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International Conference: dentity, Sustainability and Innovation in the Mediterranean

PRESS RELEASE

International Conference

Identity, Sustainability and Innovation in the Mediterranean

July 13, 2023

Spazio Europa Conference Hall

Via IV Novembre 149, Rome

Rome, 10/07/2023 - A Center for Higher Education, Innovation and Science Diplomacy on Sustainability in Italy to coordinate research and to develop projects with the main relevant Euro-Med and UN organizations, launching also the first Identitary Restaurant in the world: this is the most ambitious challenge at the center of the debate between institutions and international experts gathered for the international conference titled “Identity, Sustainability and Innovation in the Mediterranean” at the Spazio Europa conference room of the European Commission and Parliament in Rome on Thursday, July 13, 2023.

The conference will be an internationally significant event focused on the future of one of the geographic areas of greatest historical, civil and cultural importance in the world, the Mediterranean Basin. The Italian Network for Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue (RIDE, Head of the Italian Network of the Anna Lindh Foundation – ALF), with the contribution of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), ALF, the PRIMA Foundation and Mediterranean Perspectives (RIDE member), are the promoters of this event. The conference aims to investigate development possibilities, innovative proposals, and shared approaches, in a region that has long been a center of trade, cultural, and technological exchanges, all of which have shaped its diverse collective identities and contributed to its sustainability. Participants will address the most pressing issues for the countries lying along the 46,000 km coastline of what some consider the cradle of modern civilization.

There will be two main sessions at the event, with Michela Zanarella, RIDE President, as the Conference’s Chairwoman.

The first (10.30-12.30), “The UfM and the Euro-Med Institutions for Sustainability” will begin with the institutional introductions (10:30-11:00 a.m.) from Sergio Marchi, Head of the Technical Secretariat of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF); Simona Petrucci, Commission on Environment, ecological transition, energy, public works, communications, technological innovation), Italian Senate, Italian Parliamentary Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean; Carlo Corazza, Director of the European Parliament Office in Italy; Massimo Pronio, Head, Communication Desk, European Commission Representation in Italy, Almotaz Abadi, Deputy Secretary General for Water, Environment, and Blue Economy for UfM (video); Angelo Riccaboni and Mohamed El-Shinawi, Co-Chairs of the PRIMA Foundation, and Gennaro Migliore, President Emeritus of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean – PAM (video).

The following speakers will participate in the panel “New research agendas, science diplomacy, training skills for the Mediterranean on Climate Change, Health, Food, Renewable Energy” (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., co-organized with UfM): Giuseppe Provenzano, Project Manager for Higher Education, Innovation, Science Diplomacy, and Employability of UfM; Gianluigi Rossi, Director of the Mediterranean Observatory of the S. Pio V Institute for Political Studies (RIDE member); Sandro Dernini, President of the Plexus International Forum (RIDE member); and Enea Franza, Vice President of the UN University for Peace.

The second session (12:30-2 p.m.), titled “Sustainability as a Game-Changer to Strengthen Regional Cooperation: the Mediterranean Common Goods”, will also consist of two parts. The panel “The Role of Italy in the Broader Mediterranean Region” (12:30-1:30pm), will feature: Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations – UNAOC (video); Marco Scurria, Senator of the Italian Republic, Secretary of the EU Policies Committee (video); Riccardo Sessa, President of the Italian Society for International Organization (SIOI); Antonello Biagini, President of the Unitelma Sapienza University of Rome; Marco Taradash, Journalist, Radio Radicale; and Mariano Angelucci, Chairman of the Committee for International Relations, Tourism and Fashion, Rome City Council.

Finally, concluding remarks and future prospects (1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.) will be provided by the Conference’s Scientific Coordinator Enrico Molinaro, National Coordinator of the Italian ALF Network, and President of Mediterranean Perspectives.

The Mediterranean region is celebrated for its rich tapestry of collective identities developed over millennia, embracing a kaleidoscope of cultural, linguistic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, whose diverse histories have contributed to a unique and vibrant social fabric. The conference will be a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and international cooperation to address the complex challenges the Mediterranean region is currently facing, such as population growth, urbanization, tourism, water scarcity, as well as biodiversity loss, overfishing, and climate change.

Promoters

The Italian Network for Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue (RIDE), in coordination with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), brings together public and private (for-profit and non-profit) associations and institutions, and works to implement the principles of the United Nations Charter, of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (contained in the Barcelona Declaration of November 1995), of the ALF, of which RIDE is the Head of network in Italy. The non-partisan and non-profit organization RIDE, in cooperation with public and private institutions, non-governmental and civil society organizations operating in Italy, promotes dialogue among peoples and states, especially in the Euro-Med area, adhering to the principles and aims of the Italian Constitution, the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the UfM charter.

Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), an action-driven organisation with a common ambition, an intergovernmental Euro-Mediterranean organisation which brings together all countries of the European Union and 16 countries of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean.

The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for Dialogue between Cultures (ALF), created by the European Union and Mediterranean partner countries, is a network of networks of civil society bodies and institutions (universities, local communities, etc.).

