Since May 2023, Un Ponte Per thanks to the project "Life-saving and life-sustaining health assistance to the war-affected population in North East Syria, Phase VII", funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), is implementing a new intervention aimed at providing life-saving health care to the most vulnerable population living in camps for displaced people in North East Syria, in the provinces of Raqqa, Hassakeh and Deir er Zor. Conflict and displacement continue to affect North East Syria, while needs have increased due to the severe economic crisis and water crisis that have hit the country, along with the intensification of Turkish attacks that have hit strategic civilian infrastructure in recent months, leaving more than 1 million people without access to water and energy sources.
The intervention aims to improve - through synergy with the local partner organisation Kurdish Red Crescent (KRC) and the local authorities - the health conditions and save the lives of war-affected people living in the camps by restoring decent living conditions.
The specific objective of this seventh phase is to provide free, safe and free access to primary and emergency health services to the displaced population living in five camps (Al Hol, Areesha, Serekanyed, Mahmoudli and Abu Khashab). The project provides support to the clinics in the camps for one year, enabling them to offer life-saving, primary, reproductive and paediatric health services, as well as providing ambulance transport for patients in emergency situations and implementing health education and prevention programmes.
The first phase (2017 - 2018), launched immediately after the start of the battle to liberate Raqqa, ensured thousands of wounded and trapped civilians in the Daesh stronghold had access to life-saving treatment through direct support to the health system in the north-east of the country. 15 ambulances have been purchased and 2 Trauma Stabilization Points (TSPs) have been established on the outskirts of Raqqa to rescue people before transferring them to the nearest hospitals, thus increasing their chances of survival. In addition, 2 Emergency First Aid Centres were established between Raqqa and the Areesha refugee camp. In parallel, frontline health workers were provided with training in psychological first aid techniques (PFA), handling civilian casualties in conflict zones, decontamination methods in case of chemical attacks and how to behave in mined areas. In the first phase, over 103,000 people were provided with health care.
With the second phase (April-December 2018), the intervention was also extended to the Governorates of Hasakeh and Deir er Zor, with the aim of providing life-saving treatment to 110,000 people through the strengthening of First Aid Centres and the system of mobile health units, to reach the most isolated areas. Training continued for health workersə on life-saving procedures and trauma care, primary health care protocols, monitoring and administration. Special attention was paid to methodologies for identifying and protecting victims of abuse, violence and discrimination, in order to develop dedicated services.
The third phase (2019 - 2020) involved the strengthening of all previous interventions and the extension of health services provided outside clinics to reach the most vulnerable segments of the population and increase resilience. It also saw greater involvement of local communities in the planning and delivery of services, and the employment of Community Health Workers (CHWs).
The fourth phase (2020 - 2021) aimed to improve the health of the local population through the rehabilitation of services. This work involved over 135,000 people, 58% of whom were women.
The fifth phase (2021 - 2022) improved the population's safe access to quality and comprehensive life-saving care, as well as obstetric, reproductive and specialised health services in response to the Covid-19 emergency. Five local health centres, two mobile units, two public hospitals, as well as a dense network of ambulances (50) of local partner KRC were supported to reach almost 150,000 war-affected people with health services.
The sixth phase (2022-2023) improved existing health services and ensured free, safe and free access to the right to health for the local population, through collaboration with local partners Kurdish Red Crescent (KRC) and Action for Humanity (AFH). In addition to life-saving services, primary, reproductive and paediatric first and second level health services were supported, as well as the improvement of referral and prevention systems.
The youth population in Jordan, despite high levels of vocational training, suffers from a high unemployment rate. In an attempt to bridge the gap between their education and the labour supply, it is necessary to intervene with specific training courses that meet the needs of the market. In this sense, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses are a way of facilitating the transition between education and entry into the labour market by ensuring economic inclusion for the youth population.
The 'Furas' (Opportunities) project, financed by Otto per Mille funds from the Waldensian Church, fits into this framework, targeting the vulnerable youth population in the Russeifa area, Zarqa Governorate. Together with the Jordanian organisations Athar Association for Youth Development and Our Step Association for Mental Health, Un Ponte Per aims to promote access to the world of work for the youth of the Jordanian host community and the Syrian refugee community through education, vocational training and peacebuilding activities.
Another important support to Iraqi civil society, implemented thanks to CCFD-Terre Solidaire funding, comes from the project 'Civil Society Solidarity with Iraq: from protests to elections'. A project that aims to provide systematic support to Iraqi civil society partners, in particular the Iraqi Social Forum and the Kurdistan Social Forum. An initiative to promote support for human rights defenders in Iraq, following the escalation of violence against them, promoting peace and dialogue as an alternative to violence.
