On the occasion of the commemoration of the 66th anniversary of the Marcinelle mining tragedy, the Italian Embassy in Brussels presents “Belgio chiama Italia”, a new partnership project between Italian and Belgian schools aimed at reinforcing the importance of the traditional commemoration, which means so much to Italians in Belgium and as a further opportunity to further strengthen bilateral relations, as well as the Italian language and culture in general.
VIDEO of the commemoration of the 66th anniversary of the Marcinelle (click here)
The pilot project started last August 8th and saw the participation of some students and teachers from the Liceo Ginnasio Francesco Vivona in Rome and the Royal Athenaeum of Sippelberg in Molenbeek, who were able to take part in the commemoration of the Marcinelle mining tragedy for the first time.
“Belgio Chiama Italia” aims, on one hand, to bring the new generations closer to the roots of a tragedy that strongly marked the events and path of Italian emigration abroad, to the history and progress of working conditions and, more generally, to the duty of remembrance, and, on the other hand, to contribute to strengthening Marcinelle as a symbolic place that can, through a continuous teaching of history and its evolution (starting from the “Coal Agreements” between Italy and Belgium in 1946 up to the Treaty of Rome in 1957) help explain to young people the concept of citizenship in a national and European sense.
The project is open to the participation of Italian and Belgian secondary schools and it has received the support of the Wallonie-Brussels Federation.
For information and/or applications, please contact the Embassy’s School Office, coordinated by the Head of School, Dr. Adelaide Iula Perilli.
