate

has risen further from the already very

high level of 28.7%, to reach 33.8% in

January 2021 (sources: ISTAT Annual

Report 2021 and OECD Employment

Outlook 2021).

Among the six missions the PNRR is

divided into we find education and re-

search (mission 4) with a budget of

€33.81 billion and inclusion and cohe-

sion (mission 5) with a €29.83 billion

budget. In addition, all reforms and

investments will have the objective of

combating inequality and promoting so-

cial inclusion, with three transversal pri-

orities: equal opportunities for all gener-

ations, both sexes and across territories.

The Education and Research Mission

focuses entirely on young people and

foresees interventions in the school and

university careers of students to grow

the skills and competences needed to

face future technological and environ-

mental challenges. Training and prepa-

ration for the so-called ‘green jobs’ are

gaps that need to be filled in order to in-

crease employment, in line with the en-

ergy transition and the decarbonisation

ambitions of the European Green Deal.

Fostering ecological skills and environ-

mental education, starting from elemen-

tary school, is also essential to mitigate

and counteract the effects of climate

change, which was once again obvious

to all this summer.

The Inclusion and Cohesion Mission also

has an element dedicated to young-

er generations, in particular policies

regarding active employment and to

strengthen employment centres and fa-

cilitate greater integration with the pri-

vate sector to increase employment op-

portunities. The mission also envisages

strengthening the development strategy

for internal areas, with commitments to

social infrastructure and measures to

support young people.

It is important to emphasise that some

projects envisaged by the PNRR aim to

attract private capital through the es-

tablishment of public-private partner-

ships, an element that would increase

the scope of the missions and their pos-

itive socio-economic and environmental

impact. The contribution of so-called

‘patient capital’ (i.e., investors with long-

term objectives and strategies), togeth-

er with public funds, is in fact crucial

to the success of initiatives to support

the most fragile generations and for the

‘fair’ transition, so that the transforma-

tion towards a climate-neutral economy

takes place in an equitable manner and

leaves no one behind.

POINT BREAK | Column by Valeria Colombo

VALERIA COLOMBO, 1978, Degree in Political Science. Expert in sustainability and ESG.


THE DIVERSITY OF GENERATIONS IN

COMPANIES

At no other time in history

have so many generations

– with as many different

worldviews and work phi-

losophies – been asked to work togeth-

er. Each generation in today’s workforce

brings its own attitudes, values, expec-

tations, and technological expertise to

work, making communication with other

generations difficult: what you say may

not be what someone else hears. Thus,

it becomes necessary to bridge inter-

generational gaps to create more inclu-

sive and productive work environments.

An important distinction: age vs. gener-

ation

Let’s start with definitions. Age is a

chronological indicator, a number. Al-

though one can legitimately make as-

sumptions about people who belong to

a certain age group, those assumptions

are based more on biology or ‘life stag-

es.’ A generation, on the other hand, is

a set of labels created by the media and

assigned based on the unique cultural

environment that its members grew up

in. Being born during a certain historical

period and having gone through adoles-

cence and schooling in a certain cultural

climate – characterised by particular

events – leaves its mark on the ways in-

dividuals feel, think and act. Moreover,

each generation crosses through all age

groups and has already experienced the

ages that younger generations are. This

is why ‘generation’ and ‘age’ often over-

lap.

Ageism and stereotypes in companies

Tied to age is the issue of ageism, a type

of discrimination that involves preju-

dice against people based on their age,

whether they be children, adolescents,

adults or older workers. Ageism is often

cited in employment situations, where

it can lead to pay disparities or difficul-

ty finding employment. Younger adults

may have difficulty finding a job and

may receive lower pay because of their

perceived lack of experience, while old-

er adults may have trouble getting pro-

motions, finding a new job, and chang-

ing careers. Some researchers suggest

that stereotypes about older people

often relate to how younger people

are expected to behave: for example,

younger people often assume that old-

er individuals have ‘had their day’ and

should leave the jobs to them, or they

believe that limited resources should be

spent on younger staff rather than on

older workers.

What the research tells us

From the various surveys conducted on

the subject of age and generations, we

can draw some conclusions:

- Glue. All generations share values and

expectations that can function as a

sort of strong glue (desire for training,

growth and development; growing focus

on diversity and inclusion...).

