Italy

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) works in more than 50 countries in the world to help people affected by humanitarian crises. The IRC is on the ground across Europe working with governments, municipalities and local organizations to meet the immediate and critical needs of those seeking refuge, and to support the effective integration of refugees into their new communities, providing life-saving child protection services to children and their families.
The IRC Italia works across the regions of Lombardy, Sicily, Lazio, Piedmont, Campania, and Friuli Venezia Giulia working to enhance refugees’ safety, power, education, economic empowerment and mental health – with a focus on the most vulnerable children, including unaccompanied children in transit and living in reception centres.

Claudia Zago is passionate about supporting minors and families, with years of experience as an educator and teacher. She is pursuing a doctorate in social sciences, focusing on the integration of foreign minors in schools. Her dedication and commitment to improving the living and learning conditions of children reflect a deep social sensitivity and a strong desire to make a difference in the community.

Cesvi is an independent association working for global solidarity in developing countries and in Europe. The main activities of Cesvi are ensuring survival (e.g. reducing mortality rate of children), guaranteeing protection (e.g. protection and reception of children victims of exploitation or abuse)     promoting development (e.g. right to education and schooling) and supporting participation (CYP participation). In Europe, Cesvi currently focuses on the protection and integration of unaccompanied refugee children and aims to prevent identify and respond to cases of child maltreatment.

CIFA is engaged in improving the living conditions of needy or abandoned children and adolescents by encouraging them to develop their own identity and by ensuring a family and a harmonious growth. Moreover, CIFA promotes the culture of children’s rights as set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child with the following activities: international cooperation in development, international adoption and children’s rights promotion.

The “Riccardo Massa” department of Human Sciences for Education promotes an interdisciplinary study of the educational process that values both reflection-heuristics and concrete lived experience. With its research, research centers and laboratories it aims at ensuring that children can experience their rights in all aspects of life by training educators and teachers raising public awareness and trying to disseminate a culture of respect and non-violence against children.

L’Albero della Vita is a humanitarian organisation that implements effective actions to protect children and safeguard as well as promotes their rights to grow up in a safe and suitable environment. It aims at ensuring children’s wellbeing by creating opportunities for a decent, full and satisfactory life; offering them a proper nutrition, personal and medical care, age-appropriate leisure, social and sports activities, as well as the chance of freely nurturing their most intimate aspirations.

The Istituto degli Innocenti focuses mostly on the promotion of children’s rights. It spreads documentation, carries out training on the conditions of children and on the implement of laws and polices on childhood at local national and international level. It has conducted agreements with different bodies and performs the function of National Documentation and Analysis Centre on Childhood and Adolescence for the Tuscany Region and the secretariat of the European Network of National Observatories on Childhood. Moreover the Institutes carries out activities for the Commission for Inter country adoption and also offers services (e.g. shelter for minor, shelter for pregnant women and mothers with children).

Telefono Azzurro is one of the most well-known children’s rights organisation in Italy working for and with children over 30 years now. It was founded in 1987 in Bologna with the purpose to listen to children’s establishing their work on Article 12 of the UNCRC. Today they offer helplines and hotlines (by phone, web, chat, apps) and promote prevention initiatives through education and awareness projects for students, educators, general public, and policymakers in Italy. Telefono Azzurro works closely with the the Department of Family Policies which carries out the function of the national hotline. They have an exclusive role in supporting children and families in child protection related issues including in the digital environment. 

Equipe Formation Youthstart Sardinia (EFYS) was established in 1997 within the framework of the European Sirio-Youthstart Project. The main purposes are to:

• contribute to the protection and promotion of civil and social rights, especially of minors and promote their active participation;
• contribute to the promotion and protection of culture by offering opportunities for aggregation and intercultural comparison;
• promote solidarity and social assistance activities aimed at bringing benefits to people in difficult situations;
• raise public awareness of issues of children’s rights and adolescence.

The ICAM (Including Children Affected by Migration) Network is dedicated to upholding all aspects of the UNCRC, which forms the founding principles of the organisation. They provide support and guidance for any individuals or organisations seeking to improve the inclusion in education and society, and the subsequent personal development and life chances of all children disadvantaged by their circumstances. Currently the focus of the network is the provision, and wide dissemination, of comprehensive programmes for improving the inclusion in education of all 15 million European children affected by migration, through their improved social and emotional well-being in school and at home, and consequently their access to learning and personal development.

Rosalba Mirci has extensive experience in the field of child protection and international adoptions. Since 2010 she has been working for the Association Solidarity Adoptions (ASA), an accredited body for international adoptions, authorized by the Italian Central Authority in the chair of the Council of Ministers. She is responsible for the Association’s international cooperation and social planning. She has recently embarked on an international collaboration to exchange best practices in foster care and transition to adulthood. With her work, she hopes to contribute to the empowerment of a community of educating adults who can consciously take care of their children.

Associazione Lea was founded in 2018 by a group of under 30 professionals and parents with the aim of providing programs and activities to families in the area and their children. The activities offered by the Associazione Lea are designed to promote education and collaboration among parents, educators, and teachers, supporting them in their educational mission. Additionally, the association offers psychomotor therapy, artistic, linguistic, and communication programs with the goal of ensuring the harmonious and positive development of young children (in accordance to art. 3,12,28 31). Associazione Lea gives particular attention to children with disabilities (art.23). In 2018 there were only a few therapists and volunteers. Then, everything happened quickly, and here we are: in 2022 alone, Associazione Lea spent more than 4,500 hours with our children coming from more than 300 families, thanks to a team of nearly 30 professionals.