We are all the same different. Wonderful oxymoron to say that yes, we are all different and that, yes, we have the same rights to have equal opportunities. But these can never be identical if the starting condition is different. If this is understood, inclusion is a done deal: it is the objective of the Inclusivity Village, the second edition of the event promoted by the Municipality to bring together all the living forces of the city and which yesterday “included” even bad weather, due of which a lightning-fast move from Villa Dante to the Palacultura was organised.
Despite the change of venue, the event took place with great successconfirming the organisation’s commitment to carrying forward this important initiative. Coinciding with the Day of Listening, there was a long discussion about the importance of words and how they can profoundly influence people’s lives. The councilor for equal opportunities Liana Cannata opened the proceedings together with the mayor Federico Basile, the head of the prefecture’s cabinet Michela Fabio and the rector of the University of Messina Giovanna Spatari, underlining the importance of initiatives that promote an inclusive language and spaces listening for anyone who needs it.
Councilor Cannata recalled that the listening desk, strongly desired by the municipal administration, represents a concrete tool to support people in difficulty, creating a welcoming and open environment. «Inclusivity Village was born last year with Arcigay to dedicate a day to inclusion. – says councilor Cannata – On the occasion of International Listening Day, we want to go beyond literal listening, intercepting the needs of everyone. The equal opportunities desk was created precisely to respond to these needs, involving associations and individual citizens, so that no one feels excluded and everyone can find a point of reference.”
The language of respect
Immediately after the institutional greetings, the panel turned the spotlight on the importance of words and an inclusive language, respectful of all diversity. At the opening, Natalia La Rosa, journalist of the Gazzetta del Sud responsible for the GDS Academy, brought greetings from the president of Ses Lino Morgante, underlining the commitment to communication through the media partnership of the Gazzetta del Sud, and highlighted how, despite the discriminations are still present in society, today there is a growing awareness and a collective will to recognize them as something negative, to call them by name and address them. Numerous school delegations were present at the meeting thanks to the Provincial Education Office. The prof. Fabio Rossi, professor of Italian Linguistics at the University of Messina, author of numerous publications including “inclusive” school grammars and collaborator of prestigious institutions such as the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia Institute, gave a valuable speech, explaining how languages evolve naturally and reiterating both the social and grammatical necessity of the correct use of gender language. Highlighting, in particular, how the feminine declination of professions is perfectly correct, even if opposed for social reasons which, as La Rosa underlined recalling the Accademia della Crusca, tend to represent «the masculine as a gender of prestige and the feminine as genre of contempt”: today, now, unacceptable.
The in-depth analysis, which also covered journalistic language, was appreciated and recorded numerous interventions, concluding with a call for attention and respect in everyday language, at school, in the office or in chat. Because respectful language is an expression of respectful thought, against all forms of violence and discrimination.
Technology that closes the gap
The day, organized together with Messina Social City for which the president was present Valeria Asquinicontinued to explore inclusiveness in all its facets, with the intervention of Unime IT engineer Davide Mulfari, accompanied by his father Salvatore, presenting the “CapisciAMe” project, an innovative app designed to help people with linguistic disabilities to interact with voice assistants. «Our goal is to make these technologies more inclusive, but to do so we need the contribution of people with dysarthria or other vocal difficulties, because donating your voice can make a difference», declared Salvatore Mulfari, launching an appeal for participation. The day was enriched by the testimonies of various local entities, such as the CIRS family home, represented by the vice-president Cinzia Fresina, the Tre Ali non-profit organization, with the participation of the president Stefania Aviano, and the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired represented by Maurizio Gemelli . The assistance of the LIS interpreter Martina Previti was the plus of the entire day, guaranteeing an accessible and inclusive event for all people present, including deaf ones.
Benedetta: on social media against inequalities
The guest of honor of the event was the content creator Benedetta De Luca, who with her 150 thousand followers on Instagram recounted her personal and professional experience. Together with Noemi David of The Wom, De Luca addressed the topic of disability and the impact that online popularity had on his life, offering an open and sincere dialogue with the young men and women present, coming from all over Sicily and also from Reggio Calabria. Arcigay Messina actively participated, supporting, together with councilor Cannata, the opening of a desk for equal opportunities, conceived as a space for listening and support for all people who face discrimination or difficulties related to sexual orientation or gender identity. Inclusivity Village 2024 represented much more than a simple happening: it was a meeting between people, ideas and projects that aim to make society more open and welcoming. And, despite the bad weather, the power of words found its space to resonate, helping to build a more inclusive future.