This included supporting the End Cross Border Bombings in Iraqi Kurdistan (ECBB) campaign, which fights against Turkish bombings of unarmed civilians in Iraqi Kurdistan. Further important work was done by the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) to ensure fairness and transparency during the Iraqi elections in October 2021. In this regard, ICSSI compiled and disseminated to the media and inter-national institutions (including the EU monitoring delegation) a report collecting civil society's views and recommendations on the electoral process.
Starting in February 2022 and running until January 2023, Un Ponte Per through the project "Towards a New Era of Social Struggle, Rights, Peace and Democracy", financed by CCFD - Terre Solidaire, launches a new intervention to strengthen the young Iraqi civil society. The project, implemented with the partnership of the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI), aims to harmonise the strategic vision of the various civil society souls and build a solid network of contacts between Iraqi and international civil society; support the work and objectives of the Iraqi Social Forum and the Kurdistan Social Forum, as well as their further entrenchment in local forums in new Iraqi cities and regional activism networks; support the advocacy work of the international 'End Cross Border Bombing' campaign and Iraqi partners to obtain a ceasefire by Turkey and Iran in Iraqi Kurdistan, also in order to obtain recognition for all forgotten civilian victims, so that they can finally have access to humanitarian assistance and reparations.
The intervention also aims to support the 'Protect Iraqi Human Rights Defenders NOW!' network in its work of promoting human rights defenders in Iraqi society, countering threats, and ensuring protection in the environments in which they work. With this in mind, ICSSI's international conference 'Starting Over from Solidarity' was held in Sulaymaniyah in March 2022, which was essential to re-establish and strengthen solidarity ties between Iraqi and international organisations, after two years of working from a distance. The conference was attended by 27 Iraqi and international civil society organisations, including local forums, the Iraqi social forum and the Kurdistan social forum.
"Drawing peace between Agrate and Iraq" is a project that aims to build bridges of solidarity between Italy and Iraq through art: four urban art workshops will be proposed to young people from Sulaymaniya, in Iraqi Kurdistan, at the youth centre "Tobacco Factory" with which Un Ponte Per has been collaborating for some time, and where trainer and drawer Simone Rossoni, in art "Vermi di Rouge", will accompany the project.
In Lombardy, on the other hand, a workshop will be offered to studentsə of the Enzo Bontempi Secondary School (MB), with which UPP has been collaborating for years on educational projects for pre-adolescents; and one at the 'Sulè' Multipurpose Centre for young people in Agrate Brianza, managed by the Sulè Onlus Association, thanks to the training of Marzia Formoso, in art 'Miss Nais'.
At the end of the workshops, which will involve 30 young people in Iraq and 30 in Italy, 6 murals will be made on the theme of building peace and bonds of solidarity between the two countries, and a photographic volume will be produced to recount this moment of exchange.
The 'Peace Support Ukraine' project, supported by the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai (IBISG) and implemented with our Romanian partner PATRIR, was set up with the aim of fostering the resilience of Ukrainian civil society and supporting the action of local youth in non-violent resistance and peace-building, bringing their voice to local and international institutions.
The project, which will start in July 2022, will develop through capacity building in peacebuilding, conflict management and mediation among young Ukrainians through in-person and online training, production of specific guides, videos and communication materials. All products will then be conveyed to reach as wide an audience as possible through a "Youth Channel/Peace Channel", a Telegram channel and peace website.
Attention will also be given to the training of first aid workers for the management and treatment of trauma. With a view to enhancing the work of civil society, calls will be made to implement peacebuilding ideas and campaigns. Finally, the intervention plans to support non-violent activistə working in militarily occupied territories.
Together with PATRIR, three local partners were identified with high potential for non-violent conflict transformation and dealing with the impact of war on the psyche of young people:
At the end of the project, which will see UPP and partners engaged until the end of 2024, we hope to reach over 200 Ukrainian youth and civil society members to strengthen their capacities in peacebuilding and nonviolent crisis response; at least 10 Ukrainian organisations and 15 international organisations, who will be able to work on mutual understanding through coordination in the field. Alongside this, the project aims to reach 10 schools and 50 teachers with the creation of 3 specific guides on the topics of Peacebuilding, Nonviolence in Occupied Territories and Peace Education.
In terms of communication, the project plans to identify at least 20 cases of non-violence and peacebuilding initiatives carried out by Ukrainian citizens, activists, youth and civil society organisations, to document and report on them nationally and internationally.
