THE TRENTINO FORUM FOR PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS

In this issue, we begin a collaboration with the Trentino Forum for Peace and Human Rights, an organisation dedicated to defending and promoting the same values represented by Maria Dolens. For this first article, we asked the president, Antonio Trombetta, to introduce us to the Forum's activities.

The Trentino Forum for Peace and Human Rights (more simply 'ForumPace') is a body of the Provincial Council, established by Provincial Law No. 11 of 1991, named: "Promotion and dissemination of the culture of Peace'.

With this law, the Autonomous Province of Trento - in keeping with the constitutional principles that sanction the repudiation of war as a means of settling international disputes, the promotion of human rights, democratic freedoms and international cooperation - recognises Peace as a fundamental right of human beings and peoples and decides to commit itself to it.

It is a unique institution in Italy, distinguished by its effort to bring civil society and the Province’s political institutions together, fostering dialogue and collaboration between them. The assembly of ForumPace, the organisation’s key governing body, is composed of associations engaged in local initiatives related to human rights, international cooperation and development, non-violent civil defence, Peace, disarmament, and civil service. Joining them are the highest institutional officials: the Presidents of the Province and Provincial Council, along with three provincial councillors. Municipalities and research and training institutions are also represented (the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation, the Italian War History Museum, the University of Trento) . A prominent place among these is held by the Campana dei Caduti Foundation from Rovereto.

This collaboration between civil society and institutional body is reflected in several of the Forum’s legally assigned objectives, including: formulating proposals and providing advice to the Council on promoting or participating in peace initiatives; encouraging the inclusion of peace and human rights studies in school curricula and supporting the creation of teaching and audiovisual materials on these topics for all levels of education; and promoting the establishment of scholarships for research conducted by students from schools of all levels and from the University of Trento on issues related to Peace and human rights. Finally, ForumPace can make proposals to the Provincial Council in relation to planning instruments.

The assembly elects the Peace and Human Rights Council, which supports the president in the planning and management of activities, such as the realisation of initiatives and events of particular interest for the culture of Peace, solidarity between peoples and human rights.

The operational structure provided by ForumPace is very simple: it consists of a coordinator/trainer and an administrative employee. It currently relies on the support of a communications volunteer, along with several young people taking part in civil service and university placement programmes.

The small staff and limited budget made available for activities are not a significant obstacle, as ForumPace’s role is not to act independently, but to stimulate, support, and accompany the efforts of those already engaged in Peace and human rights initiatives. It could be described as an enabler of potential and resources, aiming to build on existing efforts and to foster synergies and collaboration.

This is not to say that ForumPace is not mainly committed on two fronts: communication and promotion and training and awareness-raising. It performs countless interventions in schools of all levels: from primary to high school. It should be noted that awareness and engagement within schools are high, and the Forum’s presence is increasingly in demand.

Regarding communication, the official website is regularly updated and the Forum has a constant presence on social media, especially Instagram. As a house organ, a monthly newsletter is produced for member entities.

Awareness is also being raised among the wider public through newspaper articles. Young people are clearly at the forefront of ForumPace’s attention, with many meetings dedicated to them, primarily held in the province’s suburban areas. The focus on the more peripheral areas of the province remains particularly strong.

An important initiative that began following last year’s municipal elections is the creation of a network to foster connections and the exchange of best practices with local administrators. Some 30 municipalities are being assisted to carry out awareness-raising actions in their territories.

Since the start of the 2023 legislature, whose composition is completely renewed each time the Provincial Council changes, a decision was made to involve the various associations directly through 6 thematic areas: the culture of Peace, with a special focus on language, rights and discrimination (working for substantive equality), new citizenships (addressing the needs of migrants and other emerging communities), Peace and disarmament (exploring ways to manage and resolve conflicts non-violently from the perspective of international cooperation), participation, school and community (focused on building inclusive and collaborative communities), sustainability and climate justice (tackling climate change through an equity-focused approach).

At the national level, ForumPace is a member of the Italian Peace and Disarmament Network and from time to time supports the campaigns launched on the relevant issues.

The times we are living in are certainly not favourable to Peace, perhaps even less so than when it was founded 35 years ago. This is the challenge that ForumPace embraces every day, seeking to serve as a unifying force for its member associations and for the institutions. The Campana dei Caduti Foundation itself is a privileged interlocutor for dialogue and action in favour of Peace.

From left to right: Barbara Gallo, specialised journalist and collaborator of IRIAD - Archivio Disarmo, Massimiliano Pilati, former president of the Trentino Forum for Peace and Human Rights, Emanuele Giordana, journalist, president of Afgana and editorial director of the portal atlanteguerre.it, and Tehseen Nisar, collaborator of the South Asian Democratic Forum during the event entitled "Twenty years later, twenty years back?" held on 11 September 2021 at Campana dei Caduti

From left to right Don Mario Costalunga, co-founder of "Blessed are the builders of peace", Father Alex Zanotelli and Massimiliano Pilati, former president of the Trentino Forum for Peace and Human Rights, during the meeting "Like so many signposts: through the archives of key figures, the historical journey of the pacifist ideal and commitment", held on 13/7/2023