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The cultural Centre Francesco Luigi Ferrari was established in 1978 in Modena with the aim of offering stability and continuity to many cultural important experiences and initiatives which happened in the past. It is dedicated to one of the most significant democratic and antifascist figure of the Italian history, Francesco Luigi Ferrari, who in the first decades of the 20th century played a leading role in the local, Italian and European political, social and cultural scene.
The Centre is a point of reference for associations, civil and clerical organizations on emerging themes related to people’s life quality.
It carries out research on economic, political, cultural, historical and social trends, at local and regional level, in relation to European and international key issues by testing innovative methods and analysis tools.
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The Centre is a meeting point for those who are interested in deepening and thinking about the most relevant subjects of the Italian political agenda and make comparison between different political and social cultures.
The Centre is a laboratory where young people as well as people who are actively involved in social and political areas, have the opportunity to increase their own knowledge, to give possible new project suggestions but mainly to upgrade behaviors and values of the catholic-democratic culture. The cultural Centre Francesco Luigi Ferrari is a partner of many European Projects in different countries and works in collaboration with European and national institutes, local organizations, professional associations, cultural organizations, research centers, trade unions, cooperatives, political movements, clerical associations and organizations and mass media. |
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To reach the aspired objectives, the activities of the cultural Centre Francesco Luigi Ferrari are organized in 5 areas of interventions, each one linked with the other. In each of these areas are working groups which are composed of academic experts, researchers and professionals. |
SOCIAL AREA
It proposes research activities and promotes the development of tools and policies at European, national and local level. This activity is strongly related to data and information collected and worked out by the Observatories (see section “Services” below). Studies and initiatives, such as draft bills and regulations, are developed in collaborations with political parties, local administrations, trade unions and associations. |
HISTORICAL AREA
This area is focused on local contemporary history and the Italian catholic movement with the strong belief that the knowledge of the past and of our own origins is necessary in order to understand and live the present. Moreover the Centre works in collaboration with many cultural organizations and institutions, offers its assistance for historical research and training to students and researchers giving a possibility to enter the Centre’s historic archive. There is also an online catalogue available. The publication of historical essays is often accompanied by the organization of meetings and promotional initiatives. |
COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION AREA
It organizes training courses in the field of information, mass media, social and mainly political communication. Furthermore it develops analyses of local media using the methodology practiced by the Observatory on Local Press (see section “Services” below) and collaborates with research institutes at national level. It also promotes media education activities in cooperation with national institutions and schools. It carries out communication and promotional activities in order to disseminate results of the analyses and researches of the Centre. |
EUROEPAN PROJECTS AREA
In this area, projects, services and policies are elaborated using the opportunities and financial means of the European programs and local institutions but also private organizations, foundations, Chambers of Commerce, associations and service centers. |
TRAINING AREA
The training area organizes training activities generally addressed to young people, teachers, pastoral and social workers and policy makers. For kids there are specific courses focused on politics, journalism and media-education. Moreover this area organizes periodical meetings on current topics held by external experts. |
Services offered by the cultural Centre Francesco Luigi Ferrari are the following: There are so many different tools which implement the different activities of the Centre in every area, offering to every interested person the possibility to participate actively at the life of the association.
The offered services can be used by everybody who is interested in. |
THE OBSERVATORIES
The Observatories set up by the Cultural Centre Francesco Luigi Ferrari are key tools to analyze the different problems which characterize at political and social level the area where the Centre works. Through these Observatories the Centre tries to control the changes and emerging scenarios of the most significant aspects of local reality in order to propose innovative models to volunteers, private and public social workers, administrators and journalists. In addition, the activities of the Observatories permit to try out particularly innovative methodologies. |
OBSERVATORY OF POVERTY
It is a tool to control an important social phenomenon, the poverty, one of the great global challenges of our century. Created in collaboration with the diocesan Caritas (the Italian charitable organization) of Modena-Nonantola and Carpi, the Observatory represents an efficient key of reading needs and problems of the local territory. Yearly, a research with statistics and analysis on the Caritas First Aid centers activities is published. A regular activity of training and technical assistance is offered to social workers of the First Aid Centers. The Observatory of Poverty belongs to the Caritas national Observatories network. |
OBSERVATORY OF LOCAL PRESS
It aims at surveying the local situation as it appears on local press in order to analyze and understand how newspapers deal with the local problems and present them to the general public. The Observatory of Local Press represents an opportunity to have an exchange with media operators on their working experiences. |
OBSERVATORY ON FAMILIES
It is addressed to analyze family dynamics, their creation, the differences in the development and break. Within this context, the Observatory represents a tool to think over and make the general public reflect on how family can be strengthen as a social organization and not only being limited to its historical, legislative and emotional representation. |
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL OBSERVATORY
The Observatory provides information and data necessary to produce input-output analyses on the economic and social dimension of our territory. It aims at making the local society as well as public and private institutions aware of changes in order to adapt to the problems and potential risks. Furthermore it uses communication tools which have the function to awaken the opinion of general public to issues which were considered too sectoral so far. |
OBSERVATORY ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE
It offers an opportunity to reflect on how citizens of Modena look at their city. Data which have been collected by different surveys are not expected to offer a real picture of the City of Modena but a representation deriving from citizen’s feelings and attitudes. |
HISTORICAL ARCHIVE
In the historical archive, defined “of great historical importance” by the Emilia Romagna Historical Archives Department, are recorded documents and writings of local contemporary history and catholic movement. The archive includes files of many political organizations, trade unions and religious associations. Moreover, the cultural Centre Francesco Luigi Ferrari carries out several initiatives and projects in order to make consultation easier, to increase the value of the existing contemporary history sources and to improve access to databases, training material, digital catalogues and historical heritage of numerous bodies and institutes. |
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IN-FORMEDIA
In-ForMedia is a permanent media education centre addressed to both students and teachers of the local primary and secondary schools and university teachers. It organizes laboratories of journalism and communication, comics, cartoons, video production and supports teachers and educators to plan media education training courses. |
THE RESEACH CENTRE AND DATABASES
As a research centre, the cultural Centre Francesco Luigi Ferrari has a library of about eight thousands of volumes connected to the National Library System including special magazines, newsletters, newspapers and other publications. Yearly, the Centre publishes dossiers on specific themes. On the Cultural Centre Francesco Luigi Ferrari’s website (www.centroferrari.it) most of the produced material and the databases of the Observatories are available. |
PUBLICATIONS
In order to promote and disseminate analyses and results of research activities the Centre produces the following publications: “I Quaderni del Ferrari” focused on studies and research of particular interest; the “Note Modenesi” periodical; the newsletter “FerrarInforma” and dossiers on specific themes such as economic, religious, political and social issues. |
