Author Archives: cosv

42th International Roma and Sinti Day

Every year on April 8 we celebrate the International Roma and Sinti day, in memory of the first major international meeting organized by Roma representatives in 1971 near London. The international organization Romani Union, born on that occasion, was recognized by the ONU in 1979. During the meeting the official flag was also created: it consists of a background of one blue and one green stripe, representing the heavens and earth; the flag also contains a spoked wheel, in the centre, representing the itinerant tradition of the Roma and Sinti people.

On the occasion of the International day, Laura Boldrini, president of the Chamber of Deputies, has received a delegation of young Roma, aged 14 to 26 who represent the diversity of Roma communities in Italy and their issues and expectations. In Italy were surveyed approximately 170-180.000 Roma, a small number if compared with other countries such as Spain where Roma are 800.000 and Romania where they are 2 million and a half. In Italy one fifth of Roma lives in camps, meaning that the large majority lives in conventional homes.

The main problems concern Roma who live in camps due to a strongly discriminatory and segregative policy which has allowed, from the 90s, the construction of “nomad camps” and that has initiated a process of institutional racism that forces these people to live on the fringe of the cities.

[ Look at the video of the campaign TRE ERRE (3R) Romanì Italia Foundation]

Baalbek, Lebanon: if electricity comes from carrots

On March 18th and 19th, at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut, two girls in red suit surprised the audience of the “EU – Lebanon Cooperation Days” with trays of fruit and vegetables: they were offering carrots, bananas, mandarins and apples and asked the skins and debris back. For every “bio-waste” entered in a container, a small lamp on the tray lit. How can electricity be produced from carrots?

Many people attending the event organized by the European Union Delegation in Lebanon – set up to introduce the cooperation projects that the European Union is funding in the country – came to our stand to know more about renewable energy. We presented the “CleanEnerTec”, the project we are implementing in Baalbek, in the Beqaa Valley, to promote the use of clean energy sources and energy saving measures, through the construction of a biogas plant.

Biogas plants are already active and functioning in Europe and other parts of the world, but in Lebanon this is a pilot and innovative project: in a country where public electricity works only a few hours a day and people must rely on private diesel generators, renewable energy means a real possibility to reduce electricity costs.

Biogas and electricity production from organic waste are new concepts to the Lebanese society, and explained with technicalities and engineering processes details they immediately lose their appeal. What to do, then, to involve local people and make them understand what we are doing at Baalbek? Thinking about the “EU – Lebanon Cooperation Days”, we talked with the guys of Waraq, an association of young artists and creative people in Lebanon. And there we had the idea!

Being able to directly see the lighting of the lamp from the peel of a tangerine, an apple or a banana has intrigued the audience, that came to the stand with interest. We talked about the project with high school and university students, members of NGOs, associations, local authorities, entrepreneurs, experts and consultants of other European projects. Some doubt remained: the owner of a farm in Lebanon which, perhaps not having understood the whole project, insisted on selling us a big batch of apples so that we could produce more electricity!

The involvement of the population is essential for this project, and the “EU – Lebanon Cooperation Days” have been an important opportunity to explain how from entering the organic waste collected by the Municipality of Baalbek in the system, a process of anaerobic fermentation is triggered, methane gas is produce and, stored and burned by a special generator, electricity is produce. And the benefits will be felt by the environment and Lebanese economy.

Great satisfaction over the election of Laura Boldrini, President of the Chamber of Deputies

Link 2007 – Cooperating in Network, the organization that gathers some of the most important Italian NGOs active in international cooperation and humanitarian aid, warmly welcomes Laura Boldrini, former spokesman of the High Commissioner for Refugees Nations United, as President of the Chamber of Deputies.

Laura Boldrini has been over the years a solid point of reference in our programs of humanitarian aid and refugees’ rights protection, and we fully agree with her wish, expressed immediately after the appointment, that sees Italy capable to stand out in the fight against all forms of poverty in its territory and beyond its borders.

Link 2007 – Cooperating in Network confirms to the President Laura Boldrini its availability and commitment to an effective collaboration to assert to our country a strong role in the fight against poverty and the protection of rights, in Italy and worldwide.