ACE project
Since the summer of 2023, IRPPS-CNR has been operating in the Frentana area with the project Active Citizenship in Europe.
We immersed ourselves in a context that, to an observer, appears as a best practice, with all its unique characteristics. As such, it seemed the territory most capable of embracing our objective: to imagine and implement actions to support the inclusive capacities of local systems regarding the Roma people.
Activism and political participation concretely summarize the concept of inclusion that we intend more specifically, and qualify our action to combat anti-Gypsyism. Indeed, the Abruzzo territory between Lanciano and Pescara was chosen for the high degree of integration of approximately 9 out of 10 families of Roma origin present in the area. Members of these families are not only well-integrated into the social fabric of their cities of residence, but they have all had stable incomes for some time, with individuals holding highly specialized and responsible roles within companies, such as Roberto Spinelli, head of personnel at the D’Orsogna factory, and Moreno di Rocco, a chemist responsible for quality control at the De Cecco pasta factory. From this perspective, the existence of a good practice was indeed found, in the sense that the Roma community in the area does not suffer from a deficit of primary needs and generally has an earned income; however, this condition is often paid for at the price of hiding one’s Roma identity, unless betrayed by one’s surname.
In practice, the well-being and potential development of this good practice were ensured by a hidden identity.
Various meetings were held between 2023 and 2024 to understand the material and immaterial needs of the local Roma community, and to understand the perspectives of political agents (opinion leaders and stakeholders) regarding the issues they encountered with the community. The goal was to eventually reach the construction of a common action plan, with practical actions aimed at improving the socio-cultural conditions of the Frentana Roma community. In these meetings, we sought to translate our objectives into concrete acts and measures capable of bringing a turning point to this relational status quo, in defense of an identity to which the EU, which finances the project, recognizes full citizenship.
We did the same with local stakeholders, attempting to mediate between mutual expectations through Focus Groups targeted at Roma activism, providing examples from across Europe.
The next step was to establish the basis for a shared action plan between the Frentana Roma community and local institutions through Mutual Learning and Mentoring meetings, where the Roma of the Frentana area also engaged with the six Roma and Sinti candidates from the recent European and local elections in June 2024.
The path undertaken, even if the political plan still needs to be implemented in various municipalities, is nonetheless a success.
Not having imposed attendance on any member of the community and having accompanied the meetings with examples of Roma activism on both European and Italian levels resulted in the number of participants at ACE meetings nearly doubling from the first to the last. As Santino Spinelli noted, a hidden identity—which translates into passivity in socio-political life within the local context—is a form of resistance rather than a weakness. To overcome it, the material and immaterial support of institutions is indispensable; in this sense, they must protect and safeguard those Roma men and women who already have an income and are well-integrated into the majority community and would be ready to reclaim their ethnicity.
However, without the contribution of political decision-makers, it is more likely that the current situation will stagnate and the inclusive path outlined by the project will not reach its conclusion. This is also because the institution, through its official communication channels, is the only entity capable of combating fake news or targeted information used for instrumental or emergency purposes that the Italian media generally still produce regarding the Roma people.
As a final step, in the concluding meeting on October 4, 2024, we asked Roma members and stakeholders to rank, in the order they deemed most appropriate, “the practical proposals that each of you considers most immediately achievable to stimulate our objectives and help local communities and institutions foster and renew inclusive and anti-discriminatory paths.”
Votes range from 1 to 7, where 1 means immediately achievable and 7 unachievable.
The proposals are: 1. Departments for Intercultural Affairs 2. Anti-discrimination councils in the province of Chieti 3. Hiring a Roma man/woman in the Municipality or public offices, or as the head of anti-discrimination desks or similar 4. Displaying the Roma flag from the Municipality on significant days of the Romani calendar (August 2, October 5, November 5, April 8, May 16) 5. Remembering the Roma contribution to the construction of the Italian State in speeches during national holidays (January 27, April 25, May 1, June 2) 6. Communication and promotion campaign of Roma history and culture on institutional channels with videos and short information pages 7. Formal honors following symbolic citizenships for Roma people who have distinguished themselves in civil society and work 8. “Open the doors: we are here”: a medium/long-term integration project including Roma-themed days and moments of discussion between the Frentana Roma community, civil society, and the institutions representing both (festivals and musical/gastronomic initiatives).
The proposals receiving the most “1” votes, meaning immediately achievable, were:
1. Remembering the Roma contribution to the construction of the Italian State in speeches during national holidays (10 votes) 2. Displaying the Roma flag from the Municipality on significant days of the Romani calendar (9 votes) 3. Formal honors following symbolic citizenships for Roma people who have distinguished themselves in civil society and work; “Open the doors”: a long-term project with inclusion days; Department for Intercultural Affairs (8 votes).
To learn more about the sociological methodologies used in the meetings, to see photos, and to read reports of the various activities, please visit the website https://ace-project.eu/
Edited by Enrico Mascilli Migliorini