- Reciprocity. People over 50 do not

perceive exchanges with younger gen-

erations to be fair: they feel they ‘give’

much more than they receive.

- Management style. Younger genera-

tions are interested in having managers

who promote a feedback culture with

frequent exchanges and who function as

coaches in managing teams.

In conclusion, from my point of view,

rather than focusing on what divides

and differentiates generations from

each other, it is important to focus on

what unites them. Each generation has

different values, different mindsets,

but that’s no reason not to be able to

communicate with all of them. Genera-

tional synergy is an achievable goal for

companies by working on the Genera-

tion Mix, for example through Reverse

Mentoring projects that aim to create

greater awareness of prejudices. In addi-

tion, it is necessary to assess what type

of motivation is most important to each

team member and to monitor whether

this evolves over time. Coaching can cer-

tainly play a significant role in this.

UNLIMITED VIEWS | Column by Claudio Guffanti

CLAUDIO GUFFANTI, 1978,Degree in Management Enginee-ring, Founder of UNLI


DiverCityMagazine di inclusione e innovazione

Intercultura e GlobalIzzazIoneLucilla Rizzini

Generale DIetro la collInaLucio Guarinoni

JoIntly Il Welfare conDIvIsoFabio Galluccio

InclusIone In enelapprofondimento

cover story, IGor ŠuranValentina Dolciotti

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Magazine europeo di inclusione e innovazione

LE DIVERSITÀ? PER NOI SONO UNA RICCHEZZAGruppo Hera

LA MAPPA DELLA DIVERSITÀAllianz Partners

L’INCLUSIONE È UN GIOCO DI SQUADRASanofi Italia

L’INCLUSIONE AL CENTRO DELL’EMPLOYEE JOURNEYDeloitte

IL SUCCESSO DI UNA REALTÀ GLOBALE E COMPLESSAState Street

OLTRE IL TABÙ, VERSO LA CULTURA DELLA DISABILITÀOpenjobmetis

COVER STORY, DANIEL DANSOValentina Dolciotti

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DIVERCITYMagazine di inclusione e innovazione

IL NETWORKIN IBMDoriana De Benedictis

BAMBINISENZA SBARREFloriana Battevi

INCLUSIVEMINDSETMarco Buemi

NEVE SHALOMWAHAT AS-SALAMRosita Poloni

COVER STORY, CLAUDIA PARZANIValentina Dolciotti

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DIVERCITYMagazine di inclusione e innovazione

L’INCLUSIONE È UNA SCELTAAvio Aero

MATTONI ROSSISBARRE AZZURREPatrizia De Grazia

COOKING IS AN ARTOlimpia Zagnoliper Barilla

INTERVISTA A SIMONA COMANDÈPhilips

COVER STORY, ROSE CARTOLARIValentina Dolciotti

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DIVERCITYMagazine europeo di inclusione e innovazione

SEMPRE 25 NOVEMBRESorgenia

INNOVARE PER INCLUDERECristina Tajani

DIVERSITY TRA ETICA E COMPETITIVITÀ AZIENDALEMSD Italia

OASI DI TERAPIA RICREATIVADynamo Camp

ENERGIA PER TUTTIBaker Hughes

LA COMPAGNIATEATRALENina’s Drag Queens

COVER STORY, DARYL BEETONValentina Dolciotti

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COVER STORY, ALESSIA MOSCAValentina Dolciotti

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COVER STORY, TELMO PIEVANIValentina Dolciotti

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WHAT

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SUSTAINABILITY


COVER STORY, CHIARA BISCONTIValentina Dolciotti

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TECNO

INCLUSIONE

24 settembre tecnoinclusione.indd 1 02/10/20 14:43

1

STORIA IN COPERTINA, LUCIANO CANFORATiziano Colombi

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DIVERCITY | NUMERO 10 – MARZO 2021 | 1

COVER STORY, FABRICE HOUDARTValentina Dolciotti

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LGBT+?

ETERO O GAY SON TUTTI FIGLI MIEIAgedo

LGBT+ LEADERSHIPENHANCEMENT PROGRAMEdge

FAMIGLIE OMOGENITORIALI REALTÀ NEGATEFamiglie Arcobaleno

CATALYSTAllyson Zimmermann

BANCA D'ITALIAIntervista a Riccardo Basso

10 DOMANDE A IVAN SCALFAROTTOValentina Dolciotti

DIVERCITY | NUMERO 11 – GIUGNO 2021 | 1

COVER STORY, IACOPO MELIOValentina Dolciotti

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WHAT

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SKILLS?

