NEWS

DOVE

Regions: Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Piemonte, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany

Cities: Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, Pavia, Rome, Turin

DURATION

Start date: March 24, 2018
End date: September 23, 2019

CONTEXT
Italy is the country with the lowest awareness of migration globally. Most Italians believe that immigrants make up 30% of the population, whereas the actual figure is 8%, and that Muslims account for 20%, while the real number is 4%.
In urban contexts:
56.4% of Italians believe that “a neighborhood deteriorates when there are many immigrants.”
52.6% think that “an increase in immigrants leads to the spread of terrorism and crime.”
According to Eurobarometer surveys (2018), one in two Italians sees immigration as a problem.
Beyond misconceptions about the scale of the phenomenon, there is significant misinformation regarding the cultural identities of migrants. This is exacerbated by the use of negatively connoted terminology, which legitimizes exclusion or criminalization.
Although the number of foreign citizens in Italy has remained almost unchanged during the so-called “migration emergency” years (since 2014), the perception of migration as an “invasion” persists. This is fueled by media attention, the politicization of the issue, and a distorted understanding of the numbers (e.g., asylum seekers, landings).
In light of the significant gap between perception and reality (Ipsos MORI 2015 studies), it has become increasingly urgent to foster a narrative of migration that uses accurate data, highlights positive contributions, and identifies sustainable solutions to transform migrant reception into an opportunity for Italy’s future. This would also help reduce potential conflicts and preserve social cohesion.

OBJECTIVES

General Objective:
To counter inaccurate and discriminatory representations of migration and cultural diversity.

Specific Objective:
To engage citizens and key actors in public narratives through physical and virtual pathways for intercultural encounters and positive storytelling of cultural diversity.

ACTIVITIES
Methodological coordination and study on the impact of Migrantour intercultural itineraries.
Updating and relaunching intercultural itineraries.
Training and tutoring for intercultural guides.
Conducting intercultural itineraries for the general public.
Information and awareness programs for journalists.
Networking and sharing best practices among local administrations.
Developing intercultural itineraries for key stakeholders.
Social media contest for young creatives.
National web awareness campaign.
Local events for awareness and promotion.

IMPACT

Direct beneficiaries:
100 migrants
6,400 citizens
75 journalists
1,000 social workers
1,500 teachers
300 local authority representatives/officials
400 representatives of civil society and institutions
500 young people
1,000,000 citizens

Indirect beneficiaries:
At least 2,000,000 citizens

PROMOTERS

Primary Funder:
AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation)

Project Coordinator:
Fondazione ACRA

Partners:
Oxfam Italia
Fondazione Pubblicità Progresso
Fondazione ISMU
Viaggi Solidali Società Cooperativa Sociale
Casba Società Cooperativa Sociale
Cooperativa Sociale Progetto Con-Tatto
Associazione Next Generation Italy
Associazione Trame di Quartiere
Municipality of Milan
City of Turin
International Research Centre on Global Citizenship Education – University of Bologna