Lunaria is an association started in 1992
carrying out research, information, training and action on the social economy,
immigration, globalisation, youth programmes and voluntary service. Our activities include
* campaigns,
building coalitions of civil society groups for alternative priorities in
public expenditure, expanding the third sector, North-South solidarity,
integration of immigrants
* research,
with projects on public expenditure, employment and work in the social economy,
ethical finance, immigrants, globalisation
*
communication and information, with the newsletter "Infoluna", the
website and collaboration to newspapers and magazines
* services,
advising non profit organizations on law, fiscal and financial opportunities
* training,
with courses on the social economy, managing non profit organizations and
understanding globalization
* voluntary
service, with activities for the European voluntary service
* workcamps
for youth and solidarity activities
The purpose
of our work is to bring together understanding and action; social rights and
voluntary activities; the local and the global; civil society, the economy and
politics.
Research
Lunaria
carries out social and economic studies on the issues of social movements, third
sector, globalization and immigration.
Recent
projects have investigated the social priorities for public expenditure, the
employment potential of the third sector; non-monetary exchange systems; the
forms of work organization in the third sector; social accounting and gender
auditing; immigrants and their access to banking services.
In 2000
Lunaria has launched a civil society monitor on public expenditure, in
cooperation with 30 national organizations. The main aim is monitoring the
structure and impact of Italy's public expenditure, proposing alternative
priorities in order to promote peace, environmental sustainability, social
justice and nonprofit activities. A national campaign on this issue has led to
political meetings in Parliament and several cities, the support of dozen of
Members of Parliament, and the proposal of amendments to the 2001 budget law.
Lunaria's
research has been published in several books, in Italian and English, and in the
working papers available on the website. Some of the research activities are
funded by the European Commission (Lunaria has taken part in two TSER programs)
and by local authorities. The main books in English include:
* Third
Sector In Europe: Overwiew and Analysis
* Third
Sector In Europe: Review Of Present Policies
* The Forms
of Employment and Work Organization in The Third Sector
* Working In
The Third Sector: Handbook on Work Organization in Social Enterprises
* Employment
Opportunities in The Third Sector
* Adapting
Training Times and Methodology to Life Time
* Without
Money
* Immiforum.
Immigration Policies in Italy and in Europe
* Meticcia.
A Trip among the Antiracist Associations
* Migrants
and banks in Italy and in Europe
Services
Lunaria offers
advisory services to social enterprises. The main issues are: organisation and
management, legal and fiscal questions, financial issues (access to funds,
financial planning, planning of activities, search for partners, bookkeeping,
management of human resources, etc.).
Lunaria
helps matching the demand and supply of labour and skills in the third sector
with a databank on work opportunities and potential collaborators.
Lunaria
offers free advisory service on basic legal and fiscal issues concerning the
new Italian law on non-profit organizations (Onlus). In 2000 we have been
contacted by over 150 organizations from all over the country.
Lunaria
offers free advisory service on basic legal issues concerning immigration and
asylum to migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
Lunaria has
a large documentation center with books and publications on all issues of its
activities, which is open to the public and to civil society groups.
Training
Activities
Education
and training are part of Lunaria's mission since its birth. Beside the
workshops for its members, Lunaria offers training courses, vocational
seminars, and in-depth courses on the the third sector, the management of non
profit organizations and globalization. The main targets are young people, the
unemployed, students and professionals. Lunaria coordinates a pilot-project in
the framework of the Leonardo program, funded by the European Commission, on
the participation of women to the social economy.
Immigration
Lunaria
works on immigration and the fight against racism through information,
education and lobbying on institutions. In order to ensure full citizenship,
civil, social, and political rights to non-EU nationals, the following
initiatives have been undertaken:
* campaigns for
the recognition of the right of immigrants to vote in local elections, the
reform of the laws on citizenship and placing the competency for residence
permits under the civil authorities
* Immifax, a
fax agency to up-date information on legislation regarding immigration and the
campaigns and initiatives undertaken by antiracist associations in Italy and in
Europe
*
demonstrations and initiatives for the regularization of all immigrants present
in Italy and for the closure of the detention centres introduced by law n° 40
* law
information point for legal indications for those requesting asylum and for
refugees
*
intercultural education programmes for high schools
Voluntary
Work
Every year
Lunaria organizes international workcamps in Italy and sends 200 Italian
volunteers to Europe, North America, North Africa and Japan.
Workcamps
are meant to overcome national and cultural barriers and to bring together
volunteers from several countries, to educate them to an active citizenship and
give them the opportunity to spend a holiday period in the name of solidarity.
Information
and Communication
Lunaria
publishes the newsletter "Infoluna" and its members write regularly
for the Italian press (the daily "Il Manifesto", the weekly "Il
Salvagente", the montly "Lo Straniero", etc.) and occasionally
contribute to international publications. Some articles can be found on the
website. Lunaria has supported several publishing experiences on the issues of
social movements and the third sector: the magazine Onde lunghe; Eppur si
muove, the monthly magazine Carta.
Lunaria has
published more than 15 books, on subjects such as third sector, voluntary
service, immigration and antiracism (see the website for the full list).
General information on this
country can be accessed via any of the following websites:
Library of Congress country studies … http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/
US Dept of State country background pages … http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/
CIA Factbooks …
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
National newspapers online via Internet
Public Library …
http://www.ipl.org/reading/news/