The role African and Mideastern immigrants in Italy can play in helping migrants integrate, in fighting Islamic extremism and developing their homelands was the focus of a meeting in Rome on Wednesday.
The conference taking place at Italy's lower house of parliament also aims "to create channels of communication and contact points between the various national and local institutions," according to the organisers.
Italy's deputy foreign minister Mario Giro was due to open the 'Migration, Welcome, Inclusion and Co-Development: the Role of Mediterranean and African Diasporas' conference according to its programme.
Janiki Cingoli, president of the Italian Centre for Peace in the Middle East (CIPMO) and Pietro Fassino, president of Italy's Centre for International Political Studies (CeSPI), is chairing the meeting, which takes the form of three panel discussions.
The first discussion on Mediterranean and African diasporas is being moderated by migration and development expert Tana Anglana and speakers will include leaders of the Guinean and Moroccan emigrant communities.
Senior officials from Italy's interior, foreign, labour and education ministries, international development agency and national association of town and city councils will take part in the second panel discussion on institutional policy responses.
A third discussion 'Experiences on the Ground' will include addresses by representatives of Italian humanitarian an cultural mediation groups, researchers and the head of US money transfer company MoneyGram in southern Europe.
The conference is being promoted by CIPMO, CeSPI, the Piedmont Centre for African Studies, the IDOS Study and Research Centre/Statistical Dossier on Immigration, and Italian monthly magazine Confronti.