The current climate emergency requires immediate and drastic action. The 2018 IPCC Special Report 'Global Warming of 1.5°C' clearly states that global climate neutrality must be achieved by 2050 to avoid irreversible effects and that a collective effort of all sectors of the economy and society is needed. Many climate action initiatives are aimed at the profit sectors of the economy, but much remains to be done to improve the climate footprint of development cooperation and humanitarian organisations and strengthen their contribution in promoting climate action worldwide. The role NGOs play in promoting the mainstreaming of climate action at organisational, community and institutional levels has great potential, which the "(E)mission (IM)possible" project wishes to help develop.
"(E)mission (IM)possible" aims to develop higher education qualifications in the field of climate action among current and future development cooperation professionals. With this project, we would like to strengthen the leading role in climate action of NGOs, which will become examples of good conduct from an environmental and, thus, climate perspective.
To this end, "(E)mission (IM)possible" aims to:
Discover the dedicated website >>
The project partnership includes: 6 humanitarian organisations (working in the field of development cooperation and environmental and climate protection) and a university. The partners come from Italy, Spain and Portugal. We joined forces to bring the contribution of NGOs to climate action.
The actions of the project will combine the development of various types of learning opportunities, aimed both at a broad audience of development cooperation and humanitarian aid (DC&H) professionals and partner staff.
A MOOC will facilitate DC&H professionals' access to flexible training opportunities to build key competences in climate action. Based on co-created and work-based learning content, the MOOC is tailored to the real needs and skills gaps of DC&H professionals in this field.
"(E)mission (IM)possible" is also developing an 'on-the-job' learning path dedicated to climate action skills so that professionals can become climate action strategists within their organisation.
Finally, the project contributes to fostering cooperation between HEIs, NGDOs, environmental and climate experts in the integration of climate neutrality qualifications in higher education, promoting replication and dissemination of its upskill intentions.
"(E)mission (IM)possible" includes the following key activities:
The learning opportunities are open to future and current professionals in the field of development cooperation and humanitarian aid: studentsə, volunteersə, unemployed or not yet employed professionalsə, NGO staff, academicsə and teachers, etc.
Networking, dissemination and exploitation activities will also target local, national and European institutions, higher education institutions, climate organisations and grassroots environmental movements.
In terms of geographical scope, the project activities of '(E)mission (IM)possible' will involve and reach participants and stakeholders not only in Italy, Spain and Portugal and other European countries, but also in other regions of the world: Africa (Mozambique, Togo, Guinea-Bissau), Latin America (Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador) and the Middle East.
Twenty-two years have passed since the enactment of UN Resolution 1325 - Women, Peace and Security, aimed at the involvement of women in peace processes. A fundamental resolution, in which Un Ponte Per firmly believes, as witnessed by the projects "Kaleidoscope of Peace" and "Engendering Peace" thanks to which the role of women in peace and reconciliation processes in Lebanon, Iraq and North East Syria was supported.
In the same context, from July to November 2022, the new intervention "Women waving peace" - implemented by Un Ponte Per and financed by the Italian Cooperation - will come to life. Its objective will be to promote the active participation of women and young people in peace processes with a view to gender equality in Italy, the West Asia and North Africa. At least four cycles of trainings will be carried out at various levels (local, national, international), awareness-raising campaigns and exchanges of good practices concerning Resolution 1325, under the aegis of the Lebanese Peacebuilding Academy .
All activities will be marked by a strong gender approach, with the involvement of women activists and local organisations from Lebanon, Italy, Iraq, Tunisia and Libya. At least 200 Iraqi, Lebanese, Libyan and Tunisian women and 20 local organisations will be trained on peacebuilding (at least 40 per cent of them young) to implement active methodologies in social and youth movements. At least 3,000 people will be directly reached by awareness-raising campaigns on the role of women in non-violent conflict transformation, mediation and reconciliation, at least half of whom are members of student or youth movements in the WANA (West Asia North Africa) region.
Project partners, after participating in the training and on the basis of the knowledge acquired, will be able to submit applications for funding linked to micro-projects to be implemented on their territory.
