The Italian community is one of the largest in Nice, and for the past 18 years, Italy has established representative bodies elected through universal suffrage by its nationals worldwide.
The first is the General Council of Italians Abroad (Consiglio Generale degli Italiani allโEstero – C.G.I.E) which consists of 65 elected councillors and 29 appointed by the Italian government.
The other, the Committee of Italians Abroad (Comitati degli Italiani allโEstero – COM.IT.ES), has been present in Nice since 1985, located near the Italian consulate at 5 bd du Parc Impรฉrial. It is chaired by Mr. Capaldi Bruno, and its purpose is to facilitate, in collaboration with the consular authority, initiatives in all areas related to social life, culture, assistance, vocational training, and the reintegration of the Italian community residing in the district.
For example, the committee acts as the spokesperson for citizens who find the welcome at the consulate appalling, or those who feel discriminated by their employers who do not comply with labor laws. In this context, it also organizes information meetings with the Alpes-Maritimes Primary Health Insurance Fund (CPAM), European deputies, and others.
Present for 23 years, Com.it.es is currently experiencing a renewal that has been in place since 2004, as it is evident that it has always had a very obscure existenceโ”it remained a beautiful unknown”โwhich, according to Mr. Capaldi, was due to it being managed by “people of a certain age giving it heaviness, it was seen not as an aid but an antagonism by the community.”
Today, the elected team has reached new heights; it is more open to associations, providing them with help, support, and collaborating with them: it plans to organize, in collaboration with the “Circolo Italiano Giuseppe Garibaldi” association, a series of conferences with authors, Italian artists, as well as exhibitions and entertaining events.
All this with one goal: to unite the community “very fragmented, like the Italian society,” and to make it known and recognized. And this will be achieved, according to its representative, through citizenship (out of 6,500 Italians in Nice, only 1,600 are registered to vote), “there is a duty to educate the younger ones so that they may take over these institutions”: hence the organization of the first conference of young Italians, which will be held in Rome in the last quarter of 2008, with twenty young people of Italian origin from Nice participating.
This week, as part of the “Italy at the Table” event, you can find a stand from Com.it.es, which will organize, among other things, a festive meal in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Italian Constitution, at The Bay of Amalfi where hundreds of people are expected.
