This article is a practical guide. It answers the question that many mayors and administrators ask themselves after reading or hearing about the project: "It's interesting. But how can you actually join?" The first thing to know is that the Municipalities Project it's a collaboration gradual and flexible, designed to adapt to the resources, priorities, and timeframes of each administration. The process is developed together, starting with an analysis of the territory and the administration's expectations.
Phase 1: First contact
The journey begins with a direct contact with the Italiani.it Foundation. This can happen in several ways:
– by writing to the address ppgad@pucrs.br, describing the Municipality and the interest in the project
– by filling out the contact form available on the website fondazione.italiani.it
– through a recommendation or referral from another participating municipality, a trade association, or a regional or provincial body in contact with the Foundation.
The first contact serves to open a dialogue, get to know each other, and understand if the conditions are right for working together.
Phase 2: analysis of the territory
After the first contact, the Foundation starts a cognitive phase dedicated to the Municipality's territory. This is a structured analysis that takes into consideration various aspects:
– the demographic and geographical characteristics of the Municipality;
– the size of the historical diaspora (how many emigrants, where they were concentrated, in which generations);
– the available cultural, historical and landscape heritage;
– the resources and local entities already active (associations, businesses, tour operators, schools);
– the administration's priorities and objectives.
This analysis is returned to the administration in the form of a preliminary report with concrete operational proposals. It is not a generic document; it is a working tool specific to that Municipality, identifying the strengths to be enhanced, the opportunities to be seized, and the most appropriate actions to achieve the objectives.
Phase 3: The Memorandum of Understanding
If the parties decide to proceed, the next step is the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Municipality and the Italiani.it Foundation. The Protocol is a formal document that establishes the mutual desire to collaborate and defines, at a general level, the scope and principles of collaboration.
For the Municipality, the signing of the Protocol requires a resolution of the City Council, an ordinary administrative act, not dissimilar from other protocols that administrations regularly stipulate with entities, institutions and associations. The Foundation makes available to the interested Municipalities a draft resolution has always been draft Protocol, which can be adapted to local specificities.
The Protocol does not, in itself, entail financial commitments: it defines a framework for collaboration.
Some local administrations and the Aeolian Islands GAL have already adopted this approach, formally adopting the memorandum of understanding, becoming the first official members of the project.
Phase 4: the implementing agreement
Once the Memorandum of Understanding has been signed, the parties together define the implementing agreement: the operational document that specifies the services to be activated, the timeframes, the responsibilities of each party and the financial aspects. The agreement is modulateYou can start with a subset of activities and expand them over time, depending on the results achieved and available resources. The services available range from publishing to heritage tourism, building a genealogical database, and more.
What happens next
Once the collaboration has started, the Municipality becomes fully involved in the Network of the Municipalities Project. This means:
– have a dedicated space on the italiani.it portal, with content produced and updated by the Foundation;
– be present in online communications, articles, newsletters, and social media, aimed at millions of users worldwide;
– access memory and genealogy tools, the Virtual Museum of Italian Emigrants, and digital archives;
– be part of the Network of Municipalities and be able to collaborate with other participating administrations;
– have a dedicated Foundation representative to coordinate activities.
Collaboration is not static: it evolves over time based on results, new opportunities, and changing priorities.
FAQ
- Is the project open only to small municipalities? No, the Municipalities Project It is designed to be inclusive; all administrations can participate, from villages with a few hundred inhabitants to capital cities.
- Are technical or digital skills required to participate? No, the Foundation handles the editorial, technological, and communications aspects. The administration can provide information on the area and encourages the involvement of local organizations.
- How much time does it take for administration? Participation in the Municipalities Project was designed to minimize the burden on municipal structures. Operational activities are managed by the Foundation; the administration is asked to contribute information and local involvement.
The Comuni Project is an open initiative. It requires only the will to build something together: a bridge between the Municipality and its diaspora, between the local area and the world, between the past and the future.
If you are a mayor, councilor, city councilor or official interested in exploring this possibility, the first step is simple: write to ppgad@pucrs.br or visit fondazione.italiani.it.
The land you represent has a story to tell. The world is waiting to hear it.
