Over the past few weeks, the Italian National Consortium Idee in Rete has participated in several significant European events that are closely related to the mission of our cooperatives and the work carried out through the ENSIE network.
At the 10th European Migration Forum in Brussels, our colleague Giuliana Ecora, of T.E.A.M. Cooperative, member of Consorzio Sol.Co. Rete di Imprese Sociali Siciliane, joined the ENSIE delegation for two days of discussions dedicated to one of the core issues of our daily work: how to build real pathways to integration and how to truly value the skills and potential of migrants in European labour markets.
This year's theme, 'Harnessing Migrants' Skills in the EU', stimulated a concrete discussion about the recognition of competencies, access to employment, and the contributions that migrants are already making to local communities. The sessions on EU funds, labour inclusion, the protection of rights, and anti-trafficking policies provided a valuable framework for comparison and confirmed the pivotal role of WISEs in connecting people with support needs, territories, and opportunities.
A few days later, we returned to Brussels for the European Day of Persons with Disabilities, thanks to the collaboration between ENSIE and Idee in Rete. Francesca Farolfi of COM.I.L. cooperative. and Daniela Naldoni Disability Area Coordinator of CO.M.E.S. cooperative, member of Consorzio COOB. took part representing the ENSIE delegation in the two-day event hosted by the European Commission and the European Disability Forum. Their report from the conference shows clearly how powerful it is to see organisations of persons with disabilities directly shaping the agenda and calling for stronger commitments on accessibility, rights and independent living.
Several moments stood out from the opening speech of EDF President Ioannis Vardakastanis, to panels on the implementation of the EU Disability Rights Strategy and on building a disability-inclusive EU budget. The atmosphere in the room, described in their reflections, reminded us how essential it is to make inclusion a structural principle rather than a symbolic ambition.
Alongside these European engagements, Idee in Rete has also been deeply involved in the national debate on the future of the social economy. Together with INAPP and Sapienza University of Rome, we co-organised the second edition of “Il Fattore Economia Sociale”, a two-day conference that gathered over sixty experts, public institutions, researchers and social economy organisations.
The event explored the opportunities introduced by the upcoming national Action Plan on Social Economy and reaffirmed the need for policies that recognise the specific role of work-integration social cooperatives in creating employment, innovation and territorial cohesion. Several contributions highlighted how Italy can position itself as a leader in Europe by investing in governance, adequate financing tools and stronger partnerships between public authorities and social economy actors.
Across all these initiatives from migration and disability rights to the development of the social economy our commitment remains the same: bringing the experience of Italian WISEs into European debates, strengthening cooperation among networks, and promoting policies that place people, skills and inclusion at the centre of community development.