People - 31 Luglio 2020 Youth on Racial Inequalities: An Italian American and Black American Discussion "Here’s the thing about Black Lives Matter. I think people have a misconception of what the movement actually is. Let’s clear the air. When we made this movement we weren’t saying that other races don’t exist. We weren’t saying that we don’t care about white people, asians, latinos. We weren’t saying that we hate others. Like in Macklemore's song "White Privilege," if you called the fire department for a block that has six houses, but only one of them is on fire, the firemen will only hose down that one house. You wouldn’t put water on all of the houses if only one of them was on fire..." (Audio recording inside)
U.N. - 25 Maggio 2020 Libya, the Never-Ending War That No Virus (or Negotiation) Is Able to Stop At the beginning of May, the European mission "Irini" ("peace"), intended to contribute to the implementation of the UN arms embargo, started amid several difficulties. The initiative has already triggered some criticism. As the Libyan government pointed out, the mission "lacks the mechanisms to stop the shipments of weapons and mercenaries that flow into Haftar militias by land and air, mainly from the United Arab Emirates." Moreover, the quarrelsome negotiations between the European countries have proven to what extent migration remains one of the main controversial and insoluble issues within the EU.
U.N. - 8 Novembre 2019 U.N. ICC is Analyzing Evidence on Crimes Against Migrants in Libya During the UN Security Council Meeting on the Libyan Situation on Nov 5th, Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bom Bensouda said her office at the International Criminal Court is analyzing evidence on alleged crimes against migrants in Libya. It’s been nearly 10 years since the International Criminal Court opened its investigation into the war crimes and crimes […]
U.N. - 1 Novembre 2019 For UK Ambassador Karen Pierce, Brexit Will Bolster British Diplomacy at the UN Asked about the state of British diplomacy in the shadow of Brexit, the President of the UN Security Council Karen Pierce assured us that it is alive and well, and that thanks to the deals that had been made with the European Union, the UN’s importance for the UK would grow. “We recognize that the UN will be an even bigger stage for British diplomacy once we leave the European Union.” As for the Italy-Libya agreement on how to handle migrants, Pierce declared that she is "open to raising the migrant and human trafficking issue."
News - 17 Settembre 2019 The Number of International Migrants Reaches 272 Million, Says UN The number of international migrants globally reached an estimated 272 million in 2019, an increase of 51 million since 2010. Currently, international migrants comprise 3.5 per cent of the global population, compared to 2.8 per cent in the year 2000, according to new estimates released by the United Nations today. The International Migrant Stock 2019, […]
Libri - 26 Agosto 2019 Migration, Immigration and Intolerance According to Umberto Eco The writer's reflections on the issue of immigration were presented twenty-two years ago during two conferences in Valencia and Paris where Eco distinguishes between Immigration, defined as the temporary and quantitively contained movement of an ethnic group toward another geographical area and that of Migration as a permanent and unstoppable mass exodus that changes the culture of the host country
News - 6 Agosto 2019 How Salvini’s Security Decree Will Criminalize the Sea Rescue Operations The security decree consists of 18 articles, mainly aimed at regulating the sea rescue operations. In the first article, the reform states that the Interior Minister is entitled to restrict or prohibit ships’ entry or transit in the Italian territorial waters. The article’s—and the whole decree’s—main target is represented by the NGO's ships that seek to save migrants’ lives in the Mediterranean Sea, and that, according to the Law of the Sea, often identify Italy as the first safe harbor to disembark them. However, according to the decree, their entry into the Italian territorial waters can be prohibited, whenever the crime of facilitation of illegal immigration can be presumed.
U.N. - 30 Luglio 2019 As Migrants/Refugees Continue to Die, Libyan War Could Spiral out of Control UN Envoy Salamé informed the council that since the onset of the war in Libya, the fighting has left 1,100 dead, including 106 civilians. Salamé explained that, “Forces on both sides have failed to uphold their obligations under international law,” reminding the council of the recent airstrike on the Tajoura Detention Center on July 2nd. The attack left 53 dead and 87 injured, including children. Of the 5,000 migrants and refugees being held in detention centers in Libya, the UNSMIL chief reported that 3,800 are exposed to the fighting.
U.N. - 9 Luglio 2019 Bachelet Says US Detention Centers Could Be Breaking International Law She [UN human right chief Bachelet] explained that “even for short periods under good conditions,” the detention of children “can have a serious impact on their health and development.” Furthermore, Bachelet stated that “according to several UN human rights bodies, detaining migrant children may constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment that is prohibited under international law.” The High Commissioner’s condemnation of the US border detention facilities comes just days after the release of the report by the US Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General. The report called for “immediate attention and action” to the “dangerous overcrowding and prolonged detention of the children and adults in the Rio Grande Valley” detention centers.
News - 29 Giugno 2019 Sea-Watch 3 Captain Carola Rackete Is a Strong Woman Who Saved Human Beings On the 16th day, after several appeals to the Italian authorities had gone unanswered, Carola decided to break the naval blockade--and Italian law--and to enter Italy’s territorial waters. When she realized that the Italian Government would not give the authorization to disembark migrants in any case, on the 17th day, in the middle of the night, she also entered Lampedusa harbor. "At this moment the Sea-Watch 3 is entering Lampedusa harbor. It's been almost 60 hours since we declared a state of emergency. No one listened. No one took responsibility. Once more it's up to us, to Captain Carola Rackete and her crew, to bring the 40 people to safety,” the NGO wrote on Facebook.