17 GIUGNO 2021

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®

COVER STORY, ADELE CAMBRIAValentina Dolciotti

WHAT

ABOUT

DECADES?

DiverCityQuarterly magazine, 12th issue, September 2021

Registration with Court of Bergamo n° 04 from 9 April 2018

Editor in Chief: Valentina Dolciotti

Seat: Via IV Novembre 36, 24128 BG

Publisher and press Sestanteinc srl

Graphic layoutGianluca Paravisi

Editorial staffValentina Dolciotti, Editor in Chief

Tiziano Colombi, Marketing Director

Kerstin Mierke, Editing & Translations

Valentina Sorbi, Editing e Event Manager

For information, please contact: [email protected]

Contributors: I piccoli cantori di Milano, Carolina Lucchesini,

Alexa Pantanella, Nicola Palmarini, Associazione Facciavista,

Silvia Camisasca, Irene Canfora, Elena Mozzo, Nicole Riva,

Valentina Sorbi, Véronique Fabbri-Balduzzi, Daria Dall’Igna,

Stefano Di Niola, Antonio Rotelli, Annalisa Valsasina,

Fondazione Provinciale della Comunità Comasca onlus,

Beatrice Uguccioni, Marilena Ferri, Michelina Della Porta,

Lucio Guarinoni, Davide Sapienza, Silvia Rota Sperti,

Angela Bianchi, Elena Luciano, Paola Suardi, Valeria Cantoni

Mamiani, Silvia Allegro, Rocco Briganti, Federica Giannotta,

Gianluca Cabula, Rose Cartolari, Alessia Mosca,

Valeria Colombo, Claudio Guffanti


DIVERCITYMAG.IT


Trasformiamo il presente in un futuro miglioreAmore per il nostro Paese significa continuare ad impegnarci, sempre di più,

per realizzare azioni concrete a favore dell’ambiente e della società.Contribuendo a proteggere il pianeta, assicurandoci che nessuno resti indietro.

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ONLINE EVENT11 September - 29 NovemberGLOBAL INCLUSION

ONLINE EVENT15 October DIVERCITY + FINDOMESTIC DIVERSITY WEEK

ONLINE EVENTS22 October - 22 November 4 WEEKS 4 INCLUSION GRUPPO TIM

IN PERSON 25 October DIVERCITY @COMUNE DI FIRENZE

ONLINE EVENT26 October DIVERCITY + FINDOMESTIC @4 WEEKS 4 INCLUSION

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UPCOMING EVENTS:

Trasformiamo il presente in un futuro miglioreAmore per il nostro Paese significa continuare ad impegnarci, sempre di più,

per realizzare azioni concrete a favore dell’ambiente e della società.Contribuendo a proteggere il pianeta, assicurandoci che nessuno resti indietro.

Scopri di più suhttps://it.pg.com/pg-per-l-italia/

ONLINE EVENT11 September - 29 NovemberGLOBAL INCLUSION

ONLINE EVENT15 October DIVERCITY + FINDOMESTIC DIVERSITY WEEK

ONLINE EVENTS22 October - 22 November 4 WEEKS 4 INCLUSION GRUPPO TIM

IN PERSON 25 October DIVERCITY @COMUNE DI FIRENZE

ONLINE EVENT26 October DIVERCITY + FINDOMESTIC @4 WEEKS 4 INCLUSION

ONLINE EVENT27 October DIVERCITY + MYGRANTS

ONLINE EVENT29 October DIVERCITY ERG: HOW ALLIES CAN ADVANCE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

ONLINE EVENT18 November LAUNCH OF ENGLISH VERSION OF DECADES ISSUE

IN PERSON 26 November DIVERCITY @PRINCIPE DI SAVOIA, MILANO

ONLINE EVENT29 - 30 November FESTIVAL HRO2110 https://www.eventbrite.it/e/biglietti-hro2021-risorse-umane-innovazione-e-strategie-157928025977

IN PERSON 10 December DIVERCITY N°13 LAUNCH OF MULTICULTURALITÀ ISSUE

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