ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Foundation with the South, with the support of UniCredit through the Ethics Charter Fund, launches the project “To make community together“ to strengthen the ongoing co-design path in the four selected territories within the call “Reinhabit the South” promoted by the Foundation with the South to counter the dispopulation by promoting demographic regeneration and relaunching of local communities.
Among the 57 candidates received in response to the call were selected four proposals that interest: the area of the Alte Madonie, in the province of Palermo, and in particular a territory that includes 7 small municipalities for a total of just over 19 thousand inhabitants (Petralia Soprana, Gangi, Polizzi Generosa, Petralia Sottana, Blufi, Geraci Siculo and Castellana Sicula); a small portion of the area of the Locride.
Thanks to the support of UniCredit, with the project “To make community together” the Foundation will be able to activate a specialized accompaniment program aimed at the four third sector entities engaged in the definition of executive projects. The resources available will provide targeted counselling services, built on the specific needs emerging in the different territories, with the aim of ensuring the effectiveness of the initiatives. The accompanying path will help strengthen the skills, governance and operational capabilities of local networks.
“To address complex challenges such as depopulation and its causes it is necessary to build solid alliances, able to set up skills, resources and visions – said the General Director of the Foundation with the South, Marco Imperiale. The collaboration with UniCredit goes in this direction and strengthens a path that aims to enhance the protagonism of local communities, accompanying them in the definition of concrete and sustainable interventions. We believe that the most significant results arise from the ability to work together, creating conditions for ideas to transform into lasting development opportunities and generate a real impact on the quality of people’s lives and the future of the South. At this stage of co-design we are supporting the selected territories so that they can build integrated strategies and interventions capable of responding to the specific needs of communities.”.
“The internal areas of the Mezzogiorno preserve energies, skills and patrimonies that deserve to be valued: our commitment is to help create the conditions for these resources to be translated into new opportunities for growth, education, work and social inclusion. Investing in the capacity of communities to imagine and realize their future means strengthening territorial cohesion and fostering development processes that can generate lasting benefits over time“.
“UniCredit is at the side of the territories, especially where fragility is deeper, supporting those with a spirit of initiative intends to carry out development interventions of local communities. For this reason, we have chosen to support the project ‘To make community together’ thanks to the UniCredit Ethics Charter Fund, which is a concrete expression of the bank’s commitment to people and territories. We believe that the future of our country passes from the ability to network between institutions, the Third Sector and citizens, transforming ideas and strategies into concrete projects, capable of enhancing human capital and generating new employment opportunities. For this reason, we are proud to contribute to initiatives that promote inclusion, social cohesion and lasting growth for our communities and especially for all South Italy,” said Annalisa Areni, Head of Clients Strategies of UniCredit.
The collaboration with UniCredit is a further step in the commitment of the Foundation with the South to support local development processes based on community participation and the growth of the third sector, creating the conditions for projects to be transformed into lasting interventions.
“To make community together” is made possible thanks to the UniCredit Ethics Card Project, a solidarity initiative linked to the use of “Ethic” credit cards by customers and employees in Italy. For each purchase made, UniCredit allocates to the Ethics Charter Fund 2 per thousand of the expenses incurred with these cards, at no cost for holders. The sums collected are entirely devoted to initiatives of non-profit organizations committed to responding to the needs of communities. It is a unique model in the Italian banking scene, which makes solidarity an integral part of the relationship between bank and territory.
-Photos UniCredit-print office
(ITALPRESS).
