Verona will be part of the Migrantour Network. The project financed by the Otto per mille of the Waldensian Church, Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches has CESTIM, Energie Sociali and Salmon’s Magazine as partners.
In Verona the population of migrant origin accounts for 12.5% of the population (2022 data), in addition to foreign citizens who have acquired Italian citizenship. With the exception of a few well-known racists, most citizenship recognises the contribution of migrants to the productive fabric. However, they still struggle to recognise their contribution to the community in cultural terms. The image of the immigrant worker, exclusively functional to the Veronese economy, is difficult to shake and places and opportunities for exchange between new and old citizens are lacking. Therefore, the Migrantour Verona intercultural walks aim to become these exchange opportunities.
12 candidates from 8 different nationalities were selected to become Intercultural Companions.
The training started on 11 May with training by Viaggi Solidali, implemented by Francesco Vietti, scientific coordinator of the Migrantour Network, and participation in a Migrantour walk in Milan, organised by ACRA. This was followed by other meetings on the history of immigration and emigration in Verona, and a reflection on the identity and personal history of the participants.
We will conclude this first part of the training with a walk in Veronetta, one of the districts with a high presence of migrant shops in the city, and a meeting on the geography and heritage in the centre of Verona. The second part of the training will continue in September with the planning of walks for Migrantour in Verona in different districts of the city.