L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OTTOBRE 3, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano I t has been a great few days in Portland, when Mayor Merola, from the city of Bologna, traveled to cele- brate the 15th anniversary of the Cities' sisterhood. The Portland Bologna Sister City Association, responsible for the visit, has been working with high passion and commitment for the last decade or so to uncover, nurture, and grow the common interests between the citizens of Bologna, Italy, and Portland, Oregon for the better- ment of our two cities and the world. The organization, which operates as a non-profit, runs plenty of activities, large and small events, all aiming to honor the Italian traditions of eating, drinking, and of course, talking. Among the most unique activities run by the two cities together, the PBSCA Youth Exchange surely takes the spot- light. For the last eleven years, for two weeks, 16-17 year-old boys and girls from each city travel one summer and host one summer. Each town provides an official itinerary to introduce vis- itors to their sister city, and host families engage them in informal activities. As for today, 170 teens have had the opportunity to connect through the PBSCA Youth Exchange, and many friendships have been created. The arrival of Mayor Merola has been crucial in strengthening this relationship, as well as the presence of Consul General of San Francisco, Lorenzo Ortona, and Italian Cultural Institute Director, Annamaria Di Giorgio, who opened the Rodari's exhibit. L'Italo-Americano had a chat with Mayor Merola about the connections between the two cities, the importance of the PBSCA and future projects. Your mission in the city of Portland marks the 15th anniversary of the Sister City agreement between Bologna and the American town. What make this connection so strong? Bologna and Portland have many points in common: they are both university cities, lively from a cultural point of view, and with special attention to environmental sustainability. In Portland, moreover, there is a large Italian-American commu- nity, with a great desire to main- tain a tight connection with Italy. They organize a lot of events to bring the community together around the story of Bologna and Italy. How have you been wel- comed and what surprised you the most? The local community greeted me and my delegation with extraordinary warmth. It was surprising to meet many people who actually know our city, Bologna, and many others who are planning to come and visit our beautiful land. I felt great emotion because I am the first Mayor of Bologna visiting Port- land. The Sister City also includes the Youth Exchange. Why do you think it's crucial for both towns to have the young generations part of the program? The exchange between the young people is precisely what has kept the program alive and active in the last years. A group of teenagers from Bologna is hosted in families in Portland and vice versa. The last exchange was made in June of this year, when some Bolognese families hosted 14 boys and girls from Portland, aged between 16 and 17. The previous year, how- ever, the Bolognese teenagers were overseas as their guests. Sharing life in the family, dis- covering a different reality together with your peers, and being able to show your city the following year, with also an offi- cial reception at the Municipali- ty: these are all things that strengthen our relationship and allow friendships to last over the years, giving continuity to the whole program. Could you tell us a bit about what you did in the last few days spent in Portland? First of all, we met Mayor Ted Wheeler, with whom we shared a vision of an open city. This means to involve citizens to value common goods and to cre- ate an inclusive and cohesive community. The Director of the Office of Community and Civic Life, Suk Rhee, told us about their strategy to engage and involve local citizens. Bologna seems to have a similar model. Every meeting was very interest- ing, like for example, the one with the Portland Environment Department.We learned about the green infrastructures created to manage the abundant rainfall and avoid flooding. Climate change has also made Bologna victim of very violent and sud- den rains, and we are interested in exploring the concept of green roads developed in Portland to make it transferable to Bologna. I cannot help but mention the warm welcome received from the Portland Bologna Sister City Association, which has been car- rying on our relationships with great passion and commitment since the beginning, fifteen years ago. The meeting with the mem- bers of the Association was an exciting moment, which con- vinced me even more of the value of this exchange. Last but not least, let's not forget that there is a bed of roses dedicated to Bologna to celebrate this important anniversary at the Rose Garden in Portland, in Washington Park. The program also included the opening of the Illustrazioni di Rodari Exhibit. Why is it so important for the Sister City Association? The exhibition Figures for Gianni Rodari - Italian Excellen- cies, on display at the Portland Art Museum until November 10th, collects images of great illustrators who have interpreted the texts of Gianni Rodari, an author who - for most Italians and beyond - represents a dear childhood memory. The initia- tive was promoted by Bologna Fiere, alongside with the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francis- co, with the support of the Emil- ia-Romagna Region, the Con- sulate General of Italy of San Francisco, Portland Art Museum, the Municipalities of Bologna and Portland, and the Portland Bologna Sister City Association (PBSCA). The exhibition, which will move to San Francisco at the beginning of the year, will return to Italy at the end of March 2020, on the occasion of the next edition of the Bologna Chil- dren's Book Fair. It is an initia- tive that physically connects the two cities, result of the work and commitment of one of Bologna's most important events, the Bologna Children's Book Fair, which is known throughout the world. San Francisco's Consul General Ortona and the Direc- tor of Italian Cultural Institute both flew from the Bay Area. Which message would you like to pass on to them? I would like to thank the Con- sul General of Italy in San Fran- cisco, Lorenzo Ortona, who strongly wanted to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this partner- ship and gave us the opportunity to open the beautiful exhibition on Rodari, thanks to the commit- ment of the Director of the Ital- ian Cultural Institute, Annamaria Di Giorgio. Consul General Ortona and I wanted to empha- size the many points of contact between Bologna and Portland, as well as our values: knowl- edge, innovation, quality of life, and tolerance. What are your expectations for the future, after this visit? This visit has certainly strengthened the relations between Bologna and Portland and the foundations have been laid for exchanges in various areas of local government: mobility, environmental sustain- ability, civic engagement, etc. I invited Mayor Wheeler to return the visit next year and I am sure it will be an opportunity to acti- vate further collaborations. Mayor Merola and Director Di Giorgio at the opening of the Rodari's Exhibit. PORTLAND ITALIAN COMMUNITY B o l o g n a a n d Po r t l a n d s t r e n g t h e n their relationship by honoring their 15-years anniversary as Sister Cities SERENA PERFETTO

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