Dec. 18, 2008
It’s Thursday, exams are done and The First Conference for Italian Youth Abroad has been done for almost a week. I thought I would take this time to reflect upon my experience and also talk briefly about what’s happened over the last week as well as future direction.
The last week has been busy, I’ve bee receiving emails from delegates and from other contacts I made there. As we walk away from this conference we are stepping into the planning process for other international conferences. We are expanding our global network and sending newspapers and publications across the globe so we stay connected and know what is going on in Italy.
Conference results and where to go from here
It’s in the governments hands right now! The five final documents have been published on the Rai and CGIE websites. CGIE is continuing to fund the youth and is keeping a youth committee as a permanent subset. Many of the delegates have returned to our home cities and have debriefed with organizers and our respective CGIE and Com.It.Es. Generally we all feel confident that the Italian government will do what’s in the best interest of Italians abroad and in Italy, and we feel our suggestions will play a significant role.
Personally, reflecting back on the conference, it was an absolutely amazing experience. Not only did I get to work along side Italians from 26 other nations and create our final documents and expand my network, I got to explore Italian culture in Italy first hand. This experience is one that I will treasure and cherish for the rest of my life. However, none of this would have been possible without CGIE and Com.It.Es in Canada, specifically Alberta. Personally I would like to extend thanks to Luigi Mangone, CCCHS president and Calgary Com.It.Es member, who saw potential in me and has been my contact for the last year. I would also like to thank Domenico Marozzi, the Canadian contact for this conference.
I would like to extend thanks to the organizers of this conference, it was no easy feat! CGIEs and Consiglier across the globe put in countless hours organizing, planning and orchestrating this conference. Last but certainly not least, this conference would not have been what it was without the continued dedication of the fabulous Italian youth abroad, their commitment and enthusiasms drove this conference. I personally want to thank all the Canadian delegates who worked so hard not just this week but over the last few years.