The Italian Secretariat of the Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA), established at the University of Siena’s Santa Chiara Lab thanks to the contribution of the Italian Ministry of University and Research, carries out the promotion and dissemination activities of the PRIMA Program in Italy. The Secretariat's main activities concern thematic areas such as: sustainable management of water resources, sustainable agriculture, the agri-food supply chain, and the intersectional demands of ecosystems and water, food and energy management. The PRIMA Foundation is a Euro-Med program supporting research and innovation projects on sustainable agri-food systems and water resource management in the Mediterranean Basin. The Program, in its sixth year of implementation, has a budget of 500 million over 7 years and is jointly promoted and financed by the European Commission and 19 countries in the Euro-Med area, 11 EU members (Cyprus, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain) and 8 non-members (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey).

Mediterranean Perspectives (MP) is engaged in activities, research and projects aimed at enhancing the artistic, religious, cultural and social peculiarities of the different Mediterranean collective identities. A motivated group of young members makes the MP environment particularly dynamic and active, carrying out scientific, activities and educational initiatives.

Invitation to a conference 04.03.2024

Dear Sirs and Ladies,

As the Secretary General of the "Italian Network for Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue" (RIDE), it is a pleasure for me to invite you to participate in the International Conference (in Italian and English) "The EU and Italy for Sustainability in Africa and the Wider Mediterranean" (Concept Note and guest list awaiting confirmation below), scheduled for Monday 4 March 2024 at the seat of the European Parliament and Commission in Italy, Via Quattro Novembre, 149, Rome: https://ride.mediper.eu/download/conferenza-internazionale-2024-03-04.png.

The event, after the necessary registration at 10.30 a.m., will start at 11.00 a.m. and end at 5.30 p.m. To attend it is necessary to register in advance by sending a request by Friday 1 March 2024, via email to our email address , or via WhatsApp number +39.391.7181017.

This conference constitutes the first of a Trilogy of conferences in Italy on Sustainability and Identitarian Cuisine, followed by an event in Rome on Monday 20 May 2024, and another one in Scicli, Sicily, on Thursday 12 September 2024, in the context of the annual inter-institutional Euro-Med Medi-Jer initiative (medijer.org), this year at its sixth edition.

RIDE, in collaboration with the European Commission Representation in Italy and Mediterranean Perspectives, with the contribution of: European Parliament Office in Italy, PRIMA Foundation (Italian Secretariat), Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences of the University of Siena (UNISI), Euro-Gulf Information Center (EGIC).

We are also pleased to invite you to the Identitarian Lunch and Refreshment scheduled at 2.15 pm and 5.15 pm respectively.

With the hope of having you among our guests, I remain at your disposal for any clarifications, happy to share further information.

Enrico Molinaro, Ph.D.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

  • When and Where: Monday, March 4, 2024, EU Parliament and Commission Offices: Via IV Novembre 149, Rome
  • Who: Co-Organizers: The Italian Network for the Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue (RIDE, Head of the Anna Lindh Foundation in Italy), the European Commission Office in Italy, and Mediterranean Perspectives, with the Contribution of: The European Parliament Office in Italy, The PRIMA Foundation (Italian Secretariat), The Department of Social, Political, and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Siena (UNISI), The European Gulf Information Center (EGIC), Il Castagno, Materviva, Salvia, Kmetro0, Grimaldi Impianti; Chairwoman: Michela Zanarella, President, The Italian Network for the Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue (RIDE); Scientific Coordinator: Enrico Molinaro, Secretary General, RIDE; President, Mediterranean Perspectives
  • What: International Conference: The EU and Italy for Sustainability in Africa and in the Broader Med Region, in the context of the Medi-Jer annual inter-institutional Euro-Med initiative (VI Ed. 2024)

Sala delle Bandiere (Conference Room) of the EU Parliament in Italy

10.30-11.00: Conference Registration

11.00-11.15: Introductory greetings

  • Carlo Corazza, Director, Office of the European Parliament in Italy
  • Antonio Parenti, Head, European Commission Representation in Italy
  • Matthew Robinson, Director, EGIC (video)

11.15-12.00: An Institutional Perspective

  • Jo (Jyotsna) Puri, Associate Vice President, Strategy and Knowledge Department (SKD), International Fund for Agricultural Development of the United Nations (IFAD)
  • Emanuela Del Re, EU Special Representative for Sahel (video)
  • Almotaz Abadi, Deputy Secretary General, Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)
  • Francesco Corvaro, Special Envoy for Climate Change, Italian Government
  • Sergio Marchi, Head, Technical Secretariat, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forests (MASAF)
  • Gennaro Migliore, Emeritus President, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean-PAM, Director, Center of Global Studies (video)
  • Renato Loiero, Economic Advisor, Italian Prime Minister Office

