(ANS – Rome) – The "International Volunteers for Development" (VIS) wanted to celebrate the 64th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by promoting and participating in a series of events along with other similar organizations. So it set up a week devoted to promoting human rights and projects implemented by the Salesian NGO.

Monday, December 10 – The celebration of Human Rights Day – A video was presented, made by the students studying for their Masters in Cartoon Animation at the European Institute of Design (IED) in Rome. They made it for the "A well for Andrew" project, run by VIS in Ethiopia, in memory of Andrea De Nando, a 15-year-old boy run over while crossing the pedestrian crossing outside the Oratory. The presentation was sponsored by VIS, by IED Rome and "Shoot4Change", a network of nonprofit-making photographers. The video presentation was also attended by Andrew's mother, Elizabeth Cipollone.

An International Conference on "the centrality of the person and protection of human rights in the contemporary world" was held on Wednesday, December 12th, at the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome. The event was sponsored by CIDU (Interministerial Committee for Human Rights, operating at the MFA) in collaboration with VIS and the Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. The Conference opened with a video message from Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, and concluded with the third round of talks on "The promotion of Human Rights: from theory to practice", an initiative launched last year with the aim of deepening an understanding of more topical themes concerning the promotion and protection of Human Rights through specific seminars. The meetings were attended by students enrolled in degree courses at the Faculty of Political Science, Law, Economics and Arts at several Roman Universities, as well as the SIOI (Italian Society for International Organisation).

"The Gender Issue, a matter of Rights" was the theme of a conference held on Thursday, 13th December, attended by students from secondary schools in Rome. During the Symposium at the European Commission premises in Italy of the, various best practice in women's empowerment involving Italy and Africa, were presented. The event, sponsored by VIS and  the"Prodocs" NGO, and the "Equitably" Fair Trade shop included the Burundian ADISCO Association's "Schola Harushiyakira".

The event helped young participants to confront the issue of the relationship between genders; stereotypes and prejudices, inequalities between men and women in access to rights and opportunities with a particular focus on the situation in Burundi and Central Africa. The activities of VIS in Burundi feature a clear gender approach which aims at the realization of specific initiatives to support entrepreneurship, promoting the empowerment of vulnerable women workers in the informal economy in Bujumbura, through the extension of their technical and managerial capacities.
 
Friday 14, finally, celebrated the entry of Palestine as a permanent observer nation at the United Nations. VIS convened the seventh "Territori DiVini" wine tasting event involving Palestinians and Italians in collaboration with the Italian Sommelier Association of Rome. They tasted wines which the Cremisan winery has been producing since 1885, along with products from Parma. Cremisan's wines are marketed in the Palestinian territories, in neighbouring countries and are soon to be marketed also in Italy. The proceeds from the sale of wines will benefit social works (schools, youth centres, vocational training centres, Oratories) and the bakery that the Salesians run in Bethlehem and Nazareth. The beneficiaries therefore are the young Palestinians and Arab Christians who live in situations of poverty, social exclusion and economic and social hardship.

Published 17/12/2012