September 10, 2017 PRESS RELEASE
“For an European Charter for the Rights of the Unaccompanied Minor Migrants”
This project will be presented on Wednesday 12th of September at 11 a.m at Fiera del Levante – Bari, Tent 138, as part of the initiatives of “Families in Fairs” (Famiglie in Fiera) the Family-House of Cittafamiglie.it, hosted by the Voluntary Association “Città dei Bimbi”.
Speakers:
Giacomo Bassi: Mayor of the City of San Gimignano’s.
Adriano Scarpelli: President of Carretera Central, voluntary association in the field of Human Rights and International Cooperation – Siena.
Taking part:
Anna Vita Perrone: manager of Teca of the Mediterranean
Antonio Decaro: National President of Anci.
Francesca Bottalico: Alderman to the Welfare of Bari municipality
Carlo Salvemini: Mayor of City of Lecce
Elena Gentile: Member of the European Parliament (PD)
Rosa D’Adamo: Member of the European Parliament (M5S)
Salvatore Negro: Alderman to the Welfare of Apulia Region
The initiative, promoted by the association Carretera Central, was coinceived following the Festival of the Social Circus “Circomondo” (www.circomondofestival.it, www.cartadisangimignano.eu, Pagina Facebook) dedicated to the issue of Unaccompanied Migrang Minors, in partnership with the Municipality of San Gimignano, Diaconia Valdese Florentine, ASGI, ARCI, CNCA, Cosorzio Nova, Weekly Left, Association On the Road, Lavafilm.com, IlSalto-ilsalto.net, Social Cooperative Betadue, and has been lucky enough to receive the active support of Silvia Costa and of Elly Schlein (MEP).wich led to introduce the Charter to the European Parliament on June 28th .
Besides the more institutional aspect of providing the European Union with a clear picture of the fundamental rights recognized to Unaccompanied Migrants Minors in order to guarantee legislative change and concrete action by all Member States, the aim is to promote a real cultural campaign starting from roots level that involves, in every EU Member State, local institutions, the organizations and the individuals that have the values of solidarity, acceptance and human rights at heart, providing particular attention to the condition of Unaccompanied Minors who represent an ever-increasing percentage of migratory flows toward the UE. Those entities, only in 2016 watched the disappearance of over 10.000 boys and girls (over 5.000 in Italy) from their protection systems.
A recent dramatic increase of xenophobic and sometimes expressly racist sentiments throughout Europe is trampling on the fundamental principles and core values that are the framework of project of the European Union. A clear and strong answer is required, it cannot be left only to European Institutions, whose inclusion is obviously a fundamental and essential asset, but it is also required that European Citizens are involved directly, the People’s Europe, the dream of the Father Founders in which the bridges, not the walls, are built, the Europe that recognizes and guarantees peoples’ rights and doesn’t limit them, the Europe that faces the challenges of today while respecting and giving importance to the values of democracy and concrete solidarity.
Along our roadmap, the initiative that wil be held on September 12nd within the framework of the “Fiera del Levante” debates, promoted by “Città dei Bimbi” at “Families in Fairs” the Family-House of Cittafamiglie.it, is an important checkpoint in the committment to our project, that, starting from this point, should keep going and be strengthened by a greater participation and support, and will be open to the collaboration of all those who would like to contribute to its success.