12.00-12.45: The European and Italian Parliaments’ Debate

  • Nicola Procaccini, European Parliament member, Fratelli d’Italia
  • Francesca Peppucci, European Parliament member, European Popular Party (video)
  • Giuseppe Ferrandino, European Parliament member, Renew Europe, Azione
  • Brando Benifei, European Parliament member, Democratic Party (video)
  • Piero Fassino, Vicepresident, Defence Commission, Italian House of Deputies
  • Simona Petrucci, Commission on Environment, ecological transition, energy, public works, communications, technological innovation), Italian Senate, member, Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (APUfM)
  • Mercedes Bresso, European Parliament member, Democratic Party (online)

12.45-14.00: The Research and Media Dimension: Sustainability, Safe Climate, and Biodiversity Ecosystems

  • Davide Dionisi, Special Envoy of the Italian Government for Religious Freedom
  • Enrico Giovannini, President, The Italia Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS)
  • Marco Taradash, Journalist
  • Micol Pancaldi, Head, International TV coproduction and training, COPEAM (RIDE and ALF Italy member)
  • Nizar Ramadan, Editorial Director, Kmetro0
  • Daniele Frigeri, Direttore, Research Center for International Politics (CESPI: RIDE and ALF Italy member)
  • Elisabetta Righini, Director, Yunus Social Business Centre, Urbino University (RIDE and ALF Italy member)
  • Felicia Bongiovanni, Artistic Director, Yunus Social Business Centre, Urbino University (RIDE and ALF Italy member)
  • Salvatore Capasso, Head, Department of Social and Human Sciences, Italian National Research Center (CNR), Board of Directors, RIDE
  • Matteo Costola, PhD Student, Università degli Studi Internazionali di Roma (UNINT)
  • Sara Savastano, Director Research and Impact Assessment Division, IFAD
  • Pierangelo Isernia, The Department of Social, Political, and Cognitive Sciences, University of Siena (UNISI, RIDE and ALF Italy member, online)
  • Richard Elelman, Head of Politics, Eurecat (video)
  • Desirée Quagliarotti, Researcher, ISMED-CNR, Italian Representative at the ALF Advisory Council
  • Sandro Dernini, President, Plexus International Forum Onlus (RIDE and ALF Italy member)
  • Giovanni Stanghellini, The PRIMA FoundationPRIMA Foundation (Italian Secretariat), (Italian Secretariat), Santa Santa Chiara LabChiara Lab, University of Siena University of Siena (RIDE and ALF Italy member)(RIDE and ALF Italy member)

Spazio Europa (Conference Room) of the EU Parliament and Commission in Italy

14.15-15.00: Identitary Lunch Break

Sala delle bandiere (first floor) of the EU Parliament and Commission in Italy

15.00-16.00: The EU, the Mattei Plan, Africa, and the Broader Med Region

  • Marco Ricceri, Secretary General, Eurispes (RIDE and ALF Italy member), Coordinator, Multidisciplinary BRICS Laboratory
  • Georgios Mitrakos, Director General, International Center for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS)
  • Roberto Ridolfi, Eurispes, Member, Multidisciplinary BRICS Laboratory
  • Mmathari Mashao, Minister of the South African Embassy in Rome
  • Firas Habbal, President, Emirates Scholar Research Center (online)
  • Gianluca Senatore, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, Università Sapienza
  • Gianluigi Rossi, Director, Observatory on the Mediterranean, S. Pio V Institute of Political Studies (RIDE and ALF Italy member)
  • Michael Driessen, 2012 Associate Professor of Political Science, Director of MA in International Affairs, of MA in International Affairs, John Cabot University John CabotUniversity (RIDE and ALF Italy (RIDE and ALF Italy member
  • Piercamillo Falasca, Institutional Advisor, EGIC
  • Virgilio Dastoli, President, European Movement (RIDE and ALF Italy member)
  • Marco Scurria, Secretary, EU Policies Committee, Italian Senate

16.00-17.00: Lifestyle, Culture, Food Security, and Wellness

  • Alexandra Valkenburg, EU Ambassador at the Holy See and UN organizations in Rome
  • Rajae Naji El Mekkaoui, Moroccan Ambassador at the Holy See
  • Issa Kassissieh, Palestinian Ambassador at the Holy See
  • Andrea Canepari, Head, Office for Internationalisation of local governments, tourism, sport, Italian chambers of commerce abroad, EXPOs, promotion of Italian design, Italian food and wines, Directorate General for Country Promotion (DGSP), MAECI
  • Stefano Scalera, Counsellor to the Minister, Deputy Head, Minister’s Cabinet, MASAF
  • Cristina Chirico, Head, International Relations Office, CIA-Agricoltori Italiani (Italian Farmers), Facilitator on Food Security, Working Group World Farmers Organization
  • Angelo Argento, President, Cultura Italiae (RIDE and ALF Italy member)
  • Karl Wolfsgruber, Anthropologist, Director, Biodiversity and Sustainability Division, Renaissance Evolution Foundation
  • Elena Pascale, Director, Cavalsassi Foundation
  • Remo Cecconi, Quality Manager, Materviva SPA

17.00-17.15: Conclusions, Discussion, and Future Prospects

17.15-17.30: Final Identitary Refreshment

Flyer 1

Flyer 2

On. Benifei's Video

On. Brezzo's Video

International conference on the Turtledoves Villa in Ponza

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