At Caserta’s Auditorium, the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi, met the President of the Province, Giorgio Magliocca, and the representatives of the 118 Campania’s Municipalities that were awarded the Foreign Ministry’s Call for Proposals for the organisation of cultural activities in favour of Italian descendants in the world. The Call for Proposal was developed in the framework of the NRRP Project “Roots Tourism” and of the related celebrations of the “2024 – Year of Italian Roots in the World”. Besides the over 800 Municipalities with a population under 6,000 inhabitants that won the so-called Bando dei Comuni (Municipalities’ Call for Proposals) for the organisation of cultural events having a link to communities abroad, a new project will be added involving the Italian Cultural Institutes and Municipalities with a population over 6,000 inhabitants.
The meeting – coordinated by Antonio Corsi, advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Antonio Tajani, for the promotion of cultural traditions of Italian communities abroad – allowed a discussion on the projects and the fulfilment of the requirements for the disbursement of funds, from which 15% of small Italian Municipalities will benefit. Undersecretary Tripodi said: ‘The main goal of the project is to foster economic growth and employment in the inland areas of our country by enhancing the historical, traditional, and cultural heritage of small villages. Roots Tourism is crucial for the Italian tourist sector, enabling a pool of about 80 million Italians and Italian descendants around the world to visit the places from which their ancestors left. It is extremely significant that for the first time, on Minister Tajani’s initiative, such a direct link has been created between territories and the Foreign Ministry. Today’s initiative is the first of a series of events that in the coming weeks will see us engaged throughout the country, in an ongoing dialogue with mayors and local authorities to continue the growing institutional synergy underway.
