Event Details
Wed, February 14, 2018
18:00 – 19:00
VILLA SASSETTI
Via Bolognese, 120
50139 Firenze, Italia
A Dialogue with Mauro Valeri, Ufficio Nazionale Antidiscriminazioni Razziali, Dipartimento per le Pari Opportunità della Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri
(In Italian with English translations)
Italy has always been multiethnic, multireligious and multiracial, but has never admitted it. During Italy’s fascist period a vision of a monoethnic, monoreligious and monoracial country was promoted through racial laws, propaganda and actions against blacks and ‘mixed’ Italians, ‘i meticci’, and colonial subjects, among others, and their contributions to Italian history were negated. This understanding of national identity, unfortunately, persists today. It has prevented anti-racism movements from building a solid foundation in Italy and, more recently, serving as an effective counter power to the return of neo-fascism. In this Dialogue, Mauro Valeri will remind us of the contributions of black and ‘mixed race’ Italians and will discuss new forms of racism in Italian society and why anti-racism movements have been late to confront them.
LPD – Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
In connection with Black History Month Florence.
Featured Biographies
Mauro Valeri
UFFICIO NAZIONALE ANTIDISCRIMINAZIONI RAZZIALI, DIPARTIMENTO PER LE PARI OPPORTUNITA' DELLA PRESIDENZA DEL CONSIGLIO DEI MINISTRI
Mauro Valeri graduated with a degree in the Sociology of Law from the University of Rome and received a PhD at the Department of Philosophy and Sociology of Law at the University of Milan. He has served in various roles in the Italian government’s Department for Social Affairs in Italy’s Presidency of the Council of Ministers from 1994 to 2002 as well as the Italian Ministry of Labor and Social Policies from 2002 to 2009. Since February 2010, he works for the National Office for Racial Antidiscrimination (Ufficio Nazionale Antidiscriminazioni Razziali- UNAR) at the Department for Equal Opportunity of the Council of Ministers, focusing on issues of anti-discrimination, racism, political asylum, minors and nomads, and the relationship between racism and sports. He coordinates the National Action Plan Against Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance since 2012 and currently represents the Department of Equal Opportunity of the Italian Council of Ministers on the technical committee that monitors the application of Italian Immigration Law. He has also taught different courses and seminars in various Italian universities and authored numerous publications related to immigration, racism and anti-discrimination in Italy, with a focus on the condition of underage immigrants and racism in Italian football.