Dear friends, Spring has come and We the Italians is off again to New York, where we will attend the NIAF Gala and make some important and interesting meetings.
And speaking of galas, we are working hard to organize our Gala dinner again this year here in Rome. It will be held again at the prestigious Club of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs on June 12, and we will have the NIAF board as guests of honor. At this link you can find videos and photos of last year's gala, same location. Everybody’s welcome!
Our Gala will be attended by personalities from the world of institutions, politics, industry, managers and professionals. Also with us will be the system of the American presence in Italy that represents the United States in culture, academia, business, associations and from the institutional point of view. This is the only moment of celebration in Italy of the Italian American community and the most important event here in Rome to witness the friendship between Italy and the United States.
A few days ago I had the pleasure and honor of giving a lecture at the Centro Studi Americani here in Rome as part of the "Alla Scoperta dell’America" project. I was happy to tell more than 100 Italian high school seniors about the successes and hard work of Italian Americans over the decades from the years of mass emigration to present day. And I explained the fact that Christopher Columbus is under attack, and especially why these attacks are wrong, unjust and unwarranted. It is fundamental and reason for being proud, for me and for all of us at We the Italians, to continue to represent here in Italy how important the Italian American community is.
For the past few months our member Edoardo Colombo has been working to ensure our help in the celebrations of a very important man, but mainly unknown to almost everyone in the United States: Alessandro Geraldini. We are pleased to announce that we have accepted the invitation to participate as a sponsoring institution in the forming National Committee for the Celebrations of the 500th Anniversary of the Death of Msgr. Alessandro Geraldini, the first Resident Bishop of Santo Domingo, active in the Court of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic and known there for his support of Christopher Columbus. Without him Columbus' first voyage would hardly have been financed by Spain. The celebrations will be held throughout the year 2024, which is when the 500th anniversary of Msgr. Geraldini's death falls. Of course, we will keep you updated on these events.
Last but not least, our family continues to grow. Today we welcome in our team a friend, who will accompany us by taking care of the column in the magazine dedicated to Italian design: Alberto Improda. Alberto is Managing Partner of Studio Legale Improda, President of Fondazione Città Italia, President of Centro Studi Cross Route Impresa, Vice President of Cultura Italiae, lawyer, professor and writer. He is also Lecturer at ISIA University Institute, Italy's oldest university on Design.
Once again let me remind you that the new yearbook of We the Italians is available, with the 23 interviews (in Italian and English) published during 2022. You can find a preview and buy a copy here. Also, please use our virtual store to buy gifts and gadgets, where you can find more than 20 products in different colors: t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, onesies, mugs, notebooks, pillows, totes, tapestries, pins, laptop and smartphone cases, magnets, stickers, masks. Buy We the Italians!
It’s all for now. Please stay safe and take care, and enjoy our magazine and our contents on our website. The future’s so bright, we gotta wear shades. A big Italian hug from Rome!