For some time now, Un Ponte Per has been carrying out training and Peace Education programmes on the national territory, each year offering young people the tools to become aware and respectful citizens of different cultures. In this context, thanks to the funding of the "Fondazione della Comunità di Monza e della Brianza", the project "Patti Educativi di Comunità" (Community Educational Pacts) starts in March 2022 (and will last until December of the same year), implemented by the UPP Committee of Monza and Milan in collaboration with Arci Scuotivento, Arcodonna, Banca del Tempo Monza, Gruppo Solidarietà Africa, La Scatola dei Pensieri, Legambiente, Libera, Parada, Silvia Tremolada, Socialtime and intended for 1st and 2nd grade students (6-19 years) in the Brianza area.
The project was born in a context of extreme uncertainty, in a historical phase dominated by the Covid-19 emergency that led to the closure of schools, in fact, for almost a year and a half. Many schools have reopened, but the fear that they might close again adds to the difficult adaptation of studentə to Distance Learning and the sense of bewilderment of the younger segments of the population during this period of closure. Thus, new alliances in the adult world, finally aimed at the well-being of young studentsə, are essential to address the inevitable critical situations.
The aim of the project is to prevent and combat new educational poverty by combating school drop-outs and educational failure. Through 750 hours of workshops in theatre, circus, poetry slam, murales, comics, social garden, and other activities focused on active citizenship, 92 classes and almost 2300 studentsə will be involved. The pedagogical and didactic project was organised taking into account the specificities and opportunities of the implementation area.
We work for a school that is finally connected to its social base, that spreads an ideal of openness and availability, that ensures the well-being of studentsə through concrete involvement in educational and growth experiences.
Today, the Mediterranean is reduced to a sea of separation, a horizontal wall that increases the distance between one part of the world and another. Instead, we would like our sea to represent something else: a sea of humanity, a bridge between west and east, north and south.
THE PROJECT
The project "Kutub Hurra, A Bridge of Books Across the Mediterranean" is promoted by Un Ponte Per (UPP) in cooperation with the Tunisian association "Lina Ben Mhenni" and a network of Italian realities operating in our country's prisons.
The project aims to create a more inclusive prison environment through the provision of Arabic-language books to prison libraries, thus giving Arab-speaking inmates and prisoners reading opportunities using books as a tool for emancipation. Having readings and literature in Arabic also means being considered in one's entirety and dignity, a necessary starting point for any path of inclusion and rehabilitation.
The project aims to exploit this opportunity to foster a horizontal exchange between civil societies on both shores of the Mediterranean, and represents an innovative challenge to the logic of one-way aid: a concrete practice of decolonising cooperation. Seeking to overcome the logic of contraposition, it intends to organise opportunities for cultural exchange to build a more human and solidarity-based world.
Download the full project description (Last updated - January 2025 - ITA).
Project partners are: Associazione Lina Ben Mhenni, University of Florence/Polo Universitario Penitenziario, AVP - Associazione di Volontariato Penitenziario, Associazione Pantagruel, Garante dei diritti delle persone private della libertà del Comune di Firenze, University of Florence/Department of Political and Social Sciences, Guarantor of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty of the Municipality of Livorno, ARCI Livorno, CESDI-Centro Servizi Donne Immigrate (Centre for the Services of Immigrant Women), Controluce - Prison Volunteer Association, Cooperativa AltraCittà, Cooperativa Orizzonti, Guarantor of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty of the Municipality of Padua.
Contact: comunicazione@unponteper.it
"We think this is an important initiative from the point of view of intercultural exchange and useful in preventing Islamist radicalism. In perspective, we can think of expanding the experience outside the prison as well, for example in the territorial library network. A group has been formed with the participation of various figures (librarians, mediators, guarantors, operators and association volunteers) that periodically meets online to take stock of the situation. At present, in addition to Padua, the realities of Livorno, Pisa, Florence, Rome and Rome are involved or at least interested in participating: Livorno, Pisa, Florence, Rome and Brescia. Everyone is invited to join and keep up-to-date by joining this group'.
Antonio Bincoletto, Guarantor of the rights of persons deprived of or restricted in their liberty, Padua.
HOW TO JOIN 'KUTUB HURRA'
Here are the steps needed to join the project:
1 - Signing a convention
A declaration of intent is signed between the UPP and the prison (the prison management; the Guarantor of the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty; the Prison Education Area or others involved in cultural activities in the prison).
Download the draft convention.
2 - Book Selection
UPP shares with the prison the list of Arabic language books at its disposal and takes care of the delivery.
3 - Book delivery and opening event
The books are delivered by UPP to the prison and an event is organised together.
4 - Participation in regular meetings of the network of realities involved in the project
Regular meetings are organised between the associations participating in the project and representatives of the participating prisons to ensure a constant exchange of best practices and to develop innovative activities that enable the realisation of the project's objectives.
