Ambassador of Italy Paolo Crudele chaired the annual consular meeting in Canberra, which brings together all the Italian consuls serving in the country (Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney), along with delegates from the Com.It.Es (representative bodies of the Italian community) of Australia and the representative of the CGIE (General Council of Italians Abroad), Franco Papandrea. The two Italian parliamentarians elected abroad, Senator Francesco Giacobbe and Honorable Nicola Care’ were present too.
Ambassador Crudele presented the “Turismo delle radici” (Roots Tourism) project, scheduled to be launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2024. He provided an overview on consular services, with a particular focus on the digitization of processes, which will benefit the communities in Australia, where there are approximately 180,000 registered AIRE members and over 1 million people with Italian origins.
During the debate, the attendees discussed the introduction of the Electronic Identity Card (EID), that was highly appreciated by everyone. After its successful implementation in Canberra and Perth, the EID will progressively become accessible to all Italians in Australia. Discussions also covered the “System Italy” and the role that Com.It.Es and the diplomatic-consular network can play in coordinating efforts to promote Made in Italy and Italian businesses. Part of the meeting was dedicated to discussing possible joint initiatives to tackle gender-based violence following the recent “No excuse-Orange the world” initiative supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the diplomatic-consular network on November 25.
In the afternoon session, the Director of the Embassy’s Educational and Cultural Office, Valentina Biguzzi, the Director of the Italian Institute of Culture in Sydney, Paolo Barlera, and representatives of the six Enti Gestori (Managing bodies) in the country joined the meeting. This was an opportunity to discuss the teaching of Italian language and the promotion of Italian culture, key expressions of Italy’s “soft power” on which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) invests significant human and financial resources every year. The Enti Gestori highlighted the well-known challenges in the Southern Hemisphere regarding access to resources for annual planning. The importance of supporting continuous training for teachers, crucial for ensuring the teaching of quality Italian, was also emphasized. It was then mentioned the recent recognition of excellence obtained by the “Italy Major” degree program at the University of Technology Sydney for the innovation of courses and teaching techniques, highly appreciated by students. This is the first time that UTS awarded a language and culture program, which is strongly supported by MAECI grants.
During the meeting, Ambassador Crudele launched the initiative to establish an Australian Observatory of the Italian language, that all sector actors could use for consultation, data exchange, and consolidation of strategies for promoting the Italian language in the country. The format of the Observatory will be defined in the coming months in collaboration with the Enti Gestori and MAECI.
Lastly, Ambassador Paolo Crudele commented: “I would like to thank everyone who participated in this intense and productive day, held just a few days after the important mission of Undersecretary of State Giorgio Silli, the first visit of a government member to Australia since 2017. With a constructive spirit, we discussed both critical issues and results, future collaborations, and projects to be developed jointly between diplomatic-consular institutions and representatives of the Italian community. I was also pleased to note the full support of all components of the Italian community network in Australia for the campaign against all forms of violence against women, a theme on which we will develop together further initiatives in 2024.”
