Who we are
We are a social advancement association, with deep roots in the South, in the Mediterranean area, and with an eye towards Europe and the world. We are against all forms of discrimination and racism, we fight for the right to equal opportunities and respect for differences.
We work in our small communities but we are inspired by great ideals. We operate in the area of Salento, located in between Lecce, Brindisi and Taranto, where we promote culture, sociality and solidarity. We deal with inclusion, support to the local welfare, inter-culture, innovation and social communication, organization of events and much more.
What
we do
We are the beating heart of a multicultural center located in Lecce, a crossroads of stories, projects and people. We promote small festivals and initiatives, organize events, concerts, conferences, book presentations, exhibitions and workshops for boys and girls.
We provide cultural linguistic mediation services, addressed to public authorities, to the tertiary sector as well as to Italian and foreign citizens. We have started up an orientation and information helpdesk concerning the labour market and healthcare, promoted training workshops held by cooperation and local development experts and made documentaries that have left a social imprint.
We collaborate with the Welcome Network of Small Municipalities to support the regeneration of cities at risk of becoming ghost towns, trying to restore a central role to them in building up well-integrated and non-exclusion communities.
We have implemented some small and major projects over the years and there are many others we wish to accomplish together with Associations, Local Authorities and Institutions that share the same visions and ideas for the future. We are very keen on networking and bringing together different realities, firmly convinced that this is the only way we can manage to offer appropriate solutions to a constantly evolving world.
What
we dream
We dream of an open and multicultural society, where diversity and interculturalism are considered a resource not an obstacle. An inclusive community, which rejects all kinds of discrimination, where words like exploitation, inequality, illegal recruitment, poverty, violence, pollution and mafias will be just a dark page in the history of humanity. We dream of a fair and better society for all women and men, capable of enhancing their own roots and widening their horizons. A society that knows how to hold together individual freedom and collective well-being , which acknowledges the right to happiness and is environmentally-friendly. We dream of a South that knows how to place itself at the center of its history, capable of rediscovering its core ideals, which have roots in the solidarity practices of a circular and sustainable economy.
