L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 3 I m a g i n e t h e p a s t a n d a f u t u r e without L'Italo-Americano From the director Hosted by the historical Università per Stranieri in Perugia, Umbria region - whose mission since its foundation in 1925 has been to promote the Italian language and culture amongst foreign students - and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' headquarters in Rome, the three-day Conference of Directors of the Italian Cultural Institutes in the World took place in late June and focused on some key issues, aimed at improving Italy's cultural policies abroad. With the participation not only of 80 IIC Directors but also of representatives of the Institutions, as well as of strate- gic partners - such as the presi- dent of the Società Dante Alighieri, the director of the Fondazione Triennale, and the president of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, among others - the meeting resumed after about 8 years an interesting debate on the role and activities to be carried out by the IICs worldwide. And, as under- secretary Mario Giro underlined, these don't involve just the orga- nization of cultural events and initiatives, but a constant and closer collaboration with all the Italian ENTI at a local level, mainly the Tourism Board and Trade Agency, with the common goal to show off the best of con- temporary Italy. First and foremost, according to secretary general of the Italian Ministry for Heritage and Cultural Activities (Mibact) Antonia Pasqua Recchia, it is imperative to restore the Country's reputation abroad, in order to boost tourism and trade. The demand for Italian products and brands is still high, mostly in the emerging markets, and the Cultural Institutes must con- tribute to manage it, boosting a positive trend - "despite the mea- ger human and economic resources at their disposal," admitted Minister of Foreign Affairs Paolo Gentiloni. After all, "Ours is the only Nation in the world that has included cultural promotion in the Constitution, and so it repre- sents not only an investment in Italy's growth but also a constitu- tional obligation for us all," reminded Mibact's Minister Dario Franceschini. He also added, "Yet we need to invest on young artists and modern assets, to prove that Italy is not only past glories but also future opportuni- ties." And in this regard, a well- framed development of the Italian language offer in schools and universities, with scholar- ships and training courses for teachers, can be crucial to attract more students (approximately 1.4 millions today) and to draw the interest of new educational part- ners. "Professor and student exchanges must be strongly sup- ported, as the Italian high-skilled migrants become ambassadors of knowledge, who promote our Country through their successful career abroad," remarked Stefano Paleari, president of the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI). By building upon these ideas, suggestions, and objectives, the Italian Cultural Institutes could overcome main challenges such as cultural competitions or short- age of funds, enhancing their instrumental role to benefit Italy's image worldwide. Let's try for just one moment to imagine your Italian American communities without the spotlight that L'Italo-Americano puts on them and their initiatives. What would you see? Most likely only darkness. Journalists are often referred to as "present-day historians," not because their description of the facts is indisputable but rather because of their contribution to pre- serve the vast memories that com- pose our daily lives. Historians, sociologists, and communication experts consider the mass media instrumental in devel- oping a public opinion on recent or past events. And yet, due to the enormous amount of information available today, History takes shape before our very eyes, day after day, through the constantly updated newscasts. It all becomes part of the collective memory, which con- tributes to shape our identity and makes us feel part of a civil society. If we think about it, newspapers are the instrument we use to talk about the present times, as well as the source we draw from to pass down our experiences to the younger generations. Newspapers are History's protagonists throughout; they are archives full of information that explains the evolution of our society. And this should be our approach to the reading of L'Italo- Americano, the newspaper that has been turning today's news into tomorrow's memories since 1908. Decade after decade, L'Italo- Americano has been putting together the pieces of our communities by describing, showcasing, and presenting them. Now let's try to imagine the last 107 years without our newspaper, L'Italo-Americano. What would we know about our communities? Besides a few history books, - which are certainly not delivered to our doorstep every other week - how could we be aware of who we were yesterday and who we are today, without this unfailing and passionate narration? So let's ask ourselves, what would happen if L'Italo-Americano would cease to exist? Probably, without L'Italo-Americano the very sense of community and its century-old history will be lost in the over- whelming mass of information distracting our attention. Our own cul- tural heritage will be lost, and no public event could take place without a print or digital form of archive. Representing the voice of all our communities and contributing to create their identities are the main reasons that drive us, even through such hard times, to continue to talk about who we are and what we do. L'Italo-Americano is asking for your support, because we firmly believe in the need to preserve the collective memory and to show off the amazing Italian American heritage that persists in the multiethnic and multicultural society of the U.S. West Coast. The Conference of Directors of the Italian Cultural Institutes in the World SILVIA SIMONETTI Conference of Italian Cultural Institute Director

• Cover