JCU Delegation Attends Coopera Conference on International Cooperation
Coopera Conference
On Wednesday, January 24 and Thursday, January 25, 2018, about 20 John Cabot students, together with faculty and staff members attended COOPERA, the conference on International Cooperation organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development (AICS).
The conference saw the involvement of the JCU community thanks to the invitation from the office of the MAECI Directorate General to the JCU Service Learning Program, after having the opportunity to meet the students at the We World Index presentation in November 2017.
The aim of the conference was to discuss the future of international cooperation, also looking at cultural and professional opportunities in the field, especially for younger generations. There were two days of intense meetings, round tables, and debates featuring experts and testimonials from the world of sports, entrepreneurship, and culture.
The distinguished speakers included Paolo Gentiloni, Italian Prime Minister, Angelino Alfano, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mario Giro, Vice-Minister for International Cooperation, Faustin Archanga Touadera, President of the Central African Republic, and Amadou Ba, Senegal’s Ministry of Finance.
Coopera Conference
After a first morning dedicated to high-level speeches, the participants broke up into smaller roundtables to discuss the following themes: Sustainable Development, Migrations, Communications, Private Sector and Youth. The second day was dedicated to debating if International Cooperation can change the world, with testimonials from celebrities involved in supporting humanitarian projects. Lastly, the Directors of the Ministries involved with cooperation presented projects and results.
The contributions and operational suggestions coming from the debate will be collected and used for the future planning of Italian International Cooperation.
Students had the opportunity to attend all sessions and gain useful insights about the world of international cooperation and how to develop a career in the humanitarian field.
