Why happiness?

Immigration policies, inequality, minimum income, quality and innovation in educational services, care allowance and media education: these are the various and specific issues in the focus of attention of  Social Cohesion Days 2nd edition, the international festival of social cohesion held in Reggio Emilia from 26th to 28th May. Three days of confrontation and over 20 debates on social cohesion in Europe and Italy, with business and politics big shots: from the Minister Giuliano Poletti to Benjamin Radcliff and Alexander Pacek, from Romano Prodi to François Bourguignon.

The “Politics of Happiness”  is the opening theme: Benjamin Radcliff, a political scientist of the University of Notre Dame, United States, and Alexander Pacek of Texas A&M University will confront on the relationship between public policies and human happiness within industrialized democracies (Thursday, 26th May, Teatro Cavallerizza). A dialogue on “Inequality, democracy and social cohesion” between Romano Prodi – founder and president of the Foundation for World Wide Cooperation – and François Bourguignon – former chief economist of the World Bank – will close the festival (Saturday, 28th May, Teatro Cavallerizza). Between the two events other 20 events will be moderated by great journalists – Riccardo Iacona, Ferruccio De Bortoli, Gad Lerner – with more than 50 speakers from different worlds (universities, public institutions, third sector organizations, civil society, businesses) who will deal with the various facets of social cohesion: immigration, social inclusion, education, media education, childhood, European integration.

The festival is also an opportunity to show a selection of real social cohesion experiences in Italy: about 60 projects in total, ranging from the protection of vulnerable groups (elderly, children, disabled) to innovative ways of responding to community needs and the provision of welfare services, the promotion of intercultural dialogue, the reception of refugees. The goal is to initiate a incubation process of some social cohesion projects, by creating relationships between the protagonists and developing sustainable and innovative ideas.